The house looked the same; it hadn’t changed one bit. The lawn was still unkept and the paint was still chipped in the same places. John looked at his watch and then back at the house while he sat in his town car. His driver, Thomas didn’t say a word, just popped open his can of New Coke and took a big swig.
Thomas rolled the window down and spit out the beverage. “This tastes like shit!”
“Is it that serious, Thomas?” asked John.
“Yes, boss, why did Coke even release this? They need to bring the old stuff back.”
John chuckled and looked at his watch again. The second hand seemed to be moving twice as fast as usual.
“Don’t mean to rush you sir, but we’re on a tight schedule.”
“I know, I just need a minute,” said John. He took a deep breath, collected his thoughts and grabbed the nicely wrapped gift that sat next to him. “I won’t be long, Thomas.”
The walk up to the front door was longer than he remembered and he could hear every step he took because it seemed to be amplified. His heart was beating fast and loud. Usually the most calm guy in every situation, he was a nervous wreck right now. He reached the front door and rang the doorbell.
BRRRRING!
It was the most horrible doorbell chime, but the familiarity of it brought some comfort to him.
The door opened and her beauty slapped him across the face. Her light brown eyes glistened in the sunlight and he always seemed to get lost in them. Her lips were slightly moist as if she had just run her tongue over them to relieve them of their dryness. Her hair was longer now; her brunette locks resting on her shoulders looked like they might reach halfway down her back. Her “beauty mark” was perfectly placed just to the right and below her nose; just above her upper lip. The ripped grey sweatshirt she wore rested comfortably on her and fell just off her shoulder exposing a bit of her olive colored, unblemished skin and part of her sports bra. She wore black leggings with leg warmers that matched her sweater and she was barefoot. She was the definition of beauty.
“Hi, Adriana.”
This ruggedly handsome man stood in front of her with his piercing hazel eyes. He looked tired and relieved at the same time. He had some scruff on his face which always irked Adriana, but she never really minded it. He wore a collared shirt and a sport coat, with no tie, and fitted slacks. He’s obviously seen Scarface one too many times, but the look worked for him. Adriana remembered a time when all he had to do was smile and she would melt in his arms. That was a long time ago and Adriana was a new woman. She was not happy to see this man that stood at her doorstep.
“What are you doing here, John?”
“I want to see her.”
“Why? It’s been three years and we haven’t heard a word from you. She doesn’t even know who you are.”
“You never showed her pictures of me?” there was hurt in John’s voice.
“Why would I do that? You bitched out and left us on our own.”
Just then an older woman walked up behind Adriana. “Mija, what’s going on?”
“Nothing, this solicitor was just leaving.”
The older lady put her glasses on which hung around her neck by a chain and got a better look at the “solicitor”. “Dios mio, Juan, is that you?”
“It’s been a long time Mrs. Nuñez, how are you?” asked John.
“Not good, Juan, not good. It’s tough raising a little girl especially when I thought I was done.”
“Mami, let me handle this please,” pleaded Adriana to her mother.
“Adriana, can I please see her?” asked John.
Adriana thought about it hard and eventually moved aside and motioned for John to come into the house.
John walked through the corridor and set the gift he had down on a bench. “You look as beautiful as ever, Mrs. Nuñez.”
“Gracias, Juan, but I’m not the one you need to be kissing up to. She’s in the living room mirando Rocky Fragments.”
“El programa se llama, Fraggle Rock, mami,” corrected Adriana.
Adriana led the way to the living room and there she was. She sat on the floor a little too close to the television watching some strange looking puppets of some kind. John had no idea what was on television, but she seemed to be enjoying the program.
Adriana walked up to her and said, “Veronica, someone wants to say hello.” Veronica looked very annoyed at her mother for interrupting her Fraggle Rock experience. She turned and looked at this strange man who just stared at her.
John looked at Adriana, “I don’t know what to say.”
“She’s three, for God sake, John. Just say hello.”
“Hello,” John waved at Veronica.
Veronica waved back, “You have surprise for me?”
“Veronica, that’s not polite,” said Adriana.
“No, it’s okay, I actually did bring her something; it’s in the hallway.” John went to retrieve the present he had carried into the house. He brought it into the living room and sat it in front of Veronica.
The wrapping paper with the clowns on it immediately grabbed Veronica’s attention. Knowing exactly what to do with wrapped boxes, Veronica began to tear away at the wrapping paper with excitement. John helped her and when the gift was revealed, Veronica just started at it with no reaction.
“What is it?” asked Adriana.
“It’s a Nintendo, it’s supposed to be the hottest thing and they’re extremely hard to find right now,” explained John.
“What’s a Nintendo, some kind of video game?” asked Adriana.
“Exactly.”
“She’s only three, John, but thanks I guess.”
“She’ll eventually learn to play it, she’s smart.”
“How would you know?” Adriana couldn’t be cordial to this man anymore, “You weren’t around and now you show up with some bullshit video game and hope it fixes everything? Is that all she’s worth to you?”
Mrs. Nuñez walks into the living room from the kitchen, “Adriana…” her mother warned.
“I’m sorry, mami,” Adriana knew her mother didn’t like it when she cussed let alone in front of Veronica.
John just stared at his daughter and tried to memorize every detail about her. She had his eyes and her mother’s nose. She was beautiful and John was now kicking himself for not bringing a camera with him.
“I know you don’t owe me anything, but do you have a picture of her I can have?” asked John.
“I’m surprised you even asked for one.”
“Gimme a break, Adriana, you know what I do is dangerous and I don’t want to get her or you caught up in it. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you guys and it was my fault.”
Adriana went into the closet and pulled out a Polaroid camera. “Did you want to be in the picture with her?”
John smiled and sat next to Veronica on the floor. He put his arm around her and Veronica stared at him.
CLICK!
The flash went off on the camera and like magic, a Polaroid appeared. Adriana handed the undeveloped picture to John. John immediately started to fan the Polaroid.
“Don’t do that, you’ll make the chemicals run,” advised Adriana.
BRRRING!
John stared at his daughter and couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. Mrs. Nuñez led Thomas into the living room.
“Boss, forgive me, but we better get going,” said Thomas.
“I know, just give me one more second,” replied John. John leaned down towards Veronica and kissed her on the forehead. “I love you, mija.”
John stood up and walked over to Mrs. Nuñez, “Mama Nuñez, always a pleasure.” He gives her a kiss on the cheek. Then he makes his way over to Adriana whose eyes are watering.
“I hate you.”
“I know, but I have to go,” explains John.
“John, if you walk out that door, you walk out of her life and leave us alone,” says Adriana while fighting back tears.
John doesn’t say anything and just kisses Adriana on the cheek, “It’ll always be you, amor.”
John walks out of the house and hears Mrs. Nuñez say, “¡Cuidate, Juan!”
John just raises his arm in acknowledgement and gets into the town car as Thomas closes the door behind him. John pulls out the Polaroid of his daughter and it has finally developed. He finally had a keepsake of his daughter, even if she wasn’t looking at the camera and was staring at him. He stares at it and smiles.
“Boss, what do we do with these guys?”
Vazquez snaps out of his day dream and realizes there’s business that still needs to be taken care of.
******************
Garret and Jay sit in a dimly lit empty room not knowing what to expect. The door opens and two objects are tossed into the room and the door is closed again. Jay scrambles to see what they have just been tossed.
“Awesome, I’m starving!” exclaims Jay as he unwraps something Garret can’t make out. “Here, boss, eat.”
“What is it?”
“Pop Tarts.”
“I’ll pass,” says Garret. Pop Tarts aren’t exactly his favorite food. He watches curiously as Jay devours 2 Pop Tarts at once.
The door opens again and the brightness of the light blinds Garret and Jay. All Garret can make out is a silhouette in the doorway.
“Garret, we need to have a conversation.”
True to "novela" form.... I'm always left wanting more. Guess I gotta wait a week!
:) Nice work Isaac!
Brought me back to 1985...
at least what I have seen of it on "We heart the 80s".
Fraggle roock is the best, aww that's sick that u put that in, hahaha. Oooh it was good, hmmm I hate waiting a week! I want to read everydaay! :) good job to u and inez.