CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
2000 - Money Green
Cabrón hit me on the ancient Motorola early in the morning, some time in February.
I know this is pathetic, but every single time that phone rang I’d get a twinge in my stomach and hope it was gonna be Mundo on the other end. But it was always my surly sparring partner, Brón.
“Mundo?” I said when I picked up but the way I said it, it was obvious that I was joking.
“Yeah, girl,” replied Brón, “it’s your man and I’m on my way back to rescue you.”
“Ha ha, Brón,” I sighed. “How can I help you today?”
He told me he wanted to get together to “talk logistics,” and he’d stop by “in a few.”
I asked him if he could narrowthe time-window down a bit and he said, “Before 5.” I looked at the clock- it was 7:23am- then hung up on him.
Fucker.
I flopped over in my bed and tried to get back to sleep.
Cabrón showed up at 4:28 and rang the Motorola again- this time to tell me to head downstairs. He was leaning against a brand-spanking-new Mercedes SUV, double parked in front of my building.
“Metallic money green,” I noted. “That’s very on brand, Cabrón.”
He raised his chin a millimeter in response, clicked his key fob and opened my door for me.
Oh boy.
I climbed up into the insanely comfy real leather seat and carefully closed the door. We pulled off, DJ Clue’s mixtape CD[1] blasting at top volume.
Cabrón asked, “You hungry? I was gonna stop by Ali’s Roti and pick up something to eat.”
“Sure, that sounds good,” I replied. “I’ve never had roti before- pick out something you think I’d like.”
He hopped out and had me stay in the ride. It was beautiful and that new car smell was driving me wild.
I wondered what happened to Mundo’s Volvo[1].
AFTer about fifteen minutes, Brón climbed back into the truck and handed over a white plastic bag filled with hot food and another one filled with icy sodas.
“I got you a chicken roti and a cola champagne. The chicken is bone out. I didn’t think you could handle the bone.” I had no idea what he was talking about but could tell it was not flattering.
I kept my mouth shut and didn’t even bother asking where he was taking me. But once we made a left onto Nostrand I had a pretty good idea.
Hopefully, there’d be a Heineken waiting for me at the end of the line.
[1] Mundo asked Cabrón to sell the Volvo and wire him half the money. Cabrón used his share to put a down payment on the Mercedes SUV.
[2] DJ Clue, The Great Ones, Pt. I, 2000
