Prologue:It was already 11pm according to the electric clock in the car, reminding me over and over again that I am already late. The storm that blew over the streets of Florida were starting to get worse as the minutes gone by, it was even getting to the part where the winds blew my 2010 white Cadillac to it’s left almost hitting the other car by the rearview mirror. I exhaled in relief when I got back in control from that sudden windstorm, but the rain that was pouring as hard as the gallon of water drenching the sidewalk made driving almost impossible in my part. I had to drive 35 flippin' miles in a 65 mph freeway to make sure I don’t skid like a kid on jet skis in the lake having fun until their face splats against the hardened water at speeds of 20 mph.
“Damn” I muttered between my teeth as I knew it may take forever before I can get home to even say goodnight to my grandson and daughter who are living with me for awhile until they can get to their feet. Or well…I will admit that I was a bit lonesome since my wife had died of a brain tumor at the tender age of 52, leaving an old a** like me by myself. My daughter consoled me at the funereal that she will stay with me until my life went back on track. But after a full year, she had a violent divorce from her ex-husband that crumbled her life so harshly, that it was time for an ol’ daddy like me to be there for her. So now she lives with me and actually works to help pay the bills, even in these times when the Southern Whites are starting to get back to their segregationist personalities and racial slurs. I am just glad Florida was more hesitate in bringing the past back to the state, or else I would not be a Policeman today in 2017.
2017 was another recession era like 2009 except George W. Bush the 2nd was not in the damn office, it was because some foreign countries are starting to refuse to sell products to them due to ‘a conflict with their own country that had to be done first’ which made no flippin’’ sense to me. And I get the feeling that the government was lying…well hell, they always lie to the people of this beloved country so it was no surprise to me that people have become a bit suspicious of the whole thing and why the middle class seem to suffer while the rich are soaking themselves in their damn money. But I shouldn’t complain, I just praise the lord that my family are living comfortably under the most wonderful house ever that used to belong to my dear grandmother. The house was actually a white-colored, 2-story ranch-style house with a blue tin roof that was decorated with an old rooster on top which was listed in her will to “….have it on highest point on the roof, to remember her old friend that stayed on that spot for days, surviving the harshest winter….” It was decorated in a very old style, like 1920’s style with small wooden steps to get to the porch, protected by a new installment of shade from the roof to protect it and the chairs there so people like me can sit there and listen to the sounds of nature and watch the neighbors, often in conversations with them on that chair.
Interrupting my thoughts and my concentration on the road, the car beeped multiple times, trying to tell me my daughter, in the age of 25, was trying to get in contact with me. I tapped on by Bluetooth that was stuck in my ear to answer the phone and talk to her: “Hello Hon'?”
“Father, where are you? You are VERY late as it is, I wanted you to at least say goodnight to Dante before he got to bed. You know he has to start school in a couple of weeks.” She sounded tired and I knew she was going to wait for me before going to bed. I utterly felt horrible: “I am so sorry honey; Police work is not as easy as it was a few years back. Ever since the presidential election, there have been more criminal rates, marches, and protest than ever before. I promise I will be home early next time.” I used my ‘sad puppy’ tone which used to annoy her as a teenager because I often did that when she would hang out with her ‘friends’ in which I did not know about. I can hear her annoyance through the speakers: “Just come back home before 12am ok?” Then she hung up. “Well how rude.” I said in a most shocked tone, now getting ready to get off the highway and heading toward town. It was empty as usual with a few cars on the streets and guessing from the rain, not a lot of cars are going to be rolling by. Taking a right turn, I took a glance at a few restaurants that added signs on their window; they said ‘Serving no Greasers’ in front of the door.
I put my head down in shame from seeing the sign, I mean…I have no idea why people act like that and judge people by their religion and race? I am just glad my family is not attacked by the laws this ‘dictator’ was passing. I debated this whole situation in my head before parking in the driveway of my ol’ home, where my daughter waited for me outside the porch. She had her arms around her, obviously cold and eager to get back inside the house. I got out of my car real’ quick and in my home, with my daughter to get out of the drenching water from the sky. But as we got in, I had noticed my daughter had expressed a distressing sign which came to my attention immediately. “What’s wrong?”
She got to the bar table in the kitchen to get me a nice turkey sandwich since I had not eaten my dinner yet before telling me this: “When did you leave the office?”
“About 10:59…why?”
Tanisha sighs heavily, sitting down on the brown-colored, cloth couch as in she was about to say something that seemed more extreme than it should. I sat down on the small dining table next to the bar to finish my sandwich. Tanisha spoke: “At about 11:02, they arrested a teenager in Disneyworld who had committed first-degree murder.”
I was stunned: “Are you serious?” I looked at her in much disbelief. She stared back in much shock as I was: “Yes Dad, I am serious as can be. Apparently the teenager at the age of 12 came to Disneyworld with a knife in his pocket and went after a government worker and his fiancé. During the whole ‘Magic Show’, he had cut off their heads while everyone’s attention was diverted to the show. Police had to go there and find out who could’ve done it, but they see the kid and grew suspicious when they saw some blood on his hands. He took off running, and that’s how they knew he was the murderer and have caught him. They are housing him at the station right now and want you to come over and check him out.”
“Unbelievable….” I mumbled in much fear, a 12 year doing such a malevolent act in Disneyworld surely does not know that kids now might’ve lost ‘innocence’ because of violence like that. I finished my sandwich before standing up and giving my daughter a hug. “I’ll go tomorrow and see what’s going on, and I hope it was someone else besides the kid.” I whispered to her before standing up, and giving her a goodnight kiss before going to my bedroom and pray to god: “Violence never again!
War never again!
Terrorism never again!
In God's name,
may all religions bring upon earth
justice and peace,
forgiveness, life and love!” I then went to bed and slept a sleepless night……
Getting up the next morning was as hard as last week when we questioned a child rapist who had three of his other friends do the 8 year old. It is hard enough to look at any child unless that memory came back and I always feared that Dante may be like that, and I prayed to the lord he will not go down that path. After a nice warm shower and drying my black buzz-cut hair, I got downstairs to see that Tanisha was making breakfast for Dante. Her brown skin looked a little pale for some reason, but I guessed it was with me meeting the kid charged with murder. I then happen to look at Dante thinking about the boy at the police office. Dante was a kind kid, even though he gets to mischief here and there. I then see his short hair was spiked upward a little and he was wearing a black jersey over a white t-shirt, with brown khaki’s that hit his knees and white socks that went to his ankle.
“I never knew you would wake up this early, young man.” I called Dante ‘young man’ since he never liked it when I called him ‘boy’. Dante lifted his head, obviously tired and trying his mighty hardest not to smash his head against the wooden table. “I am not missing some good pancakes.” The way he said it made me chuckle as I sat with him, wanting to know about how his day went. While he talked about his day at camp yesterday, Tanisha got the pancakes out and served it to us with butter and maple syrup so we both can use as much as we liked. We dined into those things like it was our first meal. Tanisha felt that we were satisfied so she sat with us, listening to us with pancakes on her plate. It seemed like forever, talking about how the day went for each of us and spending time together for the first time in days, before I realized I needed to go. “Oops, got to get going. Have a good day you two, especially you Dante.”
“I’ll be good Pops.” That was what he called me…Pops… He never called me grandpa or Dave…just Pops. I am guessing since I am the only father figure in this life, and living with the fact that Daddy got killed from a gunshot was horrific to remember. I remember that my other daughter, Ramona wanted me to have Dante over since L.A in California was too dangerous and did not want to risk Dante being in a Gang, so he flew from L.A. to Miami to stay with me and his Aunt, Tanisha.
I left the house and went out to that chilly morning which was unusual in summertime, getting to the car and starting the engine to hopefully warm myself up. After a few minutes of the engine warming up, I brought the gear to reverse to get to the road and go to my job from there. I drove through the highway once again to see that it was still flooded with much water from last night. I made sure to slow down and make sure the car didn’t skid and hit anybody driving by me. I kept that up for 5 minutes until I exited the highway and got to my destination, parking in the employee’s spot.
I reached the entrance to the office where my boss was at…waiting for me. “I am guessing’ you got the kid here?” I asked him.
“Yes, he’s waiting for you right now.” He led me to the room where he was, where there was only a table with four chairs. I took a deep breath before opening that door.
