Seeds of Tomorrow

25

He wiped the sweat from his palms on his jeans before killing the engine to the Monte Carlo. The Chrysler 300 was still in front of his house. Victor debated on whether or not he should wait out front for this mystery guest to appear or should he creep in through the garage.

Opting for the surprise attack, he opened the side door to the garage met by the sound of slow jams playing inside the house. Overcome with rage, he crept to his gun safe, hands shaking as he fumbled with the code.  He knew the bitch had been cheating but part of him refused to believe it. 

Hesitating, he reached for the handgun that had once belonged to his grandmother and tucked it into the small of his back before opening the door that led inside the home. The lights were off and other than the sound of the stereo, no signs of life were present.

Victor lingered outside of the bedroom door, his hand on the knob for what felt like an eternity. Did he truly want to catch her in the act? Fuck it, he'd come that far. Twisting the knob, he flung the door open to confirm his worst nightmare. Raquel was riding him, her back to the door, a pair of thin legs beneath her.

"You fucking whore!" Victor exploded, the temper he had fought so hard to rein in rearing its ugly head.

"Victor!" Raquel shouted, covering her body with a comforter. The man she had been on top of sat up, not bothering to hide his nakedness.

"What's up, homeboy?" The man shouted, "You tryna get down or what?"

Victor didn't recognize him. He was small in stature, perhaps 5'5 and thin with slicked back hair, a thin mustache, covered in shitty home-done tattoos. What the fuck did Raquel even see in this lame?

"You just gonna stand there? You ain't about shit, huh homie!" He taunted him.

Jaw clenched, he reached behind him for the pistol and raised it, pointing it at the other man. Raquel screamed  out in horror, "Victor, no, please!" She wept.

His hand trembled as his finger grazed the trigger, his heart pounding in his ears. Before he could press it, he saw the photo of Sergio on the nightstand.

"Get out," he told her coldly, "Get the fuck out of my house. Both of you."

The two scrambled to dress, fleeing outside to the Chrysler. He watched them pull away before his emotions hit him like a tidal wave. Sobbing, he dropped his gun and crumbled to the floor with his face in his hands. If it hadn't been for his son's face, he'd have shot them. Both of them.

All of their dreams, their future, their family. Gone. For what? Some skinny-ass fool? That was worth throwing everything away. The sound of his phone broke his thoughts. It was Pops.

"Aye, where you at?" Fernando wanted to know.

Through his sobs, he managed to choke out the words, "The house."

"Fuck...man...Aye, she there?" Fernando asked, Victor not replying, "Aye, Aye...Victor..."

Victor couldn't even speak.

"Aye, Victor, tell you ain't do nothing to her," Fernando continued, voice filled with urgency, "You cool?"

"Yes," he mumbled, "She and dude..they took off. It's just me here now."

Fernando was quiet for a long while, something unusual for him. Finally, he said, "Imma send Madison over, she gonna help you get some things for you and the baby, yall can stay here."

Victor mumbled, "Kay," knowing damn well there was no talking his father out of something once he decided. He did his best to compose himself, found a suitcase, and began to pack.

****

"Hey, you and your daddy gone be staying with us for a couple days," Fernando told his young grandson, "Sound good?"

Sergio nodded with a smile, "Yay!"

"Now, take it easy on your daddy ok?" He asked.

Sergio nodded, "Ok, Grandpa."

"Go find Serafin and play outside, aight?" Fernando told the little boy as he saw Madison pull into the driveway with Victor behind her. He wheeled himself to the front door, waiting in the open doorway.

Madison flashed her husband a frown before helping Victor unload his car. Fuck, man, he couldn't believe what had happened to his son. Victor was a good man, took good care of his family, and made sure that bitch didn't have to do nothing.

Victor was utterly crushed, flopping himself down on the sofa. Gladys, always the busybody had poked her head out of the hallway before deciding that for her own best interest, she would mind her own business for a change.

"Such a fucking waste...all that time for nothing," Victor wept.

Fernando rubbed his face, "I know it don't feel like it right now but that ain't true, you got your boy out of the relationship."

He looked to his father with red eyes, "I don't know what I did wrong, is it because I worked or what?"

Madison took a seat next to him, "Honey, it isn't anything you did or didn't do. If she was unhappy, she had the choice to leave," she told him, "Trust me, you can give the cheater everything they could ask for and they will still stray. I have been in your shoes, it took me a long time to accept it was him who was the issue."

"How am I supposed to tell Sergio me and his mom ain't gonna be a family no more?" Victor wanted to know.

Fernando stroked his mustache, "Give it some time, you ain't got to tell him anything right now. Who knows, maybe y'all gonna work things out?"

Victor shook his head, "Even if she wanted to, there's no forgiveness for that. Pops, I caught her in bed with him. Our bed. Ain't no coming back from that."

Fernando nodded slowly, "Whatever you decide to do or whatever you need, you know we got you and Sergio, aight?"

"I know, Pops, I know you do," he said, "I'm gonna go lay down. I need to call my boss and let him know I'm gonna need a few days off. I can't be working like this."

"Do what you gotta do," Fernando told him, fighting back the urge to say something nasty about Raquel or cry for his son.

Victor retired to the room he'd be staying in with his son, collapsing on the bed. He fought the urge to call Raquel to demand answers or name call. God knows he wanted to but what was that going to do?  Exhausted, he laid his head on the pillow and fell into a dreamless sleep