CRIMINAL

The present

Life is calm and peaceful. I live with my brother in an apartment that is not too small nor big. I work in a bakery while Diego works as a mechanic. It's all good.

It was monday morning. I didn't need to go to work so I decided to spend my day laying in bed and journaling. Three loud knocks on my door caught me by surprise. I got up and opened my door only to see Diego standing.

"Yes?"

"Do you have any spare blankets or pillows?"

"I may have some. Let me check"

I go over to my closet and look. I find only a spare blanket.

"Here. I don't have a spare pillow though."

"Thanks. I'll go buy it then"

"Hold up. It's Monday. Why aren't you at work?"

Diego looks at me and sighs. He sits on my bed and doesn't say anything for a while.

"Diablo is getting out of prison today. I promised to pick him up. He has nowhere to go so for a while he will live with us. He told his parole officer that this is the address where he will be."

"W-what was he in for?" I ask. Although a million reasons why he was locked up flew in my head. Maybe it was murder? He was bloody that night many years ago.

"It's not my business to say. He will tell you on his own terms at his own pace. Now can you promise to act normal around him?"

"Normal as in I know that he has been in prison for a while and now he will live with us but I have to act as if nothing happened?"

"Something like that."

"I can"

Diego gets up to leave my room but stops in the doorway.

"I'm going to pick him up in a few hours. Maybe you could make something? A cake? Cupcakes? Or just in general something delicious? So that he feels more welcome?"

"Sure" I smile and wait for Diego to leave.

Once Diego leaves I lay in my bed and think about it. Diablo. In prison. What did he do? Why was he there? How much time did he get for his committed crime? Does he remember me?

I turn my head and notice the clock. It's 2 pm. I should go and start making something. I sighed and got up.

Making my way to the kitchen I noticed Diego putting some stuff on the couch. It's probably where Diablo will sleep. Blanket, toothpaste, toothbrush, some other hygiene products. A pair of shoes and some clothes.

I begin to make strawberry-cardamom turnovers. 1 pound fresh strawberries.
1 cup granulated sugar. 1 lemon. 1 teaspoon ground cardamom. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. 1 egg. One 17.3 ounce package of frozen puff pastry sheets (2 sheets), thawed. 1 cup confectioners sugar. Three teaspoons of fresh lemon juice. A little bit of salt and that is it.

I put everything into the oven and head to do the dishes. While washing the dishes I began to wonder. If Diablo is into shady stuff ...what is Diego is into it too? What if Diego goes to prison out of the blue. What would I tell our parents.

As I was deep in my thoughts when they were cut by the alarm on my phone. The strawberry-cardamom turnovers were made.

I take them out and place them nicely on a big plate. I cover them in light layer of honey.

I made it look all nice and welcome like. I smile at the work I done. Which was right on time because the front door swings open and....