The Kick Back

His Queen in Shinning Armor

The blank stare on Antonio's face let me know I had a lot of explaining to do. It was too soon to speak about the situation, but Antonio demanded answers. "That's not important right now. You need to focus on healing." Stroking his face, Antonio laid his face in my hands. Looking into his beautiful green eyes gave me a sense of relief. The same eyes that lit up the room the night we met, were back to glowing. Kissing his lips I could hear him lose his breath every time our lips touched. "Calm down cow boy." I told him. He was too injured to be standing at attention. Looking down at himself he began to blush. "Maybe another time." We broke out into laughter. Our time together was timeless. I had permission from papa Mateo to stay the night with my knight in shinning armor. I enjoyed everything about Antonio. From his lazy right eye, to his slight lazy walk, to his ambitious personality. I knew he had a dark side and for the most part that didn't bother me. Whenever he got in one his moods, he would get ignored until he got himself together. No one is perfected and I never expected him to be.

When news got back to me that Antonio had been shot, my heart dropped. I rushed to the hospital as quick as I could. The buses were running slow and I couldn't waste time getting to his side. I ran six blocks just to be with him. Seeing Antonio laying in a hospital bed killed me. The only person I had left was possibly about to lose his life. Cry wasn't doing much about the situation, it only made it worse. While Antonio slept I would lay over him and pray. Nothing was more important to me than my relationship with God. A lot of people don't believe in the power of prayer, but I do. Had it not been for extensive praying, Antonio probably would not have made it.

While he slept I would hold him rub his head, talk to him, and when he got too hot I would rub his body down with a cold towel. Antonio meant the world to me and nothing was going to take him away. Ms. Johnson was like an angel that God sent to us. She kept an eye on him for me while I went home to bathe. I knew every thing from when she fed him, washed him, and the when the doctors changed his pain medicines. Ms. Johnson was a big help to me.

Mateo was such a life saver. He was the one who hired a personal nurse just for Antonio. I owed Mateo my life, but all he wanted was for me to graduate from high school. He told me once I walked across the stage he would have a nice surprise for me. Mateo appreciated the way I fought for his people and in return he continued staying in my life. At times he would go up to St. Helen's and sit with Antonio throughout the night. That was his people and he was hell bent on keeping his word. Mateo took the first shift while I stayed with him on third. Sometimes his people would come and stay the night with him. Once Ms. Johnson would alert me I made sure to sneak out of his room like a thief in the night.

Within the those two weeks I learned about Antonio. I learned his pain tolerance, that he cried in his sleep, when he was having night terrors. He was so drugged up that all he could do was sleep. Whenever I heard him I would jump up out of my sleep just to comfort him. He needed to heal and doing whatever to make sure he was comfortable was my main priority. "Stephanie?", was all I heard before my thoughts were interrupted. "Yes Antonio", I stroked his hand. "Who is Mateo? and what did he have to do with making it to the hospital?"

It wasn't really the right time to tell him everything. Antonio was a stubborn bull and I knew if I didn't tell him the story he wouldn't leave me alone. I sat at the end of the bed propping his pillows. "Are you sure you are ready to hear this?" His attention was on me. "Yeah im ready.."

It would be a long day and even longer night. Before night could fall Mateo walked through the door. Not expecting Antonio to be up, he was in for a surprise. Out of respect for Mateo I left the hospital to give them privacy. It was obvious they need to talk, and whatever Demons would surface they would talk like men and lay everything to rest.

Antonio was in for an awakening. I just hope he could handle it...