Keepsake

Chapter 23

Alysia Evers

The day passes and everyone who knows about Marcus' parents giving the final verdict on our freedom and acceptance walked in silence. Most of the conversations themselves were done with stressful hand gestures and concerned eye movements. We know we're in for it if they say no. Worst of all, what was Marcus willing to do if they said no and that they could never accept him and me? Marcus, of whom I knew it to be true would be with me anyways. Then the relationship with his parents would be rocky at best.

Marcus and I try not to talk about it. He takes the time to explain boats and how they are built. He says that he was once in Miami where he'd seen the largest fishing boat with his own eyes. It made him appreciate their purpose.

When classes have ended and it's time to take the drive home with Marcus, he suddenly takes the wrong turn.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"There's a building in downtown Jacksonville called San Marco. I want to take you to see it."

I don't give an answer back. His tone alone leaves me in wonder as to what it meant.

When we arrive, he parks in front of the building across the street. We stand outside of the fence. The building is tall and the color of cement. There isn't any glass put in the windows and there's mud everywhere as if it rained last night. It's still under construction.

"What is this place?"

Marcus starts climbing the fence. "Come on. We've got to get inside. Don't worry about getting caught. There's no one here."

I look around scared. Him telling me that we won't get caught doesn't take away the fear of getting caught. I start climbing only because I don't want to get left alone in the street and in the dark. We both make it over and I follow Marcus through the dirt area. Marcus takes me up a few wooden steps and into an elevator attached to the outside of the building walls. It's rundown and looks like it's weak and falling apart.

"Is this safe?" I ask.

"Completely safe," he says and lowers the door by sliding it down. He takes a hold of the controls and the elevator starts moving up toward the sky. I shake once it gets off to a rough start. "We call this elevator the Buck Hoist. It takes us up all the way to the twenty-first floor."

The elevator rattles all the way to the top. I'm nervous the whole time. I try not to look out the walls which are made out like a cage and have a clear view of the whole city.

When it comes to a stop, it does a little bounce and my hands clench onto the cage fearing a freefall. Marcus opens the door by sliding it up. "Here we are."

He guides me safely off of the Buck Hoist and we take a walk around. The walls are concreted and gray. The floor is covered in trash, dirt, sheetrock, and some building parts that I don't recognize. The wind is stronger up here and the clouds seem much closer.

"I come up here Monday through Friday. Each floor has seven condos, but this floor has four. They're the largest and best because each is two floors, taking up the twenty-first and twenty-second."

"This is where you work?" I ask.

Marcus nods in confirmation. He guides me to the back. The walls haven't been put in yet, so there are only aluminum rails marking where the sheetrock goes. He begins giving me a tour of one of the condos and helps me to imagine what it'll look like when it's done. It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The master bedroom appears like it's going to be large, and the bathroom, huge. The whole place is big.