Belong To the World

Chapter 3: Can't Catch a Break

March 28th, 2017

"Lana, Wake up!" Heavy weights restrained my eye lids preventing me from opening them as fast as I would have liked to. My mood was groggy, my hair was groggy; I was groggy. Sitting up in a slouched position I took my time standing. I was so exhausted. I walked to my door to open it not fully remembering how I got in my room to begin with. Miguel was standing in the door way with a look of panic on his face. He had the phone in his hand and the only person who had our number other than Toni was Andy.

"Andy called. He said he needed you at work now," Without a moment's hesitation I put my uniform on and bolted out the door; this time remembering my keys. Darting down the sidewalk, just three minutes away from Jefferson Street, I tripped and tumbled on the curve and fell in the middle of the crosswalk. The light turned green and cars were honking as I stumbled to get up and continued my sprint. Making it to Andy's my stomach flipped. The whole entire workshop had been vandalized and destroyed. I saw all of my coworkers standing in front of the shattered door circling Andy, who oddly enough had a smile on his face; saturated with tears. Toni and everyone else looked at me then looked back to Andy. Gathering himself with a sniffle here and a sniffle there, pulling out his handkerchief and wiping his eyes, he turned to me with a warm smile, "Remember what I told 'you can still let it control you, or have it make you a stronger person.' " He took a deep breath for a second as he turned to face us all, "We have had a good run in every, but now it looks like I'll have to close up shop for a while. Little Shop isn't going to pay to rebuild the entire shop and everything damaged in the shop was worth more than they could pay us times ten years. Thank you all for helping me live my dream but now it looks like we all might have to part ways. Please stay in touch, I sure definitely will. If you guys need anything, anything at all you all know where I live," and just like that Andy walked away from the circle. Hand in his pockets, whistling himself down the walk. The rest of us gathered and all started asking questions.

"Well I saw a group of guys walking toward the shop last night," Melina, a former coworker, had said, "I was going to see Andy because I need to see if I could get a few days off for my mom's wedding, but the moment I saw those guys head into his shop I got scared. I mean I walked close enough to the shop to hear what was happening and Andy told them that we were closed and they needed to leave, but I guess they thought otherwise,"

"Well fucking hell!" Toni would say, "Who the hell are those mother fuckers? Because it's been a good minute since mama gotta lay these hands on a whack ass nigga. They not only interfered with my life but my job did you get a good look at their faces?" Toni was serious about finding these men. In the back of my head I wondered if it was the same group I saw that night.

"I could describe them as clear as day, but without names I could just be describing every guy almost in Chicago," Toni thought about what Melina was saying and got even more frustrated.

"Well fuck...what are we supposed to do now? I mean of course find a new job but my resume is only going to have Andy's place on it. I never went to school, I'm living on my own...what do I do now?" She turned to the shop and just stared at it; as we all did.

Looking at the shattered glass on the concrete I could see images of our memories in them, all of them broken.

Everyone was in a fuss trying to figure out ways to bring the shop back, but without the money and without the only sponsor that could actually help us, there was literally nothing we could do.

Bing. Bing. Bing. "Hello?" Andy had called me.

"Hey Lana. I almost forgot, later tonight come by my place. I still have to give you Miguel's present."

"Oh okay. Thank you so much for everything Andy. You are like a second dad to me. I will be visiting you as much as I possibly can okay!" I really did love Andy. He was the closest thing I had to a father after I lost my own. He was just such an amazing guy to be around; he was definitely a blessing in my life.

After ending the call Toni and I said our farewells to the rest of the group and she walked to my house with me to get Miguel. I was going to take him to see Andy because they both seem to clique with one another pretty well and I thought it would be good for Miguel to talk to someone who could potentially be a better father figure to him than I.

"Today is all sorts of crazy girl. First the shop being destroyed, now I have to figure out ways to pay my medical bill-"

"Wait...medical bill?" I looked at her confused. I wonder why she had to go to the hospital.

"Oh...yea," She said kind of hesitant, "Well you know me and Marcus have been seeing each other for quite some time now," I can tell she was beating around the bush with me, but I kind of figured where she was getting at, however I wanted her to tell me for herself so I didn't have to assume.

"Yes? You know you can tell me anything Toni. You're my best friend,"

"Well when you put it like that," She said teasingly, "I'm pregnant. I'm six weeks pregnant," A spark of joy filled my face. I know that inour current situation a baby would be way too expensive to take care of but Toni doesn't believe in abortion and she cherishes every life that comes her way, more than her own sometimes. I gave her a huge hug and she started ti cry, "Girl you're getting me all emotional. You know I was going to tell you last night but I understood you were doing a double shift and all so I thought I'd wait when your mind was clear, then this happened so I was like fuck it and here we are," she laughed away her tears as did I. I was happy to hear she was having a baby.

"You will be such a great Mother Toni,"

"Girl I hope so. Can't wait for that baby shower. Everything I get is gonna be Free ninety-nine," We both laughed as we made it to my apartment complex. Putting in my pin number to access the building, I hear two people shouting.

"Beaner! Beaner! Beaner!" some kid was harassing Miguel calling him a racial slur, "Get the fuck outta Chicago wetback! This is black nation not burrito nation,"

"Oh hell the fuck no!" Toni said as she walked up to the kid. Miguel had this look on his face that I was all too familiar with. Miguel has never gotten into a fight to my understanding, but I knew my dad had taught him how to stand up for himself. The boy pushed Miguel against the wall, but Miguel kept his cool.

"I don't ever want to see you in my complex again," Toni stood dead in her tracks not knowing what to do. As the kid walked away Miguel walked up behind him.

"Aye punk," The kid turned around facing my brother. Without missing a beat Miguel head butted him square in the mouth and the kid tumbled to the floor holding his face, "Oh I'm sorry, my Mexican instincts kicked in because your head looks like a soccer ball," The kid ran away holding his face as I caught a glimpse of his bloody mouth.

"Damn! Miguel I thought I was gonna have to lay these hands on that fool! You go boy!" I walked up to Miguel as Toni finished applauding him.

"Hey what was that about? Why are you outside the apartment?" I wanted to be mad at him, but for some reason I couldn't. I could

"I had heard someone knocking on the door and looked through the peep hole but saw no one. Apparently they were ding-dong ditching a few people on our floor so I had finally had enough of it and thought I'd tell him to stop and then that's when you guys got here," He wiped the blood off his forehead and waived to Toni, "Hey Tortilla!" he knows she hates being called that but that's been his nickname for her since we all met four years back, and its stuck ever since.

"Boy haven't I told time and time again my name is Toni Ariana Evangeline!" She snapped her fingers, "And don't forget it," She laughed and hugged Miguel, "Good to see you speedy Gonzalez. Get your stuff ready we are headed over to Andy's and I'll get ya'll some McDonalds afterwards. Sound like a deal?"

"Free food? Hell yeah that sounds like a deal!" Miguel ran to the stairwell after tripping over his feet. Toni and I laughed as he played it off, "I was demonstrating how people react to my sexiness," He laughed as we waited for him to come back downstairs.

"Keep an eye out for that boy Solana," Toni stated.

"Who Miguel?"

"No, the little punk Miguel head butted. I don't like shit like that. Especially in a city like this. Fuckin' with one person, you're fucking with their whole family. I'll be keepin' an eye out to. I got some connections myself." I appreciated Toni looking out for me and Miguel. It really helped me out in the long run. No matter what anyone says she will forever be my sister.