Alienated [✔] » k.th

16.

Joey

   "Excuse me, I'd like to file a missing person report."

   "Ok, please wait a moment." The officer took his time pulling out a manilla folder and a pen. He pulled a few sheets of paper out and stapled them together.

I waited patiently as he did so. "Now please describe your missing person to me."

   "Ok, he's tall. About 5'10. He has short brown hair. It's dark brown and he has dark brown eyes. He has really pretty skin and he's adorable, his voice does not match his description at all."

   "Uh huh," the officer nodded as he wrote the information down. "What's his name?"

   "His name is..." I stopped before my mouth could blurt it out. His brothers and the government is looking for him. I could only imagine bad things happening if I put this missing report out there.

   "What's his name?" He asked again.

   "His name is... V... Viiiinncceee... Vincent!"

   "It seriously took you that long to say his name?" He shook his head. "What's his race?"

   "Race?" I repeated.

   "Yes. His ethnic background."

   "Oh. I don't really know."

   "You don't know?" He scoffed. "C'mon do you know this guy or not?"

   "I do. I just never-"

   "I don't know you," he gestured to me. "But I know that you're black."

   "I prefer the term African American."

   "Same thing." He clicked his pen again. "So what's his race?"

   "Asian."

__________________________

   I paced around the apartment. After hours and hours of waiting, V still had not returned.

I went out to look for him but he was nowhere to be seen. But, I did see that the public park was being cut off. There was a crime scene there and a whole lot of police tape.

I still had my work clothes on, I was beyond worried. 

What if he got lost? What if something happened to him?

I tried to do something else to get my mind off of him.

   I turned the tv on but the only things that seemed to be on were sci fi movies.

I picked up my phone and called Ricardo.

He picked up on the second ring.

   "What's up mami?" He answered.

   "Ricardo, I'm really worried about V."

   "What happened?"

   "He's disappeared!"

   "Really? Where was he when you last saw him?"

   "Before I left for work. He was acting so strange!"

   "... Strange?" It was quiet on the other end. "I don't think we're talking about the same person, babe."

   "No, he was doing excersize and he kept talking to me like he was never going to see me again."

   "Maybe you're just worrying too much. He probably just went out to get waisted or something."

   "He doesn't drink. He doesn't do any of that stuff."