SAL

Mr. Rager

Daisy stood there in her short 5’7 glory her hair untamed making her face seem more round than usual.

“Sal he isn’t even yours why do you-“

He held up a hand to stop her

“Just let me see her.” With a heavy sigh Daisy opened the door and invited Sal in shooing him with every step. As he looked around he saw that nothing really changed except Daisy’s once bright brown eyes were now down. Wrinkles formed underneath her eyelids showing that she hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep in years. She was only 18 but by the bags under her eyelids and the wrinkles that creased her forehead she looked 48. So many memories were the only thought he could process. History painted the walls of the old run down house.

“Sal why are you here?” For the second time that night he poured his heart out this time it wasn’t to a microphone with a beat in the background. He told Daisy everything how he started selling weed on the streets just to pay the light bills and how he tries to keep his sister locked up in the house as much as possible because he doesn’t want her to see this side of life. He told her how Chuck and the crew might quit and how he’s going to drop out of school mid semester. When he was done Daisy sat there in silence. Before she could open her mouth and say anything the baby woke up crying. Quickly she got up and brought the baby out in one hand and a bottle in another, gently rocking the child to sleep. Sal watched as Daisy aged before his eyes. He thought about what his brother would do and in that moment he picked the baby up and crooned it to sleep, never once breaking his pace of rocking and singing.

“I haven’t seen her do that to anyone, not even me.”

He smiled. “What can I say I’m a ladies’ man.” Daisy chuckled at his corny joke and sat down watching Sal put little Johanna to sleep.

“You know Sal everything is going to be fine. You see things so far ahead that you forget about today. It’s tough we all know but, don’t give up if this rap career is what you really want then go for it team or not you can do this.” Daisy reached over taking the baby from Sal and making him look her in her eyes “Richard wouldn’t leave everything he had to you if he didn’t think you couldn’t make it. So go and fly out to Cali and rap your High-Yella Ass off.” Sal smiled bleakly never reaching his eyes. He nodded his head and stood up. As he made his way to the door Daisy followed giving him a hug. Before he left the house he handed her a rubber band full of rolled up 20 dollar bills. She stared at the money, not knowing what to do with it. Sal shoved the money to her.

“Don’t argue just try to give her a better fate than we had.” With that he spun on his heels and made his way up to the subway only stopping to mail off his own demo to the YMCMB record label. Daisy was right he didn’t need a team and his brother wouldn’t have died leaving him everything if he knew that Sal wouldn’t make it.

As Sal stepped through the front door he tried to sneak quietly through the house only to see the kitchen light turn on. Fuck! He was screwed.

“Where have you been?” His mother’s somber voice broke through the silence.

“Just taking a walk.” It was half-true.

“Bull-shit you were out there on those streets again weren’t you Sal?” he stood there only shaking his head no. He didn’t trust his voice.

“Don’t lie to me Sal I’m not dumb I know how you get the money giving me money to pay for the bills. You don’t get money like that working at a minimart!” With each word her voice grew angrier and she stepped closer to Sal. She was in his face by now.

“Mom for the last time I don’t deal.” He stepped back, trying to get space in between them. She stepped closer.

“Then how do you explain the bags of weed underneath your bed? I’m sitting here thinking that all you do in there is make music but you’re out here dealing-“

“You went in my room?!”

“Fuck the room Sal! I’ve lost one son to this and I won’t lose another one.” By this time they were face to face. His mother pointing a finger dead in his face as he fumed looking down at her.

“Me and Richard are two different people!”

“You’re right at least he kept it hidden!” Sal was done.

“I’ve been keeping it hidden! Me! By myself I didn’t have help from anybody! When the gas was almost shut off I paid the bill. I put food on the table I bought Kaccee shoes for school it was me! So don’t sit here and compare me to a man that didn’t even take care of his only child. He didn’t give a damn and now because I do it’s a problem?! Fuck this shit!”

“Solomon Prince Hermoso Don’t you ever use that tone with me! I am your mother!”

“I’m not a kid anymore I’ve seen things that you wouldn’t understand I’m trying to give Kaccee a better future! So I won’t stop I’m going to do this until we move out of this shit hole. I refuse to die here because you can’t get over the fact that dad left yo-“  Smack. That was the only thing you heard in the room. They both stared at each other his mother’s shaky index finger never once leaving his face.

“Don’t you ever speak of your father like that again.” With that his mother pushed by him.

“I went to visit Daisy today she’s doing fine. I guess you’d never know since you never visit your own granddaughter!” Sal turned around and saw his mother bent over the couch her back facing him.

“Get out. GET OUT!” Quickly she spun around and yelled in his face. In a matter of seconds Sal was standing on the front of the house. Duffle bag in hand. As he stomped hi way faintly through the dead grass he could faintly hear the wailing of a little 4 year old screaming his name. Sal shook the feeling. Kaccee would have to get use to this feeling. His mother couldn’t hold on to a good thing for shit.