Chola Lokka

Crime Mob

13 years earlier

Lokka was only 5 yet, she remembered this day like it was yesterday. 

Her mother, Teresa, had come home late again. 

Late as in the next morning at 10:00. 

Lokka was home alone from the time of 7:00pm the night before. She hadn’t eaten anything and for some reason unknown to her, the lights and water wasn’t working. Her mother’s hair was no longer silky, instead it had transitioned to dry and brittle.  Her fancy clothes were all old and worn.  And her once full body, was now thin and fragile. 

She didn’t smell too good either, Lokka thought.

Sitting at the top of the stairs, she watched her mother stumble through the door and around the living room. Teresa flicked the light switch, but nothing happened.

“Hijo de puta (Son of a bitch). Fuck these bills.” Teresa grumbled, before searching in her tattered jeans for something.

She pulled out a small bag pouring some of the white powder on the table. Teresa scraped it together in a straight line before leaning down to sniff it. She fell to the side and onto the floor with a loud thump. Lokka ran down the stairs to her mother’s side.

“Mama! Mama you ok?”

Her mother laughed wild with excitement before sitting upright, “Oh Lokka! Hey! Ooo go get dressed sweetie. Mamí wants to take you out. Come on.” 

She wobbled to her feet as Lokka followed behind her. Her mother bathed her, and got her dressed. Lokka was excited, she got to wear her favorite Pink dress with the ruffles. Teresa also put little bows in her high bun. 

They skipped down the street, as her mother smiled with childlike abandon. Lokka didn’t understand why her mother was so happy, but she was enjoying the time rather than being alone again. They were in a neighborhood Lokka had never been to and she was beginning to think they were lost.

Her mother pulled her into a small corner store. Lokka’s mouth watered while staring at all the candy, she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday morning except for some stale crackers she found. A man in a black hoodie walked past the store with his hands shoved in his pockets. 

"Grab anything you like baby." Teresa said before looking around the store. She caught a quick glimpse of the man before her eyes and smile widened.

She grabbed Lokka’s small face in her hands, “I’ll be back.”

Lokka watched from inside the store as her mother followed the man like a lost puppy. She sat in the windowsill and waited patiently for her mother to return.

Soon, the sun began to go down.

 Lokka watched as people walked in and out of the store going on about their days. She wandered outside and into the surrounding streets calling out for her mother, who was nowhere in sight. Lokka walked as far as her small feet could carry her until she reached an alley becoming distracted by the scene inside. 

2 men were brutally beating a man, who was on the ground in the fetal position trying to shield himself from being kicked and punched. One man in particular made her curious, he was in a suit while the others were in plain clothes. The man watched from the side unamused at the brutality unfolding in front of him. He walked over to the man on the ground and towered over him before turning to one of the fighters.

“End it.”

The fighter pulled out a gun and shot the man twice in the head. Lokka screamed, drawing attention to herself. The man in the suit turned to her and before she could runaway the other man had grabbed her tightly, putting the gun to her head as she began to cry.