Afternoon Adventure

            by Lucien Kahn

 

            I was walking home from school and thinking about how much I hate the 6^th grade.  Everyday is the same.  I go to school, don’t learn anything new, eat lunch, don’t learn some more, and walk home.  It’s only when I’m home that I have any fun.  Mom doesn’t get home till seven, sometimes later if she has to work a double shift.  She always tells me when she has to work late so I won’t worry.  I wouldn’t worry anyway; I can take care of myself.

            It was only last week, when I turned 12, that mom made me a copy of the key to our apartment.  She said she didn’t want me alone at home until I was old enough.  I had to stay at school in the after-school program.  It was really dumb.  Most kids played basketball, and I tried, but I’m not very good.  So, I usually just sat and watched and imagined that the clouds were actually swarms of aliens and I had to hide under benches and run across the playground without getting attacked.  That was fun for a while, but then it got boring.  Everything gets boring after a while, if you do it long enough.  But now that I am in the 6^th grade I have a key and can go home after school instead of running from aliens.

            Anyway, I let myself into the apartment.  Ours is number 12.  We had the choice between number 12 or 13 but my mom said 13 is bad luck so we got number 12.  No one lived in 13 for all the years we’ve lived here but just last week I saw some boxes outside and some men carrying things into the apartment.  I guess they don’t know number 13 is bad luck, or they don’t care.  I like the number 13.  Everyone is superstitious of it for no reason, so I decided I would like it, to make it feel better.  I closed the door and bolted the deadbolt, and slid the chain into the golden groove, like mom said to.  Our apartment is pretty plain.  There is one big room with the kitchen on the left, and the sofa–a great big beige one, I lay and read on–straight ahead.  If you turn right there is a short hallway with a closet and the bathroom and mom’s room and on the end my room.  I turned right and down the hall and threw my backpack on the floor by my desk before I flopped on the bed.  The mattress shuddered and the springs groaned and I bounced up and down with my back giving the rusted coils a work out.  I lay there in complete silence. 

I listened to the bed slowly stop creaking and the cars outside, a plane overhead.  I heard some noises coming from the vent.  Mice.  We have mice sometimes but mom always deals with them, putting traps around in corners of the apartment.  I thought about waiting till mom got home.  But…she gave me a key.  I am old enough to deal with a stupid mouse.  I gathered my supplies: my flashlight, my red Swiss army knife (my mom’s boyfriend Rick gave it to me for my birthday but I still don’t like him), some cheese and a string.

I tied a sliver of the cheese on the string and tightened it like a noose.  I lay down on my stomach so I had a good angle looking through the grate.  Pointing the flashlight towards the vent I pressed the black button and light filled the metal shaft that disappeared perpendicular into the wall.  It was bright in such a small place and the walls flashed and glowed.  Nothing moved.  I heard whispering.  Not mice, whispering.  Human whispering.  It was coming from deep inside the shaft.  Must be from apartment 13.  The deep voice of a large man, and a scratchy one.  I could barely make out what they were saying.

“…that’s what I’m saying.  He ditched us and left us to take the hit.  Now it’s his turn to take the hit, if you know what I mean?” the scratchy voice said.  It sounded like he was pacing back and forth.  I slid myself closer to the vent so I could hear better.  The man with the deep voice was talking now, “Frank, we have to be smart about this.  Better to bide our time and do it right and clean, no traces.”

“I know, I know,” Frank said, “I just hated being locked up.  And now that I’m out I want…revenge.”  I didn’t like the way Frank said revenge; he lowered his voice and annunciated every syllable to make sure he was understood.  It made me scared.  I nibbled on the cheese and realized I was sweating. 

“Let’s go get some grub,” the deep voice said, and I heard him strain as he pulled himself out of a chair and lumber over to the door.  The bolt clicked and the door opened.  I got up and raced down the hall and straight to the door.  I jammed my face sideways to see out of the peephole and try to catch a glimpse of Frank and his friend.  They were walking right past the door and I could see and large man (the one with the deep voice) and a shorter, smaller man (Frank) wearing a plaid jacket and a white T-shirt.  Frank was also wearing sneakers.  They walked down past 11 and 10 and down the stairs to the parking lot.  I couldn’t actually see the parking lot from through the peephole but I know where that staircase leads.  I pride myself in noticing little things most people wouldn’t pay attention too, like Frank’s white tennis shoes, or the mouse noises from the grate, which weren’t really mouse noises at all.

When I was sure they had left I peeled my eye away from the door and went into the kitchen.  I was thirsty.  You know that sticky feeling you get in your mouth when it gets dried out and all the saliva gets really thick?  I opened the fridge and grabbed a soda, which was next to the ketchup, from the inside panel in the door.  I let the fridge door swing itself shut until I heard the satisfying squelch of the rubber sealing in the cold.  Using my teeth–I saw someone do this on TV and it was so cool–I wedged under the tab and pulled.  The bubbles tickled my chin and I could smell the sweet lemon lime already.  Sipping on my soda, I walked back down the hall.  Usually my mom doesn’t like me taking food into my room because she says I’ll get crumbs or spills, but that’s only when she’s here.  I sat on my bed and finished the soda.  Safeway Brand lemon lime.  Only the highest quality products for me and my mom. 

Squeezing the can in my hand, and listening to the thin walls crack, I wondered who they could have been talking about.  Whomever it was was in for a nasty surprise soon enough.  It sounded like they were planning to really hurt this person.  I remember watching this movie where thugs beat up someone so bad he was unrecognizable.  His eye was really swollen and his check was cut and scratched.  Once my mom came home with a black eye but wouldn’t tell me how it happened.  I know it was Rick, though.  I’ve never liked him.  Sometimes he tries to be nice to me by giving me toys or buying me a milkshake from the drive-through so I will like him.  I know what he’s trying to do so I sip my chocolate shake and let him think he’s won, but I’ll never forget when he gave my mom that black eye.  Someday I will get my revenge on Rick.  This brings me back to the mysterious plotting of the crooks.  I was really curious and decided I would find out what they were up to.

I knew I had to be quick because they had left to get food a few minutes ago and probably wouldn’t be gone for much longer than half an hour.  It’s very likely they would be gone for longer, but I couldn’t risk spending more than 30 minutes snooping and getting caught.  I set my digital watch for 30 minutes using the buttons on the side and pressed the large square one, which said in small white letters “start/stop.”  Immediately the seconds started counting off.  I slipped the Swiss army knife safely in my pocket.  I knew exactly what to do.

Each room in the apartment building has a small personal balcony through sliding doors off of the living room.  We never used the balcony much, at least my mom didn’t.  In the past I’ve used our balcony to climb onto the balcony of apartment 13, when it was vacant.  See the balconies are designed specifically so that people can’t reach the one next to theirs and break into a neighbor’s apartment.  However, the balconies of 12 and 13 are passable because of one detail the architects overlooked.  The fire escape scales the side of the building directly between the balconies of 12 and 13.  For anyone this would be insignificant and unhelpful because when the fire escape is not fully extended the bars are jammed together and only someone as small and skinny as I can squeeze through the opening and climb over the railing of the neighboring balcony.

Despite being in a rush I made sure to be careful.  Falling from this height would not be fun.  I climbed over their railing and fell clumsily onto the cement floor of the balcony but caught myself with my hands.  This side of the building was in shade and the cement was cold.  I wished I had my gloves, no fingerprints.  I climbed back across the fire escape squeezing through the brown metal bars and back onto our balcony.

With my black mittens on my hand I made the journey for the third time.  I tentatively touched the metallic handle to the sliding door and pushed.  It slid gracefully open and I stepped inside.  These doors don’t lock automatically when they are closed so you can’t accidentally lock yourself out.  Very helpful at a time like this.  I checked my watch.  Only 17 minutes left.  Getting my gloves cost me a lot of time.  Hopefully I can find some clues quickly.  Sure enough, right in front of me, on the kitchen table laid a post-it pad and a copy of the phonebook.  I tiptoed to the table and looked down at the open yellow pages.  It was open to the Hardware section.  I quickly scanned the page and found my first clue which chilled my bones.  Circled in red Ink was a small black and white ad, which read, “Rick’s Plumbing Hardware Supply.  Open 9am-5pm mon-fri, 10am-5pm sat.  2431 Shattuck…” it went on but I stopped reading there.  That was Rick’s store.  This ad obviously was failing miserably because I had never seen anyone besides my mom or Rick in the store.  Sometimes I hung out in the store and played with the plastic pipes while I waited for my mom.  Once one of Rick’s friends came to visit him and they went into the privacy of the back of the store but that was all.  But why would these thugs have Rick’s store circled?  Could he be the person they wanted to get revenge on?  Maybe.  I never really liked him anyway, but…my heart stopped for the second time in the last minute when I heard the key in the apartment door.

I scrambled to try and hide.  Under the table?  The legs are too high; they’d find me immediately.  Behind the counter?  Not much time–go for it.  I raced towards the end furthest from the door.  But it was too late.  The large man saw me before I could duck down and yelled, “Hey!”  I stopped, frozen and looked over my shoulder at him.  He looked so tall, and as he walked towards me he grew.  “What have we here?” 

“It looks like this rat was messin’ around in our apartment,” said the other one who closed the door behind him and flipped the lock.

“Kid you should keep your nose out of other people business if you knew what’s good for you.  I think we are gonna need to teach him a lesson.  Whadaya think Joey?”

“Yeah, a lesson he’ll never forget.”  Joey reached around behind his back and pulled a small pistol out of his belt.  The fear started to fill me starting with a tingling in my fingers it moved through my body and replaced shock.  I looked down the small barrel of the gun and I could feel myself shaking.  I felt a large hand tighten on my shoulder.  It hurt and I wanted him to let go of me. 

“W-wait,” I managed to stutter.  The man with the gun cackled and the hand pushed down on my shoulder forcing me into a chair by the table.  “Wait.  I know Rick.”  This did it.  The pudgy hand relaxed its grip and Joey stopped laughing abruptly.  He didn’t say anything; he just looked at me blankly like he didn’t believe me.  I decided it would be best to keep talking while he wasn’t threatening to kill me.  “He is my mom’s boyfriend.”  Damn, I should’ve lied.  That’s what they teach you to do.  Never tell the bad guys anything that can help them.  But I was scared, I didn’t know what else to do.  “He owns a store, it-it has plumbing supplies and stuff.  What, do you want?”

At this Joey smiled and from behind him Frank said, “We want revenge kid.  Your friend Rick ditched us a ways back at a bad time, a real bad time.”

“I don’t understand, please…don’t hurt me…I can help you,” I could feel myself trembling and I wish my voice didn’t crack when I spoke.

“Ok, kid we won’t hurt you,” Joey lifted his hand from my shoulder and looked down at me.  Then with a swift movement he brought his hand down on my head and I fell to the floor.

 

            When I opened my eyes I was in the back of a van.  My hands were tied behind my back.  The metal was cold and the van was empty.  Through the back window I could see the dark blue night and light from a streetlight.  The engine was off and I heard a door slam.  The back doors swung open and Frank loomed above me.  I recognized the street behind him, it was right near Rick’s store.  He reached his hand towards me and grabbed my shirt dragging me towards him.  Joey walked up besides him and said in a low voice, “Okay kid, this is how it is going to work.  If you want to live you’ll do what we tell you.  Got it?”  I nodded and shivered as a cold chill rushed through my body.

            “We are gonna untie you,” said Frank.  “And, when we do, you are going to go inside Ricks store, and you are going to distract him.  I don’t care how you do it but get his back to the door.”  I heard the words but they had no meaning to me.  “Ok, it’s show time.  He closes shop in 10 minutes so get going.  Don’t try anything funny, we’ll be right behind you.”  Frank opened his jacket revealing a sawed off shotgun he had hidden from sight.  “I don’t wanna shoot you kid, but I will if I have to so…don’t make me.”  I nodded and managed to stand up on my own.  One of them freed my hand and led me down the sidewalk.  It was rush hour and Shattuck was packed but the side street we were on was very quiet.  I led the way, turning on Shattuck and towards Rick’s store.  I tried to think of a plan but my mind was blank.  You are always supposed to have a plan.  When I got to the entrance I stopped for a second but Joey pushed me into the door and I grabbed the metallic handle with my hands.

            I was unconscious of my movements but somehow I ended up in the center of the store facing the counter.  Rick, wearing jeans and a plain white T-shirt looked up.  He stuffed the wad of cash he was counting into the opened register and slammed the drawer closed with a ding.  “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be at home?”  My mouth wouldn’t work.  There was nothing I could think to say. I wanted to tell him that there were people outside that were going to kill him, they have guns!  But instead I stood there dumbly and said nothing.  “What the hell do you want!  I…”  The door slammed open and in came Joey and Frank wearing ski masks and holding their weapons at eye level.  I turned back towards Rick and saw him standing behind the counter with the largest shotgun I had ever seen.  I must’ve been 3 feet long and shiny black.  I backed up into an isle to get out of the way.

            “Put your gun down, you DON’T wanna do this!” said Joey nodding his gun at Rick.  Rick responded by pumping the gun and switching off the safety.  Joey stepped forward, “C’mon Nate, put your gun down.”  I had no idea who Nate was.

            “Do I know you,” Rick asked calmly.

            “Nate Gordon I’ve known me my entire life,” Joey, still holding the gun with his right hand pulled off his ski mask with his left.  I was watching Rick and I saw his face change.  His eyebrows scrunched and he sighed heavily.

            “Shit, Joey, it’s been a long time.”

            “Let me remember, Nate, when was the last time I saw you?  Oh right, the night you ditched us and ran off with our recipe and left us to take the hit.  How’d you know they were about to bust us, huh, Nate?  How?”

            Rick sighed again and opened his mouth to speak, “And there you are Frank.  How’d you guys find me, I thought I cleared my tracks.”

            “You messed up Nate and now it’s time for you to get what you deserve.”

            “Ok, ok I’ll give you this,” Rick said and pulling the trigger he dove behind the counter and out of sight.  My ears exploded and I watched as a blast hit Joey in the chest lifting him off his feet before he fell slamming his head against the floor of the store.  There was blood everywhere and I had trouble hearing.  Frank was firing at the counter, peeking out from behind a row of shelves.  I saw Rick lean out from behind the counter and aim towards Frank but Frank saw him too and with a blast Rick’s body slumped on the floor and a pool of blood formed around his head.

            The door that lead into the back off the shop was kicked open and immediately a spurt of fire erupted from a gun and Frank was dead before the door hit the ground.  My mom walked through the doorway and rushed over to me, where I was crouching on the ground. 

            “You okay, baby?”  She rubbed my back.

            “Yeah.”

            “Ok, let’s go then.”  We got up and ran.  I heard sirens in the distance and I ran as fast as I could.  When we were in the car, I couldn’t help it but began sobbing.  My mom started the engine and put the car in reverse.  “It’s gonna be okay baby, we’re gonna get out of here.  Everything’s gonna be alright.”  I look up and wiped my face.  As the tears formed in my eyes obscuring my vision I looked out the window at the empty street before us.

            “Are we going home?” I asked.

            “We can’t honey, but it’s ok thing are gonna be better, things are gonna be different.”  I chocked back more tears.  I didn’t want things to change.  I wanted to be home.  I wanted to be at school, playing basketball or running from aliens not from fear.  The pavement flew by us and I reached in my pocket and pulled out my red Swiss army knife.  I rolled it around in my fingers.  Then I dropped it out the open window and leaned out letting the cold air dry my face and my eyes.