Delete

t as a old, wet and windy night in October when at sixteen years of age, I was venturing out at Midnight to my 'first' full time job as an appriche job required me to start at 3:00 am. It took me over two hours. I had to take three trains and a buittle did I realize how slowlpaced' out the schedule was for trains in the wee hours of morning; and that there would be 'NO' busningI was 'hyped', ready to conquer the world, learn a new trade and make some 'dougy mother's eyes projected a saense of worrnd care at our apartment door as she hugged and handed me a sandwich in a brown paper bahe should have been sleeping; getting her rest after a long day of caring for my baby brother and three younger sisters. After asking me if I thought I was earmly enough, she said that I should take an umbrella because it was raining. I assured her that I'd be fine; not to worrhe smiled, we huagain, and she stayed at the door watching me go down the stairfter walking about seven blocks toe elevated subway line, I was a little wet wr the train toave er chemistry was already pumping annoyance every time I checked my Timex; realizing mistake, I was now kind of angry (at myselissed' the stop to get off because the sign in the subway read (edited) instead? Confused at this point, when the train pulled into (edited) a station away, I knew where I was (I'd worked a part time job there once) Now I was 'really' anxious about the time and travel mess uOh what to dame out from the subway onto a dark, wet and deserted commercial street. It seemed to have gotten colder as I crossed the street to the (edited) line stephat's when it happened. Upon going up about ten steps, the shadowy figure of a man came running out from under the stairs screaming at me in Spanish, with one hand in his jacket pocket pointing at me, he yelled something l"dome sul denaraving taken some Spanish language classes in school, I 'keenly' understood the word 'money' and from his posture and tone of voice, I assumed he 'wanted' some...but, I was already pissed off; now getting robbed pissed me off even moro, I yell back at the guy, "NO COMPRENDO" which I was sure meant that I 'didn't understand'e paused a few seconds seemingly confused, then began repeating his demand over, and over again angrily excited. It was a bit startling but I figured it was dark and nobody was around, why didn't he just pull the gun out 'if he had one'? With that in mind, I scream back at him, "I NO COMPRENDO motherfucker..." and flash him my trusty opened Boysct knifhe guy then kind of shrugs, turns and goes back under the subway steps, I guess to wait for someone elsy e time I was back at the elevated train platform, I realized I was going to be real late getting to the job. The wind was whipping at me, it was a cold wind; it carried a mist of cold rain with it. My hand shivered as I reached the dime into a payphone to call the Bake Shoriendly voice answered on the other side; it was the boss. He seemed to be a nice man, he seemed caring and concerneefore hanging up the phone, he told me to go to the union the next day and ask them to send you to a shop closer to homack atome, my mother took the wet clothes from me and hung them near a radiator. At three in the morning we sat at the table across from each other with mugs of hot cocoa warming our hands. Inside myself I saa failed man...but, she probably just saw a young boy, at the cusp ofgeoutsider January 20, 2018 .................(edited and soon to be deleted)