The sounds of horns beeping and people shouting in different languages filled the humid evening air. Several New Yorkers were heading home from work and in the process finding themselves hit with more and more obstacles with each passing day. The loud chatter on the street grew increasingly negative as many people found themselves having to sidestep hordes of people laying on the streets and begging for money from anyone who would listen.
Brian Spencer clutched his briefcase closer to his chest as he made his way to the stairs that led down to the subway platform. Clutching his bag even tighter, he did his best to navigate through all the garbage and homeless people that were passed out all around him. Feeling nauseous, he looked at the squalor around him and shook his head. He snapped out of his trance just in time to board the subway.
Brian got off the subway and headed up the stairs, kicking trash out of his way. Weaving in and out of the homeless people and immigrants he finally arrived at the doorstep of his apartment building. He fished his keys out of his pocket and found the right one. Before you know it, he was inside and on his way to his apartment.
His wife Margie was sitting at the kitchen table when Brian walked in and threw his keys on the table. He placed his suitcase down as he fastened the latch on the door. This seemed to wake his wife up out of the trance that seemed to envelop her presence.
“ What are you doing?” Brian asked.
“ Thinking,” she replied.
“ About what? I hate when you do this. Just tell me,” Brian said.
“ Well, I am not sure if you remember,” Margie began.
“ What did I just say about this? Just come out and tell me!” Brian shouted.
“ The mayor said about a month ago that people of New York were going to have to house immigrants due to the overflow. They said they would be sending out notices to those who are going to be selected. I get the mail today and one of the letters informed us that we have been chosen to house some of the first group,” Margie said with a sigh.
“ Some? How many is some?” Brian asked. He felt his anxiety sail through the roof.
“ It didn’t specify. They were going to let us know very soon,” Margie said.
“ That’s just great,” Brian complained as he walked over to the refrigerator. He reached in and pulled out a beer. As he cracked it open, he stared at his wife.
“ So does this mean that we have to buy food for however many people that they send us?” Brian asked as he took a long sip from his beer.
“ I am not sure,” Margie answered looking perplexed.
“ That’s just great,” Brian said as he drained the rest of his beer. As he tossed the can into the recycling bin, he walked over to the refrigerator to grab another beer.
“ I’m not exactly thrilled to death about it either,” Margie said.
“ Whatever,” Brian replied as he cracked his new beer.
He walked down the hallway and headed into his room. Margie picked up the letter and reread it over again. She sighed afterwards and dropped it on the table. After a few more minutes of thinking, she rose to her feet and headed to the refrigerator to grab a beer.
The next morning arrived and Brian was preparing for work. Feeling slightly dizzy, he winced as he gazed upon the array of empty beer cans strewn about the counter. He shuffled to the sink, grabbed a glass and filled it up. Draining the glass, he placed it in the sink and headed for the door.
After another long day at work and the usual ride in the subway, Brian returned home. He walked through the door and threw his keys on the table and placed his suitcase by the door. Sitting at the kitchen table next to his wife was a young Hispanic male.
“ Honey, this is Antonio Rodriguez and he will be staying with us for a little while,” Margie announced with a smile. Brian just glared at him.
“ Where is he going to sleep?” Brian asked.
“ I set up an area downstairs,” Margie answered.
“ Does he speak English?” Brian asked while he stared at Antonio.
“ Claro que si! Of course!” Antonio said. “ You got a beer or something like that around here?” Antonio asked as he looked around the kitchen.
“ Ok,” Brian answered as he reluctantly walked over to the refrigerator. He reached inside and pulled out a beer. On his way over to the table to hand Antonio the beer, he glared at his wife. She smiled nervously as Antonio accepted the beer without saying thank you.
The next morning Brian had to go to the basement for something. As he walked down the stairs he thought about the difficult meeting he was going to have today. Right after he made it down the staircase, he walked a few feet and tripped.
“ Shit!” Brian cried as he fell to the ground.
“ Cono! What the hell?” A voice shouted in the darkness. Brian stumbled over to the wall and switched on the light. He stared down at the floor in disbelief.
“ Who the hell are you?” Brian asked. While Antonio rubbed his eyes and slowly removed the cover from him, Brian suddenly remembered who he was and why he was here.
“ You know what ,now I remember. Antonio is it?” Brian asked.
“ Yeah, man,” Antonio replied as he yawned.
“ Let me ask you a question, Antonio,” Brian said.
“ What is it, man?” Antonio replied.
“ Are you planning to get a job and maybe help out with the rent?” Brian asked.
“ Already have a job. Should be up and running by tomorrow night. Can I go back to sleep? The longer I am awake, the longer it will be until I fall back asleep,” Antonio announced as he threw the covers back over his head.
Brian just stared at him. “ Yo man, turn off the light!”
“ Sure thing. For tomorrow if you want breakfast in bed just remind me ahead of time,” Brian said as he shut off the light.
“ Really?” Antonio asked.
“ No,” Brian Immediately responded.
“ Aw man!” Antonio groaned as he pulled the covers further over his head.
Brian marched up the stairs, already in a bad mood. He gathered his belongings for work and left the house shortly thereafter. He had a mainly productive day at work despite being anxious of the uncertain situation he had brewing at home.
As he walked down the hallway towards his apartment, he couldn’t help but notice the loud music blasting. The closer he got to the front door, the more he was beginning to suspect that the music was coming from his apartment. His suspicions were confirmed as he crossed the threshold into his apartment. As he walked into the kitchen, he noticed his wife was sitting at the kitchen table with her head down. He leaned over and tapped her on the shoulder. “ Are you awake?”
“ Hi Brian. I think we have a little bit of a problem,” His wife said.
Wincing at the loud music, he stared at his wife.” Is our problem a result of this?” He asked as he pointed to the floor.
“ He left and came back today with two other men and a bunch of weird equipment. They have been downstairs ever since. I am scared to go down there, worried about what I might find,” Margie said nervously while she bit on her lip.
“ I am going down there right now,” Brian said impatiently as he headed for the door to the basement.
Opening the door, he was temporarily blown back by the loud bass. As he walked down the stairs, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Standing in front of them were three shirtless Hispanic men. There was Antonio and two men who were absolutely saturated with tattoos. They had several types of beakers, jars and other equipment laid across his bar. Looking around he noticed a cluster of plastic bags and a pile of white, rocky powder.
“ Excuse me! What the hell is going on down here?” Brian asked above the loud music.
He waited for a response until he came to the realization that they couldn’t hear him which was totally understandable. Looking around the room, he saw the big radio that was providing all the entertainment for his new roommate and his new friends. Brian angrily marched over and pulled the plug out of the wall. All three of them immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Brian.
“ Que paso?” One of them shouted with an angry look on his face.
“ What are you doin’ man?” Antonio said as he shot Brian an angry look as well.
“ What the hell are you doing?” Brian shouted as his eyes cruised over the scene once again.
“ We are busy and that’s all you need to know,” Antonio exclaimed.
“ Actually the less you know the better, ese,” one of the other men said.
“ Who the hell are these two guys?” Brian asked.
“They are my business associates and right now you are holding up the business, yo!” Antonio said in an authoritative tone. One of his business partners walked over to the radio , leaned over and plugged it back into the wall. Brian just stared at Antonio as the music began to fill the air. He turned, threw his hand in the air and walked back up the stairs.
The music died down much later after at least a dozen requests to turn it down. Brian managed to get very little sleep. He woke the next morning with bags under his eyes and a raging headache. His wife had finally fell asleep after tossing and turning all night. Brian gathered his belongings for work and promptly left. His home life was rapidly deteriorating with each passing minute and he felt totally powerless to stop it.
The day had flown by and he was faced with his daily dose of anxiety that overcame him everyday at this time. On the subway he ended up sitting next to a couple who were speaking Spanish. The more he listened, the more his anxiety rose up from the depths of his stomach. Hearing them talk just made him worry about what he might have to face when he goes home.
Shortly after leaving the subway, he arrived at his front door. He took a deep breath before going inside. This time when he walked into the kitchen and threw his keys on the table his wife wasn’t sitting at the table with her head down. Feeling the anxiety rise even higher, he began to become very worried.
Suddenly he heard a loud crash downstairs and some screaming. As Brian began to make his way to the door to the basement, the noises and screams grew louder. He opened the door and walked down the stairs. He had to blink more than twice as he witnessed what was transpiring in front of him.
“ This is what happens to putas who don’t pay for their shit!” Antonio screamed as he slammed a young Hispanic male loudly against the wall. His grip tightened as he leaned forward towards the terrified boy. He reached up and peeled down his lower lip. The boy’’s eyes widened to the size of UFO’s when he saw the tattoo Antonio had in his mouth.
“ You see! You know who we are!” Antonio shouted. He turned and stared at Brian with dangerously bloodshot eyes. “ I want you to see this too, blanquito!” Antonio screamed as he dragged the boy by his throat over near the sink.
“ Little baby, bring me my knife,” Antonio cried.
“ NO! NO!” The boy started to squirm as he saw the look in Antonio’s eye.
“ Javi, don’t just stand there! Ayudame!” Antonio shouted.
While Little baby was getting Antonio’s knife, Javier spread his arms wide as he lumbered towards the terrified boy. “ Hold him still for me!” Antonio shouted. Little baby was staring at Brian who was literally frozen in fear.
“ Antonio, uh, what are you going to do to him?” Brian asked as he managed to break from his trance.
“ Show him what’s going to happen to him if he wants to fuck with us!” Antonio cried as he gripped the boy’s throat.
“ No quiero ver! Esta bien!” The terrified boy managed to scream as he gave one last gasp to escape Antonio’s firm grip. Javier planted his leg against his. Little baby tore his gaze away from Brian and bent down. He pulled out a large piece of plastic from his backpack and began to lay it out behind the bar.
“ Wait! What the hell are you doing?” Brian cried as he walked around to the other side of the bar.
“ Just stay out of it unless you want to wind up like him!” Antonio shouted as he grabbed the knife from Little baby. Brian’s eyes widened as he watched Antonio drag the blade across the boy’s neck. He screamed as the blood began to pour down his neck.
Brian screamed as he felt Little baby creep up behind him and slide a knife over his throat. He collapsed to the ground with a loud thump. Blood was all over the edges of the plastic and the floor.
“ Good job! Now you got blood on the floor! Preste atencion!” Antonio cried as Javier dumped the boy’s body onto the plastic. Antonio turned to Javier.
“ Javi! Go get the wife!” Antonio shouted in frustration as he looked over the two corpses that lay before him.