On Pike St.

     Hey God, I know I promised not to bother you again, but if you get me through this one, then I promise to keep my big trap shut from now on. Oh, and I promise not to do this sort of thing any more. Amen.
     I really wish I hadn’t worn white today. I wish I had worn sandals. I wish I woulda stayed at home. I wish I had told Jerico to go take a walk off the pier.
     “I’ll make it worth your while, Sugar. Just go to Apt. 27 on Mullen. Pick up the two packages. Wait on Pike Street, you know the place. And somebody will be by to pick them up.”
     What’s really in it for me, Jerico? I guess I don’t have to ask. Standard pull for this kind of job. Not too shabby if you think about it, but doesn’t exactly compensate for the risk. God, I really wish I hadn’t worn white today. I hate my wrists. Too veiny. I wonder what this “somebody” looks like.
     “I wanna go home, now.”
     “Relax, kid. Just hang tight. We won’t be here much longer.”
     That guy over by the soda dispenser thing is kinda cute. In a Lamont Sandford sorta way. It’s not 1975 any more, Fella. Somebody outta let you know. Cute, though, definitely. He certainly is animated. What’s he going on and on about. . .
     “I’m tellin’ ya, Burt, I told the landlord, I said, ‘Lookit here! You either get me some damn heat up in this joint, or I’m fittin’ to set the place on fire. But I’mma get warm one way or t’other.’ Hell yeah it worked!”
     Assertive. I like a guy who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to get active about it. Well, there he goes. Guess he wasn’t the “somebody.” Bye-bye, Lamont. See you in
my dreams.
     “I want my mommy.”
     “I bought you French fries.”
     Never really cared for crab cakes myself. Not a seafood kinda gal period. Period. Jesus Christ, why did I wear white today?! Since I’m praying anyway, God, I want you to know that yes, my conscience is killing me and I know I’m gonna hafta do some serious purgatory time someday. . .If I’ve even still got a shot at Heaven at all. I wish I woulda worn my comfy sandals. They don’t go with this outfit. . .I wish I hadn’t worn this outfit
. . .I wonder who this kid’s dad is.
     “Hey kid. Who is your father anyway?”
     “You mean you don’t know?!”
     Snot-nosed brat. I don’t need this grief. That’s. . .kind of frightening, though! How high-profile is this child? What if somebody recognizes him?! Somebody calls the cops, and I’m toast with jam. Especially if they carve open this stupid plastic doll baby I have here. The contents of this baby doll’s stomach could set somebody for life. For life. Somebody’d be set for life, but the cops show and I’ll GET life. And why the kid too, then?! Damn you, Jerico, keep your jobs separate!!! How hard is that?! Where is this lousy “somebody?” I want to get out of here. Dear God, if you get me out of this I promise. . .I promise. . .
     “Lady, are they gonna kill me?”
     “You’ll be all right kid. You want another lobster roll? I got plenty here.”
     I wonder how far I could I get with this baby doll. The damn thing’s got a million dollar belly. . .and I’m about to hand it over to some creep. Like an idiot. This is a score here! I need to join a union.
     “Hey Lady. You wanna hear a joke? One of those men told it to me this morning.”
     And can I really. . .honestly. . .hand this child over? Can I?! What are they gonna do with him? Million dollar baby dolls are one thing. This is a little boy, for chrissake. No blasphemy intended, Lord.
     “Okay, the joke goes like this: There was a little kid and a clown walking into some really dark forest. The kid turns to the clown and says, ‘This is a pretty scary forest.’ And the clown says, ‘You think you’re scared? I gotta come back out of here all by myself!’ That’s pretty funny, huh.”
     This will aaaaaall be over soon.
     “That’s a pretty funny joke. Don’tcha think so, lady?”
     I could make a break for it. Just not turn them over. To “somebody.” Take the kid, take the doll. Start a new life.
     “They’re gonna kill me, lady.”
     “Do you want a soda?”
     HailMaryfullofgraceTheLordiswiththeeblessedartthoughamongwomenandblessed
isthefruitofthywombJesus. . .
     “I want my mommy and daddy. I want to go home.”
     God, we could just run. Do you think we should just run, God? No. . .THEY’d catch me. Jerico and his goons. I can’t take the doll and the kid. I could take one or the other and get away, but not both. If I take the kid, what do I do with the doll? Take it, I’m screwed. Leave it, I’m screwed. Lousy public market. I shouldn’t have made eyes with Lamont Sandford. God please. Please get me out of here. . .
     “I guess I’ll eat some more French fries. Who’s that doll for, lady?”
     I hate you, Jerico! I will hate you for as long as I live. I’m gonna buy a .357 and kill you in your sleep! You will not be missed, you bastard. You will not be missed.
     “Hey lady. I think your doll is broke. There’s some white stuff coming out of its leg.”
     That’s it. We’re out of here. They baby doll is taking a long swim, and we’re out of here.
     “What are they gonna do to m–”
“Nothing. Nothing. Nobody’s gonna do anything to you, sweetheart. You hear me? Nobody’s gonna take you. No one’s gonna hurt you. We’re gonna get you home to your mommy and daddy.”
     “But–”
     “I promise.”
     But how? Come on, God, get off your omnipresent behind and help this damsel in distress. This damsel in this dress. Hey! He’s back! Lamont and his fat friend!
     “Excuse me, sir? Excuse me?”
     “Yeah? Wussup?”
     “I was wondering if you could do me a big fave.”
     “Okay. . .”
     “Do you have a cell phone?”
     “Yeah. . .”
     “I need you to stand here for a minute with my little brother.”
     “Uh–”
     “Just stand here with him and make sure nobody, and I mean NOBODY, takes him. Okay?”
     “Well–”
     “Okay?!”
     “Uh. . .”
     “And then I want you to phone the cops and say, ‘Hey I found this kid wandering around down here alone. Somebody needs to come and pick him up.’ And then you gotta stay here with him until the police show up and make sure they take him and nobody else does. Okay? Are we clear on this? Are we?”
     “No. Look, lady, I don’t know what’s goin’ on here, but I ain’t tryin’ to be involved. I’m sorry, but you’re on your own.”
     Sorry, Cute Stuff. But this is how it’s going down. Bye bye.
     “HEY! STOP! GET BACK HERE! SOMEBODY GRAB THAT GIRL!!!!” beep beep beep      “Hello, police?”