Brownsville

(The Present...)

As I approached the information desk on that late Sunday morning, a moment of hesitation swept over me before I gathered the courage to inquire, "Excuse me, I'm searching for someone. My mom has recently joined the staff here. Her name is Allison Miller."

The receptionist, a kind-faced woman, glanced at her computer screen, typing in the name. After a brief pause, she looked up with a reassuring smile. "Yes, Nurse Miller works in the pediatric ward. Just take the elevator to the third floor, and you'll find it on your right."

Relief washed over me as I followed her directions. As the elevator doors opened on the third floor, I navigated the corridors, glancing at the room numbers until I reached the pediatric ward.

I spotted a nurse with a familiar profile attending to a young patient. It was my mom – clad in scrubs, her focus on the well-being of the child in front of her. Relief and joy surged within me, but I held back, not wanting to interrupt her work.

I lingered in the hallway until she noticed me. When our eyes met, a mix of surprise and happiness illuminated her face. She excused herself from the room and rushed towards me, enveloping me in a tight hug.

"Eddie! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, concern etching her features.

"I came looking for you. Our apartment was empty, and Mrs. Morrison told me you found a job here," I explained, the words tumbling out.

Mom's expression softened, and she took a step back, holding my face in her hands. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I should have called, but things got busy. I wanted to make sure you settled into Chesher properly, I didn't want to be a distraction."

I listened, understanding the weight of her decision. "I get it, Mom. But we're a team, remember? We should have made these decisions together."

She nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You're right. I'm sorry. I just wanted to protect you from the stress." she continued.

We discovered a secluded spot to reconnect, and she opened up about the hurdles and victories of embarking on a new job in a different town as we shared a cup of coffee. Our conversation, however, was abruptly halted when an alarm sounded, prompting her swift departure. A few minutes later, the paging announcement arrived, albeit delayed: "Nurse Miller to room 336, Nurse Miller to 336."

My concentration had been solely on locating my mom, leaving me little time to consider what actions to take upon finding her. With her disappearance once again, I found myself with nothing but my contemplations and two partially consumed cups of coffee.

Certainly, finances would soon cease to be a significant concern; I was determined to ensure that. All I needed was a little help, a little help from Frank. My memory drifted back to that Friday evening as we waited in the park.

"Here you go, kid," he said, passing me my ticket as we took our seats on the curb, alongside others patiently awaiting the buses, which wouldn't arrive for another hour.

I took the ticket, folded it up and placed it in my breast pocket. 

"She's not lost, kid. I mean, we're talking about a fully grown adult here. She's just in a different place, probably working to earn some money for you," he continued, lighting up a cigarette.

Propping up his leg, he created a subtle clink as the belt buckle made contact with the floor. He took a deep drag from his cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke into the cool evening air.

"Listen, Eddie," he started, his voice dropping to a low, serious tone, his hand casually resting on the belt case. "This is gonna be the routine for the next few years. From one town to another, she'll keep moving. Panat money is good, sure, but let's be real. Between the two of you, how long does it last? What you get a car, pay a few bills, rent maybe, maybe put down a deposit even, on a house for her or something, and poof, it's all gone. And where are we now? back at the start, that's right. It's town hopping all over again."

He maintained a sly grin, his voice adopting a low and convincing pitch. "And who's to say they'll even offer you another match? I mean, look at you, kid. You got pummeled for several rounds and threw a lucky punch. A lucky punch!" He emphasized, his red eyes piercing into my soul.

"Champion," he chuckled, his laughter growing louder. He took another drag of his cigarette and nonchalantly dropped the belt case on the ground, the resulting sound drawing more attention to us than his laughter.

"Come on, man," I reached to pick up the belt and set it aside.

"You've got to be a man!" he continued, slightly startling me. "Come on? You come on! Could you be a man for once in your life!"

I swallowed anxiously, feeling my heart pound in my chest. I glanced at Frank, my eyes wide with a mixture of fear and curiosity. It wasn't him that I was afraid of; it was the weight of his words, the uncertainty of the future that frightened me.

"How can you say all these things, man? You hardly know me," I whispered, my voice betraying the strength I tried to convey through my expression.

Frank sighed, his gaze softening. "Because, Eddie, sometimes you have to take risks if you want something truly worthwhile. And trust me, the money is worth it."

Rising to his feet, he declared, "This is life, Eddie. It doesn't unfold like this for everyone but it sure as hell did for you. The blood you bleed is the blood you own." He crushed the cigarette beneath his shoe. "I know you're a skilled fighter, better than most kids your age. But there's more to life than just boxing. There's real money to be made, not just in the ring but from other opportunities as well."

He lit another cigarette and mused, "You're doing fine for now, probably, anyway. I don't know, but is it always going to be like this?"

As his bus arrived, he started singing a spontaneous tune, "Oh oh, Oh oh, Town Hoppers, Grass Hoppers, Bus pulls up, man's gotta go, said man's gotta go." He briefly touched his head, as if trying to remember something, then turned without saying a word. Just by the bus door, he spun around again. "Page 20? Yeah, 20. Tell 'em Frank sent you." With that, he disappeared onto the bus.

"Brownsville boarding!!" someone yelled out from behind me, my bus had also arrived.

I began to rise, the background filled with the rhythmic chirping of crickets. The night had deepened, and my heart felt worn and weary. All I craved was rest; I yearned to shake off the burden of life's demands. The desire to revert to the carefree days of my childhood, to rediscover happiness, lingered in my thoughts. Yet, those wishes seemed like distant echoes. I knew I had to confront my reality, which I hoped awaited me in Brownsville.

After taking several steps, a voice called out from behind. It was the attendant from earlier, Freddy or something. Determined to retaliate fiercely if he tried anything untoward, I clenched my fists. I was confident he would never forget me afterwards. Turning around, I faced him with a steely gaze.

"Your luggage. You can't just leave that by the curb," he snarked, his southern accent heavy in his voice. He shook his head "Idiot!" 

I quickly ran to pick my things up, a wry smile forming on my face, "I'll let you get away with that one" I muttered.

There was one thing left to check, my test. I took out the $12,500 check from my breast pocket and placed it more securely in my wallet. I opened the belt case, but I couldn't find the ticket I had placed there. It bordered on the comical. Frank had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

"That son of a...Fish" he had seen me place the check in the case and had developed a sudden interest in it all of a sudden, what he didn't know was that I didn't trust anyone, not even myself and so when he stood up to buy his cigarettes I had switched it out for the folded ticket.

I contemplated sleeping in the bus park and waiting till the next day, they might not let me on the bus without the ticket and I didn't want to hurt anyone's dad.

"Let's see if I can just slip right..." I muttered, making furtive movements behind the conductor.

"Ticket, son!" the conductor yelled without even looking back.

"That one's good, Sam. Frank got him."

"Oh, feel free to take the seat by the window then." the conductor directed, turning to face me properly. "It's the best one on the bus."

He motioned for my luggage, but I held onto it tightly. "They go with me," I declared.

"Well, suit yourself," he replied indifferently. "Last call for boarding to Brownsville!"