Leader of the Pack

"Good Afternoon everyone, this is Sammy Laboe and you are tuned to 1010 AM KCHJ, bringing you classic Rock n' Roll. For our daily report of June 17, 1968, our boys with the red, white and blue over seas, following a large number of casualties, the United States launched a series of successful offensives. After the statement made from Mr. Cronkite that the country was at a stalemate, it appears to no longer hold any weight now that we are winning the war in Vietnam. Now back to our regular program, this is "At the Hop", by Danny and the Juniors. You are tuned to 1010 AM KCHJ."

A red 58' Plymouth Fury comes blazing down a rural highway road. The man inside is a hispanic man with slicked back, jet black hair. He wears a mustache with long side burns on his face, as well as a dark pair of shades. His arm hangs outside from the window in a layback fashion and lets his loose leather jacket blow in the wind. The highway warrior bops his head to the song while tapping his finger along with the beat, he begins to sing, "Let's go to the Hop, Let's go the Hop. Oh Baby, Let's go the Hop."

He drives into Chente's dirt driveway extremely loud with his music, where he is greeted by Chente with a baseball bat.

"Who's that?!", shouts Chente. His mother stands behind him grabbing him by the shirt.

The music stops, alongside the car. The man stays inside the car reaching for something and he finally steps out.

"Oh shit! Tino is that you!", shouts Chente in happiness.

"The one and only carnalito. I wanted to see how you and mom were doing", says Tino while he closes the door to his car. Their mom releases, Chente's shirt and relaxes at the sight of her older son. "Valentino, Where did you get that car?", asks his mom.

"Oh this car?", he turns around to look at his car. "Pues mom, I stoled it", Tino says with a smile.

"No, no, no take this car back, where you found it!", demands his mother with concern. "It was a joke Ama. I didn't actually steal it", chuckles Tino. "I had someone do it for me!"

His mom just looks at him with an annoyed face.

That night they are all eating at the dinner table. Tino is drinking a beer with his piece of meat and beans. He laughs obnoxiously loud from his joke but his brother and mother don't mind. They actually prefer it, it's better than having long silent meals.

"So I got to know some knucklehead Veteran named, Tommy, some black guy, right. Este Pinche Loco, he was a real motherfucker", laughs Tino. "Don't talk like that Valentino", says his mother.

"Sorry Ama but look, this guy came back from Vietnam because he got his leg blown up from a landmine, I think", says Tino. "Oh god", in disgust says his mother.

"No mom wait. So me and Tommy go to a bar in Los Angeles because, we had nothing better to do. We pull up to the bar seats and Tommy "parks" his wooden leg to the side of him. So, me and him are having a pretty good time for about 10 minutes. Then! A rumble breaks out. Me and Tommy are watching this go down and after awhile he nudges me on the shoulder to tell me that we had to beat feet because it was getting a little too heated, we didn't want to be there when the man shows up. So I stand up and he reaches for his leg but... it's no longer there. He freaks out and I tell him that I'll look for it but I didn't need to. In the middle of that pit, I see a wooden foot just being thrown back and forth. These people stoled his leg and were taking turns beating the shit out of each other with it", laughs Tino.

Chente ask laughing,"Then what happened?"

"Well we had to leave without his foot, he was pissed but we got him a new one the next day", says Valentino. "I'll introduce you to his one peg ass when we go to San Fernando."

"What do you mean? We aren't going over there", says his mom. "Well, actually mom, that's why I came over here. I wanted to tell you that I got a place over there for you and Chente", says Tino sheepishly.

"That's a nice offer but mine and Vicente's life are over here, Valentino. We aren't going to get up and leave just because you got me and your brother a home in Los Angeles", protest his mom. Tino looks visibly upset, "I thought you were going to say something like that, that's why I brought you something extra just in case." He reaches for his pocket and brings out a money clip and hands it to his mother. "It's about five thousand, I got it from working over there. I figured it's more than what dad gives you guys. Where is he, anyways."

"He went back to Sacramento", says Chente. "Up there doing bullshit again, huh", says Tino.

"Don't be saying stuff like that about your father, Valentino!", shouts his mother. "Im sorry mom. But it is sure taking a lot of time to build a house up there", says Valentino. "You think he's building it out of strawberries, I know that's prime real estate up there."

Chente laughs. His mother says with a straight face,"Please building, your father doesn't know anything about building. All that man knows is how to destroy. That was the only thing he was good at."

Tino looks over to Chente and asks him, "So... How long have you've been living with Plato?"