A rough life

"Sebastian wants to see you in his office."  Daisy was smiling but quickly added................

"Tread lightly today, Sebastian is in a foul mood."

"Why?  Something I did wrong?"

"I don't think so, but then, he never shares information of a personal or business nature with me.  I could just tell when he ordered a drink earlier, he's pissed about something."

I nodded:  "Thanks for the heads up."

I climbed the stairs, slowly, I could hear voices coming from Sebastian's office.  Sebastian's voice was pretty loud............a habit he has when he's really pissed about something.  I knock:  "Door's open, get your ass in here."

I slowly opened the door and eased my way in.

"Ahhhhhh  Sorry, Kid, I thought you were someone else.  I'll be with you in a minute."  Sebastian turned to Phil, his right hand man, at least when he needed a leg broken or someone roughed up.

"That damned Carlos is trying to ruin my businesses.  He's been shaking down my business owners so they have no money to give me now.  I'd give anything to have him put out of commission."

Phil lit a cigar:  "Well if I can get him alone, I can take care of the problem, trouble is, he has bodyguards all the time."

"Well you better figure it out soon, he's a pain in my ass."

Phil swallowed his drink and headed for the door.  "See ya Kid.....have a good one."

Sebastian turned his attention to me:  "I need ya to do something for me, Kid."

"Sure, what is it?"

"I need ya to do running for me again."

"I don't run brown paper bags no more.  Don't you have kids for that job?"

"No, no, not bags, shit, small potatoes, kids do that for chump change these days.  I mean real stuff, large amounts.  You said you'd like to make more."

"Yeah, but I never said I wanted to run that stuff again.  How about that conversation with Phil?  How much did you mean by you'd give anything to put him out of commission?"

Sebastian looked me up and down.  "You?  What in hell is a skinny kid like you gonna do?"

"That's not what the question is here.  How much?"

"OK Say I pay, uh, $30,000?  Interested?"

"I'd be more interested if it was $45,000."

He scratched his head.  "You do it, then $45,000 it is.  I say this because I doubt you can get it done.  Hell, if Phil is having a hell of a time, you sure will too.  Phil's been doing this for 30 years now."

"Maybe Phil is getting too old now, maybe he needs to change professions."

"Don't be cheeky, Kid.  Phil still has a long ways to go before being put out to pasture."

"I'll get it done, trust me."

We shook hands and I left the office. 

A rough life

I enter the club and scan the crowd.  "Hey there, hi."  I turn and see Daisy.  She's the barmaid here and we've been friends since I started working the club.  She took me under her wing right off the bat.

"Hi, Daisy.  Busy night so far?"

"Sure is, wow, I've been running drinks for hours."

As a kid, I grew up in NY City.  My Dad died when I was just 10.  We had a rough time until I turned 12.  Mom always found it hard to pay rent, utilities and buy food.  At age 12 I went to work for Sebastian Campos, he was a big time name in our neighborhood, the Latino neighborhood too.

One day, while hanging out by his store, some kid ran inside and grabbed a handful of cash from the open register.  Sebastian's clerk had stepped away for a moment and the thief saw his opportunity.  I saw it happen and chased that kid for five blocks, knocked him down, gave him a bloody nose and retrieved the cash.

Sebastian was so grateful he asked if I'd like a job.  I answered 'Hell, yes."  He said he needed something in a brown paper bag delivered to another neighborhood.  He told me not to look inside the bag and he said he'd give me $200 when I returned once it was delivered.  Sebastian is old school, so to speak.  Hell his hero is Scarface, so what does that tell you?



Mom didn't like it when she found out, but she didn't turn down the $150 I gave her.  She told me to be careful.  Everyone in our neighborhood knew Sebastian was into some dealings that my Mom didn't want to know. 

Even now, Sebastian fronted the money for this club I work in.  He set me up for this job, even though I'm not sure how much I like this job, but for now, it pays some money.  Since I quit running bags for Sebastian, I haven't made as much money as I used to, but I don't want to run bags anymore.  However, Matilda, Sebastian's 18 year old daughter and I have become good friends over the years.  She's like a sister to me and we grew up together.  We used to get into mischief together as kids too, but she's very nice.  She's petite with flashing dark eyes, jet black, wavy hair and the sweetest smile of anyone I know. 

Looking for heroes

Bonding is always a good thing.

I found this picture in my files and every time I look at it, I can't help but smile.  Snowflake, an abandoned kitten we found in our backyard almost a year ago.  We even wrote a children's book about him.  Sometimes I think: maybe he found us, but however it came about, here he is. 

My husband often told me how 'he's just not a cat person' and I believed him, that is until he went out in the dark night and rescued a kitten I heard crying for help.  Ever since he brought Snowflake in, they have been very close.  

I see them and often think about how we sometimes whine about things we don't have.  I often feel like that too, dwelling on what I think I need, then I look at this picture and understand.  I see a little kitten, lost, abandoned, alone, tired and hungry and realize what we need or want is often quite simple.  Once in a while all we need is someone to rescue us.  A hero?  Perhaps, but heroes come in all shapes and sizes.  The hero we need is a loved one, a close relative, or close friend, some one to listen to us, to our fears and help us put our whines into perspective.  

Growing up, we had Superman, The Lone Ranger and the like.  Those heroes don't exist, but they filled our heads, as kids, with the notion that heroes are good.  While watching The Hunger Games, I could see this same idea in action in our 21st Century notions too.  Heroes have not gone out of style.  When Katniss understands how fearful her sister is when chosen to play the Hunger Games, she steps forward to take her place.  She is a hero.  Then it is stated by the announcer that 'never before in the Hunger Game's history, has anyone ever volunteered' this is The Hero's Journey that author Joseph Campbell talks about.  You then come to realize that all good stories, all good journeys, real or fictional, have a hero.

Steve is the hero to Snowflake.  Snowflake's needs are small.  He needs food, shelter, and above all, someone when he wants comfort.  Don't we all just really need those same things?  So when you have a good friend, treat them well, treat loved ones well, for they, in various times of our lives, can be our heroes.  Hopefully we can all pay it forward and be a hero to someone else when they need us too.

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