A Greater Love Read Online Free Page B

nearly dropped the box. “Shoot, Paulo. Don’t do that.”
    “About time you showed up,” Paulo said, emerging from the shadows near an apartment building where the day before he had agreed to meet Miguel. Paulo was a lanky ten-year-old who lived near Miguel in the shacks. They had played together since Miguel was four.
    “I was gettin’ the stuff,” Miguel grunted, setting down his heavy box.
    “I was about to leave. Ma’s problee got dinner waitin’.” The older boy approached, nose twitching. “I hope ya got somethin’ good. I’m hungry.” His hand reached for the spoiled fruit, then drew back in disgust. “Yuck. I thought you was gonna get some food and wanted me to help ya get it home while you distracted them rich kids. This ain’t food. It stinks.”
    “I’ve decided to teach them boys a lesson instead of runnin’ away. I’m tired of their hasslin’ me. Ain’t you? Come on. You gonna help or not?”
    Paulo thought a moment. “I guess so. But what’s in it for me?”
    Miguel rolled his eyes. Paulo didn’t get it. Nothing made sense to him unless it had money attached. “I got some cash,” he coaxed. “I’ll give ya fifty escudos.”
    “That ain’t much,” whined Paulo, wiping his runny nose on the sleeve of his coat. “You was gonna give me some fruit and fifty escudos to help ya with the food.”
    “But after tonight, them boys ain’t gonna bother you again. Think of it as an adventure. We’re like two old sea pirates plannin’ to teach the natives a lesson!”
    Paulo’s watery brown eyes took on an uncharacteristic glow. “They’ve picked on us one too many times,” he offered enthusiastically, and for a moment Miguel was proud of his friend.
    “Here’s what we’ll do,” Miguel began. Paulo leaned close, sniffing vigorously. He ran his nose over the sleeve of his coat.
    With a rock they squished the fruit and garbage bits into a thick liquid pulp. Miguel didn’t think it looked like enough ammunition, so he found a puddle of mud and scooped handfuls into the box, mixing it with the fruit. His fingers felt frozen, but he told himself it would be worth it later. Paulo dabbed at the mess with a long stick, occasionally laughing aloud. Next, Miguel found a worn plastic sack in the mud on the road and loaded handfuls of the muddy fruit mess inside. The sack already had holes, but he poked in a few more for good measure. Then he added water to make it run more freely.
    “Here, Paulo. When them boys come, wave it around your head like this. And that stuff’ll leak out all over ’em. I’ll take care of throwing the box. And don’t go soft on me,” Miguel warned. “Remember, I got the escudos, and I won’t give ’em to ya if you don’t do it.”
    “I ain’t scared.” But Paulo’s voice wavered.
    “Ain’t nothin’ to be scared of,” Miguel insisted. “Them boys can’t run faster than a baby. They’re weak. Now come on.”
    Darkness was falling quickly, and it grew colder by the minute, but Miguel knew the boys would be waiting in their thick coats. His heart pounded. What if Paulo ran before they played their trick? What if the boys caught him? Resolutely, Miguel clenched his jaw.
    “They musta gave up,” Paulo whispered. “They’re home eatin’ dinner.”
    “Naw. Just a bit further.”
    Paulo jumped at every sound, making it hard for Miguel to concentrate. At last he heard the low giggles that always prefaced the attacks. “Grab the bag,” he murmured urgently to Paulo. “But don’t lift it out of the box till ya see ’em.” No use in letting their hard work drip uselessly onto the sidewalk.
    Paulo’s eyes widened, and Miguel felt his own breath come more rapidly as their attackers slid into view. “What’s this?” one drawled. “Does the dirty little boy have groceries for Mamãe?”
    “Yeah, why don’t you take a bath, anyhow?” another put in. “You stink.”
    “We’re tired of your kind,” a third said. “One of these days our