paper bags smeared with ketchup littered the sidewalk, and were being washed into the clogged gutters by a swell of rainwater.
He thought it was amazing that no matter how much it rained, the sidewalk always smelled strongly of urine. The gutter and drain were clogged, flooding the sidewalk. He watched the water back up closer to a fat man snoring in a cardboard box covered with plastic shipping wrap. A mangy dog lying near the cardboard box looked at them, but didn’t bother to bark or growl. Both LeShawn and Monique grabbed his hand tighter when they saw the dog. LeShawn and Monique laughed and enjoyed the rain.
“LeShawn, stop splashing puddles on Monique,” Zeke said, as they hurried to their school bus stop.
They squealed with delight as he finally picked both of them up, one under each arm, and started running to the bus with 5 minutes left. They held out their arms like Superman flying.
They were late, but he saw Essie, the bus driver, had waited as they ran up to the bus stop.
5.
Essie always drove the school bus on this route, and she had noticed Zeke walking his brother and sister every day. In her mind, Zeke was just about perfect. A fine young man, clean cut, strong, handsome, he actually used a belt to hold up his pants. But most importantly, she loved the way he guarded these beautiful children. She hoped her grandsons were that responsible.
When Essie heard about his Mother at the hair salon, she told Zeke the next day, “Don’t worry son, I will stop if I see you on the road. But try not to be late. I am not supposed to do this, I could get fired. I need the check.”
Essie had reached the age where she would adopt, or claim credit, for kids she liked, at least in her imagination. There were so many gang members, too many teenage funerals. She liked to think on the positive, true, and noble, like the Preacher said yesterday.
“Preach it,” she said out loud. Zeke was something positive, just like the Preacher said. Essie bragged about Zeke to her husband almost every night.
“Zeke Brown is an All-State running back. Boosters brought him to Barley Union High School to win the division. He is already being recruited by major Colleges,” her husband explained to her at dinner.
Essie didn’t understand football, but she did know that for some reason a school bus to the wealthy school detoured twelve miles just to pick up Zeke. Other school bus drivers had complained about the trip.
“You go, son!” she said. Her comment was ignored by the other kids on the bus. It was nothing unusual, Essie would periodically talk to herself, sometimes sing.
Zeke watched LeShawn and Monique walk up the steps of the bus, then jump into the front seat Essie saved for them. Zeke nodded at her, she smiled back.
“Thank you Mrs. Essie,” Zeke said.
“Can’t leave my babies,” she replied, smiling.
She looked in her rear mirror, the kids were laughing, splattering their wet hands against the window, and waving goodbye to Zeke.
LeShawn and Monique’s school bus disappeared into the rain.
6.
Ashley Kensington heard the maid knock softly, then hang something on her door knob. The maid’s shoes made a clicking sound on the marble floors as she turned, and walked back to the kitchen.
“Hurry up woman,” Ashley Kensington said, listening, impatiently waiting for the maid to disappear. She jerked her bedroom door open, ripped off the plastic dry-clean wrap, and inspected her new cheerleader uniform.
“Yes!” she said, as she looked in the full length mirror alcove. She pressed the time delay button on her laptop, taking several photos of herself in different positions. She examined each photo carefully. The concealed, integrated padded bra supported, lifted, and supplemented her breasts. The tapered waist with slight, dyed, color differentiation that created an optical illusion to make her look even thinner, was to die for.
“Girl, you look
fine!”
she said. And just in time for school yearbook