HOOKED ON ZERO

E

d bothersome. Even when I rolled to the other side of the bed, it per

p that infe

to breath easier, but just when I was a

h my sleep." I woke with a start to see Chito beside my

d here I was messing it up. I rolled over and hit the off button on my besi

minutes of tossing and turning, I gave up and opened my eyes. I got out of bed and

got jammed again?" I bent to check his wheel chair

tell tale track marks of tears on his checks. I was on my knees in front of him in

tted him down gently, exactly as the doctor h

It broke my heart to see my little brother cry. I couldn't take it anymore, and I knew I shouldn't have held him

ary voice against my ch

ng a Saturday. Once I remembered the alarm, my limbs were released of the inertia that held them captive. That was it. The

fted his head. He was all head and a bony frame.

did mother have to die and leave me to fend for him? I was barely

d at how unfor

t me with somber brown eyes that had seen too m

to do this one last job so h

t I was just a mere teacher who taug

with plenty mayonnaise, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and some pickles, oh, and a side of chi

vered that last statement with so

"I'm not going anywhere yet, buddy, at least not until you're well and good, and besides, I told yo

wheeling himself out of my room. I stayed that way for awhile before remembering I needed to get

d putting on my work clothes which consisted of a black tee and black j

n in the mirror. I stuck my tongue ou

at its soft texture. Once I had finished brushing it ou

nderneath my folded clothes in my drawer

et Chito had given me on my last birthday. It seemed to wi

ssed Chito's bedroom which was practically adjacent to mine, placed an ear against his d

disturb him, he was p

hydration. As I walked into the sitting room, my mind was on the mission ahead. Yesterday, I had been a bit too hasty to agree t

he silhouette of a woman passed the window and continued on. I rushed to look out

relief and walked

s. I got a hold of a rag and cleaned a stain on her, then

ing a hellish noise as I drove out of the garage. Mrs. Robinson lo

g past her and revving Sheba's engine,

d my chakra, exactly as I had been taught, and exactly as I had done ever since. It helped me have some foreshadowing of what was to come. As I swam through my

t, and so by the time I got to the freeway, I was a

ways been stubborn, and apart from that, I had a briefcase full of two and a half million qu

ease them anytime so

it a patch of traffic. Cars were lined up on four rows, back to back, j

to move, I stepped on the accelerator and Sheba surged forward. I bent her to the side just in time before another

From the gold chains hanging around their necks to the piercings in their ears and tattoos on their hands, I could c

hem stuck his head out. "Hey, mamacita, how 'bout you come

ed hair before in their lives. I ignored their stupidity and stared straight ahead, but then the wi

they were God's gift to women, neither did I like men w

ing and before they could say 'holla,' I sped

them to be respect

o life beneath me, angry sh

l, that's

light and had to stop once more. Where I was going wasn't

red light was still forty seconds away. "Come on, come on,

engine and Sheba sprang to life be

o break but I was too close. The last thing I rememb

mt you