September/October 2013

“Hello, son,” he said, “I’m glad that I have found you. Did you find a job?” Matt opened his father’s drawer. Within lay a large pile of phone, water, and electric bills. One after the other they read “late” or “unpaid.” Next to them, there was a small pile of grocery coupons that was being rapidly depleted. Wrong drawer, he thought. I’ll try the bottom one. As Matt opened it, the bottom drawer creaked loudly and released a musty smell. Matt chuckled. Good thing Dad’s at the factory, he thought. He thinks I’m working. Why work myself when he can do it? In the drawer, a small jar full of small bills was carefully laid to the side. A small label on it said, “Rent Money.” It held about 400 dollars. Next to it, a piece of paper read, “February Rent: $500.” Matt reached into the jar and took a twenty-dollar bill. Finally, he thought, I found it. As Matt left the two-room apartment, he saw a notice on the door. “Whoa,” he gasped, his eye wide in disbelief. “They raised all the rents in Queens. Well, Dad can pay it. He’s got five days.” Matt closed the door and ran upstairs to talk to Jose and Nick, who were twins and his best friends. He knocked softly on their dark brown door. After a few seconds, Jose answered. He had blue eyes and a mop of dark brown hair. He towered over Matt, who was fairly tall himself. “’S’up?” Jose asked, his usual conversation starter. “Nick is testing his slingshot on our door. Come in.” Unlike Matt’s family, Jose and Nick had money. The brothers didn’t even have to share a room! Matt thought they were very lucky. The three boys gathered in Nick’s room. Matt looked at the walls. These posters are so nice, Matt thought. I wish I had them. “So?” Nick questioned eagerly. “Why’d you come? It’s kind of late.” Matt gave them a smug smile. “Well,” he began, “I got twenty bucks, and they’re selling those extra-large exploding poppers at the deli at five dollars for ten poppers. We can get forty of them with my money and shoot people with our slingshots!” They all laughed. Slingshots were their hobby, and they loved to hit people with cheap, store-bought explosives. “But where’d you get the money?” asked Jose. “You usually have to borrow, and your dad works ten hours at the factory. Did you steal it?” “Nah,” Matt lied. “It was his present to me.” But in his head, he felt a little guilty. Whatever, he thought. We’ll pay rent fine. I do this all the time, and Dad doesn’t care. He did say I needed to get a job, but why should I? “Now then, I’m going to buy a pack of poppers, all right?” They nodded excitedly and told him to hurry up. Matt ran out of the twins’ apartment and hurtled down the stairs. He opened the glass building door and made a dash for the small deli. Its yellow sign was beaten and torn. “Hi, Matt,” said Carlos, the clerk. “I don’t see you too often. What are you here for? You rarely have money to spend.” The small man smiled warmly. Matt grabbed a pack of poppers. “I’ll take these,” he said hurriedly. Matt paid quickly and zoomed back out of the store. “Kids these day,” Carlos sighed. “No way I was this rowdy back when I was thirteen. I was already working.” He laughed to himself. I wonder how he got money, Carlos wondered. As Matt ran toward the apartment, he saw his dad coming home from the large factory. Odd, he thought, they must’ve closed the factory early today. When he saw his father coming closer, he immediately stuffed the large, white poppers and the leftover money into his backpack. He saw that his father had a very grave expression on his face, but that happened fairly often. “Hello, son,” he said, “I’m glad that I have found you. Did you find a job?” “No,” Matt replied, “I didn’t.” He did not mention what he had done instead. “Ugh,” his father muttered. “I’ve come home because the factory closed, and they cut the day’s pay. We’re struggling enough as it is. So, Matt, where are you going?” “Oh,” said Matt, startled at the question. Think fast, he thought, think fast. “Just to visit Jose and Nick. I haven’t seen them in a while.” “OK,” Matt’s father replied. “Be home by eight o’clock for dinner. I’m going to go do some work for Carlos.” His father walked off towards Carlos’s deli. He’s finally gone! thought Matt, very relieved. He hurried back to the build ing and showed Jose and Nick the poppers. Pop! They all laughed as they tested one out. Matt’s financial worries began to wash away. “We should totally get more of these and shoot them at people!” Nick exclaimed. “ I’d love to see the look on Principal Walton’s face. It would be priceless.” The boys chuckled at the thought of scaring their hated principal. “OK, but after school tomorrow,” Matt said. “I have to go home.” They exchanged goodbyes, and Matt went back to his apartment. Man, he thought wistfully. I wish we lived there. When he walked in, his father had a very worried look on his face. He was leafing through bills and looking at his most recent paycheck. “Matt,” he said, “sit down, I need to talk to you.” He handed him a microwave dinner. “The landlord has raised our rent by fifty dollars, and…” Matt faked surprise, breathing out sharply. But in the back of his head, he felt a pang of guilt and worry. “Yes,” his father continued. “I’ve done the math, and we can’t pay it. If that happens, we will be evicted from the building after three days’ time. That is why I need you to start working and earning some money. I’m sure you could get