My Mexican Bodega

Part 18

From Eric Murphey

Again striving for mediocrity

I wake up and my cock is sore from making love to Emilio last night. His butt was so tight. I hope hes OK today and not in pain. I would feel awful if he was. Mario as you recall wanted me to do him as well. But I am 55 years old. The minds was willing but the flesh is weak. HM seems I've heard that somewhere before. I slip out of bed and go take a quick pee. I think I need a shower before I need coffee this morning. Also need to change the sheets today for certain. As I'm rinsing off Mario slips in the shower.

"Morning papi." he says with a grin.

"Morning Buddy. You sleep good?"
"Yes sir." He answers as i start to lather up his hair with shampoo.

"I'm glad you did."
"Did you sleep good papi?"
"Yes I sure did." I answer as he rinses out his hair. I start washing his body and he starts talking about things. Just questions that have no answers. AN example was.

"Papi where do you think he will go to college?"
"I don't know. Wherever he chooses that's good."
We get done and get out of the shower and get all dried off. I get to the kitchen and get coffee started because I need me some coffee. Maybe if I was smart. We all know im not. But if I was I would have started the coffee then got in the shower so it was at least done when I got out. See a smart thing to do. I bet Mr Eric who is the smartest guy I know would do that. But I thought long ago we had established I wasn't the brightest bulb in the box. I'm not even sure I got filaments. I got the screwy part right though. As I'm thinking my weird thoughts Mario comes out dressed and ready for school.

"Tasino?"
He nods vigorously.

"Go get a pack downstairs. We don't have any."
He is gone like Flash and back just as quick. I open it up and start frying up the nastiness that it is. My boys like it. Of all the people in the world I only know one other person that doesn't like bacon. We both found it amusing. You know who. If not then you should. I get out some eggs and start frying them up as well. I just scramble them. Its going on a tortilla anyway. Don't want egg running down our arms that's for sure. I add a little peppers and onions to the eggs as I put it in. I get everything going and Mario has the places set as Emilio hobbles out on his crutches.

"MMM tasino."

I really don't get it. Its like a cult or something. Whats the attraction to a nasty piece of fat meat? Sonic even has or had a bacon shake. I'm like you gotta be kidding me right? No they did.

"Papi I need to shower after breakfast." he tells me.

Mario starts waving his hand in front of his face making a face.

"Who you telling stinky?"
Emilio playfully punches him and giggles and sits down.

Mario has gotten their plates out and their milk. I am insisting on milk at every meal now. Especially Emilio. He needs calcium to rebuild dem bones. I have actually started drinking milk again with them. I blow my nose a little more. But its not bad so I figure I'm benefiting from it. Can men get osteoporosis No idea but i don't want it. I put a few slice of bacon on their tortillas and slide them over. I put the rest on their plates. They are grinning like a Cheshire cat that's for certain. They are so happy they are doing a little sitting down dance as they are eating. I scoop some eggs on their tortillas and then the rest on mine. I add some picante so its not so plain. I dig and and they are still eating the bacon. I take a bite and shake my head. I really don't get it. When we get done eating Mario clears the table and I help Emilio get shower proof. I go in with him so I an hold him up and help him as he needs it. Its not any fun for wither of us to be honest. Its a pain but I love him and I will do what he needs. Its part of love. We get done and get him and me again dried off and then he hobbles naked into his bedroom to get dressed. After we get in the truck and head to mass and after Mario walks to school. While I'm still extremely nervous about this I let him go. I don't like it but I do know that hes right. I have to give him some freedom. Emilio and I head back to the apartment. When we walk in the shop its super busy. So I start helping out Bob with things. Emilio is sitting at one of the tables watching. I stock the store after and Emilio's tutor shows up and they just sit there and work on his homework. I heard her say he was very smart because he was using some theory to solve problems she hasn't shown him yet. His response.

"It just made sense to do it that way."

After an hour or so she asks if she can take him upstairs to do some testing the school wanted her to give to him. Of course I'm all for it. I help him get upstairs. He can do it on his own but I just don't feel comfortable with that. I keep imagining him toppling backwards down the stairs. Thankfully he doesn't complain about this yet. But he may. I think maybe we should have kept a bedroom downstairs for a minute. But now Hector is ready to start converting the downstairs into a restaurant. SO that would hold up progress. We don't want that. I see he has already ripped out the wall for the extra bedroom. I wonder if I wasted my money adding the upstairs apartment seeing as how we may be moving. Its sad for me in a way because I really wanted to be hands on in helping. Though recently I really am not. I only work about 4 shifts a week now as Bob and Jamie are doing such a good job. They are so funny. I was listening to Bob while I was helping stock. A lady was complaining a price was too high. His response was.

"I'm sure its a little higher than the discount store sure. But does the discount store give anything to the orphans? Do they pay their employees out of their own pocket so all the profits go to help others? But sure if you want you can save a little it of money going there. Its no skin off my teeth. But you know an orphan may go hungry because of it. But that's OK they are used to it."

She bought two. For not being a Jewish mother he is pretty good at guilt. I see now why our sales are increasing.
Later I walked up to him and say.

"You know Bob the children all eat pretty well. No one will go hungry."
"I know. But she doesn't. That and I get tired of people saying something is cheaper somewhere else."
"Does it happen often?"
"a few times a day."
"Which products?"
He shows me and I am thinking about it and decide that we can cut the prices to almost what the other stores are selling it at, and still make a profit. I actually think you know lets just match their price on it. If we don't make as much they will still come here and buy it because its so much closer and maybe it will be made up for in quantity and we will make the same.

I head upstairs after an hour more of stoking thing from our back stock. Emilio is working away and the lady is making some tea.

"Would you care for some tea?" She asks me.

How nice she asks me in my own fucking house. I still don't like her. Shes just......I don't know. I just don't like her.

"Sure." I answer and she makes me a cup as well.

We sit on the couch and start to chat.

"Your son is very bright. I think he is going to be able to do anything he wants. I think with his math skills that he will have lots of offers for engineering degrees. I'm thinking Cornell, MIT, and a few others will certainly offer him whatever he wants."
I nd my head and take a sip of tea.

"You don't seem excited."
"I'm thrilled beyond belief. But I don't see a reason to get all excited until we actually have an offer for him. To be perfectly frank I don't really want him going to America to study."
"No? I thought you would be thrilled about it?"
"I moved here for a reason and it wasn't just to help people that needed it and cant really hep themselves yet. Partly was because of the insanity in the politics in America now. It seems like no one wants to do anything to actually help anyone but themselves and their own agenda. There is no compromise from either side. Its my way or your wrong. It just disgusted me to be honest and I was thrilled to get away from it."
"Yes I have seen some of it."
"Yes and the xenophobia is just insane. My old boss had a problem with one of his sons being Mexican in one of his own stores. He had to fire a manager over it. If I heard right he also kicked the guys ass pretty well too."
"Oh my."
"Yes so see why im not thrilled about it. I know that no matter how hard I try to protect the boys from that, they will still hear ethnic slurs thrown at them by ignorant people."
"That's sad. I can understand your concern now."
"I am hoping that we can find a good college here."
"Yes but the best colleges are in other countries. We have some good ones yes. But they are not the best."
"I do want the best for him."
"This I can see." She answers.

"I do worry though that he wont have enough interaction with boys his age. I want him to be a regular boy. OK not a regular boy a boy that is treated regular. No that's not it either." I sigh loudly because I cant say what I mean.

'I think what you are trying to say is that you want him to have normal interactions with a peer group his age."
"Exactly. Im not smart like you and him. Sometimes I cant say what I mean."
"You certainly aren't stupid Esteban. You just lack the education."

"If you say so."
"I do and I see a man with great compassion that doesn't like me very much. But, will tolerate me for the best interests of his son."
"I like you just fine."
"No you don't. You think Im too aggressive, and maybe I am. My concern is with the student not with the parent. Some people like yourself feel like Im being rude to them. Im not intentionally. But its how it comes across. Im OK with that. Im not trying to build a relationship with a parent. Its the student I need to connect with.'

"That makes sense. Cant you do both?"
"I could I suppose. But then what if I mesh with the student and not the parent? Its easier to just focus on the student and let the parents think what they want. I get the results that they want so they will tolerate me. The children all like me very much though."
"Yes Emilio thinks your great. Just seems to me though that you should try a little harder to deal with parents."
"Maybe your right." she says taking the last sip of her tea. "I have an appointment tentatively set up for Monday at the school. I wanted to talk it over with you first to see what you thought?"

"My initial thought is we should wait until he at least gets his cast off. Also the school year is almost over. So Im not seeing a need to rush this. Then I think that I don't want to hold him back either. So Monday is fine."
"They will want to test Mario as well."
"That will be fine. Just let me know what time and we will be there."

"Sure thing. Now I need to check on my student since he is staring off into space."
"You know the few minutes we sat talking made me appreciate you more. Maybe you should do that with all the parents so they understand why you are dismissive with them."
She nods as she thinks about it and goes to help my son.

Well, I still don't like her. I understand her thinking and I think its wrong. But what do I know. I retired from McDonalds after 30 years. Im not much of a go getter am I? But I think I did pretty well. I mean I was making $18 an hour when I retired. That's not too shabby especially in the Mid West.

I head upstairs around lunch time with some burritos from Lupe. I didn't know what she likes. So I got a chicken a beef and barbacoa which is actually beef but cheek meat. Its so good hope she doesn't pick that one. I gran a case of Jarrito to take upstairs because we are low in the fridge I get a few varieties in the case. Because the boys sometimes line fruit punch and I just don't. So I got a half a dozen of them. I got a half dozen of Watermelon which is up near the top for me as my favorite. Then got some strawberry and of course mandarin. Which everyone seems to like. I of course got them from the cooler so they are cold if she wants one of the flavors I got. I walk upstairs and see her sitting back and him working away at some problem. got me it looks like math I guess.

"Got some lunch. got to fill the fuel cells."

"Your silly papi."
"I know. So I got chicken, beef and barbacoa. Which would you like?" I ask his tutor.

"Chicken wold be nice. But I don't expect you to feed me."
"Papi feeds everyone.' Emilio tells her.

"Yes I don't like people not eating. So hears your chicken. Soda choices are on the table."
I get Emilio some milk. I get me a watermelon soda.
"Papi can I...…" "No you can have milk."
"How you always know what im going to ask?"
"Because Im the papi and its my job. You can have one after you eat."

He doesn't argue he just smiles and starts eating the beef burrito. Yay I get what I like. Woot woot.

As we eat we just chat about stuff. She asked where i used to live I tell her Indiana. She hasn't a real clue where it is. So I show her. I figure shes in education she should know these things. Im not in education and I can tell you all 31 Mexican states.

"So did you grow up around here?" I ask her.

"No I grew up in Sinaloa."
"You are certainly far south from home. What brought you here?"
"Work is all."
"Did you live near Culiac?"
"About 40km or so."
Im thinking fucking metric system so .69 km in a mile so let me think here quick math. Im just 30 miles.

"That's not so far."
"No we would go there a a family sometimes."
"Im sure it was nice."
"Some."
"I thought about moving to Durango but decided here instead."
"Why here instead of there. Well, a couple reasons. This shop had an apartment and the one there didn't. I liked the idea of having an apartment on the shop so it didn't cost me anything to live. That and I really like the cheese."
That made her laugh. Emilio just smiles because he has heard me say that before. A lot.

"So when you moved had you planned on adopting a child or two I suppose?"
"No honestly I never really thought about it. I never thought I would have children and was accepting of that fact. Then I met Emilio and well whats not to love about him? Hes not perfect but him and his brother are pretty damn close."

"Your lucky."
"I certainly am lucky indeed. I have two of the best boys in all of Mexico to prove it."
"They seem to be nice boys."
"No they are. What you see is what you get. They are polite and helpful to everyone around them. I have never heard either one of them say a bad word about anyone."
"You did papi. Juan."
"You didn't say mean thins about him. Just you didn't like him."
"Hes a bully. WHats to like?"
"Now you know he is being better now. So you cant say hes a bully anymore. At least not right now."
"I suppose. But he was a bully."
"That's what you boys tell me and I believe you. You've never lied to me yet."
"Never will papi."
"Im sure you will. But that's OK."
He goes back to eating as do his tutor and I. When we finish up I get the dishes gathered and am surprised she helps me get them done as Emilio goes back to his work and is sipping on his Jarrito he has now.

"Ah I got the text confirming your boys testing tomorrow. Its at 9am. I will text you the name and you can use the map app to get there." she tells me.

"That wont work." Emilio informs her.

"Oh?" I ask.

"Papi you know mass isn't over until nearly then. Of all days to go to mass tomorrow is the one."
"Can we do ten?" I ask her.

She shrugs and texts back. A few minutes later she tells us ten is fine.

"Never had anyone say no to a time for mass before." she tells us.

"The church is pretty important in our lives. That and we are all friends with Father Lopez as well. Thing is before I moved here I went to mass maybe a few times a year. You know the big ones. Midnight mass, Easter so on and so forth. But when I moved here I started going every Sunday then just kind of turned into every day. I kind of like it. Gives the boys and me a piece of mind I suppose."
"That and to give thanks papi."
"Of course but we should do that all the time. Not just at mass."
He nods and goes back to his studies. Hes such a good boy.

I head to the couch and flip on the TV and mute the sound. I don't want to bother him while he is working. After a while I get bored with the show and cut it off. His tutor takes her leave and its just us two for a little while until Mario makes it home. Oh my heart just skipped a beat with worry. My poor little guy walking home all alone. I should go get him. No I cant I promised. Im so worried fuck. Ten minutes later my fears are laid to rest as he walks through the door. Pshew.

"Hey buddy how was school?" I ask him.

"Really good." He says dropping his book bag on the table and hugging Emilio and giving him cheek kisses. He then comes to me and sits on my lap and wraps his arms around me. He gives me a kiss.

"So how was your guys day?"
"it was good. Emilio did his tutoring. We have testing tomorrow at 10 at the new school."
"Cool."

"Yeah she was trying to get us to go at 9."
"Nope wouldn't work. Mass runs until almost 9." Mario answers back.
"That's what I told her."
"Yeah of all days to not miss mass this is the day."
I start laughing.

"What?"
"That's exactly what Emilio said to her."
"Great minds think alike." He says to me smiling.

"They sure do. Now go get us some snacks from downstairs."
"Cool what you want papi?"
"Takis chile e limon."
"Cool. Emilio?"
"Sounds good Ill have that too."
He races downstairs and is back in a jiffy.

"I got us all the same. I like them too."
I get us all some sodas and open them with the opener. Mexico doesn't seem to understand twist tops. Eh what do I care?

We sit at the table and Emilio starts in on his homework and looks up at me.

"If I start a new school do I have to do this homework?"
"What do you think?" I ask him.

He looks at me a second and goes back to it. Smart boy for sure.

I got to thinking about Chuy and how even though before Emilio got hurt we had been inviting him over for supper nearly every night. He every night said he had to take care of something. Or he had other plans. One reason or another. I decide to call him.

"Hello Esteban. What can I do for you?" he answers.

"Does my breath smell bad?"
"What?"
"Do I stink or something?"
"No. What are you talking about?"
"For a month we have been asking you to supper and every time we do ask you have a reason to say no. I was just trying to figure out the real reason. I mean do you not like us?"
"Of course I all of you."
"So you will come to dinner tonight then?"

"I urm uh...…"
"Its fine Chuy you don't have to come and we wont ask again."
"No its not that. Its just........well...........can I bring someone with me?"
"Of course. We will eat say 6 then?"
"Sure."
"Great we will see you then."
"Sure thing."
I end the call and look at the phone.

"That was rather odd. Chuy wants to bring someone to supper.'
"I bet he got a boyfriend." Mario pipes up.

"Yep and he is worried you will be jealous. Emilio adds.

I just at the thought. Me with a man. Oh my that's a good one there. A knee slapper.

"So guys what should we have? Im thinking baked fish with lemon like you boys liked real well. Some potatoes, and peas? Chocolate cake for desert?"
"Yeah!" is the response from both.

However I think I could have said. Would you boys like to have baby food carrots, baby food beef and squash and chocolate cake for desert I would have gotten the same response.

"Papi you think he has a boyfriend?"
"I don't know. He didn't say who he was bringing just asked if he could bring someone is all."

"I wonder who it is?" Mario asks?
"Im sure we will find out soon enough. I need to go to the super market and get fish. you boys want to go?"
Of course they did. We rarely go to the supermarket. I carry a lot of things in my store. But fish is one thing I do not carry or want to carry. Its a lot of hassle and lets face it stinky too. So we head to the big store and we get back pretty quickly with only a few extra purchases.

I get the fish marinating so it will be nice when we bake it. I put it in the fridge and sit down and wait until Chuy shows up. I don't want it to be over done if happens to be late. I got the boys peeling the potatoes though. They like to help and I like that i don't have to peel potatoes. Its a win win for me.

I know Chuy and whomever he is bringing will be here around 530 so Im not worried about having it done on time. I said 6 and we will eat at six. I just want to make sure its the best it can be.

So around 530 Jamie calls and says they are downstairs. So I walk down to get them and boy was I surprised.

_________________________

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ericmurphey1971@gmail.com

OK guys first let me say that I found a new story I am loving. Its titled Ricky Conundrum. I emailed the author as I usually do when I read a story I enjoy. See I practice what I preach because it truly does give writers a smile to get emails. It motivates us to write more. Hes a very ice man and responded quickly. I hope you enjoy the story its really good.

I will be honest I was really upset last week when I posted I got so few emails. But then I thought you know Eric other people have lives and do things like BBQs or things with family on holidays. So I am attributing it to that. However soon. Not sure when this story will be completed. At least this section of the story. You know I like to revisit at times. Sometimes not though. I suppose we will see.

OK now its time for my rant. I know you are expecting me to tear apart some republican this week as I usually do. But not this week. This week I am pissed at the first female governor of New York. Yep you guessed it shes a Democrat. Gov Hochul is really great at wasting fucking money. I know most democrats are. But I saw she is giving Erie County. Not where I live. But she is giving them 2 MILLION dollars to help teens find summer employment. Now let me think here. Erie county is Buffalo and its areas. They have about 950,000 people. Tons of restaurants and every single one I go to has signs out BEGGING for people to work there. Why the fuck do I need to see my tax dime. (I figured it out its about ten cents per New Yorker to pay for this stupidity.) help teens find a job that they can just get on their fucking phone and start filling out applications? I mean really? This is just a stupid waste of money in my opinion. That and who gets the two million dollars? I tell you what give me two million I will tell teens how to get a job. GO fucking look. Then I will put the two million in my pocket and have a great time at the casino. I mean I understand we want to help teens. That's fine. But to find work in an economy that is begging for workers. What the fuck sense does that make? Its like when Reagan started paying for phones for poor people. You know the program Reagan started now referred to as Obama phones because republicans always try to blame everything on Obama. I wonder how many other counties got this money. Did my county? I fucking hope not because the restaurant I work at is struggling to find people to work. Then they get hired and quit in weeks. So whats the point. These kids nowadays feel so pleased they even show up but to work for the money. Well thats another story altogether. I wish we would get a big ass immigrant bus pull into our place and they all pile out and want a job. So come on you Nazi governors send us some Mexicans we can use the workers.

Just like Iowa that passed a law allowing 16 year olds to work in meat packing plants. Why? Because they cant get workers. HM go figure. The republicans are getting their way more on immigration and now the CHEAP labor pool they have depended on for decades is drying up. SO lets put the children back to work. Because that's forward progress to have 9 year olds back in the factories or the ten year olds at McDonalds. You see that shit? They were just visiting at 2 am and I call bullshit. If they were visiting why were they taking orders and making food using fryers that are dangerous. Well they were also using underage workers at Taco Bell as well. Working them later then they are allowed to work on school nights. the time of the American worker being taken advantage of so corporations can make billions of dollars is in high force anymore. The answer is labor unions. Yeah you hate them? You fell for republican propaganda. If you like a 40 hour work week thank the AFL-CIO. You like having weekends off instead of just Sunday? Yeah thank the AFL-CIO. You like having holidays off and a decent wage? Yeah thank the AFL-CIO. Sure labor unions have often overstepped their boundaries and pushed for ridiculous things. But all in all its the best thing for the American worker. Healthcare as a benefit. Again thank the unions. Just look at other countries in Europe that are strong labor countries. They just raised retirement in France which pissed off a lot of people. They raised it from 62. So yeah. Think what you want. But Im telling you that unions are a great benefit. You get retirement from them as well. So you don't just get social security to scrape by on. I know a lot of people that get a check from retirement accounts from where they worked at for years. I myself will get two checks when I retire from Unions. So my retirement will be a little easier because of it. Otherwise I would just get social security. Which is enough to starve to death on.

Anyway I hope you have all had a pleasant week. My stupid cold is still lingering on. I did manage to go to Niagara Falls this week for the reader that's in prison I asked if anyone wanted to write to. I took some nice pictures for him. he said he appreciated it. So again if you would like to email with him let me know.

ericmurphey1971@gmail.com

Eric