Guns
are cool
There
was not much to do at the Sanchez home, so the boy sat in front of the computer
even though he did not have to be on until 4:30 in the afternoon. He read
articles to practice his English. He read about news in the Philippines. He
checked his e-mail, and watched a video of a sneezing panda on Youtube. He got
up only to use the bathroom, and when his grandmother asked him to throw out
the trash in kitchen. He flipped through a packet labeled “St. John’s Catholic
High School, First Year’s Guide”. When
4:30 rolled around he opened Skype and put on his headphones like he was
helicopter pilot on a mission. He typed in his username and password hurriedly.
He tapped his fingers on the keyboard and mouse while the little loading dot
went in circles – the computer was about 4 years old and his grandparents never
took good care of it.
All
of 52 people were online in his contact list, and a call prompted waiting to be
answered. He clicked on the green button, and turned the volume down just a
bit.
He
spoke, “Hello? Mom can you hear me?” He adjusted the web cam on top of the
monitor.
A
stout woman from the video feed responded, “Yes I can hear you. What time is it
there?”
“It’s
about 4:32. Grandma and grandpa went out to the store to get things for
dinner.”
“Are
you okay? How do you feel?”
“I
am okay, but I guess I am a little bit nervous about Monday.”
“You’ll
be okay. Did you get all the paper work done?”
“Yeah,
grandpa and I finished all of it yesterday.”
“Stop
picking your nose. You need to cut your hair. Did you get your uniforms yet?”
“Yes. I have five shirts and pants, and I
got a jacket too.”
“Okay,
good. So how is the States?"
“It’s
cold. And boring. You have to drive everywhere.”
“You
have to be able 16 to drive right? So you only need to wait two years and you
can do it.”
“I
need to have a car though.”
“Get
a job, and grandpa can probably help you find a good deal. He is good at that.”
“Okay,
I think they are back. I am going to help set up for dinner. Bye mom. Love you.
Tell Bobby I love him too.”
“Okay
bye. Love you too. Your dad is at work and your brother is still asleep, but
they love you too okay. I’ll call again tomorrow okay.”
He
closed the window, took off his headphones and headed out the room. The two
elderly folk were carrying grocery bags through the garage door. The books
shelves lined the room, and nick knacks and tables made it a tight walk to get
through the living room. They took their shoes off and waded through the detergent
smelling carpet.
The
old man bellowed, “Eugene get the two bags in the trunk and lock the car. The
keys still there.”
“Yes
sir,” Eugene said as he put on his slippers by the door. He walked in grabbed
the two bags of bread and fruit and soap and whatever else was on sale that
day. Then grabbed the keys.
His
grandmother called from the kitchen, “Eugene dear, grab the detergent and bring
it to the laundry room.”
“Yes
ma’am,” Eugene said as he took off his slippers by the door. He walked to the
kitchen to drop off the groceries, dropped the keys on the counter, and grabbed
the detergent from one of the bags.
She
said, “I got some pork I am going to cook some sinigang.”
“Okay,”
Eugene said from the basement. “I am going outside with grandpa.”
He
went to the far side of the basement and took the stairs up to the side door.
“Hey
boy, grab me a beer from the fridge,” the old man said. He continued, “This is
my favorite gun. They used these back
in world war two. You know your great grandma’s village was taken over by the
Japanese. American soldier’s used a
gun just like this when they came in and kicked them out.”
“Nice
catch grandpa.”
“Here
take it.”
“You
have a little beer on your beard.”
“Hold
it like I showed you last time. Don’t put your finger on the trigger.”
“Can
I invite people over to the house?”
“You
haven’t even been to school yet. Also here, reload it. You need to be steadier.”
“I
am just asking in case I make friends.”
“You’ll
make friends, when you have a bunch of boys together it’s hard not to make
friends. Just tell them you’ve fired a gun before. But I don’t think it’s a
good idea to have people over. You’re getting closer that’s almost a headshot.”
“Okay.”
“We
can go out to eat somewhere after school. Or go bowling or whatever you want. I
just don’t want people at the house.”
“Bowling
sounds fun.”
“You
should join a sports club. Do you like basketball?”
“No, I don’t really like team sports.
Maybe they have a tennis team.”
“I
think Saint John’s has a golf team.”
“Maybe
I can run for student government. The guide they sent me said I could run for
first year representative later in the year.”
“Politics
is dirty. Don’t meddle with it. Also it’s my turn.”
“It’s
only school politics. It can’t be that bad.”
“Everything
starts somewhere. I don’t want my grandson turning into a scumbag politician.
They also get their grubby fingers in everything.”
“That’s
a big gun.”
“Don’t
tell anyone I have this. This is Chinese one, it’s banned. I got it from you
Uncle Roland. I got flat tips in this one.”
Eugene
yelled, “THAT IS SO LOUD!”
“Look
at that.”
“We
need to make a new target.”
“Yeah
let’s go to the shop tomorrow.”
“Mom
says I should get a job.”
“You
should focus on school. That’s why you’re here.”
“I
don’t know. I was just saying what she said.”
“I
think you have to be 15 to get a workers permit. Why do you need a job anyway?”
“I
want to buy a car when I am 16.”
“I
can buy a new car by then, you can have the Buick. A job might be good on
second thought. I’ll ask around I can probably find you something. My first job
was taking packages from Manong Arley’s restaurant to the base when I was eight
years old.”
“I
remember eating there. They had good lumpia.”
“The
white folks liked the lumpia a lot
too.”
Grandma
yelled from the kitchen, ‘Wash up! Dinner is ready.”
Grandpa
said, “Okay you heard your grandma, go wash your hands.”
“Yes
sir,” Eugene said.
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