Page 57 of Next Level
Dawg tilts his head to glance at me, opening one eye. “You have to wait two more days? That’s a long time for you. You gonna be able to hold out?”
“Jesus, I’m not that bad. I don’t need sex every damn day.”
Dawg huffs, “Almost motherfucker. I’m just shocked.”
We sit in silence for a few minutes, and I slowly sip my coffee.
“So, how’s it going with Sunshine?” I change the subject, turning the focus to him.
He’s grinning from ear to ear. “Ah-maz-ing.” I crack up at his answer. “She had to go out of town, but she’ll be back this weekend,” Dawg replies.
I throw his own words back at him. “That’s a long time for you. You gonna be able to hold out?”
“Fuck you.”
We trail off in silence again.
Breaking the quietness, Dawg says in a matter-of-fact tone, “I think I’m going to try this relationship thing too.”
With the sun in my eyes, I squint at him. “I think it’s going to be a good thing for both of us. We ain’t getting any younger.”
We lift our cups of coffee and clink them together.
Changing the subject and sounding serious, Dawg asks, “So you’re going to talk to your mom today?”
Setting my cup down, I lean back on the lounger.
Sighing loudly, I reply, “Yeah, she’s up at her house. I’ll walk up there in a bit and have a chat with her. Hopefully, she’s calmed down from yesterday.”
“You want me to go with you?” he asks.
“Nah, I’ll go alone.”
“Okay.”
We sit in silence for a while until the sun becomes too hot.
“Time to go have a chat,” I state, getting up and grabbing my empty coffee cup. “I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be here,” Dawg says, saluting me as I walk away.
Ten minutes later, I’m knocking on my ma’s door. Instead of driving, I walked up the hill to the old cottage-style house, getting more fresh air and clearing my head. She hardly stays here anymore now that she has her boyfriend. I used to just walk in, but now that she’s got a man, I don’t because I don’t want to see something I can’t unsee. I knock again. This time I hear her yell, “Come in.”
I open the door and see Ma in her robe, coming out of the kitchen and holding a cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” I say, closing the door.
“Morning, son. You want some coffee?” she asks before sitting in her recliner.
“Nah, I’ve had two already.” I take a seat on the couch. “Ma, I need to ask you some stuff. I don’t want you to be upset, but it’s about Dad,” I say gently.
Speaking about my father gets her upset. She misses him and still struggles to talk about him. Even though she has a boyfriend, she still loves my father.
When she doesn’t say anything, I begin, “Ma, do you recognize the name George or Letti Casso?”
My ma’s face drops, looking shocked.
Before she can reply, I say, “Your face tells me you do. I need to know everything about them.”
