Page 52 of Slaughtered Firefly
“What the fuck?” I shouted to get out of the car. Blood dripped down my temple into my eye as I blinked away.
“Hey man it’s just a car, it was a pretty fun crash too, was hoping for a little more action but hey, boss said make it clean,” the latino who barely looked legal age, threw his hands up and grinned.
He continued to talk animatedly about the way he had crashed into me and I had had enough. I punched him in the face just so I wouldn’t explode. “Fucking shut up will you?” I breathed out.
The cop came up behind us, and the Latino laughed, “Yo Miguel how’s it hanging?” They spoke in Spanish with the occasional English word thrown out. I hadn’t paid any attention until I heard the word ‘Midas’ that’s when I lost it.
Pinned against the trunk of my car the first guy began yelling as my fist made contact with his ribs over and over, “Hey get off me, I was just informing the man that you had a death wish and that if he had to arrest someone to just arrest me for reckless endangerment, fuck man.”
“Where is Midas?” Another blow to the other rib as I jerked him to face me, the cop, Miguel, laughing on the sidelines.
“He ain’t in town man, I don’t know where he is … fuck you broke my rib,” he wheezed out.
Another vehicle came up to the scene, and I dropped the douche on the curve when the driver stepped out.
“Cole,” I spit out, walking toward the vehicle.
“Thanks, Jasper. I owe you a beer,” Cole hollered to the talk a lot called Jasper, who was clutching his side, half bent over. “Get in douche face before an actual cop comes to investigate,” Cole spoke as he turned and went back in his car. I followed getting into the passenger seat, just as Cole was tossing a pink stuffed animal towards the back hatch. This was far out of his normal choice of vehicle, but I didn’t comment, just looked around. “Not a word, we are not having this discussion in public,” He looked at me sternly, and I nodded, some clarity finally appearing in my mind.
Cole sped off through the neighboring streets to the outer limits of the city. It wasn’t the average area I thought to see him in, and he didn’t head for his house either. We pulled up to an old house that had seen better days, paint had cracked on the outer walls, and there were a few bushes that needed trimming up against the house.
A short Filipino woman in her forties came out, followed by a mass of children. They were all laughing as they reached Cole. Several of them jumped on him and hung from his arms like a jungle gym.
“Ah there you are minamahal,” she said as she pulled Cole’s cheek down to give it a kiss.
I gave him a side eye, and he shrugged, a smile coming to his face. “Tagalog for loved one.”
“Oh,” I replied. My anger was beginning to fade around so many eager and smiling faces, and Cole’s vibrant laughter. I was ready to burn this city down in search of Midas, but Cole intervened, like he always did when I was at my breaking point.
“Come on inside, Reyna will be feeding us before we leave I am sure,” he said as he took giant steps as the little boys clung to each leg, laughing.
When we got to the door, a little girl with a butterfly painted on her face came running and shouting, “Uncle Cole! Uncle Cole, your back!”
She ran full force into his form, and he stumbled back laughing. “Hey little butterfly I told you I had to go pick up a friend,” he smiled, pure joy in his features as he looked at this little girl. The little girl whispered something in his ear, and he chuckled out, “His name is Scott and he’s a very good friend.” Her face reddened behind the pink paint, and she whispered more. “You can tell him that yourself,” he smirked, dropping her back on the floor, as the boys begged to be picked up beneath him.
The little girl pulled against my shirt. “Are you an angel?” Her tiny voice squeaked out as she hid behind her hands.
I bent down to come face to face with the ball of giggles and responded, “No I am not.” Her face fell, and I poked her in the stomach as I said, “I know an angel though, she’s so pretty, she has blonde hair similar to yours and the clearest eyes like an ocean.”
She looked at me with wide, serious eyes and nodded like she was hanging on to every word, then replied, “Uncle Cole doesn’t she sound beautiful?”
“She sounds like a toad in comparison to you my little bug,” he laughed out, untangling the boys from his arms. There was a shout from further in the house, and the boys raced off towards it.
I was standing up when another tug, this time on my arm, “Can you carry me?” She looked bashful now, and I gave Cole a what the hell do I do look. He just sniggered, and there I was with a tenacious little girl with paint all over her, sat firmly in my arms as we walked toward the sounds of laughter.
“Thankyou Reyna for the food, it was delicious,” I mentioned as the woman collected my plate.
“Ah don’t flatter her, it’ll only go to her head,” Cole commented, grabbing the kids’ plates. A slipper went flying and smacked Cole on the head. He rubbed it and in a sincere voice uttered, “Ow sorry Nanay.” A cackle tumbled out of my lips. Cole gave me a grumpy look. “Nanay means mom, and you do not disrespect your mother,” he supplied, still rubbing the spot her shoe made contact.
He put the dishes in the sink, washed them, and then set them to dry. It was weird seeing this domesticated side of him, like he actually wanted to be in this environment instead of in the life he lived. I had felt better cared for in the past two hours than I had been my whole life, and while I was still angry at who did that to Mia I would at least think things through, hell if I played my cards right Cole would agree.
“Alright Reyna we will be back, don’t wait up for us,” He kissed her on her head and opened the back door, motioning for me to join.
The little girl came rushing forward, half the paint smeared off her face, she wrapped herself around his midsection. “you can’t leave without tucking me in, you promised!”
“Alright little butterfly, lead the way,” he replied with a smile crossing his lips, then turned towards me. “you don’t mind if I tuck Gabby in before we have our chat right?” It was so foreign to have him ask my permission instead of just ordering me around, like Cole was a different person around these people.
“Not at all,” I replied nonchalantly and took a seat at the table as he and the little girl, who I now knew was named Gabby, disappeared down the hall.
