Page 46 of The Mastermind

Holding onto unnecessary emotions changes your body and mind. I had developed a severe case of acne and rashes during my college years. The therapist had helped me to a certain extent, but I hadn’t told her everything. I didn’t tell her about the murder I’d witnessed, only about the turmoil at home. Once I stopped thinking about the past and blocked out everything, the acne improved, and the rash disappeared. That was when I knew my mental state had affected my physical state.

A woman with a lovely face wearing a floral apron approached our table, placed a gentle hand on Slash’s shoulder, and smiled at me. “Welcome to the restaurant.”

Based on her casual and friendly manner, Slash had probably mentioned something about me to her.

This is my wife, Maria.” Slash wrapped an arm around her waist. “She makes the best burrito . . . and hotdogs.”

“That was your favorite breakfast back then.”

“What?” Maria propped two hands on her hips and glared at him. “You cheated on me with someone else’s hotdog?” She gasped, slapped a hand over her mouth, and looked at me. “That came out wrong.” She turned to Slash. “You know what I mean.”

I smirked when Slash held up two hands in defense. “No, no! That was a long time ago . . . before we had our own restaurant.”

“Okay.” Maria winked at me. “I’m so happy to meet you, but my husband forgot to introduce his friend to me. He only told me his friend was visiting. What’s your name? Or how would you like me to address you?” she spoke without an accent.

“You can call me Remi or ‘amigo,’ I won’t be offended.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “He calls everyone, ‘amigo.’” She placed down a menu. “Take a look and let me know what you want. Today’s special is the pork burrito.”

“I’ll take the pork.” Slash turned to me. “You should try it. Your stomach won’t regret it. Look at mine.” He rubbed his round tummy.

I ordered the special with a beer. The burrito arrived, juicy and perfect. As I enjoyed the burrito, I thought about Audri. She had assumed I only ate tiny delicacies. I wished she could see me wolfing down this ten-dollar burrito, which I placed on my list of favorite comfort foods. Maybe I could take her here one day.

Slash and I made small talk and munched on tortilla chips and salsa. I’d been back to Providence many times but had never bumped into him. A looming question hung in the air.

“Why did you want to meet now? Are you keeping an eye on me?”

I kept tabs on him, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he did the same.

Slash let out a half-laugh. “I got no time to babysit nobody.” Slash pulled out a necklace with the gold cross from under his shirt. “Seeing you in the street was a sign from God. The past came back to say hello. How can I not respond? I’m just curious how you’re doing. Do you believe that?”

“No.”

He smiled. “It’s the truth. You’ve moved on.” He looked me in the eye. “Me too.”

I saw nothing suspicious in his eyes or demeanor. Maybe he was simply just curious about what I’d done with my life, but the guarded side of me remained alert. I grew up with people I couldn’t trust, and the last thing I needed was to fall prey.

“I have another question for you. Why did you save me back then?”

Slash popped a tortilla chip into his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and released a heavy sigh.

“Sometimes I think about the past. That day, fate intervened. Back in my country, in Mexico, we believe in fate. We respect it.” He leaned back in his chair. “I saw you on the street with your backpack many times. You skipped school?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Didn’t every kid?”

“Oh, amigo. You a bad boy.” A smirk formed as he whispered, “Me too. School not for me. My little brothers skipped too. I used to yell at them.”

What would my life be like if I had a younger brother? Unlike Brian, who treated me like an enemy, I would have bonded with and protected my younger brother.

“Where are your brothers? Still in Mexico?”

“Resting.” Slash gestured to the ground, and sorrowovercame his face. “Gang wars happened a lot in my country. It happened one day when my brothers went to the park with friends instead of going to school. They all died. Wrong place, wrong time. The world isn’t safe for kids.”

Understanding washed over me. “You saved my friends and me because you saw your brothers in us.”

“Si, amigo. The world is cruel.” Slash eyed me with a serious look. “You and your friends just wanted to hang out that day . . . play, be kids. You saw something bad. That wasn’t your fault.”

“You could’ve died for doing what you did,” I said. “If they had found out . . .” I couldn’t bring myself to say what he already knew. “Thank you.” I meant it. Saying those words out loud unlocked something in me.

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