The next day, I was halfway through stacking bricks when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I wiped the sweat off my forehead, glancing around before stepping away from the noise of the site. I answered.
It was Malik. Luis, are you free, he asked, on the line.
Yeah, what's up? I replied
I spoke to Vigo about you today, he said he would like to see you, we will be going to meet him tomorrow or next, Malik said.
I paused and didn't know what to say.
He waited a moment. Then said, don't worry about it, it's nothing you can't handle. I told him you've already moved kilos with me, and you didn't fumble at all so I think he's already starting to like you.
I hesitated for a moment before I said, okay.
Then he asked if my mom's health was getting better, I said, at least she's not getting worse, so she's fine. He said okay and repeated it again don't worry about Vigo, it's nothing you can't handle. Just be ready when I call.
Then he hung up the phone.
I slipped my phone inside my pocket and got back to work trying not to overthink it.
But I couldn't get my mind out of it. The fact that tomorrow or the next I will be meeting with a drug kingpin with the intention of working for him.
"I found myself staring at the same brick for minutes, the thought settling in my gut like a stone. I knew I had to talk to someone, anyone, to ground myself."
During break, I went to find Hector.
We were on the first floor of the house we are building.
He was sitting on a bucket facing the main road, while eating his food.
I walked over, trying to look casual.
"Hey, Hector," I said, grabbing my own bucket and sitting next to him.
"Luis! What's up?" he greeted, a warm smile on his face.
"Just… thinking," I mumbled, picking at a loose thread on my jeans. "I had this crazy dream last night. I was about to do something… risky. For my family, you know? For the people I care about."
Hector nodded, his eyes thoughtful. "Dreams can be like that," he said slowly. "Sometimes they're trying to tell you something."
"Yeah," I agreed. "But what if it's something you have to do? Even if it's dangerous?"
Hector took a bite of his food, chewing thoughtfully. "Sometimes, Luis, a man's gotta make choices. Hard choices. Especially when it comes to family. If it's for them, if it's going to give them a better life, then… sometimes you gotta take the risk."
He paused, his gaze meeting mine. "You know, when I was in school," he began, his voice taking on a distant quality, "my parents were farmers. Good people worked hard, but we weren't rich. They managed to take care of me, my two sisters, and my little brother, but it was always a struggle. Then, something happened. A bad harvest. Suddenly, they couldn't afford to send all of us to school anymore. They didn't really understand how important education was back then. They figured they'd send me, since I was the oldest, and one of my sisters. The other sister and my little brother would have to wait until they had more money."
He shook his head slightly. "I couldn't do it, Luis. I told them, 'No. Send my sisters. Send my little brother.' I put my own schooling on hold. I left school and got a job, anything I could find, just to make sure my brother could go. Because I knew if he left school now, going back would be harder for him than it would be for me.
I worked for three months, just three months, before my parents got back on their feet. But those three months… they were tough. But I knew it was the right thing to do. Family first, you know?"
"So… you're saying… if it's for the right reasons…" I trailed off.
"Then you have to consider it," Hector finished. "But think hard, Luis. Really think. Weigh the pros and cons. Make sure it's worth the risk. And most importantly… make sure you can live with the consequences, whatever they might be."
"Yeah," I said, finally, after a long moment of silence. "I get it." Hector's story had hit home. It wasn't exactly the same situation, but the core of it, the sacrifice for family, resonated deep within me.
Hector nodded, a quiet understanding in his eyes. He didn't push for details, didn't pry. He just understood. And that was exactly what I needed.
"Just… be careful, Luis," he said, clapping me on the shoulder. "Whatever you decide, be careful."
"I will," I replied, though I wasn't sure I could promise that.
The whistle blew, signaling the end of break. We both stood up, brushing off the dirt from our pants. And went back to the work we were doing, the weight of the decision still pressed down on me, but it felt… different. Lighter, somehow. Talking to Hector had cleared some of the fog in my head. I still had a huge decision to make, but now I felt like I wasn't carrying it alone.
When work was over, I cleaned myself up and as I was heading out, my phone buzzed. Malik.
I sighed and answered.
"Yo, Luis, you free?" His voice was casual, but I could hear the undercurrent of something else, something I couldn't quite place.
"Yeah, what's up?" I replied.
"Got an errand to run. Need you to come with me. Can you come over to my place?"
"Alright," I said.
I hopped on the bus, and started heading to Malik's house.
As I got to Malik's place, Malik and Duke were waiting outside, Malik was sitting on the stairs, and Duke was leaning at the handrail.
"Yo, Luis," Malik greeted. "Let's go."
Duke nodded. "Luis," he said, a slight smile on his face.
"Hey," I replied.
We got in Malik's car, and he pulled away from the curb.
"So, what's the deal?" I asked.
"Just gotta collect some cash," Malik said. "From a guy I fronted some product to. He's a good guy, usually no trouble. But, you know, gotta make sure everything's square."
After some moment Duke started explaining the area we were driving through, like a tour guide. "See that corner over there? Good business there. But you gotta be careful. Cops patrol that area pretty heavy. And that alleyway over there? Avoid that place at night. Too much trouble. You get the picture?"
I nodded, trying to absorb everything he was saying. I tried not to bring up Vigo, but a question slipped out. "So… this guy you're meeting… he gets stuff directly from Vigo too?"
Malik chuckled. "Nah, not this guy. He's one of mine. Vigo doesn't deal with small timers like that guy.
We pulled up to a nondescript building. Malik parked the car and we got out. As we walked towards the entrance, I noticed two guys hanging around outside. They looked… rough.
The guy Malik was meeting came out to greet us. He shook Malik's hand, then Duke's, then mine. He was all smiles, like we were old friends.
"Everything went smooth, " he said. No problems at all."
He pulled a thick wad of cash from his pocket and handed it to Malik. "Here's the full amount," he said. "Like I said, no issues. Good product."
Malik counted the money quickly, then nodded. "Good,"
The exchange was quick, efficient. Money changed hands, words were exchanged, and then we were back in the car.
Malik peeled away from the curb, Duke in the passenger seat, me in the back.
The wad of cash in Malik's pocket seemed to pulse with a life of its own.
"Well, that went well," I said, breaking the silence.
Malik let out a laugh. "What were you expecting? Guns blazing?"
Duke chuckled.
"You know," Malik continued, "all this drug-selling stuff is misunderstood by a lot of people. They think it's always about guns and wars and fighting. But more than seventy percent of the time, it's just pure business. You go there, you hand over the product, they give you the cash, and you're on your way. Nobody shooting anybody, nobody killing anybody."
"Unless a problem arises," Duke chimed in.
"Even when problems arise," Malik replied, "you can usually find a way to solve it without all that violence. Most of the time, anyway." He paused, his expression turning serious. "But in everything, though, you still gotta watch your back. Always."
"True," Duke agreed.
Malik dropped me off at my street corner. "See you around, Luis," he said.
"Yeah," I replied. "Later."