Read Online Ten Mile River by Paul Griffin - Free Book Online

thing I know I’m on the floor. Was such a sweet move I couldn’t even be mad about it. Sometimes you gotta tip your hat. Anyway, we square with ’im now. But I don’t get that bread to ’im end of the week, he gonna sell the bike to somebody else.’
    â€˜There’s other Ninjas out there, man. You keep hustlin pie the way you doin, you have that thirteen hundred in no time at all.’
    â€˜I do the Jerry, I got my bread tonight . Last time, Ray-Ray, I promise. I see you later. Don’t be late.’ José sped off. ‘And leave that paint scraper home, Mailbox Man.’
    â€˜Riskin my Enrique future for a goddam secondhand Ninja.’ Ray spit his gum into the trash. Friends to the ends be a heavy load sometimes.
    Ray rang the door buzzer. Yolie leaned out the window over The Palace, dropped the keys to Ray. He let himself in and upstairs.
    â€˜Trinita told me about the José.’
    â€˜She around, ma’am?’
    â€˜Homework at a friend’s. Talk to him. Tell him to relax. I’m not a cop, okay? You know me.’
    â€˜I know, ma’am. Missis Yolie, I talk with you a sec?’
    â€˜Ob’course. Come, we talk in the attic. I show you.’ She took his hand, led him upstairs.
    Boxes of Enrique Hormón cluttered the attic. ‘We put this stuff down the basement, plenty of room for you two, right?’
    The streetlight bled through the faded cheesecloth curtains, painted the floor soft silver. Not only did the bathroom have a shower, it had a toilet. No more squatting in the Ten Mile woods.
    â€˜Washing machine and dryer in the basement.’
    No more lugging laundry uphill to the Spin-’n’-Win on slippery winter days.
    Ray looked out the back window, took in the yard with its bamboo and palms, a tiny aboveground pool. He’d been in the back to work but hadn’t seen it from this high up, all at once. It was a patch of oasis amidst the city concrete.
    â€˜For your babies, they can sun themselves all day, you build a doggy door, they come and go in and out the house when they want. Nice, no?’
    Ray nodded. ‘Nice.’
    â€˜You pale, amor.’ She felt his forehead. ‘What’s wrong?’
    â€˜Ma’am, before you bring me in on the Hormón and all, there’re some things you should know about me.’
    â€˜Okay?’
    â€˜I, like, got a record, ma’am. Me and José. We’re on the skipped parole list.’
    Yolie didn’t blink. ‘A’right, what else? Amor, don’t look so surprised. You think I’m bata, hijo? Old Yolie knows what time it is. Why else would you be hiding down there in the park? I grew up here back in the day, okay? We did what we had to do to get by. I know where you from, and you welcome here, my home, my business. You special, chico. I got a feeling about you. Look at you face now. Raymundo, coño , don’t worry so much. It’s not the end of the worl, okay? It’ll be a’right. C’mere, give Mami a hug.’ She pulled him into a tight one.
    Her breasts crushed him, but he didn’t want to sex her up. He didn’t want to cry either, but he did.
    â€˜How could you lie to me like that?’ Trini said.
    Ray spun around, found Trini standing in the doorway, schoolbooks in hand.
    â€˜Y’all are criminals?’ she said. ‘Y’all thug-hustled me.’
    â€˜Trin, I’m sorry—’ Ray said.
    Yolie cut in, ‘Chica, how dare you judge him? You hold back on me, and that’s okay, but he holds back on you, it’s not? This boy is your friend. Now, I’m not having this in my house, this bad feelings. You two go downstairs, talk this out, make friends again. Go ’head, vayan, hagan amigos . I have to cook the books for tomorrow with the accountant and I don’t have time for this nonsense. Go on now, make up.’
    Ray was embarrassed he’d cried in front of not one chick but