you?”
* ***
Alfonzo climbed out of the car, briefcase in hand, phone in the other as he talked to Sal. He received a call from his son and the boy didn’t sound right. He hadn’t gone by the house in two days after the argument with Selange. He spoke to the kids every day, though. Whatever, was troubling Sal must be something big. “So, how was school today?”
“Ah, not so fun.”
Lou opened the door to the house and Alfonzo nodded his thanks then slipped in, “School’s not all about fun. It’s to learn remember, the fun is what you have when you’re out of school, got that?” He sat his briefcase atop the coffee table and flopped on the sofa, listening intently.
“Yeah, I got it.”
He loosened the silk tie and kicked off his shoes, wiggling his toes. “Hijo, come on , straight talk with the old man. What’s wrong?”
" Alright. Promise you won’t get mad.”
Alfonzo sat forward, put his feet flat on the floor and gave the boy his rapt attention, “Salvatore, nah I won’t get mad.”
“Promise.”
“Promise, now shoot.”
“Okay, this boy at school said you're a bad man, is that true?"
Whoa, that kind of took him by surprise. “ Have you seen me do bad things?"
"No ,” the boy paused as he thought then said, “ wait -yes when you cheat ed at chess . "
Alfonzo chuckled, yeah, that’s bad, but he didn’t cheat anymore. "Do I do good things, though?"
"Yes, all the time."
"Then, Sal i n your eyes do you think your dad’s a bad man?"
"No !” The boy said forcefully. “That kid at school doesn't know what he's talking about!"
"T hat’s right, he doesn’t. Don’t ever concern yourself with what people who don't know me say. What you think and how you feel about your old man is all that matters, c omprende , hijo ?"
"Si, papi . I love you."
" I love you back, hijo. Tell you what, how about you come with me to the gym and you get to box your old man in the face and pretend I’m that kid, huh?”
“Word?”
“ Cómo no!”
“ After that can we go to McDonald’s?”
“ Sí !”
“Yes!”
He could picture the boy balling up his fist and yanking his arm back in victory. “Okay give me half an hour, make sure you tell your mom I’m coming. Wear sweats, está bien !”
“ Whoo-hoo , okay, b ye ! ”
Maybe, this is what Selange wanted to avoid by home-schooling their son. He hadn’t thought kids that young were concerned with adult nonsense . Apparently, he was wrong. It seem ed whoever th e boy’s parents were had a strong opinion about him and weren’t afraid to voice it around the boy . Usually, children mimic adults , so it wasn’t the kids fault. “Damn,” Alfonzo scoffed. He hadn’t planned on doing anything except relaxing this evening. The drama with Selange was still on his mind and now Sal . T rouble pound at him from every direction, didn’t it? Yes, and more trouble lay on the horizon. Alfonzo stood, elongated his spine and exhaled before reaching for his briefcase . Once it came to his children, he delved into his energy reserves . No energy drink was needed ; a father’s love provided enough adrenalin. There ’d never come a time when he was too tired for his children. H e saw this situation with Sal as a perfect opportunity to intercede in what could become the beginning of many life challenges the boy would encounter. Bullying, mean kids, peer pressure and all that shit, Alfonzo endured without his old man to talk to. What a difference it might’ve made if he had. Instead, he b ecame a cold-ass thug in the process and every now and then the anger flared. Lately, he’d beat out his frustration on punching bags, but sometimes he wanted to feel the impact of his knuckled on another man’s face. He pictured Nico every goddamn time . He’d be home if it
* ***
Alfonzo climbed out of the car, briefcase in hand, phone in the other as he talked to Sal. He received a call from his son and the boy didn’t sound right. He hadn’t gone by the house in two days after the argument with Selange. He spoke to the kids every day, though. Whatever, was troubling Sal must be something big. “So, how was school today?”
“Ah, not so fun.”
Lou opened the door to the house and Alfonzo nodded his thanks then slipped in, “School’s not all about fun. It’s to learn remember, the fun is what you have when you’re out of school, got that?” He sat his briefcase atop the coffee table and flopped on the sofa, listening intently.
“Yeah, I got it.”
He loosened the silk tie and kicked off his shoes, wiggling his toes. “Hijo, come on , straight talk with the old man. What’s wrong?”
" Alright. Promise you won’t get mad.”
Alfonzo sat forward, put his feet flat on the floor and gave the boy his rapt attention, “Salvatore, nah I won’t get mad.”
“Promise.”
“Promise, now shoot.”
“Okay, this boy at school said you're a bad man, is that true?"
Whoa, that kind of took him by surprise. “ Have you seen me do bad things?"
"No ,” the boy paused as he thought then said, “ wait -yes when you cheat ed at chess . "
Alfonzo chuckled, yeah, that’s bad, but he didn’t cheat anymore. "Do I do good things, though?"
"Yes, all the time."
"Then, Sal i n your eyes do you think your dad’s a bad man?"
"No !” The boy said forcefully. “That kid at school doesn't know what he's talking about!"
"T hat’s right, he doesn’t. Don’t ever concern yourself with what people who don't know me say. What you think and how you feel about your old man is all that matters, c omprende , hijo ?"
"Si, papi . I love you."
" I love you back, hijo. Tell you what, how about you come with me to the gym and you get to box your old man in the face and pretend I’m that kid, huh?”
“Word?”
“ Cómo no!”
“ After that can we go to McDonald’s?”
“ Sí !”
“Yes!”
He could picture the boy balling up his fist and yanking his arm back in victory. “Okay give me half an hour, make sure you tell your mom I’m coming. Wear sweats, está bien !”
“ Whoo-hoo , okay, b ye ! ”
Maybe, this is what Selange wanted to avoid by home-schooling their son. He hadn’t thought kids that young were concerned with adult nonsense . Apparently, he was wrong. It seem ed whoever th e boy’s parents were had a strong opinion about him and weren’t afraid to voice it around the boy . Usually, children mimic adults , so it wasn’t the kids fault. “Damn,” Alfonzo scoffed. He hadn’t planned on doing anything except relaxing this evening. The drama with Selange was still on his mind and now Sal . T rouble pound at him from every direction, didn’t it? Yes, and more trouble lay on the horizon. Alfonzo stood, elongated his spine and exhaled before reaching for his briefcase . Once it came to his children, he delved into his energy reserves . No energy drink was needed ; a father’s love provided enough adrenalin. There ’d never come a time when he was too tired for his children. H e saw this situation with Sal as a perfect opportunity to intercede in what could become the beginning of many life challenges the boy would encounter. Bullying, mean kids, peer pressure and all that shit, Alfonzo endured without his old man to talk to. What a difference it might’ve made if he had. Instead, he b ecame a cold-ass thug in the process and every now and then the anger flared. Lately, he’d beat out his frustration on punching bags, but sometimes he wanted to feel the impact of his knuckled on another man’s face. He pictured Nico every goddamn time . He’d be home if it
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