“Come on.” José slung his bag over his shoulder and motioned for Roberto to follow him.
It was morning and the streets were just starting to come alive with cars and people. Roberto silently followed him, his eyes wide and scared. He desperately wanted José to hug him and tell him again that everything would be ok, but all José was silent and unresponsive.
José turned and entered a low doorway. Inside, there was a man weighing square packages wrapped in plastic. Roberto followed his brother in and crouched in a corner, watching. “I’m here.” José said quietly.
The man jumped and turned to look at the boys. “Ah. Good.” He stepped behind them and shut the door. “Well, let’s get down to business. Stand up, kid. I’ll load you first.” He said to Roberto.
José jumped between the man and Roberto. “No. Only me.”
“It’s too much for one boy to carry.”
“You aren’t putting an ounce on my brother, I tell you.” José answered sharply. “If you touch him, I’ll fight you.”
The man shrugged. “Alright. Fine. Take your shirt off.”
José pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor. The man took tape and strapped the packages firmly to José’s thin body with bands of sticky tape. Roberto watched with his mouth open. The man was right. It WAS a lot to carry. By the end, José had packages strapped to his back and all around his legs. The man finished and nodded with satisfaction. “Two full pounds of top quality marijuana. Perfect. Be careful with that load, kid. It’s worth five thousand dollars.”
José nodded, pulled his shirt back over his head to cover the drugs, and took the papers. “Let’s go, Roberto.”
“That tape is too tight.” Roberto said. “It’s cutting into your skin.”
“Be quiet.” José snapped. He turned away so he wouldn’t have to look at Roberto. As José turned, Roberto saw his lip tremble and a tear sparkle in his eye.
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