Chulito (25 page)

“Davey.” Chin-Chin answered.

“Nah, shut up, stupid. It was little Lee from the Chinese place, La China, and he was all pegao with a viejo. Man, they were slurping each other down, I swear to God,” Papo said holding up his hand as if he were taking an oath.

“Iiiill, that’s nasty,” Looney Tunes said and shuddered.

“My girl was, like, ‘Leave him alone,’” Papo continued, “but I just woofed out ‘Lee!’ and he jumped about four feet in the air. I just kept walking and he was looking around, like, ‘Who said that?’ It was funny as shit.” The fellas laughed, and Chulito laughed, too, but wondered what Papo was doing in the Village. He would have to watch himself.

“Lee!” Papo barked and everyone jumped, then laughed. While they cracked jokes about him, Lee was busy working in the heat, stuffing containers with rice, spooning chicken with broccoli into Styrofoam plates and pouring wonton soup into plastic take-out bowls.

Papo announced, “Yo! Give it up, papas. The Hen is getting low, I’m going to Gil’s for a bottle.” Hands got stuffed into baggy pants and crumpled bills appeared. Chulito handed over a ten dollar bill and repeated, “Any of you niggas want some chicken wings?”

“Nah.”

“Be right back.” As Chulito stepped to the curb to cross the street, Papo barked out “Lee!” and Chulito jumped. The guys’ laughter reached the rooftops. “Damn, Chulito, you a crazy mother fucker.” Chulito smiled and trotted across Hunts Point Avenue.

When he stepped into Spring Garden, Lee and his family were moving at a hundred miles an hour, as steam rose from woks and the frying food sizzled like rain. Lee had his back to Chulito and didn’t see him walk in. Chulito checked out his slim body and small muscles flexing on his shoulder as Lee reached toward a top shelf for a white cardboard take out box. Lee wore shorts that were too short and too tight by ghetto standards.

The phone rang. Lee swung around to answer it, but dropped it when he saw Chulito. Lee scrambled to pick the phone up. “Spring Garden, how can I help you?” He shrugged apologetically to Chulito who gave him a cold stare. “One moment, please.” He put the phone on the counter. “Hey, Chulito, what’s poppin’?” Hearing him try to be ghetto always made Chulito smile. “Whoa, you got a nice smile, Chulito. Always hidin’ it, tryin’a look gangsta.”

“What! I am gangsta, nigga. You betta watch yourself. I’m in no mood to fuck around. Now, lemme get a order of chicken wings. Extra hot sauce.”

With one hand Lee picked up the phone and listened to the order, and with the other he grabbed a handful of chicken wings and tossed them into the wire fryer basket. He wrote the order down on a pad with one hand and with the other he grabbed two extra chicken wings and tossed them into the fryer and winked at Chulito. “That’s for you, extra, no charge.” Chulito nodded indifferently, fighting a smile. He imagined that Lee must want to be downtown celebrating with everyone else, marching in the parade, hanging out at the pier, everything Carlos was doing. But Lee was stuck working.

Chulito looked out of the scratched plastic window of the Spring Garden at the fellas across the street. Papo returned with the Hennessy. The little cork top was popped and Kamikaze spilled a little on the ground in memory of Willie then took a swig. Then Papo took a swig. Then Chin-Chin. Then Davey. Then Looney Tunes and the bottle got corked and hidden from the cops behind one of the brick pillars in front of Rivera’s bodega. Even though it’s a ritual Chulito had participated in over and over, he dreaded going back to the fellas. He wanted to be with Carlos, but on this day, with all the cameras and crowds, he couldn’t risk being seen. And, at the same time, he didn’t feel right being with the fellas and lying to Carlos.

Chulito read the menu for the hundredth time and looked at the faded pictures of glossy General Tso’s chicken, spare ribs and moo goo gai pan. Every now and then Lee checked him out and turned away. He always looked away. He knew better.

“Hey, Chulito!” Lee said with his cute accent. “Your order is ready. Extra hot sauce, right?”

“No doubt.”

Lee squirted a long red stream of hot sauce into the wax paper bag filled with chicken wings. Then he meticulously folded the bag up and placed it in another paper bag and stuffed a bunch of napkins inside. “I give you extra napkins because they could be messy.”

Chulito slipped him a five and got three bucks back. Lee shot Chulito the same nervous, longing stare that young girls gave him.

“Later, Lee,” Chulito said.

“Later, Chulito.” Lee’s graduation picture caught Chulito’s eye as he turned to leave. Lee looked proud in his black cap and gown with gold trim. Chulito knew his own mother would like a similar picture of him for their living room. He shrugged off the thought and in one swift move Chulito stepped out the store, pulled his baseball cap down closer to his eyebrows and bopped across the street.

“Yo, Chulito, hurry up, man,” Papo yelled. “We did two rounds, you gotta catch up.”

“Yo, hol’ up you thirsty niggas. I’m coming.”

Debbie was walking up Hunts Point Avenue and Davey chased after her. “Don’t go, mama.”

“What do you want? I got stuff to do. I can’t be hangin’ on no corner. Now, if you offerin’ to take me out that’s another story.”

A chorus of “Oh, shits” erupted from the fellas.

“So, it’s like that. Go clean yourself up and get pretty and maybe I will think about takin’ you out.” Davey looked back at the fellas for approval.

Another chorus of “Oh, shits!”

“Whatever.” Debbie showed him her palm. As Chulito passed her, she said to him, “You shouldn’t be hangin’ with those ruff necks. They ain’t nothin’ but trouble.”

“They don’t mean no harm. They just see a fine mamita like you and they get all stupid.”

She smiled. “At least someone around here knows how to appreciate a woman.” She kissed Chulito on the cheek. “Mmmm. You always smell so good. Later, papa.” She continued to walk up Hunts Point Avenue.

Chulito stood there for a moment and played his position by checking out her ass as she walked away.

“Yo, forget that ho and come drink up.” Papo held the Hennessey bottle out to him.

As Chulito joined his friends, he noticed Lee standing in the doorway watching the whole scene. Then Lee took a couple of steps away from the front of the restaurant and looked down Garrison Avenue. Chulito looked to where on the horizon he saw Manhattan with its twinkling lights and the Empire State Building lit in lavender.

The day for the annual Fourth of July barbecue had come and tables were set up on the sidewalks along Garrison Avenue with several more around the corner on Hunts Point Avenue. Several barbecue pits were arranged alongside the closed gates of the auto glass shops, and by four P.M. they were yielding their first round of heavily seasoned grilled meats. Children played in the street while men and women brought trays of arroz con gandules, potato salad, marinated green bananas in olive oil and herbs, green salads, and rice and beans.

Carlos and Chulito helped their mothers carry out food, beach chairs and small coolers that held soft drinks and beer. Some people had bottles of Bacardi, Absolut, Johnny Walker Red and Jack Daniels hidden underneath the tables and the beers were served in large white Styrofoam cups.

Chulito and Carlos planned to stay at the barbecue until the local fireworks were shot, then they’d head down to the pier to continue the celebration with their friends.

As the two young men passed each other in the hall carrying out bowls of food and paper plates, they secretly shared a smile or blew a kiss. Carlos alternated between sitting at the table in front of the building with his mother and neighbors who played cards, and working one of the grills across the street. Chulito took up his post on the corner with the fellas whose families were scattered around the neighborhood.

As the hours passed, Carlos grew weary of the coy, stealing glances game and walked over to the corner. Chulito felt nervous as he saw Carlos approaching.

“Hey, guys,” Carlos said to no one in particular. “Chulito, your mom needs you.”

Chulito was relieved that Carlos wasn’t being maverick. “What does she want?”

“I don’t know.”

“Mommy’s calling,” Davey teased.

Carlos started to walk away when he heard Chulito say, “Be right back, fellas.”

“Bye, Chulito,” Looney Tunes said in a voice that sounded like Tweetie Bird.

Halfway between the fellas and their moms, Carlos whispered, “I gotta kiss you. Meet me in my room.”

“No fucking way, Carlos. Don’t play.”

“C’mon, Chulito,” he pleaded.

“No.”

When they reached the table Carmen asked, “You want to eat something, Chulito?”

“Nah, I’m gonna get a CD.”

Carlos sat down, as Chulito winked at him and walked into the building.

“Oh, Chulito, bring back the aguacate,” Carmen said.

Carlos got up. “I’ll get it. Where is it at?”

“Either on the kitchen counter or in the refrigerator.” Carmen returned to her card game. “Thank you, papa.”

Carlos opened the unlocked door to Chulito’s apartment and went into his room. “Hey.”

Chulito smiled. “One quick kiss then we back out, right?”

Carlos nodded. “I gotta bring your mom her aguacate.” Carlos brought the avocado to Chulito’s room and set it on the dresser and closed the door behind him.

Chulito whispered, “People can see,” as he pulled Carlos away from the window and pushed him up against the wall, shoving his tongue into Carlos’ mouth and kissing him deeply. Carlos reached under Chulito’s shirt, but Chulito stopped him. “O.K., that’s it, Carlos, let’s go.”

Carlos hugged him. “Let’s go downtown. It’s torture seeing you and not being able to at least talk to you.”

Chulito kissed the top of Carlos’ head. “Later. Like we planned, O.K.? This day is a big deal for my mom. She held off on her trip to Puerto Rico until tomorrow so that she could be here.”

“You’re hardly spending any time with her. You’re just on the corner with those assholes.”

“C’mon, let’s go back outside,” he urged, separating himself from Carlos.

Carlos grabbed his hand. “One more kiss then, if I’m going to have to wait hours before we leave.” Chulito kissed him. “Make it one that is gonna last for hours, pa.” Chulito smiled nervously, pressed Carlos against the wall and kissed him again. He placed his hands on Carlos’ waist and pulled him toward him. Carlos unsnapped Chulito’s shirt and kissed his chest and licked his right nipple.

“Oh, fuck,” Chulito whispered and quickly put his hand over his mouth. Carlos chuckled silently continuing to lick Chulito’s nipple as he unbuckled Chulito’s belt.

“Hold up.” Chulito grabbed Carlos’ hand.

“C’mon. Let me at least see it.”

“Now? You crazy.” He smiled and released Carlos’ hand. Chulito’s large shorts dropped to his ankles. Carlos could see Chulito’s erection shoving against his fitted boxer briefs.

“Damn, is all that gonna be mine?” Carlos asked slipping his fingers into the waistband.

“All of it.” Chulito gently held Carlos’ head with both hands and kissed him deeply.

Carlos began sliding the underwear down when the front door slammed.

“Chulito? Carlos?” Carmen called out.

Chulito shoved Carlos, knocking him to the floor and scrambled to get dressed.

Carmen knocked on the door and then tried to open it. When she found it locked she said, “Chulito, did you see, Carlos? He came to get the aguacate and I’m almost finished with my salad.”

“I don’t know where he’s at. I didn’t see him.”

Carlos stood up and dusted his seat, and mouthed, “Liar.”

“Well, the aguacate isn’t here, so he got it. Maybe he went upstairs for something.”

Chulito heard his mother leave the apartment. He sat on his bed and held his head. “Shit. You see?”

“You didn’t have to push me,” Carlos said angrily.

“We got caught!”

“She thinks I went upstairs, relax.” Carlos started to sit next to Chulito who jumped up.

“We gotta be careful.” He looked out the window and saw his mother sitting right below it. He pulled back and with a hushed voice said, “She’ll be gone soon, then we got this place to ourselves. Now let’s go. Wait, I should go first, not you.”

Carlos rolled his eyes. “Chulito, chill.”

“No, you chill!” he said forcefully. “This was stupid. I should have walked out the minute you came in here.”

“I can’t keep this up.” Carlos picked up the plate of avocado from the dresser.

“What do you mean?”

“All this hiding and secrets is driving me crazy.”

“You knew the deal.”

“Yes, I knew the deal,” Carlos shot back, “but it’s not working.”

“We just gotta wait ‘til tomorrow and she’ll be gone,” Chulito pleaded.

“And then what? She’ll come back in a couple of weeks and we go back to not being able to be together? Chulito, you won’t even hold my hand at the pier for more than two seconds or kiss me in public because someone might see you.”

“We different. You don’t give a shit, but I do.”