Joseph traversed across Ninth Street to look for his sister. Somehow he had the notion that she was at the new site of the school annex, but as he soon discovered, the new site had not yet been built. What made him think it so? He spied the announcement banner. “Coming Soon: New School Annex 974,” It read and he realized his mistake; he thought the number 974 was the street address instead of the year, that was supposed to read 1974, for the number one had been covered from the other numbers. There were tricksters in the ambient.

 

 The season was mid September in 1973. Joseph was at Kindergarten grade level. Upon realizing he was in error, he proceeded to remedy his situation and reversed in his steps. He knew despite his youth, that it was important to correct his mistakes. “Joseph?!” called out his older brother. “Where are you going? That’s not the way home! Cross the street, you stupid! Did you hear what I said? Cross the street and get over here so I can kick your ass!”

 

 The light was red but his brother, Antoine, insisted that Joseph cross the street calling him, “stupid.” Joseph feigned to cross the street in order to keep his brother from bellowing, but halted in time to have a car speed past in front of him. Had he obeyed his brother and had then crossed the street; he would have been hit by the car. Antoine laughed at his younger brother’s predicament. Joseph learned not to obey his older brother for Antoine always misled Joseph at his pleasure.

 

When Joseph first met his brother, Antoine was fighting three other children. When Joseph asked Antoine to teach him to fight, Antoine instructed Joseph to always stick his thumb within his fists. When Joseph first fought someone, he dislocated his thumb to Antoine’s laughter. “That will teach you for practicing violence.” In Nicaragua if you can’t defend yourself, you become somebody’s bitch and that was what Antoine wanted from his little brother. Since then, Joseph taught himself how to fight. He was no one’s bitch.

 

 Joseph waited for the light to turn green. “You really are stupid for listening to me when you knew that the light was red. You know better than to break the law.” said Antoine throwing the blame on Joseph. “I’m going to tell my Mom, so she can hit you. Better yet, I said to come here so I can kick your ass and you still come. Now I have no choice but to do what I said I was going to do. I’m going to kick your ass!”

       

 Joseph knew that his brother and sister harbored evil sentiments towards him. For, he recalled that when his sister would pinch him for none the reason, as a child, he would defend himself but then Antoine would hit him in guise of defending his sister, Merriam, the mistress behind all mischief at home and school.

 

 She would ridicule his name all throughout his childhood and always sought to embarrass him in front of other girls for she was as Antoine. Whereas Merriam felt that Joseph wasn’t allowed to like other girls but her, Antoine felt that Joseph wasn’t allowed to be kind to others but him; bordering on being worshiped.

 

There were five children. Joseph was the fifth. He was the last one born of the marriage between their parents who were then divorced. He was therefore the last in all things, in especially the last to be fed always getting the leftovers, an action that was comical to his siblings, for they thought it to be hilarious for Joseph to eat the chicken’s butt. And his Mom would lie to him, insisting that the chicken butt was strong in vitamins and substance in order to motivate him to eat it. Despite eating leftovers, his siblings became afraid of him when he grew taller than all of them as an adult. That was the future.

 

Joseph had crossed the street when the light had then turned green. “What were you doing over there, you stupid?” Antoine asked him.

 

“I was looking for our sister.” Joseph answered.

 

“She’s right here with-?” Antoine cut off, “Well? She was right here a minute ago.” Merriam was up to her antics.

 

“Giggle, giggle, giggle” came the sound.

 

“She’s nearby.” Joseph said.

 

“How do you know?” Antoine asked. “You’re too stupid to know things.”

 

“She’s the only one who giggles that way which means that she’s up to mischief.” Joseph answered.

 

“Misc-? I told you not to talk to me with those words, you stupid.” Antoine said.

 

“Look! There she is, up the road waiting for us. Let’s go home.” Joseph began to walk.

 

“Wait a minute! You don’t tell me what to do! I’m the older brother and therefore the boss.” Antoine said with gumption reminiscent of Axelle the oldest sister with Jesus Christ fixations, because she was firstborn.

 

"Then why don’t you lead us home?” Joseph said.

 

“He can’t.” Merriam, their sister, said, “He wants to go and join some stupid club for men. I know because he’s been telling me to wait until he gets back. That means, since I’m the only one who wants to do Mom’s will, such thinking makes me the boss.”

       

Joseph ignored Merriam’s childish logic and knew Antoine’s dilemma was more important. “What is this club’s name?” he inquired.

 

“I don’t remember. It’s a… organization…for men. I think it’s called-?” he was cut off. Joseph could see that Antoine had a learning disability for it pained Antoine to use the term, “organization,” nevertheless Joseph knew Antoine had potential.

 

“Don’t use big words on Joseph. He’s too stupid to know. Antoine wants to go join a gang.” Merriam giggled relishing in the knowledge that she was making an attempt to confuse her brothers to then bring her order out of her fabricated chaos and insist such strategic communication will then make her the leader of the trio.

 

Joseph was astounded. “What is a gang, Antoine?”

 

“I don’t know. It’s like an organization for men.” he answered. “I remember now it’s the L.A.P-?”

 

“It’s a stupid gang!” Merriam interrupted and quickly diverted the issue fulfilling her strategy of order out of chaos, “I’m going to tell my Mom that you both didn’t listen to me and in not listening to me you then didn’t listen to her. That means she will hit you, so because I’m doing her will; I will hit you both if you don’t do as I say.”

 

Joseph could see the attitude of his Mother in Merriam; nothing but learned violent behavior. He ignored her, knowing that if she hit him, he would defend himself, leaving Antoine to hit him in return. And Joseph knew; such façade would repeat itself whenever all three were together instigated at Merriam’s whim.

 

“A gang Antoine, what is a gang?” Joseph asked him to better understand him. “Is that what men do in this country, join a gang? We’re growing up without a father, nevertheless we have to be men and if joining an organization for men will help us in the long run, then it is good.”

 

“It’s not a gang!” Antoine clarified, “It’s the L.A.P-?”

       

“You’re so stupid you don’t know what to call it, and you’re the older brother? Ha, ha, ha” Merriam mocked as she interrupted with fear knowing she almost got caught in her own scheme, “I say let’s go home, now!” She didn’t want Joseph to know the truth in order to have power over him as she did upon Antoine with lies and deceit. Joseph was aware.

 

Antoine wasn’t so intelligent. He kept proving it over and over in contradicting himself on everything he said and did and throwing the blame on others. He had grabbed his teacher’s ass while in school once. That alone explained the kind of boy that he was. There were repercussions to be had at home then, violent repercussions.

 

“It can’t be a gang!” Joseph clarified to Antoine. “A gang is a group of people engaged in the mischief of constant racketeering, extortion, and crime. Is that what you want to do, Antoine? Don’t listen to Merriam. She’s a girl. She can’t know nor understand the ways of men. Now then, let’s finish the abbreviation, in Alphabetical order; LAPA?”

 

“No, that’s not it.” Antoine said.

 

“LAPB?”

 

"No.”

 

"LAPC?”

 

“No.”

 

“LAPD?”

 

“Yes, that’s the one.” Antoine agreed!

 

“What does LAPD stand for?” Joseph asked.

 

“Los Angeles Police Dep-?” Antoine was interrupted again.

 

“It stands for LA Pura Diesiocho!” Merriam perjured herself, “He wants to join a gang. There, I proved it. I’m the smartest one, another reason you have to listen to me and not you or your stupid words that even you don’t know what they mean.”

 

“Blasphemer!” Joseph chastised knowing she was trying to confuse them all the while Joseph was trying to help Antoine out of such confusion. He knew Antoine had seniority over them. Merriam was six years old. One does not place a six year old female in charge of a four hour walk solely among children when there’s a ten year old male present capable of being more aware of the surroundings and insure the safety of the group. Their Mother could not be that stupid to place Merriam in charge. What was important was that Antoine should have a clear head to lead them home safely; a twenty five mile walk in unknown territory.

 

Getting home late was unimportant compared to a chance to join the Force, “It stands for the Los Angeles Police Department,” Joseph clarified!

       

“Forget it, Joseph.” Antoine gave in playing the feeling-sorry-for-himself card, “There’s only twenty minutes left of the meeting. We’re not going to make it. It’s too far to go around the school. Besides I wasn’t supposed to tell anybody and now she knows.” Antoine pointed to Merriam.

 

“That’s right! And because you couldn’t keep a secret, you’re no good for the Police Department! And now that I know, I’m going to tell everybody so that you will have no choice but to follow me home. I’m the Mother! Look, everybody, they’re undercover cops! Look!”

 

Much older members of the Playboys LAPD Clique came out of their homes from across the street to witness and laugh. “How much are they giving for kids these days at the Social Services?”

 

“A hundred dollars.” was the answer, “Stupid kids. They make it so easy to commit crimes.”

 

“This is important, Antoine. This is what honorable men do. We have to join the Force. Dad would be proud of us;” Joseph was not aware he was doing his father’s will. “Where is the meeting being held?”

 

“It is in the front of the school.” Antoine answered, “It’s an uphill climb. We won’t make it in time.”

 

“If we can’t make it around the school, then we’ll go through it. We will get there in time to at least sign up.” Joseph suggested then turned to Merriam, “Go around the school and meet us at the front. You can’t climb the fence. Everyone will see your panties."