The Street Rat 102

“Please, sir.” The young boy’s voice quivered as he spoke. “I only have three dollars. I am supposed to bring back soup cans so that me and my mama can eat dinner this week.”

“Do I’s look like I’s gonna care about some sad story like that, kid? Now, hands it over before I’s have to take its from you,” the burly man growled, brandishing his knife again in the alley he had pulled the kid into.

It wasn’t much darker in the alley than the street. Sanders had an acrid cloud of smog drifting permanently over the city from the thousand factories in the area. Even the most environmentally conscious politicians had given up fighting years ago at the risk of being run out of town.

“Absolutely atrocious.”

Turning to find Eddie leaning against a wall with a piece of straw coming out of his mouth, the burly man left the kid where he was standing, but the child stood still.

Sirens blared in the distance, and boats honked in the bay to the east.

Not quite a desert whistle, but it’ll do to score the showdown, I guess.

“What’s thats you say?”

“Positively putrid,” Eddie answered, pushing himself off the graffitied wall and walking over to join the man and the kid. “Do you have any idea how us talking like that causes others to view us? All those people out in the cushy suburbs think they’re better than you and I. It’s all a sham, though, really, don’t you think, Buzz?”

“The name’s Frank.”

“My apologies, Francis. But you miss my point. They think they’re better than us because they have these nice homes, these fancy jobs, these prestigious degrees. And so, they think we’re dirt. But we aren’t dirt, are we, Francis?”

“Nos. I guess not.”

“That’s absolutely right. And I’m not even talking about how we talk but rather how we speak to each other. We are just as much human as they are, and that means we have just the same value as them. But—” Eddie put his arm around Francis and turned him back to the small child, “—if we behave in the way they see us, we become just what they say we are. Not because of how they view us in relation to them, but how we become forced to view ourselves in relation to one another.” Eddie paused to gesture from Francis to himself.

Do I talk with my hands too much? Eddie asked himself. I mean, I feel like it is helping me get my points across better, and I swear Francis looks to be softening up a bit to where I’ll probably just end up in an ICU instead of a casket after my monologue, but still. Is it too gimmicky? I’m going to have to do market tests on this for when I hit it big. Get some focus group feedback. He probably gets the gesture thing now. I should talk again.

“Consider this child.” Eddie guided Francis’s vision from himself to the child with a wave of his hand. “How do you think this child views you, Francis? Do you think he views you as you are? As a human with worth and value? As someone who is a great and loyal friend for those lucky enough to know him? Or do you think he views you as a bad guy? A ruffian, if you will, who is not only a threat to his current safety with your knife but also a threat to his long-term security by taking away his dinner money? And if it’s the second one, can you blame him?”

“I’s didn’t mean the little guy no harm. I’s wasn’t really gonna knife him,” Francis explained, with what looked like a tear in his eye. “Youse know hows it is outs here, though. Just tryna takes cares of my own kids.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with that, Francis.” Eddie rested his arm about four inches below Francis’s hulking shoulder on the back of his leather vest. “We have to provide for those we care about, don’t we? But there’s other ways to do that. You know Jerry’s? Down on the corner of Fifth and Walters? I know they’re looking for someone who can help them keep trouble from breaking out down there. You’d be perfect for that. I’m sure Jerry would hire you on the spot.”

“Eh, I’s don’t knows about that. Me and Jerry’s got a history. I doubt he’d take me in.”

“Now, listen to me, Frank. Can I call you Frank? You’re not the same man you were then. You’ve changed. I know Jerry. He’s a forgiving man. He loves giving out second chances. All you have to do is go to him and ask him for one.”

“I’s guess it’s worth a shot. Better than taking foods from the kids outs here, huh?” Frank laughed as he patted the child on the shoulder. “I’s don’t really reckon I want to gives those guys outside the city the satisfaction of knowing theys better than me anyhow.”

“Ah, that’s the best part, Frank.” Eddie smiled up at him. Time to bring it home. “They were never better than us. They steal from one another all the time. And they sacrifice each other’s well-being for the smallest of personal comforts. They just obscure it with laws and yelling about rights. They were never actually better than us, but they feel better by thinking that. If they were to actually take the time to realize we are the same as them, then they would have to interact with us differently. It’s much more comfortable for them to continue living as though the opportunities they get that we don’t mean they are somehow more worthy of that.

“But, Frank, look what happened today. You put another person’s needs to be safe and secure over your own. And, today, you are going to talk to Jerry and make things right so you can provide for your family. There is no one inside the city or outside the city that can look at you and say they have more worth or that they are better than you. I’d call that a good day.”

Frank wiped a tear from his eye and patted Eddie on the back. “Youse alright, kid. What’d you say your name was again?”

“They call me the Street Rat.”

“Sounds like one of thems comic book names. Youse one a thems superheroes?”

“I’m working on it.” Eddie laughed. “If anyone asks, you can tell them I am. But for right now, I’m just trying to make our community better.”

“Sounds likes a superhero to me, kid. I’s best get goin’ now. Jerry might could use some helps tonight, it being a Friday and all. I’ll see ya around, kid.”

“Good luck, Frank. It was nice talking to you.”

Eddie put his arm on the child’s shoulder and returned Frank’s wave as he walked towards Jerry’s.

“I’m going to miss that guy. I hope I see him around again. Now—” Eddie turned to look at the child as his face hardened “—give me your money.”

The child stared up at him for a beat before they both broke out laughing.

“Come on, Tomas, Maria and Alex are probably getting worried that I got us both killed. Maria will probably be mad we didn’t get any more money, but I think the two of us walking away without getting pummeled counts as a win, considering how that started. You could have a future as a movie star after that performance I just saw, and I have an eye for talent.”

Eddie ruffled Tomas’s black shaggy hair as they walked toward the diner to meet Maria and Alex.

“You really do have to give me that money back, though. Your sister would be furious if we don’t get that back into the bag.”

“Okay,” Tomas said, coming to a stop and looking up at Eddie, “but one day this week, you have to take me to the Fry Farm. And I get to play on the playground! And I get to have a soda that I can refill!”

Eddie stopped and squatted in front of Tomas. He squinted hard at the kid, stood back up, and laughed. “You drive a hard bargain, Tomas Delgado, but you’ve got yourself a deal. You know, Alex is going to have to go, too, though, right?”

“I’ll allow it.”

“I’m sure you will,” Eddie laughed as he opened the door to the diner to follow Tomas in on the sticky floors, spotting Maria and Alex waiting for them in their booth.

The Street Rat continues with The Street Rat 103!

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