The Night Falls (3) “Listen, I have to keep this a secret”, Jose said. “Are you in trouble?”, Jose mother said. “No mom, I’m not”, Jose said. “What is going on?”, Jose mother asked, as she went towards the sofa, to sit down. “Maybe it is all my fault, I should have stopped you from becoming a police office”, Jose mother said, as she did not know what to make of the situation. “Mom, it is not you, I have a friend that is in trouble”, Jose said, as he went sit on the sofa and put his arms around his mother. “Who, Jose, who is in trouble?”, Jose father asked, as he went to knee down, on the side of his son’s feet. “I can’t tell you, or mom, because I made a promise not too”, Jose said. “I understand son, that is the way it is”, Jose’s father said, as he was getting up, off his knees. Meanwhile, Manuel could not sleep. He decided to go see Abraham. As, Manuel had gotten up and put on some clothes, he was headed for the living room. He decided to walk towards the door and slowly open it up. As he slowly open the door, he saw Michael’s parents going around the Abraham’s house. Manuel, had to find out what they were doing. As soon as Michael’s parents had went around the other side of Abraham’s house, Manuel had ran next door and open the door. Terrance had heard someone come in. Terrance went see who it was. Terrance notice it was Manuel who came in. “Terrance, did you know, Michael parents are going around the back way”, Manuel said. “Yeah, coz, I was told by Abraham, he said Jose called him and told him”, Terrance said. “What will Abraham do?”, Manuel asked. “Don’t worry, he is packing his bags and getting ready to leave”, Terrance said. “You are going to miss your brother”, Manuel said. “I know, but, I have no other choice”, Terrance said. Meanwhile, Michael could not sleep any more. He had gotten dress and went towards the living room. He had decided to go and see Abraham. All of a sudden, as he opened the door, he heard some noise outside. Michael, went to check on, what was going on. He had saw Jose’s father walking out of the house and his Jose mother was not to far from Jose’s father. Michael wanted to find, out what was going on. When he had gotten to Jose’s parents house, he had asked Jose’s father what was going on. Jose’s father told Michael, that Jose was hiding a secret. Then, Michael was thinking in the back of his head, the secret must be Abraham’s return. All of a sudden, Jose came outside and saw Michael. Michael had saw Jose and went near the front door, where Jose was looking at Michel. “What’s going on?”, Michael asked. “My father wanted to know the secret, I have about a friend of my”, Jose said. Michael knew what Jose was talking about. So, Michael went towards Jose’s father and told him, that the secret was about him. Jose’s father said, “Why don’t you tell me what the secret is?”. “It is about women”, Michael said. “Is that so”, Jose’s father said. Meanwhile, Terrance’s mother went to check on her son. She saw the door was open and went inside of her son’s room; she turned on the lights. She notice he was not there and she ran to wake up her husband. She ran in her bedroom and started shaking her husband as she yells, “Jacob, wake up!”. Her husband wakes up and yelled, “What in the world is going on with you!”. “Terrance is not in his room”, she said. “Susan, you are dreaming again”, Jacob said. “I am not dreaming, Jacob”, Susan said. Susan ran out of the bed and went to the living to call the police. Jacob decided to wake up and go see for himself, if his son is sleeping in his room. Jacob had went to hi son’s room and he notice the door was open, so he went inside. He turned on the lights and his son was not there. Jacob went to the living and saw his wife on the telephone. Jacob went sit down on the sofa, while his wife, was still on the telephone. Meanwhile, Manuel’s mother had woke up. She decided to go and check on her son. She went to his room and saw that the door was opened. She ran to wake her husband in the bedroom. As soon as she came back to her bedroom, she started yelling, “Isaac, wake up!”. “What is going on!”, Isaac yelled. “Our son is missing!”, shed yelled. “Tina, I am trying to get some sleep; you have an imagination that runs wild; I know my son is in his bedroom; if you would shut up for a few minutes; I can get some sleep”, Isaac said. “You want to talk about noise; when we are having sex; you are the one that screams like a girl; people thinks it is me, but, it is you; foolish man”, Tina said. “I thought, we would not say nothing about it”, Isaac said, as he felt ashamed. “Then get your big butt up and help me find our son”, Tina said, as she was in a panic state. “You better be telling the truth, Tina”, Isaac said. Meanwhile, Michael’s parents were at the back door of Abraham’s house. Abraham had just finish packing and went into the bathroom. Terrance had picked up his brothers bags and went to put them on the sofa. Then, Terrance went back into the room and he saw a shiny object, near the bed. Terrance decided to pick it up and it was a fifty-seven magnum. Terrance was wondering what Abraham was doing with the gun. Terrance decided to put the gun, in his pants, on the right hand side. Then, he pulled his shirt over his pants where no one could see it. Michael’s parents had slowly opened the door, while Terrance was in the last bedroom, putting the gun away. As Michael’s parents were slowly entering the house, Abraham was coming out of the bathroom. Michael's parents heard some noise and they ran out of the back door, not knowing they had lock the back door. As soon as Michael's parents believe that no one was near the back door, his father tried to open the door. He realize it was locked, and his wife said, “That’s just great, James, always doing something stupid”. “You think I’m the only one that does stupid things; remember when you locked the bathroom door, or maybe you remembered the day, when you lock us both outside of the house; does that refresh your memory”, James said. “Don’t be so childish”, Tina said. “We will have to go to the front of the door”, James said. Meanwhile, the chief of police had send four officers to the site where, Terrance’s mother had told them. “You decided to sit on the sofa, while our son is outside somewhere; maybe kidnap”, Susan said. “Susan, you are always over reacting, as usual”, Jacob said. “Well, we need to find our son”, Susan said. “We will, but remember, God is watch him right now”, Jacob said. Meanwhile, Jose senior, Jose Junior, Michael, and Linda, had went inside of Jose’s senior’s house. They were going to talk about women. “So, Mike, you want to know about women”, Jose senior said. “Yes sir”, Michael said. “You know what, I think you two are not telling me what is going on, in this neighborhood; I’m going to find out, what is going on”, Jose senior said. “Dad, Michael told you, the secret”, Jose junior said. “Yes, I know, both of you want to know about women; bay can you put some tea on; I have to tell these young men about women”, Jose senior said. Meanwhile, Terrance said to Abraham, “Well, my brother, you are packed, so you can go out the back door”. “Thanks, my brother, I appreciate it and I will never forget you”, Abraham said. So, Abraham had tried to open the back door and it was locked. Then, Abraham had unlocked the back door and then, he took off. Terrance had locked the back door and Manuel and Terrance had start from the bedroom, cutting off the lights, in the house. As soon as they were finished, they both ran towards, the front door. Terrance had open the front door and he and Manuel ran outside and then, Terrance had to go back to lock the front door. As Terrance went to lock the front door, Michael’s parents was coming around the front end of the house and they saw Manuel. Terrance had locked the door. Michael’s parents had ran to see Manuel. “Manuel, what is going on here”, James said, as he had a confuse look on his face. “Nothing much sir”, Manuel said. “What kind of fool, do you think I am?”, James said. “Please don’t answer that”, Marie said, as she interrupted, James. “What do you mean, Marie”, James said, as he was getting angry with her. “You think I’m a fool, do you?”, James said. “Baby, I don’t”, Marie said. As James and Marie talked for a few minutes, Manuel and Terrance left. Manuel was going home and Terrance was headed for his house when, Manuel’s parents had open the door and they saw their son and Terrance. “Why don’t you boys come in!”, Isaac yelled. As soon as they heard Manuel’s father, they went to see him. “What is going on, Isaac?”, Tina asked, as she had saw her husband, standing at the front door. As soon as the two young men, had arrived, at Manuel’s parents house, they both went inside. Manuel’s father had closed the door behind him and he asked, “What is going on, Manuel?”. “Dad, it is a long story”, Manuel said. “Try me”, Manuel’s father said. “Well... well”, Manuel paused. He knew he couldn’t tell his father the truth. “Terrance, would you like to tell me what is going on?”, Manuel’s father asked. “Like your son said, it is a long story”, Terrance said. “Both of you are jerking me around!; somebody better tell me something!”, Manuel’s father yelled. Terrance and Manuel were both nervous and walking around. Meanwhile, James and Tina had stop criticize each other. They both remembered that Manuel's father, had call both of the young men into his house, so they both went next door and knocked on the front door. Manuel’s father heard the knock and went to see who it was. When he opened the front door he saw it was Michael’s parents at the front door. “What do you want?”, Manuel’s father said. “We are looking for answers from these two young men”, James said. “Isn’t that something; so was I”, Manuel’s father said, in a sarcastic way. “Can we come in Isaac?”, Marie asked. “Why not?”, Isaac said. As they went inside of Isaac’s house, they saw the two young men near the corner of the sofa. “We all need to know, what is going on?”, James said. Meanwhile, Jose senior told the young men, in a harsh way, “Let me tell all of you something, I am not going to play games, with both of you; somebody better tell me something, or I will find other ways to help each one of you”. “Well. I think Manuel would no more than us”, Jose junior said. “Is that so”, Jose senior said. “Yes, I believe it to be”, Michael said. So, they all decided to go see Manuel. Jose senior, Jose junior and Michael. As soon as they had left the house, Terrance’s mother had saw her son with Jose and his father and she was going outside to find out what is going on. Terrance father was on his knees saying his prayers, while Terrance’s mother went to the front door; opened it and went outside. Terrance had saw his mother from a distance and said to Jose senior, “My mother is coming our way, I know she wants to know, what is going on”. “Yeah, we all do”, Jose senior said. As Terrance’s mother, was headed to meet her son, Jose and his father. Jose senior told the two young men, “We need to stop and wait for Terrance’s mother”. As Terrance’s mother approach them, she asked her son, “What is going on?”. “I heard Manuel knows the whole story”, Jose senior said. Then they all decided to go to Manuel’s parents house. Meanwhile, Jose senior’s wife was making some tea, she decided to go back into the living room and nobody was there. She was wondering what had happen to them. She went to the front door and opened it and looked outside. She notice her husband was headed for Manuel’s parents house. She decided to wait until the tea was done and then she would go. A few minutes later, Manuel’s father heard a knock on his front door. “Who is it, that is trying to break my door down?”, Manuel’s father said, in an angry tone. “It is Jose senior”, Jose senior said. As Manuel’s father opened the door, Jose’s father, himself, Michael and Terrance’s mother walked in. “What is this; the squad patrol”, Manuel’s father sarcastically said. “We are trying to find some answers, big boy”, Jose senior sarcastically said. “A funny man”, Manuel’s father said. “Why don’t we just take a breath of fresh air and exhale”, Terrance’s mother said. “Look at this, if it isn't, mother feel good; tell me those yoga classes must make you feel good”, Manuel’s father sarcastically said. “Maybe, if you wasn’t so, on the heavy side, well, maybe you could be easier; you look like an elephant, that is pregnant; tell me are you having another baby; I thought it was suppose to be a women who gives birth to a child, but, look a here, even a man can do”, Terrance’s mother sarcastically said. A few minutes later, the police showed up in the neighborhood. “Well, look here, the cops are here; we always need some, but, couldn’t find anyone”, Manuel’s father sarcastically said. Meanwhile, Terrance father had finish say his prayers and went outside. He had heard the police pulled up in the neighborhood . The four officers had stepped out of the patrol cars and decided to head over to Terrance’s parents house. As Terrance father had steeped outside, one of the officers had came to see him. As soon as he came closer to Terrance’s father, he started asking him questions. Terrance father told the officer everything he knew. When Terrance’s mother heard the police officers had arrived she ran out of Manuel’s parents house and saw one of the officers talking to her husband. Both Terrance’s parents did not know much and they could only tell the police officers only what they knew. So Jose junior was talking to his three friends. Jose junior said, “My brothers; I just want to let y’all know we are in this together; not only are we Latinos, but we are friends; not just friends, but, brothers for life; so we can’t let anyone know; that we saw Abraham; it could damage our families”. “Your right brother; we can’t”, Manuel said. “Yeah, I believe we are family and families stick together”, Michael said. “I believe that too; I know my brother is out there somewhere; I know I have my brothers right here; Jose you are right; we are brothers for life”, Terrance said. Later on, the rest of their families were questioned by the police officers and it was time to bring them all to the police station. So, one of the officers told them, they had to come down to the police station and each one of them, will have to give a statement of what happen that night. So, the officer called for back up and the chief told four other police officers, to go and help their fellow officers, who were already on the scene. A soon as the other officers arrived, each one of them took each family in their squad car and started to leave. Each one of the agreed to go with the officers. Terrance was the last one that one of the officers was putting him in the back seat of the squad car, with his family. Terrance glanced over to his parent’s house and saw Abraham, his brother, watching everything from the window, in the living room. Terrance knew that this would be a night that he would never forget. As the officer, helped Terrance get into the squad car, the officer closed the door and left the scene.
Copyright © 2006 Jeremiah Semien |