LITTLE MISS BALL BREAKER
"Now Salem, Salem pay attention to me, Elliot!"
"What?" Elliot squealed batting away the soccer ball. "Hold on Nala you're mother's briefing us. Hold the ball."
"This is Nala's school schedule, her Tae Kwan Do practice and church schedules and a list of the household rules and her times for bed and such. Elliot Salem follow them."
"I will Samantha. I, we will. Right And-A-Half?" He said taking the papers from the concerned woman.
"Roger that Mom, to the letter."
"To the well…even the fine print letters, Samantha."
"Yup Mom to those too. Bye, enjoy Fiji."
"Nala you really don't need to sound so happy about getting rid of us for two weeks. We are your parents."
"Mom's right and if your uncle there fucks this up he's never babysitting again."
"Language Tyse, geeze!"
"I'll give you language, Salem. The schedules Salem; follow them verbatim."
"Verb who-tim?"
"Fancy for, to the letter, Uncle E. Dad didn't want to just repeat Mom's orders."
"Roger that."
"Elliot concentrate! Follow the instructions. That means church, school, bed times, the dentist next Wednesday and anything else on there that your stagnated, juvenile delinquent, little brain chooses to deem as unnecessary. Copy that?"
"Copy, I copy, Jesus Christ and fuck me twice, Tyse; if you don't trust me, take her to Murray's!
"No! Alice is no fun, Daddy."
"I know, and this one is. That's precisely what worries us."
"Fuck Tyse gimme some credit. I actually stole some money once from the church collection plate and got Sea Monkeys. Didn't kill them, how much harder can a kid be?"
"0934 Dad, Vaya con Dios, Papa Tank One, you're gonna miss your plane."
"She's right Tye we really need to go."
"I'll call you tonight, Elliot. You behave, Nala. I love you both."
As soon as Rios' truck rounded the corner the two compatriots high fived and fist pounded before bolting into the house. Two weeks alone, just the two of them and they'd already planned out several missions.
It didn't take long for the duo to cast aside Samantha's rules. It was Sunday, they skipped church went out onto Rios' shooting range and fired Salem's new CZ 97 nine mm. and instead of microwaving one of the Samantha pre-made dinners from the freezer they headed out for pizza. The pizza place was near Salem's house and that led to hitting the surf just as the sun went down. Once inside the little apartment they started playing video games. Before Salem knew it the clock hit eleven p.m. and Rios was calling to check in. Salem did a fine job of lying about what they'd done all day while Nala sat grinning and giving him a thumbs up after he dutifully informed the big soldier that his lovely daughter was snuggly under her covers and fast asleep. Finally around two a.m. they both fell asleep on Salem's couch controllers in their laps.
"Uncle Elliot, Uncle Elliot get up it's 0600. I need to go home and get dressed for school. Dragon One, wake up."
Salem groaned and uncoiled from the sofa. His arm was asleep from where Nala had fallen asleep on him.
"What!"
"School silly. It's 0600. I need my school uniform. We have to hurry."
"Oh shit. Yea ok. Lemme piss and you find my keys and wallet and we're gone. You need the bathroom?"
"Did it before I woke you up. I'm not risking that smell."
Salem glared at her and stumbled to his bathroom. He pissed, ran his fingers through his hair, slapped on some deodorant and returned to Nala.
"Gonna take me to school dressed like that?"
Salem looked down at what he had on and shrugged. His Levis, with their torn out knees, had seen better days and were stuffed behind the tongues of his untied boots. He had on one of Tyson's old SSC tee shirts that swallowed him and his hair was still a frazzled mop
"I'm not going to class." He muttered slapping his hat on backwards. I passed third grade. I think."
"Fourth and ok I guess." Nala said; the trepidation in her voice not lost to Salem. "Well let's just get moving then."
Salem got her home and made coffee while she changed. He threw in some toast and dug around until he found some Granola Bars.
"All dressed, I have my backpack and my stupid Violin, oh you made us coffee! Mom will kill us."
"Black just the way we like it."
"Roger that."
"How come they make you wear that ugly ass uniform but you're allowed to use my old beat up, camo ruck."
"Don't know. Grownups and their stupid rules."
"Damn thing's as big as you are."
"Yea, well Giddy and Heck told me about when you were a talking Rucksack so take that Mister."
"To hell with them. I carried my weight though didn't I?"
"Damn near drowned, Dragon One."
"Yup, so I guess that makes me and you even, And-A-Half."
"Nope, I have no memory of the accursed event."
"Accursed?"
"It means…"
"I know what it means. Who calls it accused?"
"Daddy. Ready? It's 0733. If we leave now we'll miss the 0808 northbound train and you'll be in the front of the line to park."
At the school Salem parked and walked Nala in. He ignore the stares of the other parents most of whom were dressed in business attire.
"Fucking rich people."
"You and Daddy are rich."
"Yea but we ain't fancy rich and we actually work for our money. Imagine any of these soft fools in a fire fight. Jesus Christ and…"
"Fuck us four or five times, Dragon One."
The pair burst out laughing and a parking attendant gave them and ugly look. Nala stuck her tongue out at the volunteer and grabbed hold of Elliot's hand.
"Give 'em a little power and they get all crazy, Uncle Elliot."
"Tell me about it."
At the door he gave her a hug and she stood tip toe and kissed his cheek.
"See you right here after school ok. Right here, Dragon One. Mark the coordinates."
"Roger that. Have a good day. Extraction at 1615, then according to the list the accursedly useless Tae Kwan Do at 1900. Love you."
"Roger that and I love you too!"