Murderville Page 0,22

the others who tried to rape me. Leave him be,” his wife said.

“Are you sure?” he asked as he looked back at her.

“Yes, I’m positive. He was the one trying to stop them,” she said as she looked into A’shai’s young eyes. Baron then pointed his gun at the other boy and fired two into his chest with no remorse. He put the smoking gun on his waist and looked at A’shai whose knees were trembling.

“Thanks for what you did for my wife, lil man,” Baron said as he smiled trying to ease the kid’s fear. He reached into his pocket and pulled out five crispy bills and handed them to A’shai who waved his hand rejecting the offer.

“I’m good. I didn’t like these mu’fuckas anyway,” he said as he looked down at their bodies. “Can I go?” he asked as he looked up at Baron.

“Yeah, you can go,” Baron confirmed as he grinned at the wit of the youngster that stood before him. A’shai turned around and headed down the alley so that he could return to the fields. Baron and his wife watched him walk away. However, something in Willow’s heart told her to stop him.

“Hey!” she yelled out. A’shai stopped and turned around. “Let us buy you dinner,” she said, feeling that she had to repay him for his bravery to go against his friends for her honor. The sound of somebody giving A’shai free food was too good of an offer to let pass, and he headed back their way.

Baron and Willow watched as the kid in front of them stuffed his face like it was his last meal. They encouraged him to order anything he wanted and four different entrees were in front of him. A’shai didn’t once look up and think about how barbaric he looked in front of total strangers. The Mexican restaurant was the most elegant one on Tijuana’s downtown resort. It was one of very few upscale spots in the dilapidated town. A’shai had never seen anything like it and the food was the best he had ever had. He had already stuffed four rolls into his pocket, knowing that they would come in handy later.

“Slow down,” Willow said as she burst into laughter. She looked at Baron who was also laughing at the young boy and that’s when A’shai finally looked up. He had sauce all around his mouth and on his fingertips as he ate the food like a madman.

“What?” A’shai asked as an odd moment of silence filled the air. Baron and Willow just looked at him, both with grins on their faces.

“Nothing. So tell me, where are your parents?” Baron asked as he folded his hands on top of the table. A’shai focused back on his food and began to eat.

“I don’t have any parents,” he said as he thought about his deceased mother and his estranged father back in Sierra Leone. “I don’t need any parents. I can take care of myself,” A’shai said as he avoided eye contact with Baron.

“I can tell that you’re not from around here. Your accent is too strong,” Baron said noticing the strong African roots in the boy.

“I’m from Sierra Leone!” A’shai said proudly as he stuck out his chest and looked at Baron with clenched teeth. Willow’s heart immediately dropped at the sound of the place because it was her homeland; she, too, was from the impoverished country. Willow reached over and rubbed A’shai’s facial scar.

“How did you get that?” she asked hoping not to hear the kind of horror story that comes with having bad scars.

“It’s nothing. Just a little scratch,” A’shai said as he blew it off. A’shai began to grow uncomfortable with all of the questions and then he noticed that the sun was going down. He knew that he had to return to the warehouse before dark or risk being beaten. “Thank you for giving me dinner, but I have to go now,” he said urgently as he stood up. The thought of being late and being punished made A’shai’s limbs shake and he began to grow nervous. Baron caught on.

“Are you okay, lil man?” he asked as he frowned at the sudden change of behavior.

“Yeah, I just have to go before they notice that I’m gone,” he said. Willow began to tear up as she thought about her childhood. She, too, was a human slave as a teen, but was lucky enough to have met Baron in the same town that they were in,