Ford's Rise - L. Ann Marie Page 0,46

He like animals.” He turns and the lion’s tail is going down his arm from the shoulder. His back looks like it’s jumping off his skin.

“It’s beautiful, Brother. Show Cort when you see him.”

He nods getting dressed. “I will show. You see IT? I match Boss Alexia ring. Brusher make big to IT building.”

I laugh. “We’ll see it on the way to the pet store. You matched the binary?”

He smiles. “Brusher say faint, no identify. It’s Badass cool.”

The Alpha-Bits start chanting to his rolling eyes. The mohawk makes him look like a fish on Marco and Mateo’s house.

~*~*~

Alexia is excited for the pet store. The IT building is camouflaged sky with binary that looks like it’s scrolling as you look up. They’re unbelievable with the pictures. The binary matches Alexia’s ring, she doesn’t care right now, the pet store is her focus. I’ll show her tomorrow when I drop her off.

Alpha-Bits from both compounds took smart cars or rode. Marco, Mateo and Anton are with us in the SUV. I get us going again toward the warehouse community.

“Alejandro to school. Miss Télia say no skip. Skip?” Marco asks.

“Hooky. No show,” Anton answers.

I add so they aren’t all playing hooky at one time. “It’s okay to play hooky every once and a while. You always have to finish your work for the day. Sometimes you just need to get away. That’s hooky. Finish your work and no one complains. If you have a shift, you need to be covered.”

“I cover then hooky to Bravo. Maddox, Juan teach build printer to me. Plan no show assemble.” Marco sounds determined.

“Send me the date and I’ll cover you. Why do you want to make printers? They’re already making them.” Alexia has good questions.

“I build to sell. Boss Paul say contractor pay to print. Painter pay to print paint.”

I laugh. “Sounds right, Marco. Alexia will cover so you can learn.”

“Thanks, Boss Alexia. I learn Sunday. Shift eight. Four hour.”

She looks at me. “I have breakfast and Church. I’ll be home after one.”

“Perfect, Marco.” She smiles turning back.

I love her for being easy with them and me. The main road is busy. Little bikes, Security and a shit ton of Alpha-Bits walking make it look like an invasion.

I park behind the pet store and walk around. The Bits ran as soon as I stopped. There is no hope of Anton keeping them calm. The little Brother wants a cat. He’s already got a dog. I’m glad he didn’t bring him. I look around before going in. None of them brought their dogs. That’s a relief. The dogs are so common, I don’t even notice them anymore. They’re all so good and usually quiet.

The pet store is packed. Alexia is pulling me to the back. Alpha-Bits are everywhere. Dogs are barking, some yipping. Birds squawking. Adults talking. Everything is making noise but the Alpha-Bits. I smile at Oliver and Quest petting rabbits.

“That’s a saltwater tank. It’s expensive to keep up and the fish cost more. A freshwater aquarium is a good starter tank. If you learn how to handle this tank, salt water is pretty easy. It takes some maintenance to keep it up. Not taking care of it means your fish will die.” She knows more than I do about fish.

Marco looks like he’s going to pass out. “No die. I work hard.”

Alexia shakes her head. “That’s good. Fish die for a lot of reasons. Sometimes it’s nothing you did, it’s just their time. Not taking care of the tank is bad. The fish don’t have a chance to live if you don’t help them by doing the maintenance and making sure their water is livable.”

I’m smiling watching this play out. Marco nods seriously. Mateo answers. “Work to help fish live. Web, Alder, work to help Alpha-Bits live. We work too, Boss Alexia.”

I’m surprised. He doesn’t talk much. “Good job, Mateo. Some fish will die, like Alexia said, it’s just their time. The ones that make it should have a chance to live happy just like you.” Two Bits from Finland and two from Sweden are watching.

“Web, I buy hamburger?” Wolfgang asks.

“Hamburger? You’re hungry?”

His eyes get huge. He points but it’s a general direction. “No eat, pet.”

I laugh. “Show me. Hamburger is food.” I pull my phone and get a picture for him. Wain is watching. When we get to hamsters, I smile and show him the hamburger. “This is a hamburger. That’s a hamster.”

He shows Wain laughing. “Ham stir,” Wain says.

I point to the sign.