CROSS THE STREET.

ONLY FIVE MORE MINUTES. I CAN'T WAIT another second. David had tried to end his life four times in the two years that he and his older brother had been separated. First he took pills, then he stole the car and crashed it off a bridge, then he slit his wrists and now, after being hospitalized, he wished he had just shot himself in the nose or gut. But he didn't. Guns were not allowed in the house so he tried to hang himself. Only the gardner saw him hanging, busted in, and saved him. The gardener's name was "Hore-hay." George couldn't believe how much money these people have--they try to throw life away like a joke. This made George mad. He went to the hospital to visit David. At first David refused visitors, but then he accepted George as a visitor. He wanted to kill the Mexican that wouldn't let him die in peace.

When George came to the hospital to visit David, he brought his daughter Julietta who was one-year-old. George thought she was the most precious thing. He thought if the boy who tried to hang himself could see a father's love for a child maybe it would help change the boy's mind. But when George and his daughter got to the reception desk, they were turned away. No child visitors here, not to mention George would need an interpreter; his English was not so good. The front desk made arrangements for an interpreter to be available next week. "Please come alone Mr. George, without your daughter. David wishes to meet with the man who saved his life."

The week went by pretty fast. The next time George came to the hospital he brought the very shears which he had used to cut the boy loose. The hospital administration was surprised to see what the Mexican man had brought this time, only now, luckily they had an interpreter. Wanda was African American. She worked the east wing of the hospital. She wasn't fat--just a little chunky--and laughed quietly, and very frequently. Her Spanish was spoken fast and the words echoed off the insides of her mouth. Even though she grew up speaking Spanish with her neighbors in East LA, she spoke kind of like a Cuban--fast and rampant. "Hi, how are you sir?" were her first words to Mr. George in Spanish.

"Fine, thank you," Mr. George answered in Spanish.

Wanda looked at two of the hospital staff who were in charge of David. "What would you like me to translate?" Wanda asked, and then giggled quietly.

"Can you ask him how he feels?" one nurse asked. The other nurse nodded his head in agreement. George--holding the shears in his left hand--said to Wanda, "I'm a little tired but I feel fine. I just want to meet and talk with the boy" Wanda translated this to the two nurses.

"Tell him David wants to meet with him as well." So Wanda told George that David wanted to meet with him too. "Well, what are we waiting for?" George said to Wanda. Wanda told the two nurses he was ready to meet with David. The taller of the two male nurses (who is also named David) said, "I don't believe he'll be able to bring those back, do you?" The nurse pointed to the clippers the Mexican man had in his hand. "Just a second! Wanda, ask him what he intends on doing with those clippers."

Wanda said, "Sure, I'll ask what the clippers are for." George had a confused look on his face. It was how she asked him that spawned the expression. The facial language made Wanda ask more politely. First she said sorry, and then she asked. "And the clippers, why have you brought those?" This was a polite way to ask in Spanish. George, in a soft voice, explained to Wanda why he had brought the clippers. He wanted to share them with David. George said, "If I hadn't been outside clipping and then noticed him hanging, I would never have saved the boy's life." The two nurses were watching George speak Spanish. His face was intense and it seemed as though what he was telling Wanda was important. Wanda finally translated what George had said. "Still though, That's a sharp object. Remember Wanda, sharp objects are to be kept away from the patients at all times. Can you tell the man his clippers will have to stay up front in the office when he visits?"

"Sure," Wanda said. She told George his clippers would have to stay up front in the office while he visited. George said no to Wanda in Spanish. "It is important for the kid to see what I used to save his life." George began jerking the shears in the air. He was speaking Spanish to Wanda, telling her it was very necessary for him to bring the clippers back to him when he went to visit David. The two nurses saw Mr. George getting hysterical. One nurse left to call the back up team. The back up team is a group of guys that usually help restrain patients when they loose control. Luckily before the back up team arrived, Wanda had the clippers in her hands and had persuaded George to see David and leave the clippers in the front office. How she did it the two nurses will never know, since they don't speak Spanish. Now the small group ventured back to some plexiglas rooms. As they walked down a long hallway and were drawing closer to the room David was in, Mr. George walked on his toes and tried to see further. Wh en he saw David in the hospital clothing and pretty drugged out, he was surprised; it was not at all what Mr. George expected. The door to the small plexiglas room was opened. Wanda, the two nurses, and Mr. George entered. A nurse was already there with David and a short white lady who got up and left immediately when the others arrived. "Enjoy your visitors," the lady said to David before she left the small room. Everyone but Mr. George was seated. "Please sit down," the head nurse ask Wanda to tell Mr. George. The other nurse wondered if they would have to call the back up team again. Luckily Mr. George sat down. It was Wanda's keen way of communicating that had worked.

At first there was silence, then the head nurse of the two spoke. David looked to the nurse after he had called his name. "Do you know who this gentleman is?" Then Wanda said in Spanish to Mr. George, "He asked David if he knew who you were." David's attention focused on Wanda. He did not answer the question. The head nurse asked a second time. David, on heavy drugs to stabilize his mood, shook his head no. Wanda told Mr. George that David did not know who he was. "This is the gentleman that saved your life. He only speaks Spanish, so this is Wanda, a nurse form the east wing who also speaks Spanish. She will interpret for us today. Do you understand?" David slowly nodded his head. The drugs were making him slow, but deep down inside he was crossed up and mad for being saved. He wanted to get that out, but it was difficult. After David and Mr. George were introduced, Mr. George did most of the talking--of course through Wanda. He explained how he had used the clippers to cut him loose. He told David that he w as brought up being taught that names were important and that he could not figure out why David, who was named after the one who had slain the giant, would go and try and kill himself. Wanda translated everything. The two nurses just watched and listened. David told Wanda that Mr. George seemed crazy. Wanda said yes to David, that she too thought he was crazy: "He brought the clippers to the hospital. He wanted you to see them." David looked at Mr. George. Mr. George was just looking at Wanda to see what else the kid would have to say. During a long 20 seconds of no talking, David was imagining what he would do with the clippers if they would have allowed Mr. George to bring them back. David told Wanda to tell Mr. George that "I would have liked to use the clippers to clip his nose off." Wanda translated this to Mr. George. Mr. George smiled big. "At least it's my nose and not your own. He is on his way to recovery." The two nurses nodded their heads in agreement at the same time.

Then he pulled up. The car was shiny black and real fancy. It was lowered to the curb. I started to cross the street to give him the code word and get the cash and directions, but before I got across the street four undercovers popped him clean. They had guns on him from all directions. I watched from where I was at. It looked intense. "What did he do?" I asked one undercover, who was still in his car waiting to get radio feedback from head quarters. "Please stand back; this is a police matter." I took his advice and stood back, thinking "There goes my $250." Shit, my luck totally sucks. I had already made plans as to what I was gonna do with that money More cops showed up. They searched the car and then took the guy in the red shirt away. I stayed watching until the tow truck came and towed the fancy black car. I kept myself optimistic. You know what that means, don't you? It means positive, and 45 minutes afterwards that another guy in a red shirt and a fancy car pulled up. This time the fancy car was white . I crossed the street cautiously No narcs gave the man a code word. The next thing I know I'm sitting inside this guy's car, waiting to hear what my orders were. No trouble. I go to Cola Burgers and wait there until a guy shows up in a fuzzy white hat with a cane. "He'll have the drugs--you give him the money and then you get the drugs and bring them back to me. As soon as you bring them over here to me, I'll give you your cut. You got that?"

"Yeah, I got that." Inside Cola Burgers, a man with a white hat that is not fuzzy is flipping burgers. His name is Tony He has very large ears, and his face is red from the heat inside the kitchen. He fills one last order and then it will be his break. Ramon, a short guy with tiny ears, will fill in for him. They both work very hard each day On his break, Tony just sits and drinks orange soda and watches traffic outside on the main street. A car makes a violent U-turn and then pulls right into Cola Burgers' parking lot. The guy driving has a fuzzy white hat on his head. He gets out and walks with a cane. Tony the cook senses danger, so he goes to the office and grabs a small gun that fits nicely inside his hand. Some great protection; immediate relief. Tony comes back out from the office and feels one hundred times safer. He watches the man order and pays close attention. "This is a real killer, you can tell from his moves." That's what Tony was thinking. In walked an extremely scrawny kid of about 14. The ma n with the cane eyes the boy The two make a hand shake; friendly Tony the cook felt bad for going to get his gun after watching the man and the scrawny kid make their drug deal. Tony felt no danger. He went back into the office and put the pistol away He came back out and watched the guy eat. This was a dope pusher. Tony watched his moves.

IT WASN'T HARD WORK AND IT PAID WELL.

I just pick up the money, drop it off, pick up the drugs, and drop the drugs off...and don't be followed. Me in the morning, walking across the street; the trash truck was right there picking stuff up. I felt safe waiting for the guy with the money to come along. He would be wearing a bright red shirt and driving a fancy car. "What's his name?" I asked.

"Never mind his name," my older friend said. "Just get the cash and go to where he tells you to go."

"OK," I said, "How much will I get?"

"First time $250, but don't act funny how you do!"

"What do you mean?"

"You know how you act goofy when we're playing ball? Don't do that shit."

"OK, I'm cool." I waited for the guy in the red shirt to come up in a fancy car and drop me the money and the directions. The corner was a quiet corner and I didn't see him for at least 30 minutes.