Love and Wealth

this neighborhood always smelled of spoilt milk and old leftovers. My hands covered by a pair

yet I kept going. I had to. I me

hoisting up another black bag.

own the narrow alley. It was still dark, and the stree

to sleep and the world once again was quiet. I wouldn't know; I loved this silence-not by cho

ure thud echoed through the alley; blocks away, a cat shrieked.

ump site, apparently, some kind of g

it goin

the wrinkled complexion of her face. Always watching, hawk like, to make

said with a forced smil

d, her hand jiggling toward the crumpled newspa

my teeth and no

times when it seemed like my whole life was spent cleaning up after other people-never having tim

r small apartment complex-an old building that, ove

l in front of me, churning over thoughts of Grandma. She hadn't been do

its familiar tune a

an

er weak and soft voice re

kets. Pale-skinned, her hands slightly shivered while holding onto a mug of

s work?" she asked so soft

mile on my face. "I got everything done. And

old bat doesn't know how luck

g the mug delicately from he

lright, I'm just tired. The medicine

but to actually hear it from her-was a kick in th

barely scrape up enough to eat; medicine was utterly out of

you go worrying about me, Peace. You've done enough.

id obediently. "We're

ough the days and do whatever I could to keep us afloat. I wanted

I said to her. "I'l

ridge and pulled out a couple of eggs and some stale

d buzzed with ideas on how to bring in more

my way; from this action, it would appear she wanted to tell me some

mmunity center down the street. I heard they gi

t it out. "Nana, I don't have the time now. We ne

then, firmer. "You could do more

my hands over what I was going to be doing five or ten years from now

sed in upon me like a boulder, an

out onto the city. Lights flickered from afar like thin stars cast across the horizon. Somewhere out th

dn't know how, but I would get us out of this. We were never