Cruz-y

Cruz Tejeda sits in his poster heavy interior decorated room with his favorite music artists, skaters, Aztec art and photo of himself and his father when he was five years old. Both are smiling at a party, his father wearing an arrowhead pendant with a turquoise dot on the tip.

Cruz stands, staring at his full length mirror. Looking back at him is a 17 year old with a black eye and bloody nose. Dry blood stains on his brand new Supreme tee he just got for his birthday. His eyes red from crying. He stares intently back at himself with anger and frustration, “you weak foo. Stupid ass. Stupid.” Just then he hears keys rattling, the front door opens. He takes off his shirt and dumps it deep into his hamper and puts on a clean white tee and throws a hat on, covering his face.

“Mijo! I’m home”, says his mother. He runs over to his desk, opens up his calculus book and pretends to work on his homework assignment that he finished two days earlier. His mother Isabel Tejeda lets herself into his room. “Hey Cruzy, how was your day?”, she says. He replies without fully facing her, “It was ok. I have a lot of work to get done”. She replies while stepping into his room, “Cruzy, look at me baby”. He hesitates but knows better than to disobey his mother. He turns around and takes off his hat. “Damn mijo, who did this to you? Was it those punks down the street? I’m going to talk to them right now.” Cruz interjects, “Naw mom, that’s gonna make it worse. It’s not a big deal”. “It’s a very big deal mijo” as she examines his eye. “Make sure to put some ice on that” as she places a box on his bed. “I worry about you mijo. I wish your dad was still around” she says. He says nothing, looking down in sorrow at the mention of his father. As he does his eyes catch the box, “what’s in the box?”. His mother responds with her best Brad Pitt impersonation, “what’s in the box!?”. Cruz smirks, knowing this is her favorite movie of all time. He responds, “funny lady here.” She replies, “it’s a bday gift from your Tia Valeria”. Isabel hands him the box. “It’s probably another weird herbal tea or hand stitched blanket”, he says as he begins to open it. “Say what you want, at least she always remembers your birthday.” He opens the box and pulls out a black book, filled with blank pages and a pen with a blue feathered cap. Inside the notebook flap is a note, Your deepest wishes and desires always come from within. We must unleash our wishes onto the world in order to deem them truth. “Why can’t she ever just write a regular note that says Happy Birthday, here’s fifty dollars?”, says Cruz as he tosses the book on his desk. His mother replies, “Be nice. Make sure to text her. Oh, I have to make dinner real quick and head out. They need me to work a double today. I’m sorry.” She caresses his head, “And we’re going to talk about that black eye later mister. Love you, I’ll probably leave in 20 or so.”

Isabel leaves the room and Cruz turns back to his desk. He stares outside his window and see’s Josh and Phillip, the bullies from up the block and high school who are the culprits behind Cruz’s eye. He stares at them in fear and disgust as they cruise around the block in Cruz’s skateboard, laughing. Cruz with his fist clenched slams on his desk and knocks over the black notebook. He picks it up and pulls out the card, reading it to himself. He thinks for a second and then grabs the pen and opens the notebook. He begins to write, I wish that I could get my skateboard back and never have to worry about Josh and Phillip. I also wouldn’t mind a coke either. He stares at the notebook thinking how dumb this seems and closes it. He puts his head down on his table.

Just then Isabel walks into his room and walks over to him. As she walks in she says, “what is going on out there?”. Cruz lifts his head and see’s John and Phillip are being detained by Police. The officer pulls out some pills from their back pocket. They are immediately hand cuffed and thrown into the police car. The car takes off. “That’s what they get for being assholes. Sorry. But they are. They’re lucky because I would have whooped their asses. Oh, here’s a coke. It’s the coldest thing in the fridge. Put that over your eye.” She hands the coke to Cruz and kisses him on the forehead, “I’m headed out mijo. Be good”. She walks out of his room. Cruz holds the coke, looking on in disbelief. What just happened within the last minute? He stares outside and then at his hand. He places the coke on his desk and just stares at it. He then stares at the notebook. He opens up the pages and goes to his first entry but when he looks at the first page he notices it’s empty. Nothing there. Weird.

He then sits at his desk, grabs the feathered pen and opens the book and begins to write. I wish I had twenty thousand dollars. He puts down the pen and then closes the book. Sits at his desk half expecting money to cascade from the ceiling. Nothing. He shakes his head and laughs, “it was just a coincidence. That was hella dumb.”

He gets up and turns on his stereo to a listen to his favorite radio station, Power Hour with Mack Lover. We hear the powerful and sultry voice of Mack Lover, everyone’s favorite DJ….“Ahhh yeah, I got the beats to move yo feats. Feel me. It’s that time of day y’all where we give out special gifts and prizes and todays especially special because we have some trivia and the first person to call in with the correct answer will win twenty G’s! That’s right, twenty G’s y’all!” Cruz turns his head to the radio in disbelief. No way he knows the answer to whatever question Mack is going to ask. “So hhheeeerrrrrreeee it is….for all my math heads out there. Remember PEMDAS? What is seven minus twenty four, divided by eight plus 6?”. First one with the answer will win big money honey! Call in at 555-237-2430.”

Cruz continues to stare at the radio and says out loud, “it’s one”. He picks up his phone, dials. The phone rings. As it rings we hear Mack Lover talking to other callers on the radio. “Caller, what is the answer?”. The first caller responds, “it’s negative 11.” We then hear a buzzer sound. “Nope, not it player. Who’s gonna get it right? Next caller, do you have the answer? Another caller responds, “Easy, the answer is 0!”. “Ah man, did you even pay attention in math class? Come one y’all. This is a lay up!”, responds Mack Lover.

Just then Cruz’s phone call stops ringing. We hear a voice on the other end which is matched with an echo from the stereo. Mack then says, “Yo, turn down that radio so I can hear you. Do you have the answer that will make ya twenty large?” Cruz responds, “It’s…it’s 1.” He stands in silence as Mack responds, “Man, I’m sorry.” Cruz is confused and defeated. He thought it was one. “I’m sorry to everyone one else because you just won twenty G’s my guy! Big win, big time. Make sure to stay on the line and get your info to our producers.”. Cruz stays on the line, a producer hops on the call. Cruz gives him all his information. He then hangs up the phone and begins to jump and scream all around his room. He is freaking out with the biggest smile across his face. He then picks up the notebook and opens it, the writing is gone. He stares at the notebook in amazement. As he stares his eyes look at the photo of him and his father. Staring at it he looks at the notebook. He grabs the pen and furiously begins to write. He finishes and stares at it: I wish I could see my dad again. He slowly closes the book. Gets up and steps away, not taking his gaze away from the black book. He begins to look around, wondering how this will work out.

Fast forward to the evening and nothing. Cruz’s wish hasn’t come true. He sits at his dinning room table alone, eating his enchilada dinner his mother left him. Then with is next bite the lights turn off in the house. “You gotta be kidding me”, responds Cruz.

A flashlight turns on illuminating Cruz’s face. He’s stands in his garage, looking for the circuit breaker. There are a bunch of boxes lying around, a mess. As he tries moving one box he trips and knocks over a pile of boxes onto himself. He gets up annoyed, flashing his light onto the circuit breaker. He gets up and hits the switch, the lights come back on. He places the flashlight down and begins to pick up the boxes, cleaning up the mess he made. As he picks up a box he see’s one labeled Ernesto’s stuff. He stares at the box momentarily but then begins tossing items back in. He looks down and see’s a DVD labeled, Bday and inside of it he see’s the arrowhead pendant we saw in the photo in his room. Cruz picks it up.

Cruz is back inside the house and pops in the DVD. He begins to play and we immediately see Cruz’s father, Ernesto Tejeda. A huge smile across his face, goofing off in front of the camera wearing his pendant. For some odd reason Cruz has never seen this footage. He stares at it, smiling back. The footage then goes from the party to his father standing in the garage we were just in. He’s holding a skateboard and adjusting the camera. “Ok, this is on. What’s up! Ok, so I just bought this camera. What’s up baby! What’s up son! I’m on camera, so cool. I have this skateboard, no spoilers but it’s for you Cruz. Although your mom said not to, sorry baby. I had one as a kid. Enjoy this son. Remember, life is short and you have to enjoy the little moments…” Just then a younger Cruz walks into the garage and Ernesto turns around hiding the skateboard behind some boxes before younger Cruz can see. “Hey! What are you doing in here?” Says Ernesto. Younger Cruz responds, “I heard your voice daddy.” Ernesto says, “You did? Well then. Let’s go inside before mom gets lonely. Who’s my strong man?”. Younger Cruz, “I am”. Ernesto responds, “that’s right. I love you mijo. You are the man”. They give each other a special handshake”. Younger Cruz runs inside, Ernest stares at the Camera and talks into it, “Whew, almost blew the surprise”. He then shuts off the camera and the screen goes blank.

Cruz stares at the screen, tears running down his face. He places the arrowhead pendant around his neck. Stares at it with pride. He rests his head back and closes his eyes, “love you to pops.”

Just then we see Cruz back at his desk, his head down. Same as earlier in the day. He lifts up his head as if waking up from a dream. He looks around. What just happened? He looks outside and see’s Josh and Phillip, standing in front. He then looks at his desk and there is the notebook. He picks up the pen. Begins to write…