Dubs and Me

David Michael Joseph | Myfanwy Kinder

Flower

That was her name
Short, Blonde (artificial), full lips
Hollywood-party girl
She was the center of it all
Love triangle turned square circle

It was a Tuesday
We were at the Martinez’s apartment
The Martinez were no good
Low level Mexican con men
It was Dubs, Martin and I

Deez was John Martinez’s make shift nurse
Diaper changer
Joe used to hang ten at Cabrillo beach, in his younger days
Hit the rocks
Now wheel chair bound
He can’t move anything but his brain

Anyway
We were drinking all the Martinez’s liquor
Cheap polish death

The tension was hidden
We all knew about Flower
We all knew the situation
We didn’t like to share
Yet we never spoke about her
But the drinks will make you talk
Loosen your jaws
Liquefy your lips

Dubs pulled her picture up onto the computer
As though a test
“That’s Flower, I took her from you,” I said.
Dubs swore he passed her to me
Like a gift
Like a baton

The argument started sitting
And then continued standing
Eye to eye
Nose to nose

Me: 6’2, 215, 7th grade teacher
Dubs: 5’10, 190, rock solid profession boxer
Deez: 5’2, 118, diaper boy

The vodka had us courageous and violent
Yet, dubs worried me.
He was strong and quick.
His profession was to destroy faces, chins and ribs.
He removed his shirt; he looked like Michael Angelo
David on Steroids

He approached me
I grabbed a ball point and stuck it into his right peck
He watched it fall onto the floor
Fear grasped me
I was in the land of trouble
The cheap potato liquor would not numb the pain

Deez tried to step in the middle
Of the storm
He was small
He was scared
No match for his drunken aggressive compadres.

The argument moved toward the sofa
The tense feeling escalated
Words spat like poison
We pushed.

I pushed him
He pushed me
We pushed each other

Dubs shoved me hard
With a two handed thrust
I fell
Anger had me
Vindication!

I grabbed him and threw him down
The ground was my nirvana
His fist were useless here

I put him in a chokehold
I pulled back on his muscular neck
He kicked his legs
He squirmed
Gasped for breath

I pulled harder
I had him
I was his ruler
I determined his future

He grabbed for my arm
No avail
Only I could free him
Only I could give him back his life

Deez screamed and threatened to call the police
I released my grasp
Not out of fear
But mercy
Dubs sucked in air

I told Dubs if he wanted more
I would meet him in an alley
We never showed

Later he asked me, if I let him go?
I nodded and said, “yes.”
He humbly shot back
“You could have killed me”
I stared him in his face, eyes frozen serious
I said
“Yes.”