There for the Taking

Neil told his boss, lied, that he needed to take a long lunch, “Two hours, tops, Larry, I swear!” and he punched out, took the 31 bus, then transferred to the 122.


He broke into his pop’s house, opened the gun safe, and took a box of shells and a shell box he emptied onto the floor with his pop‘s emergency cash before stuffing the bankroll into his jeans.


He took a Glock 17 and an extra clip, and took his pop’s beat-up Pontiac but with a big motor you could eat off-of, leaving the garage door ajar to look like a vacationer’s break-in.


He took Interstate 76, and got off on Passyunk Avenue, took Passyunk to South Ritner to 22nd, took 22nd up to Jackson St. where she was out front chewin’ gum like her jaws were pistons or somethin', an’ he hated when she did dat.


LaDonna threw her bag in the back seat, jumped into the front, took her sweet time with a sloppy kiss, and with squealing tires, Neil took her, too.


Takin’ your brother’s wife gets you dead in South Philly, prolly anywheres, and Neil took a last look at the ‘city of brotherly love’ in his ole man’s rear-view, and thought, ‘Screw dat,’ as he shot an answering grin at LaDonna's.