Going home, I make a decision not to tell my mom what I’ve seen today, though the cops arriving later does not surprise me. They inform her that a passer-by found my dad’s body in an alley. They tell her there will be an investigation and ask if she has any information that may give them a lead. She doesn’t know anything, so I know the case will go cold quickly, or I hope it does.

When they leave, Mom takes the news as a turning point, deciding it’s time to get out of the place we are in.

Life sometimes hands you opportunities in the craziest of moments. It has been five years, and Mom has moved us from the inner city of Detroit to be with her family here in coastal North Carolina. She claims having the help to keep an eye on my sisters and me is the reason why. However, I think the weight of my dad’s associations in Detroit were inescapable, so she retreated.

She has found herself a decent enough waitressing job at The Shell Shack, though. It’s a small diner, specializing in local seafood. I bus tables there on the weekends. We manage to make ends meet, but it’s only barely, so I’ve been known to steal here and there to bring in a few extra dollars. It’s still better than the danger and the pace of life in Michigan.

I have made some connections here. Not ones I am proud of, but someone has got to step up. If I can ease the burden for my mom, I will, and by any means necessary. I know what I am about to do is taking things to a different level than anything I have done before; however hard times call for extreme measures.

The hot rod is one of those dilapidated tobacco buildings, which sits in an open field, housing the beautiful machine. She is a fully restored, black, 1967 Chevy Nova SS, and the dust settling over the car screams to me that no one is going to miss this piece of American muscle right away. I can have her gone and to Charlie’s chop shop in Virginia before anyone will notice, I reassure myself. Besides, mom could use the money, Laney needs new shoes, and Bonnie is getting boobs now, which means an entire new wardrobe.

The thoughts of what the extra money could do for my sisters’ pushes me forward. Sure, I’ve stolen stuff as we’ve needed it—I’ve been boosting rims and parts from a few tire shops and garages around here for the last year—but this will be my biggest haul. My buddy, Jason, will meet me and drive the car over to Charlie’s. Once there, he gets paid and we split the money.

Jason is the one who gave me the location of the car, saying everything has been scouted. It is an easy in and out. Step by step, he has given me instructions on what to do. As a minor, if I get caught, the penalties are less harsh and those records get sealed. Jason is nineteen, therefore the risks and punishments are much higher for him. So this one is all on me.