Where is Dixon?

Meredith’s POV

Dixon is still not home. He is turning fifteen in two months and we’ve been on our own since he was ten. The neighborhood where we live may not be ideal for some, but it’s home for me and him. We live in District 8, East Harlem, New York. Where it’s noisy, hot and the people knew about each other’s business.

Our neighborhood is bounded roughly by the Hudson River, the Harlem River, and 155th street on the north, fifth avenue on the east, and the famous Central Park on the south which makes it a good place for hanging out for kids and young adults. It was fair to say that we had great memories as kids here. We were born and raised here, along with our parents and I think this is where Dixon and I will raise our own families in the future.

My brother is named after my late father, God bless his soul.

But as soon as he stepped into his teenage era, he no longer want to be called by his real name. Dixon Jose Gomez. I call him by his full name whenever he gets on my nerve, just like now.

I came home from work. Actually, from my second job, that is. Yes, I keep two jobs to make ends meet for me and my brother. Exhausted and in desperate need of sleep, but I had to cook. Pigs would fly if Dixon touched the pots and pans. I would never let him near the stove since the last time he attempted to fry eggs and we almost had to call the fire department. He was banned from the kitchen except when he needed to get plates and drinks from the fridge. However, I got paid tonight and I was feeling a little extra so I swung by our favorite dim sum place. Dixon loves Chinese takeout, I don’t but it’s cheaper than my favorite: rib eye steak with russet potato.

The last thing I want to do was for my parents to wake up from their graves and haunt me in my dreams for underfeeding my brother. You see, in our household, it was totally okay to be delayed in already overdue payments but never to be short on food.

In the Gomez household, that is blasphemy.

“DJ! Okay, I am in no mood to play hide and seek, you are too old for that shit. Come here, I have takeout! My stomach is grumbling and you don’t like me when I am hungry!” I yell again, not too hard so as not to annoy the neighbors. We have thin walls and every noise we make or the next-door neighbor makes, we can hear. Even the noises that we are not supposed to hear.

Usually, Dixon is waiting for me when I get home. The house is quiet. Something is not right.

Ring!Ring! Ring!

“H-hello?” I stammered and gripped the hem of my sweater. “Hello?”

“Looking for your brother?”

That is when I knew my brother and I were screwed. My palms instantly produced more sweat than necessary and my heart was threatening to rip my ribcage. The man’s voice was deep and guttural and with those certain characteristics of the caller, the chances that it was bad news were huge.

“Yes,” I tried to sound brave, “who‘s this? Where is Dixon? Who gave my number to you?”

“Listen very carefully, Meredith Gomez because my boss doesn’t like repeating himself. I’ve sent you an address, be there tomorrow. If you want to see your brother alive, I suggest you don’t bother the cops.”

“...but…”

He chuckled, even his laugh sounded menacing, sending shivers up my spine. “ I am telling you again, don’t you dare tell a soul about this. We are watching you. One wrong move and we will send your brother's head in a pretty box and scatter his remains in the city.”

I heard a beep from my phone. If I am not mistaken, it’s my message notification. “What? You’re kidding, right? This is a mix-up. No. We are poor! If this is a kidnap-for-ransom scheme, well we are not----- hello? Hello?”

The line went dead.

I paced the small living room, its carpet was worn and old as hell and the couch was battered and designed with patches. Every time it gets ripped, my trusty biscuit tin can filled with needles and threads inside does its magic and repair it. Dixon was planning to replace it next week. Oh, shit. What kind of trouble did that young man get into this time?

Dixon’s room is never locked, I went inside. His room is filled with posters of his favorite bands and pictures of the online games he plays. His laptop was there but it had a password. I sigh. The teenage years are hard. My brother used to cry and beg me to let him skip school because he was often bullied.

But, I didn’t want him to do that. I told him high school is nothing like High school musicals and he had to be tough and suck it in. I know that for sure but I was built differently and females tend to mature and some would skip all the hard stages of teenage years because they had to grow up and be adults. With Dixon, it was different. He’s a crybaby and as his sister, I worried a lot.

I strive hard to give him a comfortable life as much as I could. But kids these days are hard to please, they want to keep up with the trend, new gadgets, new clothes, basically every nice things in life. Though Dixon wouldn’t say it to my face, I can tell that he wants to have what his schoolmates have.

Well, that’s why I was working my ass so hard. I’d rather not have anything for myself as long as Dixon gets whatever he desires, though it takes time, I make sure he gets it. I was clueless about how my sweet brother got tangled in this shit.

Sleep was scarce that night, I tossed and turned in bed, with my phone in my hand. A part of me wanted to dial the nearest Police department but what if they are right? What if they’re watching me? I bolt out of bed and closed the blinds in my bedroom as well as the other windows and made sure that the door was double locked. Dixon will know where to find the spare key. Oh, God. I wish this was all a bad dream.

With nothing left to do, I returned to my bed and closed my eyes, and hoped that my prayers will be heard this time.

“Whoever is listening, I know this is really awkward. The last time I prayed was the day before our parents died. Please, don’t take it against me. I was young and I had to find someone to blame. It’s not right, but let’s get over that. Please, please, wherever Dixon is, watch over him.”

She still can’t sleep.

“Fuck it! Maybe it’s a joke and Dixon is with his friends. I am going to look for him!” Meredith left their apartment unit in a haste to meet the cold night and her fate.