That was why my room consisted mostly of medical books. Wall to wall in fact. Among some other crowd favorites when I had time to read them. Attending the University of California’s medical school left me very few hours for hobbies. But when I had time to party, it was on. I’d watched three of my loved ones pass on because of heart complications – misdiagnosed.
In a lot of ways, my aspiration to be a heart surgeon stemmed from this. I wanted to be the one giving the right diagnosis. To walk in and tell the family, “He’s going to pull through. He made it.”
Not the dreaded doom and gloom like when my uncle passed away. I would never forget that day.
The doctor had pulled down his teal mask with a grim face. “Unfortunately, your uncle didn’t make it. We did our best.” No. I didn’t want to hear that anymore. I wanted to save lives. To help people. My family members weren’t helping themselves, though. They ate all sorts of heavy, rich Puerto Rican foods. Part of my culture, no running from that with all our large family gatherings.
I happened to be the pioneering one in my family. The first one to go to college, a foreign concept to my extended family. They didn’t understand why I couldn’t be at every family gathering and doing things with them at every turn. I was looking forward to letting loose with my friends.
THREE
DIEGO
Not bad at all. Merced. As soon as I let the engine stop and felt the ground underneath my feet, I knew I was in the right place. Slight breeze and mild California weather so far. A mighty fine place to start a chapter. I checked into the Studio 6 motel, as good a place as any to hang up my biker boots for the night. Nothing fancy about it, just a comfortable bed and a nightcap. That was all a man like me needed. A pretty young teenager behind the reception greeted me.
“Hi. How can I help you?”
I greeted her back with a smile.
“I want to check in for three nights.”
“Let me see here. Looks like we have a room available; number 36B. Do you want the continental breakfast as well?” she asked.
“Sounds good.” I winked at her, taking the keys off her hands.
It was a plain room, all the amenities I required. Fresh towels, a TV, the little packet soaps, and a desk with two chairs. It would be okay for the short term, my plan being to find permanent accommodation and get set up. I shot off a text to Ryder.
Made it. Merced is the place. Checking in.
I didn’t expect a call back right away. I just wanted to let him know out of respect. Ryder’s schedule would have increased right along with his responsibilities. Now, he was the president with big shoes to fill. Padre’s death hit me hard. Another reason for the move. Too many places around La Playa reminded me of him. I recalled one time at Blue Dog Saloon at midnight over whiskey sours.
“You know, Diego. I started this chapter with a dream in mind. We’ve defended our turf. We’ve even fought wars with other bike gangs to hold our place. Outlaw Souls will always live on. The stories I could tell you…man. The life I’ve known would blow you away.” From Padre’s leathery skin, his street knowledge and timelines etched around his eyes, I knew he was telling the truth. He’d lived a hard and fast life. I learned so much from him. One conversation was forever etched in my brain.
“Loyalty is everything. If people are loyal to you, you never have to worry. The trouble is how to gain and keep that loyalty. Now that’s where the magic formula is.” He would let his cigar hang out of his mouth without lighting it. “There’s honor in that.” A brilliant mind taken to the other side. I looked in the hotel mirror after I checked in. I pulled at my beard a little. Not a full one, just enough to call it that. I could do with a shape-up. And to hit the gym. I carried myself well normally. I just noticed the edges blurring a little. Some softness. Nothing a month or two in the gym wouldn’t sort out. But one step at a time. Tomorrow would be the day to scout these places out. I decided against heading to the hotel restaurant; plenty of time for that. I wanted to get a feel for the real Merced. I was a diner man, so that was where I headed to.
I rode out a little, not too far from where I was staying. I eased the bike into the Black Bear Diner. A red brick building set up like a modern-day diner. Made sense they’d call it that. Merced wasn’t far from the home of the black bears. I made a mental note to make Yosemite Park the first official ride for the motorcycle chapter. The freshness of the air up here made me appreciate my new surroundings. Pine trees, raging rivers, closer to the wilderness of California. I breathed in the crisp air and entered the diner. The place had a nice beat to it. Humble. Again, nothing fancy. A few people talking in corner booths, but nothing out of the ordinary. I had a hankering for another burger and fries with a whole lotta ketchup, and a window seat. A strawberry shake to wash it down with would put me in the right mood for anything. I made a mental note to hit the gym or hike next week. My fast metabolism would burn it right off. I was lucky like that.
I sat down near the window to look out. I picked up the local paper to get a feel for some things in town. I checked in on the menu, hoping they had what I wanted. Yes, I was in luck. My mouth started to water, imagining the taste of the burger. A young waitress approached. At first, she didn’t look up from her notepad.
“Hi, sir. Welcome to the Black Bear Diner. What can I get for you today?”
“Hi. I will have the big bear burger with extra ranch sauce, a strawberry shake and fries with ketchup.” I’d been told by many – mostly women – that I had a seductive voice. Might have been my Argentine accent that reared its head from time to time. Especially if I had a drink or I was angry. One that made women pay attention. Her eyes shot up and I watched her reaction. She was a cutie—too young, though. From her youthful appearance, I would say nineteen or twenty. Her face broke into a wide smile.
“Uh- okay. Would you like anything else?” She stared a little too long. I let her look.
“No. I’m good. But here’s something for you.” I gave her a tip. Sweet kid.
“Thank you so much,” she gushed as her cheeks flushed with pink. The smile got a little bit wider as she scampered back behind the counter. Being the good citizen I was, I didn’t want her being too bored at work. She’d probably been serving customers all day.
I had a nice vantage point from my booth so I saw her before she spotted me. A real Spanish beauty, had to be or at least she had some Spanish blood in her. I hoped it would be me soon. Long auburn hair, dimples and the eyes of a seductress. Her voluptuous body was poured into red jeans with a black tight-fitting top and a jean jacket. From head to toe, she did it for me. Made me do a double-take just like the waitress did when she saw me. She was a bad mama jama. Three other women were with her. But she held her own in the group. I sized her up. Nice height, fit right in the size of my palm. She wouldn’t have been taller than five feet six. Petite in size, feminine, and my heart started pumping just that little bit harder. A nice welcome to Merced. She looked like she was laughing and sharing a joke with her friends; she hadn’t turned her head my way yet.
The door swung open and the waitress made her way to me with my order. I smelled it coming. My stomach growled on cue.
One of the girls from the group said, “Wow, that looks so good. I’m going to get what he’s having.” I guessed when they saw who the burger was being delivered to, their tune changed.
“Forget the burger. I will take the guy who ordered it.” I turned my back to them, but they were loud enough to be within earshot of me. I smirked to myself. Let the games begin.
“I agree.” Girlish talk and giggles. The Black Bear Diner was shaping up to be good for my ego. I decided to turn and flash them a grin, but when I looked back, the hot girl crew were ordering.
