Adrian Del Valle - Diego's Brooklyn (23 page)

Returning to stand by the table, Jimmy picked up the cup and slowly sipped what was left of the coffee. He put the cup down and opened his jacket, carelessly knocking the gun to the floor. He glanced at the both of them, huddled together in an embrace, and bent down to pick it up. After another glance at Ana, he promptly stuck it back under his waistband.

“I like you two. I don’t beat up nice people. I’m letting the both of you go. Like I said before, I got nothing against neither one of you.”

Reaching under his Jacket, he repositioned the gun to double check that it was securely in place. Taking out his wallet, he gestured with a slight head nod toward Diego. “Here, kid, take this twenty and buy your mother a nice new dress for that wedding. It’s on me.”

He followed with another twenty, tossing it onto the table. “That’s for shoes, so you can match the dress? And here’s twenty more to make up for that dickhead partner of mine. Have a nice life…and stay out of chimneys.”

END

EPILOGUE

Ana borrowed a coat from Karen and went to the wedding with Danny. They eventually married. She got her hip fixed and now lives happily in South Setauket, Long Island. And yes, they dance quite often.

Diego completed college and got his law degree. When time allows, he visits the Jacksons.

Bill and Beulah love the elevator in their building even though they only live on the second floor. It’s next door to the Senior Center where Beulah’s corn bread and chocolate chip cookies are enjoyed by everyone there. They have a small dog named, Chico, and are often seen arm in arm strolling the landscaped grounds.

Diego’s good friend Larry is with the New York City Transit System, having worked his way up from subway conductor to motorman. He’s fat as a whale.

Mary, at the insistence of her sister, Ellen, eventually moved in with her. Ellen is a faithfully committed vegetarian who prides herself in her organic and herb garden. Mary has devoted herself to the entirely new life style and has become as thin as Ellen. They both hate Twinkies.

Jerry is a cop in a neighboring precinct and has a family of four. When in the neighborhood, he also checks in on the Jacksons.

Leroy teaches High School and coaches baseball.

Jimmy moved to New Jersey, studied business in college and now manages a chain of stores.

Luigi; well, let’s call him by his real name, Louis. He owns the building and still lives upstairs. He has a pretty wife and a little girl named Antonia. They vacation every year at Anthony’s house in Naples, Italy, where Anthony grows grapes and makes his very own wine.

Now, who do we have left? Oh, yeah, Jose. The D’avino’s retired. Jose bought the store and renamed it, “Pier 34 Pet Shop”.

So next time you visit Brooklyn, and if you get lost in Boerum Hill like a lot of people do, stay a while and have a pizza.

Otherwise…
fugedaboudit!

Dats it