Brotherly Love
“They were supposed to be here a while ago”.
“Hey, I’m just the messenger, Jimmy”.
Jimmy lights up a cigarette, opens the driver’s side window a bit. Dylan’s “Knocking On Heavens Door” plays quietly on the car radio.
“It’s freezing out there”.
Jimmy reaches out to turn up the heat.
“Listen, Donny, I’ve got everything riding on this. It’s my last chance. Don’t give me this “messenger” crap. You know better than anyone that you’ve gotta be firm with these guys”.
Jimmy leans forward, searches for something beneath his seat. He locates his .44 Magnum, puts it in his right jacket pocket.
“Are you frigging crazy? You know who you’re dealing with?”
“Just in case, Donny boy, just in case”.
Donny shakes his head from side to side.
“I’m out of here”. Donny opens the passenger side door and shifts his body to exit. He stops, reconsiders, and slams the door shut.
“You screw up, Jimmy, I’m a dead man, whether I’m here or not. I got a wife and family, for Christ sakes”.
Jimmy, stoically staring straight ahead, takes a long drag on his cigarette. He turns his head and leans in toward Donny.
“Yeah. You’ve got a wife and family. And a grey Mercedes sitting next to the red Porsche in your garage. And you’ve got your five million dollar home and your thriving wise guy law practice. But I’ll tell you one thing you don’t got. You got no memory. Who the hell raised you, little brother? Who saved your ass from the neighborhood bullies? Who worked his ass off to put you through college and law school?”
“You did, Jimmy, and I love you to no end. Listen, when you came to me and told be what shape you were in, what did I say? I said what’s mine is yours. Anything, any amount of money, it’s yours. I owe everything I have to you. Screw your pride, Jimmy, take what you need till you’re in better shape. If it makes you feel better, consider it a loan. Come on, put the gun away and let’s both get the hell out of here”.
Jimmy flicks his cigarette butt out the open window, into the pitch black winter night. He catches a momentary glimpse of a car’s headlights in the side view mirror.
“Give me the bag, Donny”.
Donny reluctantly opens the glove compartment, and pulls out a small plastic bag. Jimmy reaches over to take it from him, but his
brother’s grip is strong. He suddenly puts his hands on both sides of his younger brothers face, and gives him a hard, long kiss on his forehead.
“It’s something I have to do, Donny”.
Jimmy sits up straight, and Donny hands him the bag. He sticks the bag in the same jacket pocket with his .44 Magnum.
“Stay in the car, Donny. You hear me? Stay in the car!”
As his older brother exited and closed the door, approaching the limousine parked some yards away, his mind was racing. How the hell did he let himself get involved with this? There’s just no way Jimmy was going to suck it up in order for things to go down smoothly. And I’m the one who set this up, he thought. They’re going to take it out on me in the end.
He sat there, and for the first time he could ever recall, felt genuine anger towards his older brother. Jimmy, who looked after and protected him for as long as he could remember. His surrogate mother and father. His idol.
Donny could take it no longer. He got out of the car and approached the dark tinted glass limousine. When he was but about twenty feet away, the rear door opened, and Jimmy and Poppa Joe stepped out.
“You’re brother is not an easy man to do business with”.
Donny was staring at Jimmy’s jacket pocket. It was if he had x-ray vision, for he could see his brother’s hand firmly holding the gun, a finger curled tightly round the trigger.
Jimmy turned his back to his brother, and motioned Poppa Joe to do the same. Donny could not make out a word of their conversation. Finally, he saw Poppa Joe’s head bob up and down a few times, and the two turned around to face Donny.
“Everything is squared away, Donny, it’s all okay”, Poppa Joe said to Donny.
“I love you, kid brother”, said Jimmy, before he took out his .44 Magnum, put it in his mouth, and pulled the trigger.
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Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist