CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 35: THE END OF UGLINESS

Last night, Kelly and I made love for a long time, it lasted for three hours.

This poor girl kept catering to me, fulfilling my desires, and soon fell asleep on the bed from exhaustion.

The alarm clock woke me from my sleep, I opened my eyes and looked at the ceiling above, the fatigue disappeared.

Kelly was holding my neck, leaning against my chest.

Her wheat-colored skin was very healthy,

Parting her hair with my hand, I found that straight hair suited her well.

Seemingly sensing I was awake, Kelly opened her eyes and bit my finger, licking it with her tongue. Like a puppy pleasing its owner.

I picked up my phone and looked at the screen, 11 o’clock, kissed Kelly’s forehead, and sat up on the bed.

"Aren’t you going to sleep a bit more?"

"I have to attend a friend’s funeral later, you can go find Ella."

"You go to work, I won’t disturb you."

"Alright, you can watch TV, and use my kitchen."

"Can I use your computer?" Kelly pointed at the computer in the corner of the bedroom.

"Sure."

I put on my underwear and chose a black suit.

Fixed my hair.

Kelly watched me naked, "You look more handsome."

I knew, because the charm had improved, my appearance had changed.

I left the apartment and drove to the old church.

The church held Eddy’s coffin, his wife was crying on the side, with a four-year-old child next to her.

The child looked at the coffin timidly, "Mom, why doesn’t dad get up? He’s been sleeping for a long time."

The woman wiped her tears, "Dad is very tired, he needs to sleep for a while."

My heart felt like it had been pierced, sometimes lies are to cover up the truth.

A child shouldn’t experience this. In his young heart, dad hasn’t left, he’s just tired.

As I approached the coffin, I looked at Eddy inside, he was made up and quietly lying in the coffin.

I went to the woman’s side and handed her a bag.

"Kenny. Thank you for coming!"

"I’m very sorry, Shara!"

The woman cried in my arms. "Why, why did this happen?"

Shara’s sobbing left me speechless.

"Kenny, I miss Eddy so much." The woman’s body was trembling.

"This is the cash Eddy left with me, you’ll need it. Thirty thousand dollars."

I intended to give her ten thousand, but that wasn’t enough, Eddy’s funeral needed money. Cemetery, coffin, many places needed money, this isn’t a movie, only giving you a picture, omitting the details, life is like this, full of helplessness in many places. A coffin costs five thousand dollars or maybe more, a plot also costs fifteen hundred dollars, venue fees, entertaining friends, it requires a large sum of money, without Eddy, Shara’s life fell into bewilderment.

So I gave her thirty thousand, I knew I was foolish, Eddy didn’t die because of me, I didn’t need to do this, but I understood, gangs are more ruthless than many professions.

We don’t have stable incomes, no social security, no medical insurance, there won’t be poverty relief, nor will there be the kindness of a boss, Johnny won’t give Eddy’s family a large sum of money.

In a gang, if someone dies, what’s waiting for their family is despair.

In movies, gangs will give compensation to deceased companions.

Bullshit, we’re not soldiers.

Damn it, movies are never reality. Reality is cruel!

Holding the plastic bag, the woman wiped her tears, "Thank you, thank you Kenny, I know Eddy wouldn’t leave the money outside, he would give it to me first thing, this isn’t Eddy’s money. I can’t accept it."

"Shara, you still need to live, the child still needs to grow, this is my meager gift."

"Thank you. Thank you, Kenny!"

"It’s okay, call me if you need help."

The woman nodded while crying. "Kenny. I don’t know what to say."

"It’s okay, it will get better!"

Amir stood to the side, waving to me.

"Buddy, you came?"

"Yeah."

"Only you helped Eddy’s widow, those guys just attended the funeral. Is Eddy not our brother? Johnny just attended, did nothing."

"Who bought the coffin and the plot?"

"Me."

Hearing Amir’s answer, I smiled and patted his shoulder, "Brother."

"Of course!" Amir bumped fists with me. "We are true brothers."

"Forever!" Thirty thousand dollars is nothing, I still have eighty thousand, but Eddy’s family needs this money, true friends are those who reach out a hand in your moment of despair, not the ones who console you with words, no matter how pleasant the words are, they can’t solve your problem.

"FOREVER! I’m really disappointed with Johnny now, he didn’t even want to buy a coffin.

Buddy, I’m always on your side. You ended the war, many brothers admire you, your influence in the Johnny Clan has grown. The boss plans to let you go to the club."

"Do what?"

Amir leaned close to me and lowered his voice, "Watch the place."

"What?"

"Shh!" Amir looked around, "Keep it down."

"Damn it, that bastard plans to remove me from the gang’s management." I understood Johnny’s plan, because my influence had grown, he feared I would shake his position.

Watch the place.

This is standard gang business, but compared to smuggling, illegal liquor sales, and gasoline black market, it doesn’t bring much income, watching the place is something underlings do.

The most profitable businesses for gangs are always drugs, gambling, prostitution.

Low risk, money laundering businesses are clubs and nightclubs.

In the Johnny Clan, the club belongs to Sofia, Johnny doesn’t have capital for casinos and online gambling. Smuggling, Johnny has no channels and connections.