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After exchanging pleasantries with a few other coworkers, I made my way over to say hello to Juan, who greeted me with a smile.
"Hey man, good to see you back," he said, his eyes lighting up.
I continued walking through the garage towards my boss’s office, and I noticed a buzz of activity all around me. It seemed like everyone was busy with some sort of task or another, and I became very curious.
Upon entering the boss's office, I saw that he had gathered a small group of his supervisors there for some sort of briefing. The room was bustling with energy, and I could sense that something important was about to take place.
"Good morning, Anthony," the boss greeted me as I entered the room. "Today, I am going to address all of my boys together in a meeting. So, if you see more people around today, it's because some basic rules need to be established again."
I nodded in agreement, taking in the gravity of his words. This was going to be an important meeting, and I was ready to listen and learn. With that, I left for my designated workspace, waiting anxiously for what was to come.
The time finally arrived for the meeting that the boss had alluded to earlier. As I made my way to the yard, I was surprised to see the sheer number of people that had gathered. Some were familiar faces that I had worked alongside for years, while others were complete strangers. Suddenly, I felt someone come up and grab me from behind. I turned to see Laura standing there, looking as beautiful as ever. I was surprised to see her there, but at the same time, I was grateful for her presence.
I kissed her, and she held onto my side. I whispered to her if she wanted to sit down. There were a lot of empty chairs as almost everyone was standing and holding a drink in their hands, but there were no signs of cigarettes or weed. The atmosphere felt strange, almost like they were celebrating something. I started to understand what Tank had meant—I really didn't know anything about the mob community.
Suddenly, the boss began to speak, and the crowd fell silent. He spoke about his past experiences, especially the loss of his two sons to violence, and how he had created a space in their memory where people could earn a good living without having to resort to killing or risk being killed. The boss explained that he had successfully maintained this status quo for years. But then he mentioned a name that caused the crowd to murmur—James.
"James, however, decided to go against my order, and he became the other face of this organization," the boss said, his voice filled with anger. "And we were on the verge of being rattled out to our death. He engaged in collaborations with several mob communities that weren’t allowed."
I could see the anger on the boss's face as he spoke, and I knew that things were serious. But then, he mentioned my name, and everyone turned to look at me. It was awkward, to say the least.
"But the one who made it possible to finally stop James was Anthony," the boss continued. "Many of you may not know Anthony, but some people here do. He is one of us now, especially when it's likely he will one day become my son-in-law, and I would like to formally invite him to assume James’ position."
As the crowd erupted into applause, I felt surprised and humbled. I had never expected to be accepted by this community, but now it seemed that I had a place here after all. Laura squeezed my hand, and I knew that everything was going to be okay.
After the meeting ended, I found myself surrounded by people eager to meet me and shake my hand. I exchanged small talk with various members of the organization, trying to remember all their names and faces. It was fascinating to learn more about how they operated and the intricacies of their business. I could tell that they took great pride in their work, even though it was still illegal.
As the night wore on, the atmosphere became more relaxed and jovial. People were drinking and laughing, sharing stories and jokes. I felt myself starting to loosen up and enjoy the company of these people, despite their dubious profession.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Laura's father, and I excused myself from the group to take the call. He told me that James was now in prison for good and that he had suspected him for a long time but had been unable to come up with any concrete evidence. I was surprised to hear this but also relieved that the situation had been resolved.
"Anthony, I have seen you as one of my own since you came here," he said. "You were under surveillance for a long time, but I had to let you deliver a package to my daughter to see if I could trust you. And now, you have delivered even more than a package."
I felt a sense of pride at his words but also a nagging sense of worry. What had he meant earlier when he mentioned "assuming James' position"? Was I being groomed for a more prominent role in this organization?
“I really appreciate you saying that, sir. But I didn’t—"
"—And I want you to think about taking over James' duties soon,” he said, not letting me finish. "Good luck, Anthony."
He hung up the phone, and my mind was reeling with more thoughts and questions. Filling James' duty as the boss's right hand came with a bundle of new responsibilities that demanded guts and certainty. It was not going to be a walk in the park. The uncertainties were high, and I had to make sure that everything was in order first.
***
As I sat in my home office, staring at the computer screen, I felt a sudden sense of urgency. I had to clean my house before my daughter came back home. I had also promised her a welcome home party, and I was not about to disappoint her. I quickly got up and grabbed my phone to call Mrs. Tom, who had promised to help with the party arrangements.
"Hello, Mrs. Tom?" I said, trying to sound as composed as possible.
"Hi, James. How are you doing?" she replied.
"I'm doing well, thank you. I wanted to remind you that Amanda is coming back home soon, and we had talked about organizing a welcome home party for her. Are you still up for it?"
"Of course, James. We are all excited to see her again. I'll make sure everything is ready for the party."
"Thank you, Mrs. Tom. You have no idea how much this means to me."
After the call, I felt a little better. But there was still much to do. I needed to clean up the house before the party, and I had no idea where to start. So I decided to call Laura for advice.
"Hey, baby, do you know of any cleaning services around town?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
