Chapter 30

As it turned out a stray bullet did hit Anna’s car, but no vital organs were hit. With all six of them going full-bore the apartment is packed and ready for the movers inside of four hours.

Eric wonders, “Do you actually have anywhere to put all of this stuff?”

“Most of it will go in the garage, and then we’ll assimilate most of it into the house.”

Anna continues for him, “His house is...”

“Our house!”

Anna smiles. “Our house is too nice for my older furniture so I’ll probably give it to a charity.”

David asks the man question, “What are you going to do with your three Harleys and your Chevelle?”

“I think two of them, the Chevelle and all of this stuff will fit in the garage. I guess I’ll just put my Dyna Wide Glide out back under a tarp.”

“Oh, I don’t want you to have to put your first Harley outside.”

“Babygirl, don’t you worry about it. While I was in the Army it was out back of my parent’s house and then outside of my apartment until I got a job and a better place with a garage. It’s a Harley, Anna, they are diehards just like me.”

Just remembering something Anna says, “Oh yeah, when do I get to meet your parents?”

“You haven’t introduced her to your family yet? Not even your little sister Melanie!” Lisa looks at Derek and shakes her head like shame, shame.

“We’ll get to it, don’t you worry. We have all the time in the world.”

With a smile and a kiss they go back to work.

The girls, Anna, Brandi and Lisa are becoming true friends, not just his best friends and his girlfriend. They laugh and joke and work at a fun pace. Derek looks at Anna and is glad recent events have not weighed upon her beautiful spirit.

“Anna, do you want to see if any of your neighbors need a couch and chair?”

“Okay!” They go outside and the first person they see is the gangbanging Hector, who has always liked Anna. “Hector?”

He turns towards them and as he is walking up on them he answers, “Yes, Anna?”

“I was wondering if your mom would like my couch and chair set.”

“Let me ask.” They all walk over to Hector and his mom’s apartment on the bottom floor. Hector yells through the kitchen window in Spanish if she wants Anna’s couch and chair.

“Cee!” and then she continues on in more Spanish that Derek doesn’t understand.

A moment later Hector’s mom Marie comes out of the apartment. They all walk up the stairs and into the apartment. Hector asks again what his mom thinks. “Cee.”

“Yes, Anna, mom would love to have them, gracias!”

“You are welcome, Hector and Marie, you two were the first to welcome me into the neighborhood and Hector you even stood up for me a couple of times.”

When Anna says that last part of Hector standing up for her Derek looks at Hector with a new earned respect. “What do you do, Hector?”

“Nothing right now, but I would love to get a job and move my mom to a better neighborhood. Not that there isn’t a lot of good people here, but every since the last couple of deaths between my gang and a rival gang, my mom is really scared for me. I don’t like to see her cry.”

Derek takes Anna over to the side and whispers something to her. She nods her head with a smile. Derek turns back to Hector, “Hector, if you are willing to ride a bus, stay off of drugs, definitely at work, and always be on time, I think I can get you a job.”

“Really? Oh, amigo, that would be great!” Hector turns around and tells his mom everything and she lights up and starts hugging everybody going on in Spanish.

With big smiles Derek says, “David, you want to help me get this couch into their apartment? Eric, if you would help Hector with the chair.”

They move the furniture and by the time the boys are done with that, the girls are taping off the last of the boxes. They fill up Derek and Anna’s cars and head over to Anna’s new world.

As they are leaving Derek walks up to Hector and says as he is handing him a piece of paper, “Hector, come in Monday morning of the sixteenth. Not this Monday because that is when Anna starts her new job there, so the following Monday.”

“Gracias! Thank you so much.”

“Your honor towards Anna is what got you in the door, now it will take personal work ethic to stay and flourish.”

“I won’t let you down, man.”