A Rose on Ninth Street

John said, "What kept you so long? We been killing time for two hours already."

Bob said, "Who asked you to wait? Why didn't you go get a job like I did today instead of harassing old women? When are you going to grow up? It's like you're still ringing doorbells and running away."

"Oh, Bob's gone legit. Now we all got to fall in line and become respectable like him," said Leo. "What are you wasting your time with minimum wage when you can make a hundred times more on the streets?"

"I'm tired of the streets. I'm tired of running away from the cops. Besides there are other things in life."

John said, "Like sweethearts? You got a crush on that Italian girl."

Bob answered, "You leave her out of this unless you want my fist down your throat. They're nice people and they are off limits or you'll have to answer to me."

Leo said, "Bob, you don't have to talk tough to us. Remember we're your friends, we knew you when. We just got to get used to the new you."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come off like the tough guy, it's just that I got to pick up my mother at the hospital. She’s going through tests. She will be undergoing serious surgery in a few days. My grandmother and I got to pick her up tonight."

John said, "We understand. We all got it rough in some way or other. We'll leave your new friends alone. You go with your grandmother and take your mother home where she belongs. And remember you don't make no money working for nobody else but yourself. So when you come up short, remember we're friends. When you make new friends don't go throwing out the old, understand?"

"Yeah, I understand. Look I gotta go."

He left his friends in a confused state. This was Bob, a leader, and maybe second in command of the gang. Was he going soft on them, all of a sudden, in one day because of some girl he met for a couple of hours? No, as soon as his mother got better he'd be back in there swinging for his gang.