Days before he was sent away, Mundo came to see me by himself.
“Pierre’s gotta move outta PanStar,” he told me. “My mom wants him to take over my apartment on Clermont.”
“Oh, that’s nice for him,” I remarked. “How do you feel about it?”
“It’ll be good to keep it in the family, and I think he needs to get out of this shithole,” Olmando said, looking directly at me. “So, that’s a good thing, too. Hopefully, it won’t cause you too much trouble.”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine here,” I replied.
Then, on the twenty-sixth- Boxing Day, Mundo was gone and Pierre was preparing to vacate the little monk’s cell.
I spent a peaceful day alone in my PanStar back room, listening to church music on the radio and playing solitaire. I could have spent time at home with my sister and niece but I knew I had to be in Crown Heights.
I felt relieved.
Pierre stopped down from the studio- he must have heard the music.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Enjoying my peace,” I replied.
“You in the mood for some rum and dominoes?”
“Sure.”
I switched the music to Garnett Silk and pulled a bottle of Appleton Reserve out of my rum drawer.
Pierre washed the tiles.
“How do you feel about your brother being sent to Panama?” I asked Cabrón.
“Relieved.”
I gave a short laugh.
“How ‘bout you?” Pierre asked me.
“The same,” I told him.
We both fell silent.
Garnett Silk sang out.
Lord watch over our shoulders tonight and help us live Thy words tomorrow.
