make arrangements and close out the apartment and so on and so on.

“Dad, you remember how Uncle Stanley changed his name and claimed to be a gangster?  How you, mom, and I thought he might be crazy? Let me tell you a story.”

At first dad laughed. That’s how Uncle Louie started out his tales of life in New York City or the jungles of Vietnam.  I took a long drag on my cigarette.

“Are you smoking?”

“Yeah dad, I am.”

“Jesus son, you go to New York for a couple of days and you start smoking.  Anything else your mom and I should know?”

“Yeah, right now I am in a bar having a drink, something with rum, smoking, and talking to you from a phone booth that smells like it could use a shower. It’s a nice...

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