He couldn’t help the tears falling, despite wanting to look like a grown up in front of Angel. He rubbed his arm across his nose, as Jack inched closer to him. He wanted to run away.
“Listen, kid, why don’t you eat your dinner, and then you can tell us your story.” Axel gestured at his plate.
Kenny nodded, not sure how much he could eat with the lump in his throat. He glanced at Angel, but she wasn’t laughing at him. She gave him a smile and picked up her fork. He watched as she wrapped the white strings around her fork. He tried to do the same, but it kept falling off.
“What’s wrong with you? You never eat spaghetti before?”
“No,” Kenny admitted. “But it’s delicious.”
“Here, kid, like this,” Lucky showed him how to manage the meal. He wasn’t entirely successful, but at least he got almost as much in his mouth as he did on his chin. It was the best thing he had ever tasted. The meatballs were rich and spicy, not bland like the food he was used to.
“Did you get anything for afters, Angel?” Lucky asked.
“I didn’t have time to bake, but I picked up some pastries. I was keeping them for Sunday, but you can have them now, if you want.”
“You are an angel. Lucky, put some coffee on,” Axel ordered, as he lit up a cigarette.
“You put the coffee on. I ain’t your wife,” Lucky retorted, but, before he had barely finished the sentence, Axel sprang out of the chair and pushed his brother up against the wall, Lucky’s hand twisted painfully behind his back.
“Let go, you big lump. I’ll do it,” Lucky shouted.
Kenny glanced at Angel, but she didn’t seem to notice the violence going on around her. She sat finishing the remains of her dinner.
“Angel’s been working hard all day making us this food. You guys show some respect,” Haviv said, putting the kettle on the fire to boil. He added some coffee to a pot and then poured the hot water on top. A beautiful aroma filled the room. Kenny had never tasted coffee before. He hoped the brothers would let him try it, although he felt rather sleepy after the meal.
“You okay there, kid? You look like you’ll fall asleep in your plate any second.”
Kenny sat straighter in response to Axel’s remark.
Haviv poured coffee for all of them, including Kenny. He added some sugar before handing the cup to the boy. Kenny tasted the drink. Yuck. It had smelled so good, but he preferred tea. He wasn’t about to say that, though.
“Kid, tell us again why you want to go to Macy’s. What’s this about your sister and your ma?” Axel asked, lighting a second cigarette from the butt of the first.
Kenny told him his story. He didn’t cry this time, but he stumbled over some of the words. It was hard talking about Mary. He missed her more than his ma.
“Jeez, you had it tough, kid. You got somewhere to stay tonight?” Axel asked, setting his cup down on the table.
Kenny shook his head.
“You can stay here with us,” Axel offered. “We got plenty of room. Tomorrow afternoon we’ll take you down to Macy’s, and you can see Santa and ask him whatever you like.”
“Don’t go making promises to the boy,” Lucky warned. “Seeing Santa costs money.”
“I know that,” Axel said. “I’ll pay for him. Can’t have a kid miss out at Christmas, now can we?”
Kenny didn’t hear the rest of the conversation, having lost his battle. His head would have landed in the plate of food but for Angel’s quick response.
“Sounds like he had a lucky escape with a ma like his,” Lucky said.
“It’s sad and all that, but he ain’t our problem,” Axel shot back. “We got bigger fish to fry. We have to get out of New York. Let the heat simmer down a little. Eastman is out for blood.”
“Shoot, it wasn’t our fault the guard got killed. We didn’t know Monk had that place under his personal protection,” Haviv protested.
“Don’t matter. We are going in the river, if we don’t get clear,” Axel responded grimly.
“Where do you suggest we go?”
“I don’t know. What about Uncle Asael’s place out in Maine? Quiet enough down there. Aunt Rachel keeps writing, telling us to come and meet some nice Jewish girls. Maybe Santa can give you a bride for Christmas.” Lucky’s remark earned him a belt across the ear from Axel.
“Ah, man, she keeps kosher. She’d have us committed herself for not observing Shabbat,” Haviv moaned.
“She might have us praying, but at least we’d be alive. More than can be said if we stay around Monk!” Axel stood up, as he spoke.
“What will we do with the kid?” Haviv asked.
“Take him with us? He got nothing left in New York. Maybe Aunt Rachel can find him a wife?” Axel replied, picking Kenny up with a surprisingly gentle touch. Kenny opened his eyes and smiled up at the man who had promised to pay for him to see Santa. Then he closed them again and fell back into a deep sleep, totally unaware of the plans being made for his future.