Downtown II (Rough)

After a little haggling, I got him to drive me home instead of the hospital. When we got there, he insisted on coming up for awhile to make sure I was alright. Inside I got two beers from the fridge and we sat at the kitchen table.
"How's your head brother?" He asked looking up.
"Feels like a fist is growing inside it," I said fingering the wound "but the bleeding stopped." Here he shook his head slowly with a wide grin.
"What?" now grinning myself.
"It's Monday."
"Yeah, so what?"
"Who's gonna try and rob somebody, . .knowing damn well they ain't got no money in their pocket?" He struggled to finish his sentence and we both busted out laughing.
"Hey," holding my hand out to shake his "thanks for looking out back there 'mano, I appreciate it."
"Don't worry about it G, ain't the first time somebody got hit downtown."
Somewhere around five minutes went by, as we drank our beers in silence.
"You want another one?"
"Yeah, one more before I go." I threw out the empty bottles, and brought back two full ones. Handing him his beer, I noticed he was contemplating something.
"Hey G," he said with a concerned expression.
"Yeah?"
"You alright man? For the past couple weeks you been lookin' down." For a minute, all I could do was stare blankly at the ceiling. I considered using the same excuse I'd given Dezi, but it didn't feel right.
"In a few weeks, it'll be a year since my fiance died." he paused.
"I'm sorry man, I didn't know."
"No, it's alright . . ."
"What was she like? . . .sorry you probably don't wan . . ."
"No I don't mind. Her name was Ana, I've never met anybody else like her." Another minute or so of silence, images of love lost flashing through my mind.
"She was from the East side, not far from the Knolls. Toughest girl I'd ever met, nothing could shake her, she was always cool you know, never let any emotions show. The first time I met her, I was with Louie Choi at the Four Seasons," I smiled remembering "You know Lou, he walked over and slapped her ass, but this girl didn't miss a beat, she turned and busted him in the mouth. I still remember the look on his face." We both laughed.
"So, I helped him up and started apologizing, but all the time I was still trying not to laugh, right? She tried to look angry but we all ended up laughing, everybody but Lou. After that we were thick as thieves, you know? After a few months we  moved into to this apartment together. I've never been that happy, not even close.
All life was with her was laughing and making love, we never fought once."
"I proposed just a year after that day at the Seasons. Things started fast for us, and ended just as quickly. One night she was at her sister's apartment, some kind of family problems, I can't remember what it was now. She didn't come home, but I didn't think anything of it; I figured she just stayed there for the night. . ."
A minute or two went by, as I tried to find the words.
"A phone call woke me up around six o'clock in the morning, it was Ana's sister. She was crying so hysterically I couldn't understand her. When Ana left her apartment that night, she got held at gunpoint in the parking lot. I found out later that the jacker wanted her engagement ring. . .She gave him her all her money, her car keys, but it wasn't enough. She wouldn't give him the ring, they struggled and he shot her. They found her with her fingers clenched around the ring. . .She stood her ground and he fuckin' shot her." My eyes burned, and as I looked at my hands, I noticed I was shaking. Doral lit two cigarettes and offered me one. I struggled with nervous fingers, dragging deeply.
"G . . I'm sorry man," he said with a somber expression "the streets take, but they don't give back." I nodded, still staring at my trembling fingers. A few minutes went by and I showed him out. I didn't get much sleep that night.