UNDERWORLD FRIEND
Every time I visited the disco club, I saw him drinking at the bar. He was close to the bouncers, and looked menacingly rough and tough. Someone whispered to me that he was from the underworld, so I avoided him.
One day, he approached me and struck up a conversation. Despite his outward appearance, I was surprised by his charm and politeness. We sort of became friends.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I began to pump him with a battery of questions.
“Are you married?”
“No. It’s dangerous for any girl to marry me.”
“Is your job dangerous?”
“Kind of.”
“Have you ever thought of doing a job that is less dangerous?”
“Many times but it’s a futile wish.”
“I bet you have not tried hard enough.”
“No point trying. Let me explain it this way. I’m like a tree that is bent and it stays bent forever. There’s no way it can become straight again.”
He took a long drag on his cigarette and added, “It’s impossible for me to lead a normal life. I won’t be able to survive. Who will accept me? Who will offer me a job?”
One day, I did not see him at the club and he never appeared again.