It’s already the Friday before Christmas – the day that the Trishawmafia have committed themselves to making that exchange so Java could get the tee shirt he ordered instead of the one he got. No word yet from them however, and Java has been getting restless. We‘re due to make the trip back from the hills to the city this morning, so there’s quite a bit of time before he has to make contact with M at the Boulevard to find out if the exchange has been made and we can make the pickup later in the evening. I’m just hoping that everything will go smoothly and that there will be no chance of Java getting pissed off and starting something.

Heeey maaan, know what? If dat raggedy-ass bunch of tree-wheeler hoods welch on dis deal ah jus be havin to get mah Sicilian connections from out of dat woodwork on da Boulevard and get mah Rasta brodders out of Trenchtown to neutralize dere asses. Dis aint bout territory or any of dat sheet, dis be bout honor an dat can’t be fucked wit, right? Even thieves have dis honor number going on – or so we be told, so less see what kind of propriety exist in dis Trishawmafiosi.

The last thing that I want to cope with during this time of goodwill and good-cheer, partying and generally having a good old time of it, is for Java to get embroiled in some feud that has all the potential of turning violent. In view of this, I thought it may be wise to give the Trishaw mafia a gentle reminder. I had the address from the last message they sent, so I dropped them a mail. It went like this:

Dear Trishawmafia,

This is to remind you that the Friday you said you would deliver the tee shirt by has now dawned. Mr. Jones is apprehensive, to say the least, so we do hope that all will go well and the exchange could be made sometime this evening – same place. I can not stress enough the importance of honoring your commitment, as Mr. Jones is indeed most particular in matters of this nature. I did hear him on the phone a little while ago, and although he was trying to be surreptitious, I did get the distinct impression he was in communication with his less than savory friends in Trenchtown. And then a while later he was trying to make contact with someone that sounded like Simonesi Claudius, who, I later learned is of Sicilian extraction and has considerable influence on the Boulevard.

I must inform you that Mr. Jones has been known to get off that beaten track on occasion, so in all sincerity I advise you to honor your word and have the tee shirt at the appointed place. Please inform us accordingly.

May the spirit of Christmas engulf you with goodness during this special time of year.

Sincerely

Java’s friend (name with-held for fear of repercussions)

That done, I get to packing while Java gets the music on – Diana Krall doing ‘Winter Wonderland’, and fondles the dogs – already depressed about the bags being packed. It’s a chilly morning, but there’s no sign of rain. The sky is not exactly clear, but the sun is just making it through the light cloud cover and if all goes well we should have a nice day. Neither of us is looking forward to the drive back – although these next few days should be full of happenings.

I’ll keep you informed of how this Trishawmafia thing with Java goes – keep tuned in.