25th Hour Page #10

A boss who doesn't ask questions.

You make a new life

and you never come back.

Monty, people like you. It's a gift.

- You make friends wherever you go.

- How you doing?

You're gonna work hard, keep your

head down and your mouth shut.

You'll make yourself a new home.

Here you go, James.

You're a New Yorker.

That will never change.

You got New York in your bones.

Spend the rest of your life out West,

but you're still a New Yorker.

You'll miss your friends, your dog,

but you're strong. You got

your mother's backbone in you.

You're strong like she was.

You find the right people and get

yourself papers. A driver's licence.

- What's your name?

- James.

James. Not from around here,

are you?

- No, I'm from out west.

- Let's just get your picture.

Be still, give me a smile. OK.

Now give me a bigger smile, James.

Bigger. OK.

You forget your old life.

You can't come back.

You can't call, you can't write.

You never look back.

You make a new life for yourself

and you live it.

You hear me? You live your life

the way it should have been.

And maybe, and this is dangerous,

but maybe, after a couple of years,

you send word to Naturelle.

Four,

three, two, one...

- Happy New Year.

- Happy New Year.

Feel that, right there?

Your mother's a lunatic.

Hurry up. I need company.

Get a new family

and raise them right.

You hear me? Give them a good life.

Give them what they need.

You have a son.

Maybe you name him James.

It's a good strong name.

And maybe, one day,

years from now,

long after I'm dead and gone,

reunited with your dear mother,

you gather your family together

and tell them the truth.

Who you are,

where you come from.

- You tell them the whole story.

- I was arrested...

And then you ask them if they know

how lucky they are to be there.

It all came so close

to never happening.

This life came so close

to never happening.

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