Under Hellgate Bridge

---

God... has created us.

But only God

truly knows

why we make the choices

that we do.

And sometimes life

leads us down a road

where there can be

no happy ending.

We make small choices that...

Later on in life

have consequences

that we could

never have foreseen.

We seek out pleasures

that very often

are tools for the destruction

of our souls.

Without God as our guide,

we wander unprotected

through this valley

of the shadow of death.

By our very natures,

we are weak.

Let those of us who

have gathered here today

reach down into

our own understanding

and there find a place

of forgiveness in our hearts.

So let us not judge our brother

James Richard Daniels.

Instead,

let's join together

with his loving wife Marsha

and his brother Edward

in remembrance.

And let's learn

from Jimmy's life,

and from the tragedy

of his final years.

Though confused and lost,

with God's grace

and mercy,

Let's pray

that Jimmy's soul

has made its way

to God's holy place.

And let's take with us

the clear understanding

that there, but for

the grace of God, go I.

I'm sorry Marsha

for your loss. Can I help?

Thank you Father, no.

I've had time to prepare for this.

It wasn't exactly

unexpected.

Maybe if you'd stuck around,

we wouldn't be here today.

Who are you

to point at me?

Eddie, let's get

out of here.

- At least I was there for him.

- Y eah, that was the problem.

Marsha, are you all right?

Edward, are you all right?

No. Haven't you

noticed, Father?

I'm not.

Ryan?

Eddie, what happened

to Jimmy?

What, that's it?

Just like that?

"What happened

to Jimmy? "

You do two years in prison

without letting anybody visit you,

wouldn't even accept the letters

that Jimmy f***ing wrote you, man.

Disappeared for two more years,

nobody hears nothing from you.

You just show up and you wanna

know what happened to Jimmy?

I heard he got himself clean.

I heard he had it licked.

How could you hear that?

You ain't been around.

You don't know

what it's been like.

- How you doing?

- You know me, I do all right.

Stabilized.

You clean?

How could you ask me that?

I'm fine.

I just wanna know

how you're doing.

I guess I'm doing

about as good as I can do

without having my big brother

around to watch over me.

Eddie, I'm sorry.

You know, about being

away so long.

This whole thing

with Jimmy.

Really, I'm- I'm sorry.

Yeah...

Well...

I'm sorry too.

(honking)

Sal!

Hey, Eddie. I'm sorry

to hear about Jimmy.

He was a nice kid.

Nice kid.

Ryan.

Hey, Sal.

It's a lucky thing,

you coming back just now, huh?

I mean, in time for

the funeral and everything.

Yeah. Lucky thing.

I guess you're gonna be

a comfort to your brother.

You know,

like the old days.

Listen, uh...

I want you to have

a drink on me.

I mean for Jimmy, huh?

Thank you, Sal.

This is very generous.

Yeah.

Very generous, Sal.

Very generous!

Eddie, sorry about your brother.

That's a tough break.

Mike, a couple drinks

on me for Eddie boy.

Already been taken care of,

compliments of Big Sal.

Well, I'll be damned.

Look who's here.

- It's a free country.

- Yeah?

Vincent might not

think so.

Not today, Mike,

not today.

All right,

for Jimmy's sake.

God rest his soul.

Keep loverboy outta sight.

A**hole.

To Jimmy.

Did you see Carla?

I almost didn't

recognize her.

She looks cold.

Don't start with

that sh*t, all right?

Vincent, though...

Vincent looks the same.

Vincent's making

lots of money for people.

Big Sal gave his blessings

to work this whole neighborhood,

- so stay out of his way.

- Eddie?

I need to talk to you.

Not right now,

okay, Doreen?

Eddie, you shouldn't

have left me back at the-

- at the cemetery.

- Come here.

Sorry about that.

She's really cool,

but she's a little f***ed up

right now, you know?

So, tell me

about the joint.

When I got there,

I didn't sh*t for five days.

Oh f***.

I can't remember

much of the first year.

T ook me that long to get

my head straight, you know?

And then all I could

think about was Carla,

what she did to me.

You should've seen that look in

her eyes when they took me away.

Look Ryan, everybody knows that

Vincent made Carla set you up.

I know.

That's what I can't

get out of my head.

Stop. Just stop

right there.

Carla is Vincent's property now.

Right after you got sent up,

he put her in rehab,

he married her, they had a kid,

now she's a regular

Suzie Homemaker.

So get it f***ing straight-

he will f*** you up again

if you even look at her.

Yeah, I'll tell him.

That was Charlie over

at the Skillman Lounge.

He said Vincent just left,

he's looking all over for Ryan.

Thanks Mike,

I owe you one.

You don't owe me sh*t.

It's my place I'm worried about.

No problem. You got it.

Listen, about that talk

you were gonna have

with Big Sal about me,

you set that up yet?

H ey, a**hole,

forget about Sal.

You're already overextended

all over the street.

Nobody wants to deal with you.

Just get Ryan outta here.

All right... but talk

to Big Sal! Don't be a hard-on.

Come on, there's gonna be

a taste in it for you.

T ake a hike!

(salsa music playing)

Hey, "paysan. "

I can't believe this,

twice in one day.

First I bump into you

at church, and now here.

This is nice,

am I right, huh?

You know what?

This calls for a celebration.

Eddie, run across the street

and go get us some beers.

Peanuts always make me so dry.

Do they do that to you, Mitch?

- Yep.

- Vince, Ryan and I were-

Eddie, I got

a real thirst here.

Thank you.

We're only gonna be

a couple of minutes.

We might even be

quicker than that.

So how you been?

Now look at you,

you're still

dressing in rags.

Your tastes were always

more expensive than mine.

Sometimes expensive tastes

get you expensive things.

Things that are real warm,

real comfortable.

I don't know-

things that fit real good.

If you don't mind that another man

wore them before you.

Peanut?

Wait, wait- let me see

if I can remember.

That's right, you've always been

a lover not a fighter, right, Romeo?

You never did know how to play

your hand and it seems like

the game ain't exactly

going your way right now.

You knew what

would happen if-

if I ever saw you again.

You knew.

You know what?

All that can wait.

Today is a day of celebration-

of old friends getting together.

And today

we have peanuts...

and now we have beer.

So, Ryan, you take

a couple of days,

and you mourn

your dead junkie brother,

and then you go away.

And then what?

If my old friend here

isn't out of Astoria

very, very soon then...

Let the games begin.

Oh and, Ryan...

I'll be watching,

my friend,

I'll be watching.

Mitch, what are you doing?

What I was told to do.

Yeah?

Now I'm telling you

to get out.

He ain't gonna like that.

Mitch, I said get out.

- Ryan:
So he sent you?

- Woman:
Yeah.

Well, I'm here.

Seem to have done

real well for yourself.

Everything has its price.

And everyone?

- Did he hurt you?

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