The wedding were very small and innocent. The wedding wasn’t held in a church and it didn’t have any guest except Rhoda’s mother. The wedding took place at the city hall and wasn’t religious in anyway, this disturbed Sherman who was very religious. That’s the reason why he didn’t come. Sherman hadn’t forgiven Marlon but he didn’t plan to kill Marlon. This was comforting to know.

Just a few months after the wedding the couple had settled in in a small house. It was nothing like the mansion in which Rhoda grew up but at least they had a roof over their heads. Rhoda was very pregnant and Marlon was very happy. He work a lot and tried his best to make enough money to give the unborn baby a good life. But running your own mob isn’t easy, he didn’t have many associates and hardly any weapons or anything to be criminal with. But he knew that some day he would succeed and become the best. Rhoda’s mother took care of Rhoda during the pregnancy, Rhoda was very weak, she was always tired and hardly got up from bed.

Suddenly one day Rhoda was ready to deliver the baby, they hurried to the hospital and after 25 hours Rhoda gave birth to a baby boy. He was the most adorable little thing they had ever seen. He had grey eyes and brownish hair, and he smiled a lot. They named him Aaron Marlon Keitel, he was everything to Marlon. Finally he had a son, a baby boy.

Aaron was really an adorable baby, he was happy and the cutest thing alive. Marlon didn’t meet his son so much, he worked all the time. He only had one thing on his mind, money! He loved his son and he didn’t hate his wife, but he thought that work was more important. He had one goal with his life, to become the best mobster in the world. And he knew he had to work hard to become that.

Even though he could hardly feed his small family he was thrilled when Rhoda told him the big news.

“I am pregnant again, Aaron can’t even walk and I am pregnant”, she said and seemed happy.

“That’s wonderful darling!” Marlon replied. He had no idea how he would make the financial situation work but he would figure it out eventually. He hoped that he would have another son, he didn’t know why he wanted one more son. Perhaps it was the love of Aaron that made him hope that he would get an Aaron II.

Unfortunatly Rhodas pregnancy was as diffucled as the last one, she was ill every single day. Rhoda’s mother once again help out, Marlon worked hard and little Aaron needed to be looked after. His mother didn’t have the strenght to do so but his grandma took care of little Aaron.

The day Aaron became two years old the family had a small family birthday party. Sherman was invited, Marlon didn’t like that he came but Rhoda had already invited her brother. When Sherman arrived Marlon made sure that he knew what the rules was.

“This is my son’s party and if you ruin it, you will be sorry!” Marlon said with confidence, he knew that Sherman wouldn’t touch him as long as Rhoda was his wife.

“Relax, Aaron is my nephew I won’t ruin anything for him” Sherman said and smiled.

“Aaron ain’t nothing like you, he is my son and he will never become a lowlife like you!”

“Now think about who you are talking to. I might be your wife’’s brother but I could still mess you up quiet badly” Sherman said and once again smiled with a sense of power.

Marlon was about to answer him when he heard Rhoda scream. “I think the baby is coming!” This wasn’t good news, Rhoda wasn’t going to deliver now, it was way to early. Marlon ran outside and took Sherman’s car keys and drove quickly to the hospital. Rhoda screamed her lungs out and Marlon tried to think clearly. He had to keep focused.

Marlon couldn’t believe it, in his arms laid his newborn baby boy. On a hospital bed in front of Marlon and his son laid Rhoda. She wasn’t breathing and she never would again. She was gone forever. She hadn’t even seen her new born baby until she died, Marlon couldn’t believe it. But even though he was in chock his mind was clear. He knew what he had to do. He left his sons at the hospital and walked over to Sherman’s house. Sherman opened the door with a smile but when he saw Marlon’s sad face and exhausted look he knew something were wrong.

“Is the baby okay?”, Sherman said and Marlon was surprised by this sudden empathy.

“Yeah, we got a healthy baby boy”, Marlon said with a sad voice.

“What’s the problem then?”

“‘I am sorry but Rhoda… She didn’t make it”

“That’s okay I can visit her she don’t have to come here”

“No you don’t understand. She is dead”, Marlon said these words with tears in his eyes. Suddenly Sherman’s concerned face changed to an angry face.

“WHAT!? She is dead, you useless stupid- You killed her!”

“How could I have killed her?”

“If it wasn’t for you useless genes she wouldn’t have had to deliver that ugly stupid baby of yours”

“Don’t you call my son stupid!” Marlon had had enough and so had Sherman. Sherman punched Marlon over the cheek and Marlon fell to the ground. But he quickly stood on his feet and fought back. Kicks, punches and other fighting skills were used. Marlon didn’t feel the pain, he was chocked in every way possible. Unfortunately Sherman was stronger than Marlon and soon Marlon laid on the ground with blood over him. Sherman took out a gun from his belt and held it to Marlon’s head.

“I will kill you, I should have killed you long ago! Bastard!” Marlon was really scared now, he thought of his baby boys, he loved them and was afraid he would never meet them again. Marlon closed his eyes and hoped that he would leave this world without pain. He heard a loud bang, he knew that sound. It was a gun being fired. But instead of dying he felt the weight of Sherman being moved away. He could hear police sirens and male voices shouting. Marlon opened his eyes and what he saw wasn’t pleasant, Sherman laid passed out on the ground with blood all over his white shirt. Marlon backed of in chock. He looked at the police officers and didn’t know what to do. He thought about running but his legs wouldn’t do what he wanted to. A few officers carried Sherman away, Marlon had no idea if Sherman was dead, Marlon hoped he was.

Marlon was really happy he never loved Rhoda, but he wasn’t completely with out feelings. He cried over Rhoda and he knew he had a difficult task ahead. Sherman was locked up in prison for the next ten years or so, Rhoda’s mother had become depressed and nowadays lived at a home. And the hardest task yet to come laid ahead of him, to tell Aaron of his mother’s passing. How could he possibly ever understand? But Marlon knew he had to tell his son, now.

So he sat down with Aaron who had just learnt to talk. For some months now Marlon had told Aaron that his mother had travelled and would come home eventually. Marlon hadn’t had the guts to tell his son the truth. But now he was ready.

“Aaron I need to tell you something important, are you listening?”

“Yes!” Aaron answered and seemed to actually listen to his father.

“Your mother she will never ever come home, I am so sorry.” Aaron looked at his father with surprise.

“She lives up in the sky, in heaven. And she is just fine.” Aaron still looked at his father with confusion.

“Is she helping the stars at night?”

“She sure is, so every time you see a star, that’s your mother telling you that everything is okay. you understand?”, this conversation had gone more smoothly than Marlon had imagined. He understood of course that Aaron didn’t fully understand the truth in all this. Aaron had hardly understood that he had a brother, at night he used to call for his mother.

“Mummy? Mummy?! Cal is hungry! MUMMY?!”

Slowly life returned to normal in the Keitel family, Marlon didn’t really miss Rhoda. She had been quiet annoying from time to time, she was always angry and always made clear to Marlon that she was the boss. Marlon felt relieved that Sherman was locked away, Marlon wasn’t afraid of being killed every time he left the house nowadays. But the role of the single father was something new to him, he of course loved his sons but it disturbed him that his dream in life was getting away from him. He didn’t have time to do any illegal activities, he didn’t even have time to work. Marlon lived on the small inheritance he had got from Rhoda’s death. The house was falling apart and nothing seemed to work. This wasn’t what he had planned, Marlon wanted his sons to grow up in a palace not this dump. But some things you just can’t change…

It was a Sunday afternoon, the sun shone brightly over Riverview. Marlon laid on the grass out side his house with little Caleb crawling around in the grass. Aaron was inside playing with his toys. Aaron had grown quickly, he had the same brown hair as his father and his father’s nose. Marlon hoped that his sons would look just as him, he didn’t want anything to do with the Bagley family. Caleb and Aaron were his sons not Rhoda’s.

Marlon was woken from his thoughts by a loud scream from the house. Aaron cried loudly and Marlon ran inside leaving little Cal all alone on the lawn. At first Marlon couldn’t understand where Aaron was, he was nowhere to be seen. But then he saw, Aaron’s small fingers were stuck under the toy box. Marlon quickly opened it to find Aaron sitting among his toys crying with bleeding fingers. Marlon didn’t know what to do, he pick up his crying son trying to comfort him, but nothing helped. Marlon understood that he couldn’t handle this and ran outside still carrying Aaron. Marlon pick up Cal from the ground and held one so on each arm. Then Marlon ran to the hospital, he found his way to the emergency and a nurse quickly came to help Aaron.

“You just sit here and wait” the nurse said and Marlon did as he was told. HE wanted to be with Aaron but he didn’t have the energy to fight the nurse and run after Aaron. So he just sat on one of the chair holding Caleb in his arms. Cal cried as well, he had blood all over his clothes and face.

After half an hour the nurse came back.

“He is alright, we didn’t even have to sew. But he will have scars on his fingers probably all his life.” Marlon didn’t care about that, a few scars you can always live with, he was just glad his son were all right.

After the unfortunate incident with Aaron things again ran smoothly in the Keitel family. Aaron became more and more independent which meant that Marlon could give Cal more attention. One thing Marlon noticed right away was that Cal was more reserved and not quiet as joyful as Aaron. Aaron always smiled and loved to make his father laugh. But Cal was nothing like that, he sometimes seemed a bit aloof with the rest of the world. But Marlon was sure that there were nothing wrong with his youngest son, Marlon had three younger brothers and they had acted the same way when they were toddlers. But when they got older they had become the most social creatures on Earth. Marlon didn’t really want to think about his brothers, he knew he would never meet them again and that hurt.

There for he gave little Cal all the attention he could. Cal seemed very attached to his father, as soon as Marlon left the room Cal would start crying. Although it sometimes was annoying generally it didn’t bother Marlon, he loved being with his sons.  Aaron also loved his little brother but he had started to become more and more jealous of him. Aaron wanted all his father’s attention and that of course wasn’t possible with his little brother around. Aaron sometimes got so angry at his baby brother that he hit him. Marlon didn’t fully approve of this behavior, he got angry with Aaron and sometimes even shouted. Marlon hated that part of himself, the angry and uncontrolled part. He could get angry for the smallest of things.

The day of Cal’s third birthday Aaron had been like a little angel. He had joined his father in the birthday singing in the morning and had been a real good little boy. This day was one of the good days, everyone was happy and things were good. But this would soon change…

A couple of years had passed and things had started to turn in the Keitel family’s life. Both Aaron and Cal had started school and this made it possible for Marlon to have a job. He was sick and tired of crime and all he wanted was a normal life. He still dreamt of becoming the best and most known criminal in the world. But that dream seemed far from reality and he didn’t want to end up like a regular thug. That’s the reason he had started to aply for a job. Anything would do, he really needed the money. But this day would change his plans. It was a monday morning and suddenly the doorbell rang.

“Hello mr. Dean”, the police man on Marlon’s doorstep said.

“You most be mistaken, my name is Marlon Keitel”, Marlon said and he started to sweat.

“Yeah sure you are mr. Dean”, the police man said and smiled acwardly. Dammit Marlon thought, who could this common officer have found out his secret. No one knew that he really was Frank Dean, no one should know that.

“I know your little secret Frank so now you listen really carefully what I have to say” Marlon nodded and showed the police officer in. Luckly both Cal and Aaron was at school, Marlon didn’t want them to see this.

“So mr. Dean thought you could hide forever?” the police officer said and drank the tea that Marlon had served.

“I am not hiding!”

“Sure you are, what normal man would change his name and move half across the world?” Marlon sat quiet, he didn’t know what to say.

“What do you want?” he asked the police man.

“You will have to work for me!”

“For you, I am not a copper!”

“Well I want you to go undercover, do you understand?”

“Not really”

“I have followed the new mob here in town and I want you to be my eyes and ears”

“Or else?” Marlon said and sighed.

“Or else I will tell everyone of your past and tell the mob from your hometown where you are”

“You don’t leave much choice then copper!”

“Don’t get smart on me, I have a temperament worth the name”

“Sorry Sir” Marlon said and felt sick because of this charade. He hated working for someone, and he once again was going to betray people. Life can be cruel…

Marlon thought it was going to be tricky getting back into the mob, but he was wrong. The new mob leader was named Kyle and he had always hated Sherman. Kyle was more than happy that Sherman was behind bars. But never the less the work in the mob was hard, Marlon could handle it but every time when he came home (the time of that could change from day to day) he was worked out and extremely tired. He made some simple food and sat around the small table with his sons.

This night he had made hot dogs, the family sat down around the table. Aaron ate as if he had never seen food before and Marlon was hungry after his hard work. None of them noticed that Cal wasn’t eating until they both had finished and carefully licked their own plates.

“Cal why aren’t you eating, are you sick or something?” Marlon asked and sounded a bit worried.

“I just don’t want this”, Cal answered silently.

“You don’t want it?! It’s perfectly good food, eat it!”

“No! I don’t eat meat anymore!” Cal said and his voice was suprisingly strong.

“You don’t what now?” Marlon said and tried to stay calm, he was exhausted and knew he could get really angry soon.

“Meat is Murder, I don’t want to eat anything that walks beside me, got it dad?” Cal said and his face turned red because he was so angry. Aaron just sat beside and was amazed by the situation that took place. Cal had always been the good little brother, never bother any one, never raised his voice, until now…

“You will eat what I say you will eat” Marlon said and flew up from his chair. Cal did the same thing, father and son stood up against each other.

“I won’t eat any meat and that’s all there is to it!” Cal replied. Marlon got real angry now, he pushed Cal to the wall and said “Don’t be such a brat, eat it!”.

Cal started crying and Marlon realised that he had gone to far, he let go of Cal. Cal ran, he ran outside and all the way to the farm he had visit several times over the last months. Cal loved just watching the animals, he loved the little lambs and the cute ducks. One day out here on the country-side he had realised that he ate those poor little animals. He swore to himself, never again!

After several months of reports to the copper Marlon worked for he had had enough. He wasn’t going to be a snitch anymore! At their regular meeting behind the old gymnasium he told the copper that.

“I am sick and tired of this bullshit! I’m fed up, no more snitching for me” Marlon said and the copper laughed.

“No more snitching you say, like that’s up to you to decide”.

“I am done with this charade, that’s it!” Marlon said and walked away.

“You will regret this Frank Dean!” the copper shouted and Marlon ran all the way home. Even though he took the coppers threat seriously he was pleased with himself, he was a loyal man now.

Later that week Aaron had quiet a suprise for his younger brother.

“Cal do you know what I heard to day in school?”

“No, what did you hear?” Cal was curios and eager to listen.

“Michael told me that our father’s real name is Frank Dean and that he is a crook.

“What!! Is that true?” Cal was really chocked.

“I don’t know, let’s ask dad when we get home”.

The both boys hurried home on their bikes, they didn’t even park them. Aaron was first inside the house and on the bed laid his father, he was sleeping.

“Dad!” Aaron shouted.

“What!” Marlon shouted back annoyed by the rude awakening.

“Is it true that your real name is Frank Dean and that you are a crook?”

“Who said that?”

“Micheal and his father is a police officer so it must be true”. Marlon didn’t need to much time to figure out what had happened. Kyle had told his son Marlon’s secret and the son had told Aaron and Caleb.

“Okay boys listen carefully now” Marlon said and his sons sat next to him in the bed.

“I didn’t grew up here in Riverview, I grew up some where completely different. I grew up with my father who was drunk most of the time and my mother who was pregnant most of the time. And of course loads of siblings, mostly brothers. We were very poor and there for I got in to the criminal line in life, and I am not particularly proud of that. But I had to and when I first had started with that sort of life I learned to like it. Then I betrayed my mob, boys never betray anyone. Loyalty is the most important thing in life. After betraying the mob I had to escape so make sure never to call me Frank Dean again. Do you understand?” Marlon looked at his sons and they both shocked their heads in understanding, this were their secret.

The next day they beat down Micheal behind the school, they wanted to make sure that he never told anyone their father’s secret.