Read Online City of God by Paulo Lins, Cara Shores - Free Book Online

first sight?’
    â€˜Gangsters don’t love, they lust,’ answered Berenice, laughing.
    â€˜It’s a bit hard to talk like this …’
    â€˜Gangsters don’t talk, they chew the fat!’
    â€˜For fuck’s sake, you pick the shit out of everythin’ I say!’
    â€˜Gangsters don’t say nothin’, they give it to you straight!’
    â€˜I’m gonna stop wastin’ my breath on you.’
    â€˜Gangsters don’t stop, they take five.’
    â€˜Talkin’ ‘bout love with you ain’t easy.’
    â€˜What’s this about love, man? You’re just bullshittin’!’
    â€˜Gangsters are fools when they’re in love,’ insisted Hellraiser.
    â€˜You’re gonna end up convincin’ me …’
    They hung around talking until Berenice promised to think about it. Lúcia arrived with a couple of beers, a bit of weed and three wraps of coke, to Hellraiser’s delight. They chatted for ages. Every time she gave him half a chance, Hellraiser tried to put the moves on Berenice. He knew you sometimes had to be persistent to win a woman over.
    The hot sun had almost gone, the children brought in their kites, workers arrived on crowded buses, people who had night classes headed for school, the few afternoon breadsellers headed home and workers filled corner bars for their sacred drink. Aluísio got off the bus in Main Square. He didn’t know what the story was with Hellraiser, but he didn’t care if he was the meanest gangster in the world because he was going to kick his arse – Aluísiowas hot shit with his fists too. He’d challenge Hellraiser to a fist fight if he had to. Real gangsters had to fight with their fists, otherwise they lost face, people looked down on them. He reckoned that if he wasn’t at the Bonfim he’d be Down Below. On the way he ran into Orange and Acerola smoking a joint.
    â€˜What’s up, man? Everythin’ OK?’
    â€˜So-so.’
    â€˜Wanna puff, man?’ asked Acerola, joint in hand.
    â€˜No, I don’t smoke, thanks anyway.’
    â€˜That’s right, I completely forgot.’
    Aluísio took the chance to grumble to his friends. Acerola got angry when he heard what had happened. He said in an apprehensive voice that the gangsters had to respect the Boys. He said that if it were him, he’d beat the shit out of the guy to put some manners on him. He liked Aluísio, although he hadn’t known him for long. He believed you could tell from a man’s eyes if he was nice or not. He sensed sincerity in Aluísio’s eyes and always saw him talking to everyone, and buying beers for the cool guys. He was a man who never had problems with anyone, was always in the running for the best chicks in the area, and the guys he hung out with were top-notch. He decided to side with the one he considered a good guy. Orange backed his friend’s decision.
    They headed Down Below, as Orange had seen Hellraiser going into Black Carlos’s house in the morning. Before crossing the square where the City of God Prospectors carnival group rehearsed, they ran into Niftyfeet having a good time at a pool table with two workers, knocking back a drink or two between shots to whet their appetites. Acerola took it upon himself to tell Niftyfeet what had happened and, seeing him all worked up, Niftyfeet decided to intervene.
    â€˜Let me have a word with him, but let’s not all go at once, ’cos he might think we’re gonna give him a hard time. You two wait for me here and I’ll go with him.’
    â€˜Thanks!’ they answered.
    Niftyfeet advised Aluísio to tread lightly. He shouldn’t be afraid, because Hellraiser didn’t like that either, but if he came on too heavy the shit’d hit the fan.
    â€˜I know how it is,’ said Aluísio, like someone who understood how things worked. He visualised Father Joaquim of the Promised