"So what if he wasn't our faddah, he was dere when no one else was, he would make sure we was all dere, even if he knew we hadn't paid. Dat's da kinda guy he was."
We all knew he had been sick, I think we all knew he was going to die but we didn't believe it. The idea of Kloppmen dieing, even if he was an old man he was immortal, I think that's the Word Specs used. But then when Snipes had run in to show him a new penny he had found and Kloppy hadn't responded and he grabbed me taking my hand and making me tell him what happened. Kloppmen was dead.
"He would listen to us and bend the rules he had to follow for us. Letting our goils stay with us." Jack nodded to Magic who was sitting crying next to Bumlets and Shortie who was emotionless next to a sobbing Mush. "And when Some of us said dey liked boys bettah he helped the rest of us Get around it or get out." Jack's eyes reaseted on me and Specs and Snitch and Skittery who were grippin each other tightly.
"He paid for dis house outa his own money and paid for everyting we got from him outa that. He never let a Christmas go by where we all didn't get something." Jack seemed to be losing his composure. "He was the father some of us never had. And the Father all of us wanted. Amen." He whispered the last word and we, no matter what religion repeated it.
So we watch Kloppmen, our father, lowered into the ground.
Author's Notes: This is for Lute who has just suffered a horrible loss. I'm really sorry Lute and I hope that you'll be okay. I know how it feels to lose someone close to you, if our band director died, gods I don't know what I would do, he is like my Uncle. I hope this makes you feel better to know that we are in mourning for this wonderful man too Lute. (Told by Dutchy)