The guys had the rest of the day to themselves so Jake & some of the guys got together & did the thing they all enjoy doing.
Gambling.
The guys gathered around the hotel lobby & brought out their chips & playing cards as they prepare for Las Vegas. Elwood however didn't want to join because he wasn't as much of a gambler as Jake; besides he wasn't in the right mood.
The younger brother was looking out into the city while leaning forward a bit on Marias balcony, and while his head swam with emotions from the story he told his lovely guitarist. Like his brother, Elwood never got over hearing that story from The Penguin. The reality of him being abandoned as a baby made him feel not only lonely…
But unloved…
They abandoned me as if saying 'You don't deserve life with us'
Maria, still inside her room, looked over at her sad boyfriend & her heart sank as she felt his sadness.
He didn't deserve to have that happen to him. No one deserves to be denied life and a good family & home! Maybe there's something I could do...After all he did help me in my time of need. I must return the favor…
She approached Elwood from behind & held his hand. He turned his head facing her & she led him in the room, not letting go and already planned out on what was gonna do. He sat on the foot of her bed, as she got his suitcase and gave it to him.
"what's this for?" he asked her.
"you'll see."
She began playing the intro to "Johnny B. Goode" but as she sang along she changed the lyrics, much to Elwoods amusement.
Deep down in Calumet City, close to Chicago, way near the city that's filled with sorrow & woe
There stood an orphanage that didn't look new, where lived a little boy named Elwood J Blues
Who never really learned to behave so well, but he could play a blue sharp just like a ringin a bell
Go Go! go Elwood go go!
Elwood smiled and quickly caught on as he got his harmonica & began playing it instead of the usual guitar riff. She sang on & he played on as the second verse was performed…
He used to carry his blues-harp in a black suitcase as he performed & sang with his brother Jake.
Old strict nuns in the place would hear them, wishing the music will fade. The music that the young Blues Brothers made.
The old nuns walked by the, wishing they would go & say "Oh my those Blues Brothers sure love to play"
Go go!Go Elwood Go go! Go go!Go Elwood Go go! Go go!Go Elwood Go go! Elwood J Blues..
They both began playing the instrumental solo as Maria shoots him a wide grin & then a laugh. Elwood's spirits were lifted as she laughed & he played on his Bluesharp…
I can't believe she quickly thought of that song for me…
His Girlfriend told him 'don't you worry about it man. Your one of the leaders of the Blues Brothers Band.
Go on Elwood, don't cry some waves, You Jake & I will get that orphanage saved.
And your name will be in the Vegas lights saying "Jake & Elwood tonight"
Go go!Go Elwood Go go! Go go!Go Elwood Go go! Go go!Go Elwood Go go! Elwood J Blues..
After the final strum, Maria set down her guitar
"Feel better?"
"Of course" he responded with a smile "I've always wanted someone to sing to me."
She shrugged her shoulders a bit, humbly and he pulled her in for a kiss. His breath had a light taste of cigarettes, but she didn't mind. She rather enjoyed it so she deepened the kiss. His lips then trailed from hers to the side of her neck. She closed her eyes & sighed, wrapped in the bliss but at the same time, was amused
I can feel his pulse race. Has he ever kissed a woman before?
He had, of course, but not the way he's doing so with her…
RIIIIIINNNGGGG
"Damn" she muttered, upset that her phone interrupted her sweet bliss with Elwood.
"Hello?"
"Hello Maria"
She froze a bit as she recognized the voice on the other line
"Um…H-hi Sister Mary."
"I was calling to ask if you could come by the orphanage shortly. I had just received wonderful news that you might want to hear."
"ohhh umm…ok. I'll be on my way."
She hung up the phone & faced Elwood "Sister Mary has some important news to tell me. By the sound of her voice, its good news at least."
"I'll drive you there.."
hr
The duo drove into the city a while later & drove up in front of the broken down place..
"I don't think I should go in." Elwood told her as he looked at the place, recalling how successful his last visit was.
She shrugged, understanding his hesitation "Ok. I'll be back then. It should be quick anyway."
She got out of the car & got inside, walking up the creaky stairs to the office. She knocked quietly
"Come in"
Maria opened the door & Sister Mary smiled at her as she walked in, closing the door from behind her.
"Nice to see you again my dear. Please have a seat."
Maria sat down on a little chair that was near the front of the desk. "So what's the good news?" she asked eagerly.
"the tax county agreed to extend our pay time to one month, so therefore you and the boys have more time to obtain that five thousand dollars."
Why did she make Elwood drive that long distance for that?
Even if that didn't make sense to her, Maria still sighed in relief over the situation "oh good! I'll be sure to tell the boys "
The sister gave her a concerned look "Speaking of, how are they? Are they treating you like they should?"
"They're alright. We found a gig that will guarantee you the five grand!"
"that's nice Maria" the sister replied sternly "but you still haven't answered the second question. Are they treating you well?"
"Don't worry sister, they're treating me well!" Maria replied trying to calm her down.
The sister seemed more confident but their was still some slight hesitation in her voice "Alright. I just worry about you with them because they're bad seeds."
"They're not bad seeds." Maria told her "Yes they can be rough around the edges, but I know they have good souls. Maybe you don't know them like how I do."
The sister got offended How dare she question me!
"But Maria, you haven't seen the immature side of them either! I'm actually quite surprised that you're friends with them & not sick of them!"
Maria felt a sting of anger pierce her. How dare she say that about them! The brothers have done nothing but give & give to me and I'm grateful for friends like them!
"How can you say that? Jake can be rough around the edges, but he treats me like his sister! As for Elwood, he's such a sweetheart! He treats me like how a man should treat his woman!"
Sister Mary got up from her desk & paced around Maria, suspicious about her words "If I didn't know better, I would be thinking that you have some sort of romantic feelings towards them; especially Elwood!"
The sister then spotted a weird shape on the nape of Marias neck. It was dark & it looked painful
Have they been hurting her?
"Move your hair a bit please."
"Why?"
"Don't question me!" the sister replied as she took out her ruler of discipline. "Move your hair."
Maria gave her a confused look & lifted her hair upwards in a ponytail. Sister Mary looked at the spot & gasped. It was a bruise, but the bruise wasn't there because Maria got injured. It was there because of what happened earlier with Maria & Elwood.
He gave her a hickey.
"Were you having intimate relations with them?" Sister Mary asked as her voice rose
"NOT THEM! HIM! HE KISSED ME!" Maria shouted angrily
"Don't raise your voice at me young lady!" the sister scolded angrily
"How can you accuse me of being with both of them? I'm not like that, Sister! I can assure you! And so what if he did kiss me? I wanted him to!"
Sister Mary gasped at Marias words "Who then? Who did that atrocity to you?"
At that moment, the door burst open & there stood Elwood looking worried.
"Maria, you ok? I heard you yell from the blues mobile!"
The sister looked at Elwood, Maria & back at Elwood again. "You…"
Elwood focused his attention to her "What did I do?"
"What did you do?" The sister growled angrily "You put your filthy-speaking lips on her! I assume you two were having intimate relations when you gave her this?"
She pointed to Marias hickey & Elwood bit his lip & blushed embarrassed
I forgot I made that…
"Look sister, I didn't mean to…"
"Intimacy before marriage is a sin!"
"I just kissed her!" he argued back "Nothing more, nothing less!"
"Get out you two!" Sister Mary scolded at them as she waved her ruler at them.
Elwood ran down the stairs first with Maria right behind him, until she tripped on a step & fell forward making both of them fall down the stairs. Maria landed right on top of him, but as soon as they noticed how…wrong it looked they scrambled to get up quickly.
"You ok?" he asked
"yeah I'm fine. You?"
"ok"
Sister Mary looked down from her office & shook her head in pity "Oh Maria, how you've disappointed me so! I had confedence in you that you would change the thieves into good-hearted men, but instead you return to me rude & in the trap of Elwood's intimate behavior towards you. Get out & come back only when you've redeemed yourselves."
She slammed her office door & the duo walked out of the orphanage, still aching from he fall.
"Will anyone accept the fact that we're together without criticizing us?" Maria cried out angrily as she got in the blues mobile.
"but she's the only one who knows about us besides Jake." Elwood said making his point.
"I know but I just don't wanna hear it!" she argued back
"We have one supporter & one critic; big deal!" he exclaimed "Plus, did you say that it shouldn't matter what people think of us? Just as long as we're confident in us?"
Maria faced her boyfriend, calmer than she was before & sighed.
He's right…what was I thinking?
"I'm sorry. It's just I've been criticized all my life & I learned to deal with it. But now someone criticizes me because im with a good person for the first time in my life? Its just stupid!"
Elwood smiled sadly & tousled her hair playfully. He felt good that he was being called a good person & that she defended him in front of the Penguin.
"You know…you're the first good person I've been with too." He told her honestly with a smile.
"Really?"
"Yeah"
She turned her head & faced him, noticing his seriousness.
"wow…I guess we're both firsts then.."
"Yup we are."
She kissed his cheek & gently held his hand as they drove off back on home…