In this dark world of ours, death comes more often than not. Most mobsters only have one surface of life, the life of crime, but others live a double life. They live a "normal" family-oriented life with a spouse and children. Unfortunately, these two sides of life don't mix well...just like oil and water. Death comes to fathers and mothers that participate in the gangster life. Some orphans are lucky and are raised by a family member or close friend. Others are left to fend for themselves, thrown into the cold hard streets. This is a hard life for a child at least until they get older and have opportunities. All children, except one, grow up.
 

The_Kid had a rough childhood, his father was never home and his mother suffered from depression for that reason. Mother had always used the excuse that Father was always away on "business trips". He had always known what that meant. The_Kid knew his father lived the double life and he knew what that meant. Whenever his father would leave for "work", he would run to the window anxiously knowing it may be the last time he would see his father. One day, a pair of two nicely dressed men had came to the house to talk to Mother. Seeing his mother break down and fall to the floor in tears, he knew his father was not going to come home from his last business trip.
 

Day and night, his mother cried, drowning from tears and booze. Eventually, the heartbreak had became too much and The_Kid woke up after a loud bang to find his mother wrapped in his father's robe with a bullet to the head. For him, this is when time stopped all together. He would forever be stuck in that one moment and he would never grow from this, if at all.
After that, every foster home he was placed into, he ran away from, only to be caught and taken back to the orphanage time and time again. The_Kid knew he was not destined to grow up in the system. His father always told him that he was meant for "far better things than anything ordinary". Finally one day, he managed to escape the home of old Mrs. Kimble and her multitude of cats. Crawling through the cat door, he never looked back. He had taken to living on the streets, stealing food from outside vendors and dumpster diving for other means. He had been sleeping on the back porch of Mr. Frazzoli's gelato shop under some covering.

Every night, Mr. Frazzoli would take leftovers out to him.
"Here kid, you look like you could use these more than the ally cats. Take care, little buddy."

This went on every day for at least a month until one day, everything would change. Mr. Frazzoli didn't come out that night. For him, this was strange. He was a man that always seemed to have his pocket watch in his hand. Climbing up on top of a trash can, the kid could see through the window into the shop. Inside, two big strong men were roughing up Mr. Frazzoli, loud screams were echoing through the night air.
Panicking, the kid had to think quick on his feet. The only type of weapon he had to his name was his trusty sling shot. His father had given him his old slingshot and taught him how to use it and master the shots. The_Kid had never so much as shot anything bigger than a squirrel but now was his time to shine. He grabbed two big pebbles and aimed them as he stood on his tippy toes. Shooting them off like bullets, the pebbles had hit the two big men hard enough to drop them to the floor unconscious. Climbing up, he ran to Mr. Frazzoli's side, grabbing a cloth and dabbing his open cuts.

"They really did a number on you, Mr. Frazzoli. Why did they come here?"

Mr. Frazzoli leaned up coughing loudly and holding his ribs.

"I couldn't afford protection this month so they came to take their payment in blood. They wanted to show me who was boss auf this neighborhood. They auwn me. WATCH OUT!"   

Before they knew it, one of the men had awaken and grabbed the kid, slinging him over his shoulder, the other holding his head as they exited the shop, but not before they extended their warning.

"Remembuh, Frazzoli. Yuh with me? Yuh bettuh have double de payment next month or we will burn dis place tuh de ground. Yuh got me so fahr? We'll be seein' yuh soon."

Leaving, the last man covered his mouth with a strange cloth and threw the kid in the backseat of the car, driving off.  
Everything was so blurry and finally coming into focus as the kid woke up on a rug placed on the floor of an office. The two men were standing beside the desk, one of the men coming close and grabbing him up. Still woozy, he could make out the outlines of a....chandilier? A disco ball maybe? No, it was a woman, decked out in diamonds wearing a tiara. Her long brown hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned forward.

"So this is the child that knocked you two out.....with a sling shot...in the gelato shop?"

The first man looked uneasy as he looked down at the floor with shame.
"Yes, boss. This is him. He must be like Frazzoli's son or something."

The second man slapped the other upside the head still holding the kid.

"No you dimwit! He's a street rat. Look at how dirty this little mutt is."

Princesa had been staring at the child while they were arguing back and forth. This child looks so familiar, where have I seen this child before? she thought to herself.
"Can you two kindly shut the fuck up? I need to talk to the child only. Stand there and be quiet."

Princesa cleared her throat, standing up and coming around to the other side of the desk, leaning against it.
"Well, child, tell me. What's your name? Why did you think it was a good idea to get involved with this?"

The_Kid looked at her with big brown eyes, trying not to cry and speaking with panic in his tiny voice.
"Well ma'am, my name is Ravi Coltrane. I'm an orphan and Mr. Frazzoli was looking after me and feeding me and I didn't have it in me to just let him get killed that way. Who are you?"

Princesa took off her glasses, getting closer to the child to examine his features and ignoring his last question. That's it, she thought, that's how I know him. It couldn't be.
"Coltrane is your last name? This is impossible...I worked with Coltrane for many a moon and he never once mentioned a child. Was your father...a businessman?"

Ravi looked down, a single tear rolling down his cheek and his voice getting caught in his throat.
"Yes, Miss. He seemed to always be away on 'business trips' as he would call them. He would always leave my mother at home to take care of me. I think he didn't talk about me much to keep me out of harms way. Or at least that's how I feel."

Princesa took the child in her arms, hugging him tightly. This took Ravi by surprise but before he knew it, he was hugging her back never wanting her to let go.
"My poor child, I knew your father and mother. Your father and I were very good friends. Coltrane was a great leader and I miss him dearly. I just never knew he had a son. How our stars are aligned. It was fate that brought you to me, my little lost boy. Consider this your new home."

Ravi leaned back, looking up at her, taking her hand.
"I am grateful and it feels like I've known you my whole life, but....Who are you, miss?"

Princesa wiped the tear off of his cheek, leaning down to be level with him.
"You can call me Princesa. I run this side of South Side, Chicago. You will be safe here with me always."

Turning to the two men, who stood in shock at Coltrane's son, Princesa spoke with a stern voice.
"Larry, can you please show him to the kitchen and have Amy make him something warm to eat. I will take him shopping for new clothes later. I am going to raise him like he should be raised. This life is in his blood and I intend to teach him everything I know."

Ravi was sitting down at the kitchen table slowly sipping on the soup Amy had prepared for him. His hands where shaking uncontrollably, due to all the mixed emotions going through his mind. He was scared, the recent events had taken him out of his comfort zone. He was also excited, he had found his father's old friend, Princesa, who was a very good looking and the sweetest woman in the world. He was confused as well, it had all happened so quickly. His thoughts quickly derailed as he started to think about his parents and his childhood. He fought the tears back and quickly finished his soup, then pushed the bowl away and stood up, wiping his mouth with the back of his little hand.

"Would ya mind if I'd go take a nap?" he asked shyly, staring at his feet.

Larry nodded and brought Ravi to his room, opening and closing the door for the youngster. He walked around the room, which was so amazing he was scared touching at the shelves. The bed was huge, with immaculate white sheets and four golden poles at every corner, holding up three sky blue drapes, giving privacy to the one sleeping. The furniture was all made out of gold, and there was a big diamond chandelier hovering the room. Ravi took off his shoes and laid in the bed, hands under his head, and started to think about the whole situation.

He couldn't do it. He simply couldn't. The whole "business", as they called it, had taken both of his parents, and his whole childhood with it. He had to run away. He stood up, put his shoes on and examined the window. Luckily, his room was only on the second floor, it was only a couple of feet high. He grabbed all of his sheets and tied them together, creating a rope he used to stealthily sneak down his window. Once he had landed, he nervously glanced around, only to realize Princesa was sitting on a stone chair that faced the well lit garden. His heart started to pump as he tried to be as silent as possible, hoping she wouldn't see him, but it was in vain.

"I know you're there..." she said with a soft tone, as she turned around to face Ravi. The expression on her face tore his heart in half, she seemed sad, almost disappointed. "And I won't stop you from leaving, if that's you want to do. But know that you're always welcome here if you want to get into the "business"..." she added, before turning her back on Ravi.

Thoughts where rushing through his head, as he juggled with the decision of either staying or leaving, and finally, he booked it and ran away. He walked around the streets of South Side for hours and hours, thinking about the offer and fighting off his inner demons, and he finally came to a conclusion. He was alone. He was afraid. He had to do it, she was the only person who cared for him, except for Frazzoli of course. He slowly exhaled and admired the smoke that came out of his mouth, due to how cold it was outside. He took a deep breath and gave three loud knocks on Princesa's mansion door.

Princesa had been drinking her morning tea in the sun room as she heard a knocking on the door.

"Amy, can you please get the door?"

Her heart had skipped a beat thinking of who it may be. Ever since Ravi had left, she had felt a pain in her heart. Her dear friend, Coltrane, had passed and now she had lost the only part of him that she had left. Sitting the tea cup down, she took her glasses off, wiping a tear that fell down her cheek. Not long after, Amy walked into the room with Ravi following behind her.

"Ravi is here, ma'am. He wishes to speak to you."

Princesa nodded, trying to hold back her excitement to see the boy again. She stood up, straightening her dress. Deciding to not be "soft", she spoke.

"Hello Ravi, I see you have come back. I'm guessing that you have made your decision?"

Ravi nodded, a little bit in shock. He expected the mafia queen to be mad at him, or for her to grab him by the ear and talk some sense into him. Even if she wasn't soft, she still addressed him. She acknowledge him, he existed to her eyes. Most people just walked past him, not even throwing him a single look.

He opened him mouth, to answer Princesa, but nothing came out. He noticed his hands where shaking and his heart was pumping. Just the way she was standing, she was incredibly intimidating, and her stare was ice cold. The nerves quickly got to him and he started panicking. He didn't want her to be mad, she was the only person he had. He suddenly broke down and started to cry. Fuck he was weak. He had to man up if he wanted to be apart of an organization like the mafia. 

He wiped off his tears and stared back at Princesa with determination. "I've taken my decision. I'd like to start my mafioso career under your guidance. I'll do anything for you."