Tony sat on the couch, his head in his hands. The reason for his emotions, the pink slip which sat on the upside down milk carton in front of him, mocking his very existence. Tony slid his hands down his face amd snatched the pink slip from the milk carton crinkling it up into a ball before throwing it into the corner of his three room downtown apartment. He had only been employed at the box factory for six months, he didn't particularly care for the job but it was money never the less. At least he didn't have a family to think about he thought before shaking his head in disgust, he still had himself to think about, and his dwelling. Tony was no stranger to hardships, from his childhood in palermo, to his arrival as a fifteen year old boy in New York city.

Tony's poor farming family had sent him over to the land of opportunity when they could first afford so that he wouldn't have to struggle his whole life as a poor man, though his time in America hadn't done much to change that. Tony had struggled to find work upon arriving in New York. He was a young and strong man but found he was one of many new arrivals trying for work and those with experience at things other than farming were normally the choice for employers looking for cheap but experienced labor. Tony had bounced around from apartment to apartment of some of the other immigrants he had met on the ride over. Times however were harsh for them as well and an extra mouth to feed out of pitty was becoming too much. Tony knew he must find his way in this land of opportunity.

He had heard talks among other immigrants in the unemployment line of a city a little further west that was much like New York in how it was booming with opportunities for immigrants such as themselves, a city called Chicago. Tony knew his time in New York was going to have to come to an end. For as many opportunities as there were, there was just as many new arrivals with more experience to fill positions a farmers son, in their eyes, had no business doing. Tony went to the immigrant family whom had treated him the kindest since coming to this country.

Tony knew if anyone would help him on his way, the Sparreli family had always done what they could to help him on his way. They too were from Palermo and had a son not much younger than himself named Salvatore Jr. who had looked up to Tony since the ride over when Tony had stuck up for him in a fight with other young boys, bored and energetic from the long gruesome ride. However, Tony knew that regardless of what he had done that this favor he had to ask for greatly out weighted what he had done. After spending a little over a year living off the hard work of others however. Tony knew what he had to do.

Tony went to the Sparreli's appartment to plead his case, but found he was not pleading long before Salvatore Sr. shut him up using the back of his hand. He shouted a string of Italian and English mixed obscenities at Tony before being begged for mercy by his son, Salvatore Jr. who Tony had once saved from a beating, he was now receiving his pay back. Salvatore Sr. turned his back on both Tony and his son and expressed his distaste for both this time only in Italian. Salvatore Jr. helped Tony to his feet and out the door of the apartment, helping him along until they reached the street where Tony slid down against an alley way wall. Salvatore Jr. had begun to release his own string of english and Italian laced expletives along with expressing his distaste for his namesake. Salvatore Jr. whom had been working with his father at a steel mill in hell's kitchen reached his hand in his pocket to reveal a few dollars he had earned during his time there with a smile on his face. Tony chuckled a light chuckle before being helped up by Salvatore Jr. and making their way to the train station


TO BE CONTINUED....