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| The Unforseen JOB - Part 2 | Started by: Breezy on Jul 29, '26 04:38 |
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For the first time since Roxie died, I was beginning to wonder if I had made a terrible mistake, not in taking Marcus in, never that. I would make the same choice again in a heartbeat. But perhaps I had made a mistake in believing I could protect him by keeping the truth about myself hidden. I had told myself the lie was necessary. Marcus is fourteen years old. He had already lost his father to a Mafia turf war and his mother to cancer. And now he was living with a woman whose past was better left buried. How could I possibly tell a grieving child that the person his mother had trusted most had once been a professional killer? Not a soldier. Not someone who had stumbled into violence. An assassin, trained by one of the best. Damn, I had killed people for a living. Bad people, mostly; it had to be a solid contract. No fly-by-night looking to get revenge. I had spent the last two years convincing myself that the past was behind me. Now Marcus was dragging it back into my life one angry question at a time. |
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The first real incident happened three weeks after Roxie's funeral.
It showed me exactly how much anger Marcus was carrying.
We were eating lunch at Minnie’s, a small diner downtown.
Marcus had ordered a cheeseburger and fries. I just ordered a coffee.
For once, things were peaceful. Almost normal.
When the food arrived, I excused myself to make a phone call. I made my way to the pay phone and dialed EagleEyes. I wanted to make sure he let Godfather WinstonChurchill know I had arrived safely.
The bill arrived, and Marcus signaled to me that he had it. I thought, OK, it couldn’t be that much.
Marcus reached into his pocket and proudly pulled out a crisp hundred-dollar bill.
I got it, he said excitedly
The waitress smiled. That's sweet of you.
She took the bill and headed for the register.
A few minutes later, she returned with the receipt and change.
Marcus stared at it. Then stared harder.
What the fuck is this? I heard him say really loudly.
I told EagleEyes there was a problem and hurried off the phone.
Your change, honey. I heard the waitress say.
You're a fucking lying bitch, I gave you a one-hundred-dollar bill.
You are mistaken, Sonny. You gave me a twenty-dollar bill.
Don’t call me Sonny, you fucking lying bitch. I am not your fucking son. Give me my right change.
I immediately recognized the warning signs. The clenched jaw.The shaking hands.
The anger that wasn't really about the money.
I said OK, Marcus, let’s just leave, or you have to calm down, as I stepped between him and the waitress.
The bitch is lying. I gave her a $100 bill.
Marcus pulled out his wallet and showed me two hundred-dollar bills.
I had three hundred- dollar bills, Breezy and I gave that lying bitch one of them.
The first thing that came to my head, what was this fourteen-year-old boy doing carrying around three hundred dollars?
By this time, the entire dinner was watching what was going on. The Manager came over and tried to calm Marcus down, but sided with the waitress, which just made things worse.
Check her fucking pockets. Marcus screamed.
Well the Manager did check her cash register it was indeed over the 80 dollars. He fired her on the spot and returned Marcus's hundred-dollar bill, not charging him anything. Marcus finally calmed down, but the whole incident was very intense. The way he got so angry, his rage scared me. Once home, I asked where he got all that money from.
Shit, that ain’t nothing, he said.
He went to his room came back with a shoe box with over a thousand dollars inside.
Uncle Vinny told me I have nothing to worry about.
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| Reply by: Breezy at Jul 29, '26 04:42 | |
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I invited Uncle Vinny over for dinner.
A black sedan rolled into the driveway just before dinner.
A broad-shouldered man in a neat charcoal suit climbed out. His gray hair was neatly combed, and you could tell he was a man who was accustomed to getting his way.
He carried a pastry box under one arm.
You must be the famous guardian, he said. The way he said it already had pushed a button.
And you must be Vinny,
He nodded.
Marcus's uncle.
At first, everything seemed harmless. Dinner was going well.
Stories about Marcus's mother as a little girl.
Old family memories that made Marcus smile.
Then the conversation shifted.
Vinny slipped folded bills into Marcus's shirt pocket.
For being a man.
I noticed.
After dinner, Marcus went upstairs to put away his money.
The moment he was out of earshot, I spoke up.
He doesn't need cash.
Vinny leaned back in his chair.
Every young man needs a little money.
He needs stability, He needs confidence. He needs boundaries.
Vinny smiled politely.
And what did boundaries ever do for us?
I didn't answer.
Before leaving, Vinny called Marcus back outside.
I watched discreetly from the porch.
Vinny rested a hand on the Marcus's shoulder.
You know what your father would've wanted?
Marcus shook his head.
Respect. And respect isn't given.
He tapped Marcus lightly on the chest.
It's taken.
Marcus nodded.
If somebody cheats you?
Marcus responded, I don't let them.
If somebody insults your family?
Marcus responded, I make them regret it.
Vinny smiled proudly.
That's my nephew.
I knew I was going to need help dealing with this.
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| Reply by: Breezy at Jul 29, '26 04:48 | |
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Over the following weeks, the pattern became obvious. Every visit came with expensive gifts. Cash tucked into birthday cards even when it wasn't Marcus's birthday. Little sayings that sounded clever to a fourteen-year-old. Never let anyone think they're tougher than you. People only respect strength. If someone gets one over on you, make sure they never do it again. Marcus soaked it up. He loved his uncle. And after losing both parents, he desperately wanted an adult who made him feel powerful instead of vulnerable.
One night Marcus left the dinner table; the smile vanished from Vinny's face. You don't like me. I don't like the lessons. They're lessons every boy should know. They're lessons that get boys hurt. Vinny took a sip of his drink and set it down like he was a little annoyed. The world's hard. I know exactly how hard it is. He studied me for a long moment; I felt something was coming. I know who you used to be. I wasn't surprised. I looked him dead in his eyes. I figured. Roxie trusted you with her son. She did. I respected Roxie. So did I. For a moment, there was thinking we had some understanding between us. Then Vinny sighed. I'm trying to make sure Marcus isn't weak. And I'm trying to make sure he survives long enough to become a man. |
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| Reply by: Breezy at Jul 29, '26 04:57 | |
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