Rise & Fall Of A Don

Chapter 2

Tommy Pov

"Chico, donde diablos has estado."

Translation: Boy where the hell you been.

"El parque."

Translation: The park

My mom started on me as soon as I got in the house.

Narration: I remembered thinking why. Did she have a moment of clarity and decided to do right by her only child? Mrs. Pam always said I was a beautiful boy and that my mom should take better care of me. I laugh now, because I didn't understand when Mrs.Pam used to always tell me to use my looks to my advantage. I know now and that shit got me into trouble more often than not with the ladies and men apparently.

I ignored the rest of her rambling and walked to my room. I bumped into someone in the dark hallway and fell.

"Watch where you're going, you little punk."

Narration: I know what ya'll are thinking. When will Petro get his comeuppance. Well not for a while. I decided to show Petro. A lesson if you will. I just wanted to show Petro how with little effort and a lot of sacrifice you could become the most feared and unstoppable Don ever. I wanted him to watch. That was the reason he lived as long as he did. I wanted the jealousy and envy to eat him up. But I underestimated Petro. The fucker. Now back to the story.

I got up off the ground and tried to walk around Petro. I mean, I did have school the next day.

"Discuple," I said and tried to walk around him again.

Translation: Excuse me

"Naw, hell naw. I'm sick of your little ass tryna be all uppity and shit. What, we're not good enough for you to play with. You have to go play with nig*** and shit and don't think I forgot that you kicked me in my balls you little fucker."

I didn't say anything. And that angered him more. He hit me. He beat me in that hallway and I didn't hear a peep from my mother. He started to kick me until I felt something crack then it became difficult to breath. He grabbed my curly hair and punched me in the face. He beat me until he was satisfied. I don't know why he doesn't like me. He never did for some reason.

My mom said, "Petro, would you hurry up, shit."

"In a minute Camilla. I'm trying to teach your little boy here some manners."

He stepped over my beaten body and they both walked from the house. I couldn't breathe. It hurt my chest whenever I tried to so I took small breaths. I crawled to my room and stayed there for days. I was unable to move. My face was sore and swollen and my whole body hurt. I couldn't get up. No one came to check on me. Not even my mom. So I was sitting there in my own waste when I heard a heavy knock on the door. But I couldn't get to it. They knocked for several more minutes. Then I heard a door being jimmied opened. I heard a lady's voice.

"He's in here, I know it. It's not like him to miss school for this many days."

It was my teacher. I wanted to take a deep breath of relief but I couldn't. It hurt too bad. I heard her steps getting closer and closer. And when she found me she flipped me over and saw my bruises she screamed, "call an ambulance!"

She picked my little 8 year old fragile body up with piss all over me and walked me to the living room. There I saw cops and what looked like state workers. They looked through the fridge and cabinets and shook their heads. Another one is on the phone with the welfare office verifying all my mom's income. I didn't say anything. Even when they asked me a question.

"What the fuck is this? Who are you? Get the fuck out of my house," my mom said walking in the house.

My mom was pushed aside by the paramedics. They probed and prodded me until I couldn't hold in the wince of pain and cried out in agony. He raised my shirt and gasped.