55 Years later.
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I looked at his grave stone. My Great uncle.. "James Cartwright Carson April 7, 1910 to December 5, 1964. " The words made me think about how it was like for Uncle to die. Even though I never met him and the only stories I heard was from my pop who was born years later, Uncle James was an inspiration to me. And the reason I lived to carry on the family business...
"Yo Rome! Nigga get yo black ass in the car! We got a meeting! "
"Hold the F--- On! I'm coming nigga." I sighed and laid down a gold chain at the feet of Uncle's gravestone. I said a silent prayer and followed it by the sign of the cross and then proceeded to the black Bentley that was waiting for me. I got in the passenger seat and looked at my cousin Jake.
"I'm sick and tired of you talking to me any old kinda way.. Broke ass motherf-----"
"Shut up. You just mad cause you a weak ass bitch as you always been. Besides why the hell you keep coming to see this dude for? He didn't know you."
"But I'm sure if he did he be proud of me. I mean look at what we got.. Our family still running this shit 55 years later. In 2019 we still the niggas!"
"Yeah for now.." He pulled the Bentley out of park and drove it out of the cemetery and onto the street. As he did I let his last sentence sit in my head.. And I wondered. Could the empire end.
My family was part black, part Italian, and we had a little Indian. So family dinner's was always a hectic event. The moment we pulled up to my Dad's large and ridiculously huge mansion Jake and I could feel the tension radiating from the inside. Jake parked the car in the family garage and we got out and walked the long garage filled with every car ever known to man to the elevator which then lead us to the main floor of the house. When the door opened screams and hollers surrounded us and we walked onto the marble floor, my heels clicking calling everyone into silence. The sound echoed off the large vast walls, and the sound traveled across the house. I walked to my seat at the table and pulled back the large medieval like dinner chair and sat down taking off my black gloves but leaving on my black coat. Jake sat across from me and I looked around the table. There were my uncles and aunts, cousins, and distant relatives. My eyes however descended on Pop's seat.. which was vacant. I cleared my throat and spoke
"Where is-"
"Jamaica nephew. The tumor is being removed and we have no word on what's up."
"So why all the fighting? Let's get on with our meeting."
My uncle Bo nodded and stood up and hit the table with his fist.
"I am calling the meeting of the Cartwright- Jackson Cartel to order. Because our Don is not here.. I will proceed today as temporary Don in his place. Our first order of business.. Jake how is the drug production going?"
And just like that I tuned out. This is what happened every time we called a meeting. Fighting, bickering, my entrance and then peace. Followed by more bickering, yelling, pointless reports and then my exit. This shit bored my to tears and now I see why pop hated this stuff. After what seemed an eternity I looked up to see the meeting was almost over. And then Uncle Bo's phone rang and he answered and looked up shocked. After a couple un uh's and yeahs he looked at me and held the phone out. I raised my eyebrow suspiciously and stood up and walked over to his side of the table and took the phone.
"Yes."
"Rome.. Rome it's me."
"Oh.. How are you Pop?"
"Good.. Good for now. But I called you because something is going down and I don't want those rock heads to know. I want my son to handle it."
"Of course. What is it?"
"Son. I just got word today that... LeBlanc has moved on what his plans. He is planning all out war with the Cardinal's and we're going to be caught in the middle."
"Wait.. Why in the middle I thought you got of the deal with the Cardinal's before it could backfire."
"So did I.. But.. The drugs moved on anyway and everyone even down to the lowest producer hasn't come clean. Someone is moving my shit around New York and without my permission. I stopped all drug sales while the Cardinal's and the LeBlanc Cartel is at war. Poaching each other's drug dealers, popping the F--- out of each other's families and houses. I don't want my boys being in the middle.."
"Yeah I know.. But why will we be caught in the middle?"
"That's just it.. Someone is selling my product on Cardinal territory and they don't like it, and the LeBlanc's want us to keep doing it or they will attack us."
I sighed. In other words what I just heard was this. Someone in our family is playing puppet master and is setting us up to be in between the cross fire of a Cartel War.. And whoever it is; is betting that we get involved and fall.
