A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

 

Table of Contents

Author’s Note

Chapter 1—Furio Asks a Favor of Me

Chapter 2—Close Encounters of the Gay Kind

Chapter 3—Meeting Vincenzo ‘Bowie’ Capaldi

Chapter 4—‘Silk’ Shows Off

Chapter 5—Hetero Life Mates

Epilogue

 

‘He’s got attitude, and it will get him through.’—lyrics from Information Society’s ‘Attitude’

‘Look at me. You like what you see ?  You’re lookin’ at a bad mother.’—lyrics from ‘The Boss’ as sung by James Brown

‘Winter, spring, summer or fall.  All you’ve gotta do is call.  And I’ll be there, I’ll be there.

You’ve got a friend.’—lyrics from ‘You’ve Got a Friend’, sung by Carol King

‘When the road is rough ahead and you’re miles away from your nice warm bed.   You just remember what your old pal said, boy, you’ve got a friend in me.’—from Toy Story’s theme, as sung by Randy Newman

‘When the night is cold and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we’ll see.  No, I won’t be afraid, no I won’t shed a tear.  Just as long as you stand by me.’—lyrics from Stand By Me as sung by Ben E. King

‘When you feel lost and about to give up,  ‘cause your best ain’t good enough.  And you feel the world has grown cold, and you’re drifting out on your own.  And you need a hand to hold, darling, reach out.  Come on girl.  Reach on out for me.’—lyrics from Reach Out (I’ll Be There) as sung by the Four Tops

‘Just look over your shoulder.’—from the Jackson 5’s ‘I’ll Be There’

‘You’ve got to roll with the punches to get to what’s real.’—lyrics from ‘Jump’ as sung by Van Halen

‘Everywhere, I will be with you, every word, I will be for you.’—lyrics from ‘I Love You, Always Forever’, sung by Donna Lewis

‘Yeah, I know what’s right, I got just one life.  When this great big world gets to pushin’ me around, yeah, I’ll stand my ground.  And I won’t back down.’—Lyrics from ‘Won’t Back Down’ as sung by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

‘When life gives you nothing, Boss, you dance !’—Zorba, Zorba the Greek

‘Be happy.  Because life ?  You only get one.’—Justin, my coworker

‘Feel the rhythm while you can.’—lyrics to ‘Spoon Man’ as sung by Soundgarden

‘And when the night is cold and dark you can see, you can see light.   ‘Cause no one can take away your right to fight and never surrender.’—lyrics from Cory Hart’s ‘Never Surrender’

‘Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down.’—lyrics from ‘Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water’ as sung by Simon and Garfunkle

‘If you should ever leave me, well life would still go on, believe me.   The world could show nothing to me, so what good would living do me ?  God only knows where I’d be without you.’—Lyrics from ‘God Only Knows’ as sung by the Beach Boys

‘I’ll be your number one with a bullet.  A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it.’—lyrics from Fall Out Boy’s ‘Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down’

‘Whatever we deny or embrace, for worse or for better.  We belong; we belong together.’—lyrics to ‘We Belong’ as sung by Pat Benatar

‘Nobody’s promised tomorrow.’—some lyrics from ‘Die With a Smile’ as sung by Bruno Mars

‘Oh, I thank God everyday for the girl He sent my way, but you know the things he gives He can take away ?’, some lyrics from ‘Beautiful Things’  

‘You’ve got to grind to shine.’—David King, Highest 2 Lowest

‘There are only two things for you to remember, in life Ben.  You die, and you live until you die.’—Reeve to Ben, ‘The Grand Tour’  

 

Author’s Note:  Most of you reading this are already aware of the changes that Kindle has undergone.  They won’t accept ‘short stories’ under twenty-eight pages, so I’m posting this on blogger.  I have toned down the profanity and am using euphemisms, double entendres and innuendos.   If you don’t enjoy reading something like that, I respect that.   I’m writing this simply because it was an idea that came to me, and I wanted to see what the result would be.   Expect lots of CJ and Vinny in the future in drawings.   Vinny is FUN to draw.  

 

Chapter 1—Furio Asks a Favor of Me

                With the kids out of the house and taking care of their own families, I had been left as an empty nester, but I was never truly inactive or idle.   It just happened to be a Sunday when my wife received a call and Furio was on the other end.     We had a landline (guess that’s a bit old fashioned but with my business dealings but only trusted members of the Family can reach me) and if anyone needed anything, anything at all, that’s how they’d catch me.    

                ‘Hey, Chris.’, came the voice of my surrogate dad on the other end.   It made me both ecstatic and slightly anxious, since he was the Capo, but I respected and admired him just like everyone else.

                ‘What’s up, Furio ?’, I responded, in a friendly, casual manner.   Furio disclosed he needed to see me about an urgent matter, so I hopped in my Ferrari and dressed to impress as we had our sit down.

                ‘We’re seeing a significant decline in our numbers, Chris.’, came the sad reality from my boss, friend, and father figure.    He mentioned he wanted me to do a magazine shoot to boost new recruitments for soldiers.  

                ‘Respectfully, sir, but hasn’t Velocita done that with her magazine and TikTok ?’, I inquired.   Furio looked at me, beaming, grinning from ear to ear. 

                ‘You know I am proud of your bambini and what they’re doing for the Family.   I know all about their ventures, but this is specifically geared towards recruiting soldiers.   As far as I am concerned, you have the most influence in that regard.   So, I’m asking you to see a photographer I hired for a shoot.   Take at least four outfits, show some variety.   Best of luck.’, Furio stated before patting me heartily on the back.    I didn’t hesitate to finish his task.   I was a man who prided himself in focusing on an errand, even if it was one that was more like a leisurely excursion rather than a business meeting.   I presented myself formally, with the utmost gentility.    If necessary, I carried my namesake on my hip just to prove that I was more than simply a handsome face.    This viper’s fangs were still venomous. 

 

Chapter 2—Close Encounters of the Gay Kind

                The shoot went breezily until the photographer came a bit too close while I was changing outfits.    From the way he was eyeing me, I knew he had been trying to cop a feel the entire evening.    The bastard even had the balls to grab me by the tackle and forcefully pull me close to feel his breath. 

                ‘God damn, why do you have to be so freaking gorgeous ?’, the effeminate man asked, fumbling with my cannoli.   Seething but retaining a calm demeanor, I pulled my Glock on the man and warned him I didn’t play around. 

                ‘I don’t know what sort of rumors you might have heard about me, but I don’t bat for left field.’, I said, coldly.   On one hand, I was irrationally flattered and let the photographer know that, but I let him down as easily as possible also informing him that there was a gay bar not far from the studio.

                ‘How did you pick up I wasn’t from around here ?’, the photographer questioned, genuinely curious as he apologized and continued shooting the remainder of the set.   

                ‘Demeanor, lack of accent and just a hint of being starstruck and bewildered.’, I stated, honestly.   The photographer was taken aback, genuinely impressed with my rapid acumen.  

                ‘Bitchin.’, he complimented, finishing up the set.   I thanked him, paid him, and left for home.   My stomach was rumbling, and I had seen that Veronica, my love, had texted me.                ‘Tesoro, I have manicot in the oven…’, it said, with a red rose following.   Madon…that woman.  She slays me, every flippin’ time.  

 

Chapter 3—Meeting Vincenzo ‘Bowie’ Capaldi

                Veronica, Addy, and Cita went out for a girl’s day while Deuce decided to ‘hang with the guys’.    I was lazing about, listening to an audio book when I received a call from a recruit.   He wanted to meet me at Artie’s, which I accepted wholeheartedly.   

                The moment Vincenzo walked in, I could see a young man brimming with confidence, style, panache, and a rapier wit.   He loved purple, which was evident in the violet suit he wore, the highlights in his hair and the nail polish upon his fingernails.   Beneath his right eye was a teardrop.    This young one had seen death firsthand and enacted it.   I would find out how much later. 

                When I met him, I was surprised at first that Vinny was heterochromatic.   That was how he had gotten his nickname, other than being precise with the weapon of the same name.   He used a nine-millimeter for shooting, which, although classic, suited him insanely well.  

                ‘Can I ask about the tat ?’,I asked casually.    Vinny sniffed a bit, letting out an exhale. 

                ‘Everyone does.   Our crew did their best to live with integrity and honor, but it seems we rubbed a particular gang the wrong way.   I was packing up both my axes and head to another gig.    Our rivals decided to gun us down.   I wasn’t even able to protect my boss.   While he was bleeding out in my arms, I vowed I would avenge him.   Eventually, I found where the bastard tended to linger.    I was only eighteen when I shot him straight through the skull.’, Vinny explained.    Bringing it up made Bowie slightly teary eyed, but I couldn’t hold that against him.   Already he had proven so much by that simple tat under his eye, but I knew Furio would still have to take him to the range and see if he had shooting acumen.   It was simply tradition, and the syndicate always held onto it tightly just like their rosaries and their dogma. 

                On the range, Vinny proved he was a sharpshooter.   He demonstrated why he had been given the nickname ‘Bowie’ even though he was using a fake knife to shank whomever tried to overcome him.   He was self-taught in karate and the way of the black belt had given him the balance he had needed after losing everything.  He had found comfort in Mass and had an extended family that kept him grounded when his world had been turned upside down.   

                Vincent had more than proven himself and he made his intentions clear that he only had one purpose and intention.   He wanted to be part of the Family.  AJ was clearly astonished, and Furio was awestruck by his alacrity in whatever he did.    His only flaw was sometimes he tended to get distracted by a skirt when he felt horny but what man amongst us hasn’t ?   

Chapter 4—‘Silk’ Shows Off

                My dad had a band that never made the big time.   I had my own band that played at numerous venues, and we were fairly popular.   We had a following on TikTok and Facebook.  There were gigs almost every weekend and more often than not we were contacted for parties, whether festive or somber.   Hell, we even prided ourselves on putting the ‘fun’ in funeral.    We didn’t do anything half-assed, and we made damned certain that ain’t nobody was cryin’ when we played !  

                Vinny cracked me up when he told me why he was called ‘Silk’ before we played another gig at our favorite local watering hole, Pimento.    We only got ourselves one drink for the night and it was one of the rare times we had something alcoholic in our systems.  Even then, we weren’t lushes.   We appreciated our inhibitions and only had a smidge of liquor to ease our nerves under the hot lights.

                ‘Soez, why they call you that ?’, I asked, realizing that Vin had gotten cut off by another one of my band members who was propping up his drum set for the jam.    Vinny waxed nostalgic about playin’ all sorts of places and getting laid in them all.   The man was quite the lion with the ladies and the music he made could even make the toughest, manliest man weep like a baby.   

                ‘So, you write lyrics to songs as well.   I’ll be damned.’, I said, mightily impressed with how innovative this young man was.   He certainly thrived well in adversity.

                We had been given sheet music for Vinny’s latest song.   He said it was a gift for all of us, including those who weren’t with us any longer.    Striding up to the microphone in his sequined purple and black attire, the lights made Vin seem otherworldly.    It wasn’t until he began singing that we all fell into a trance.

                I pledge all I have and am to you

                I’ll be by your side when the day’s through

                I’ll go where you go, do what you tell me to

                Send me, I’m your weaponry

                Use me as part of your calvary

                Whatever will be will be

                Always and eternally

                Wher ‘er we go, what ‘er we do

                It’s how we roll, it’s how we do

                Like olive oil or pasta fazool

                You’re the crown, I’m your jewel

                I pledge my life to you

                Albeit we were transfixed, we had been able to perform with him and the entire club had erupted in enthusiastic cheers, whistling, hollering and a call for an encore.   Vincent promised the song would be sung as the last song of the night, so he knew what kept patrons returning and how to milk people for money if the need arose.   

               

Chapter 5—Hetero Life Mates

                I had never thought I would find someone that fitted into my life so seamlessly that we did a fair number of things together.   AJ seemed to adore him and embraced him as a brother.   When it came to Christmas, he had decided to volunteer his time to less fortunate families in his neighborhood and finally adopt that Abyssinian at the humane society he had been looking at.  

                ‘What took you so long to get her ?’, I said, admiring the fact that the blonde cat didn’t shed whatsoever and how soft and cuddly she was.    He aptly named her Momo, which definitely suited her.    She was a darling little angel and the perfect companion for Vincent.    Coming home to her during those lonely holiday nights certainly lifted his spirits, but we helped keep him positive although the Christmas season was ambivalent for him. 

 

Epilogue

                Even now, Vinny and I spend most of the time entertaining others and us jamming together, bowlin’ with the guys, and running the streets.    The only way out of this life, however, is death.   It’s ironic, I’m aware, but I know when I’m dead and gone, the Moltisanti reign will continue.   I’m slightly jealous of Vinny because he’ll never know the constant paranoia or ache knowing this terrible fact.     Not that any of it matters, but we live as well as we can until we die.   That’s all anyone can ask.

 

~*~From the Journals of Christopher Moltisanti Jr., aka Glock