THE YOUNG SOPRANOS (VIOLENCE) XXXV (CONTINUED)
THE
YOUNG SOPRANOS
XXXV
BY J. BECK
2024
...
(CONTINUED)
XXXV
Vito rolled up to a stop out front of an old closed grocery storefront with double-doors. A.J. tells Vito to wait in the car for them as he & Cork went in.
"Damn those steps go straight up & down.--I'd hate to fall down these steep motherfuckers--Break my goddamn neck." Cork said climbing & trying to catch his breath geabbing the hand-rail.
"Knock on the door."
Cork knocks once, then he knocks a Second time.
"Who is it?" (Cork answers, "Friends.") "I don't have any fucking friends?" (Friends from the DiMeo Family)--
"Hold On." They can hear a weezy-breathing oldman unlocking three chain-locks & two dead-bolt locks. & Then they hear the CLICKING sound of him cocking a shot-gun.
"OK, open the door. Real Slow! I have a shaky trigger-finger!" Cork pushes the door open to find Little Paulie sitting in his wheel-chair pointing a double barrel shot-gun at the door. "OH. CORKY!--Come in.--Whose this with you?"
"It is Anthony Soprano Jr. Tony's Boy!"
OH, "Little T." Paulie Walnuts use to call him that when he was a little shit! Yea,--I remember him before I ended up in this goddamn wheel-chair! Little Paulie said slapping the sides of it.
Looking up at A.J. from his wheel-chair Paulo grinned to himself thinking & saying:
"& So now look at you Anthony John Soprano Jr. You're all grown up. You are big strong as your late father Tony Soprano & as handsome as your late Grandfather "Johnny Boy" Soprano!"
You knew "Johnny Boy" Paulo?!
Yes. Little Paulie humbly admits. I was young kid back then. I was even younger then Tony but I was always just around the corner hoping to get noticed by them.
Then Cork interrupted his train of thought & suggested he put the shot-gun down, "Give me that Double-Barrow Gas-pipe Paulo, before you plug one of us with it!"
"Yea.--I'd hate to shoot either of you or myself, by accident! He smiled conceededly--So what can this broken-down Oldman do for you two young Wise-Guys?!"
A.J. took over the conversation as he recorded it on his cell-phone in his jacket-pocket using his ear-bud microphone.
"We were wondering if you heard anything about who killed Paulie Walnuts?--We want to repay whoever is responsible for his treacherous killing. Murdering a Made Man of Honor like that!" (I know it was terrible that he was whacked right in front of Tony's grave-stone like that! What kind of message is that?--I wonder?)
"We were hoping maybe you knew something, anything to help us track down these traitors & repay them for what they did."
"I wish I could fellas but no one knows anything. It was a tight-Lip Job. They probably know that all of Paulie Walnut's friends would come out of the woodwork! I am surprise that it didn't start a War!"
"Para Bellum!" A.J. smiled warmly &
knodded his head in agreement.
Then A.J. pulled out a folded piece of old yellowed paper from his inside jacket-pocket. (What's This?)
"We were hoping you can tell us. It has your name on it beside Paulie Walnuts as the property owners. It appears to be a land deed for a small plot?"
"Oh. No.
It's no small plot. That is to
our old family farm after we immigrated to America from the Mother-land in the
late 1800's. Paulie & I were first cousins both sharing our great-great grandfather's
first name Paulo. I am the last
surviving family member."
"How did you find it?"
A.J. told him Paulie Walnuts left it inside his work-desk at the old Bada Bing.
"Yea, I heard that your Aunt Janice took that over & renamed it?" (Yes. It's "BBW--Bing" now.) "BBW?"
BBW BING
GENTLEMEN'S CLUB
POSTER
"Yea--BBW means:
Big Beautiful Women!"
Aunt Janice showcases those big, full-figured gals & mixes in between the tiny-dancers!
"You know, some guys really like those Fat-Bottom-Girls! Paulie Walnut's use to say they all look the same when they're laying on their bellys with their big asses up in the air!--Gesturing.
Then he'd say, If you roll them over on their backs, their bellys will lay flat as a smooth table cloth." As he made a flat gesture with both hands, spreading out a table-cloth.
"& Then you roll them around in flour & look for the wet Spot!"
Gesturing with his yellow nictone stained finger Little Paule laughs to himself at his late cousin's old Fat Jokes, shaking his hanging head.
A.J. refocusing the sideways conversation: "SO, there's 100 Acres?--(YEP.) Would you be interested in selling it to me Paulo?"
"OH. I don't know Anthony, it's been in our family for almost 150 years. Our Family were considered to be Pioneer-Stock as some of the earliest to immigrant here. The land isn't hurting anything laying idle as it has the past fifty years. I really have no use for it now, stuck here in this mother-fucking wheel-chair." He slaps both arms of it with his flat hands.
"Exactly Paulo!-- But I will pay you 1000$ an acre for it.
"That's 100K$?!"
"Yes. That could be a big help to you & would go a long way!" (It would last me the rest of my life?) "IT COULD!"
Then A.J. points to Cork, "Count out 100K$ here on the table for Little Paule so he can see what it looks like!"
"I know what it looks like Kid!--This isn't my first
Go-Around here!" A.J. nodding assures him that
he knows it isn't.
"There's 2000x 500$ Bills
THAT'S 100K$ in Cold Cash"
"You know Paulo my late father, Tony always spoke well of you!" (How So?) He said you were a loyal soldier & good earner. Between you & me--He wanted to kill Chris himself when he found out what he did to you!"
"You know what A.J.? I have changed my mind. (Yea?) Yea. I will sell it out-right to you for that price! 100K$?" (YES.) & Little Paulie stretches out his hand to shake with him.
A.J. clutched his hand firmly. "That's Fantastic Paulo!"
"Show me where to Sign" he said staring at the pile of cash on his kitchen table as he reaches inside his worn suit jacket pocket for his eye-glasses case. I can't read the small print without them.
A.J. points, "Right here beside SELLER X
& Today's date is June 6th, 2017."
"No. Today is June 7th. Yesterday, was the 6th T."
A.J. shot a glare at Cork. 'No. Today is the 6th--(Asshole.)
Paulie peers up & points, telling them there is a calander over there on the kitchen wall, holding the ink pen over the Seller X Line with an unsteady hand, waiting to sign.
"Go look at it Cork!" A.J. continued to stare hard into Cork's glassy eyes.
Compagino obeyed & He finds a 2016 calander (With a picture of Dragster-Rail lifting the front tires off the black asphalt, riding on the wheelie-bars, burning out a cloud of rolling hot rubber smelling smoke from it's swatting, fat rear-tires off the race's starting line as the Christmas-Tree, light-pole turned green.)
"Yea. (Cork points) You are right, Anthony!--It is the 6th, today is June 9th, 2017."
Then Little Paulie knods hanging his long gray head of straight greasy hair to sign with his shaky hand & date it for the June 6th, 2017.
"Good Man!--I appreciate this Paulo!"
"So do I Anthony"--He shakes his hand a second time before A.J. takes out a cigar to give him to smoke.
"Give him a light Cork!" A.J. says as Little Paulie peeled the wrapper off & licking the tobacco to taste & moisten it as he puffed at it's bellowing, sweet tobacco smoke. (Oh, this is a good one!)
Paulie holds it up to Salute them for it. (Click--Click) A.J. takes a picture of Little Paulie in his wheel-chair, Saluting his cigar in front of $100K cash with the signed deed on the table.
A.J. noticed a large silver Crucifix hanging low on the wall behind Little Paulie over the table. A.J. points it out to Cork, who crossed his heart as did Paulie. (Click--Click)
"My great--great grandmother brought that across the Atlantic Ocean from Naples!--Hand it here! I haven't kissed it yet today.--I kiss it every morning!"
Paulie held it with both hands to sincerely kissed it & paused, before handing it back to A.J. Who hangs it back up for him over the dirty outline of a cross on the peeling, vintage flower, smoke-yellowed wall-paper.
Then A.J. turned on his cell-phones video recorder. & Focased it on the open apartment door, leading to the steep stair-well with a chair-lift chair-rail that he purposely left open when they first entered the apartment; Looking down the long barrow of Little Paulie's loaded double-barrel 12-gauge shot-gun with both hammers cocked.
A.J. asked Little Paulie: "Have you ever watched that old black & white, Gangster, Noir movie called "Kiss of Death? From 1947."
"KISS OF DEATH"
MOVIE POSTER
1947
"Oh--Yes! It was one of my all-time favorite gangster
movies, of all time, with that crazy laughing psycho-killer played by
Richard Widmark!" (Right!--See
Cork. Little Paulie knows what I'm
talking about--This guy Paulo, doesn't watch movies. He says he only watches Porn!) Making him
laugh as A.J. standing behind him grabs the handles of his wheel-chair.
"You said it WAS one of your all-time favorite gangster movie?"
"Yea. Until I ended up in this cock-sucking wheel-chair!" Little Paulie answered. (Why? Cork asked)
"Because of the Movie's
Famous Wheel-chair scene,..."
Then Little Paulie had a moment of Clarity, as he peered back over his shoulder at A.J.
"Oh, That's the Best Scene!--It makes the whole Movie!--Especially with that Creepy Fucker's, Sinister Laugh?!"
And with that A.J. shoves Little Paulie's wheel-chair rapidly towards the open apartment door.
"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!--What the Hell are you Fucking Doing?--NO--NO!" Little Paulie shouts after spitting out the burning cigar from my mouth with a death-grip on the wheelchair arms. Shocking both Paulo & Compagino.
A.J. stops right before reaching the edge of the upstairs apartment doorway's threshold leading to the steep, deep 50-step stair-well.
"Take it Easy--I'm just screwing with you, Paulo!"
"You crazy fucking kid!--I almost shit myself!" He said, trying to laugh & exhale smoke & breath to put his smoldering cigar back in his mouth.
A.J. looks over at Cork who stared with big eyes. "Tell me Paulie, didn't you learn anything about living in an upstairs apartment after Chris threw you out that second story window?"
"Yes. That's why I kiss that silver cross everyday."
"Well, you should of put your Trust in the Laws of Science & Gravity next time! Instead of False Religions!"
& With that A.J. shoved Little Paulie's wheel-chair over the edge of the open-door's threshold to loudly--awkwardly fall & tumble the entire way down the deep stair-well in slow motion to crash-land up against the bottom double-doors.
It almost appeared he stood a chance of riding it out as he leaned back on the large wheels. Lasting 15 steps down until the wheel-chair tipped forward & the 2 small front wheels dropped & caught.
Throwing Little Paulie forward out ahead of the tumbling wheel-chair. Breaking his neck to die instantly, before he landed at the bottom with the wheel-chair on top of his twisted, life-less body. Still clutching the burning cigar with his missing, yellow-teeth in his mouth.
A.J. video recorded the entire "Kiss of Death," scene re-actment, with it's Crashing Climax.
A.J. spins around & his smile turned to the glare, pointing at the pile of money on the table as he picked up the signed land-deed to secure in his jacket-pocket.
"Pick that goddamn money back up before I throw your fucking ass down thoses stairs on top of him!"
A.J. goes into the kitchen & opens the empty fridge then the frosty freezer & pulled two pistols wrapped in newspaper out to toss at Cork.
"Take these two Ham-Bones too!" as they fell short onto the floor at Cork's feet. Turning his back to him A.J. said,
"I hope they weren't loaded?!" As he open the empty cabnets. "That poor fuck only survived on saltine-crackers & SPAM potted canned meat?"
A.J. turned on all of the gas stove burners & the cracked oven door then he turn-key opened the SPAM steel meat can lids to fork into a frying pan.
Then he took a bottle of cooking oil to pour down the kitchen counters & across the kitchen floor from the stove-top into the living room to pour out the remains on the sofa & chair. While the greasy, fat by-product meat began to crackle & smolder over high heat burner flame.
"Open the windows up!"
Then A.J. walked over to the Drag-Racer calander on the wall & seen it was from 2016.
He took it down, glaring at Cork & held it over one of the burner flames until it was on fire & walked it past Cork to toss it on the cooking oil soaked couch.
"Grab that Double-Barrel Gas-pipe & Let's get the fuck out of here!" A.J. stops to take the silver Crucfix with him after he wiped it off, leaving only its negetive space outline behind on the smokey filmed wall as the apartment was beginning to fill with black smoke smelling like burning SPAM.
"Don't Fall!" A.J. laughs, following Cork down the 50 steps. & Waited at the bottom outside door for A.J. to step over Little Paulie"s silent folded body with his head twisted around sideways & broken neck. (Click--Click)
A.J. takes the double-barrow shot-gun from Cork while he held the silver cross in the other hand & tells him:
"Now. Shoot him.--AND I don't want
anymore fucking back-talk out of you Compagino!"
BANG------BANG--BANG
(& A Gun Dropping
On the Floor Sound)
"OK--GET IN THE BACK" A.J. points the shot-gun to hand it back to Cork.--
"DRIVE VITO!"
Who obeying pulls the running car's shifter down into the drive-gear & slowly pulled away as the black smell of burning SPAM smoke began to escape & bellow from the open upstairs apartment windows above them.
Then A.J. lights a cigarette & brakes the silence by hooking his arm over the back of the front passenger seat to look Cork strait in the eyes.
"So Compagino, what is your goddamn problem?" Cork didn't answer only tried to peer away.
"SEE YOU--Fucking LOOK at Me!--
STOP THE
CAR."
"OR I WILL DRAG YOU OUT OF THE BACK-SEAT OF THIS CAR BY THE HAIR OF YOUR HEAD & BEAT YOUR FUCKING ASS RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS GODDAMN STREET--"
'DO YOU MOTHERFUCKING UNDERSTAND ME COMPANGNIO?--(YES.)--GOOD."
"Now.
You look at me
When I'm fucking talking to you!"
First you show up late, half-dressed, & ALL GLASSY EYED! You are all fucked up on, Who knows what?
So You question me in front of Vito back there in the office earlier.
Then upstairs you disagree with me about the date in front of that poor fuck?
Not to mention you have been running your cock-sucker about my business to Geno & WHO ELSE?" (No One Else)
I AM
THE GODDAMN DON OF THIS FUCKING FAMILY--NOT YOU!
OR IS IT YOU WANT TO BE THE DON?--IS THAT IT CORK? YOU CAN DO A BETTER JOB THEN I AM?"
(NO--NO ANTHONY. YOU ARE!)
"What
are the "Always Nevers?" A.J. stares back at Cork & awaited
Compagino to answered.
(Raising 1 Finger:)
"The DON isALWAYS, Right."
(2 Fingers:)
"The DON is NEVER, Wrong."
(3 Fingers:)
"NEVER, Talk-Back to the DON."
(4 Fingers:)
"NEVER, Question the DON."
(4 Fingers & Thumb:)
"NEVER, Disagree with the DON."
"Perhaps, You don't want to be my Consigiliere, Compagino?" (Yes. I do T.)
"WELL HOW ABOUT YOU START ACTING LIKE IT? HOW ABOUT YOU KEEP YOUR FUCKING MOUTH SHUT FROM NOW ON--UNLESS I SPEAK TO YOU--GOT IT?" (YES!)
"GOOD.--Because I need you on my side & by side!--But I need to be able to completely Trust you!"--(You Can Anthony!)
"I don't need a half-glass guy Compagino. Whether it's half full or half empty--I need that tall cool glass of water guy!"
"How about that for a Change Cork?!"
Instead of me hearing all about my business from other people?--You start coming to me & telling me all about their's? (You got it Anthony--I will!)
"Good Man."--A.J. reaches his hand out over the back of the front seat to shake hands with Cork firmly.
Then A.J. slaps Vito Jr.'s near thick shoulder, "What do you say Kid? How about we go get a bite to eat?--That smell of burning SPAM has made me hungrey!
We can drop Cork off at the office since I know he isn't hungrey & it will give him a chance to get his shit all in one bag!--
& Maybe count a couple suit-cases of (Benny's) money too?!"
"I need to run by my Real Estate Agent, Julianna Skiff's office to drop off this signed land deed to have it transfered over.
Then A.J. pulls out that business card that Suzie Q. passed on to him
earlier. Holding it in between two
fingers to say, "& I have just the new place to go & try
out!"
"CAFE NAPOLI"
HELLS KITCHEN--NYC
"So tell me then Compagino, How did you like my version of the KISS OF DEATH movie's Wheel-chair scene?"
A.J. asked with a sinister
laugh.
...
(To Be Continued)
ALL
AI GENERATED IMAGES
CREATED BY
USING WORD PROMPTS
2024
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