THE YOUNG SOPRANOS PART 2--XII (CONTINUED)

 

THE

YOUNG SOPRANOS

PART 2--XII

By

J. BECK 

2024

...

(CONTINUED)

CANDLE VIGILS

FOR

CORRADO JOHN SOPRANO JR 

BELLVILLE NJ

XII

A.J. arrived early Monday morning at the Hilton Hotel in Newark to speak to his mother before the STAR newspaper offices could open for business at 9 AM.  After returning to the Dumbo Hotel to see & talk to Meadow before midnight Sunday night when Stella finished her 12 hour shift.

Meadow told A.J. that their mother was looping over Junior's misprint obituary from the moment she discovered it shortly after her flight's landing in Newark from Miami. Insisting on it being corrected after Meadow gave her A.J.'s answer concerning the misprint.

"She just couldn't drop it. She had all of the errors circled & highlighted on the newspaper on the Hotel room table. It's a good thing she never learned how to use emails! Then she got all stuffy declaring that she was Junior's Power of Attorney and implied that was a result of incompetence all puffed up & full of pride."

"Incompetence?!--WHOSE? The STAR'S or OUR'S?!" A.J. asked glaring. Which caused Meadow turn her face away from his.

"Don't look at me like that A.J." Meadow said shielding her face. 

Snapping A.J. out of his cruel glaring stare trance to pat her leg assuringly that he would speak to their mother first thing & shut her shit down. "SHE'S SUCH A BITCH A.J." Meadow answered him as she turned to face and embrace him with tears running down her face. "I HATE HER!"

"I know Sis--I know she is but we don't have the time or energy to play "Fuck--Fuck" with her." A.J. told Meadow as he kissed her warm watery tears away steaming down her flushed cheeks. (Hold me T.)

A.J. knocked & entered his mother's luxury hotel room at 7 o'clock in the morning with lobby curtesy coffees & donuts for her.

A.J. didn't have a chance to bring up Junior's obituary because Carmela immediately started in about it. Pointing out the open newspaper on the table with the highlighted & circled misprint errors.  

Assuring A.J. that she would personally address the STAR herself when their newspaper offices opened at 9 o'clock looking at his cellphone time then peered down at her wrist-watch to say as she removed it from her arm: " I need a new watch!--This old thing has never kept the right time."

"Why do you wear it then?" A.J. asked his mother.

Carmela looks up at her son with watery eyes to answer his question: "It's the only one I have and,..." (And?!) "And it is the last gift your father gave me!" She covers her mouth to keep from openly crying & drops the watch onto the hardwood floor at her feet. 

A.J. leans forward appearing to be retrieving it off the floor for her. But instead he stomped it into pieces & crushing the crystal face under his dress-shoe heel.

"Anthony John Soprano what did do?! Why did you do that?!" (You said it was junk!) "I said it was the last gift that your father gave me!" Carmela leans forward to pick it up but A.J. grabs her arm gently saying "Don't--leave it Mom. Let the maids take it out in the trash ."

A.J. assisted his mother to her feet informing her they needed to have an adult conversation & instructs her to sit on the sofa while he stood.

"Now?"--(Yes. Now. That's why I came here so early.)

"What is it A.J.?--You're scaring me."

A.J. warmly smiles: "There's Nothing to be frightened or to be concerned with. I told you that I would take care of making all the funeral arrangements & I have."

"You are a good son Anthony!" Carmela said peering back at her broken junk watch on the floor.

"Yes.--But I must ask you mother: Do you actually believe that I am--Your Son is so incompetent to allow a newspaper to misprint the wrong obituary?!"

"HEAVENS NO ANTHONY!--THE STAR IS INCOMPETENT--NOT YOU?!" Carmela answers before adding that she was certain it had  all to do with the Soprano's surname stereotype.

A.J. smiles sighing. "I want you to listen to me mother; I am only going to do this one time & a last time. Do you know who I am now?" ("Yes. I know Anthony.")

"OK.--So tell me then who is your Don Mother?" ("What do you mean A.J.?") 

"I mean exactly what I asked you. Are you loyal to Carmine Luppitazzi Jr--Have you kissed his ring?"

"HELL NO ANTHONY! He is Nothing to me. He's an Idiot. " ("SO?") "So--What?"

"So then are you loyal to your son as your Don?"

Carmela peers up into his staring eyes. "You're Serious aren't you?"

"Oh Yes. I am very serious Mother!"

Carmela slides off the edge of the leather sofa to kneel on the floor before her son. "I've never been required to declare myself before."

"That's because you lived in denial for the past 40 years. There is nothing more left to deny Mother."

Carmela looks lovingly up into her son cold staring eyes as she takes his right hand & lifts it up to her lips to kiss his ring."I could never deny you Anthony--I sincerely & honestly swear myself to honor & serve you as my Don."

"GOOD." A.J. assisted her back to her feet and she embraces her son's neck kissing his face." I love you Anthony & I couldn't be more proud of you as I know your father would be. Whereever the Fuck he is?! 

Whether he's in Heaven or Hell?  He's not here now. When your father was taken from us & then you left me  I felt abandoned & lost without my hisband & children. 

But you & your sister returned to me Anthony after a decade of silence & Meadow shunning me.  I will never dilerberately wrong either of you ever again  & I will do whatever either of you want me to do."

"That's the correct answer Mom!" A.J. laughs as he pulls a roll of duct tape from one jacket pocket & a mouth gag-ball out of the other pocket to show her  Carmela gives him a blushing smile asking what he means.

"If you gave me the wrong answer I was prepared to gag & bind you with duct-tape & leave you locked in your hotel room until Junior's Funeral was over!"

Carmela smiles & laughs slapping him on his vested chest  & straightens his dress tie. "Let's just agree that we both are happy I gave you the right answer as she kisses his cheek.

"So I am deducting that Junior's obituary wasn't a newspaper misprint and you deliberately gave them misinformation?!"

"You said it not me!" A.J. winks at her.  "It's their bad & it's on them! We can't help it if it confuses the Feds!"

"I understand now A.J.--You are so Clever Anthony!"

"It is appearing to be the case this morning: Junior's Death & Funeral is all over the local news & radio reporting that there were people gathering outside Junior's house in Bellville leaving flowers & cards Signs & candle vigils!"

"You're shitting me A.J.!" Carmela reaches for the television remote control to see.

"So you aren't going to notify the STAR?" A.J. asked as he made his way towards the door to leave.

"No. I won't Anthony!-- I n fact I will throw the newspaper out with that broken junk watch!"

"I will get you a new watch Mom! I love you--I gotta run!" A.J. said slipping out the door. 

("OH MY GOD! JUNIOR'S STORY IS ON EVERY CHANNEL!")

...

(To Be Continued)

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2024