THE YOUNG SOPRANO PART 2--XXIX (CONTINUED)
THE YOUNG SOPRANO
PART 2--XXIX
By
J. BECK
2024
...
(CONTINUED)
XXIX
A.J. left the locked funeral home office to Tommy & Bobby to count the cash that he recieved throughout the afternoon as the Don Anthony John in tributes & condolences.
A.J. decides to duck outdoors to get a blow of fresh air but was greeted by a hot furnace blast of the Heatwave to his face exiting the rear side door. A.J. lit a cigarette & notices Alle Pontecorvo standing alone under the tired tree shade in the private funeral home parking lot behind the tall privacy fence.
Stepping up to her she greeted A.J. with a warm smile. "Do you mind if I join you in this intolerant sweltering?" Again Alle politely smiles without acknowledging either way.
"Can I ask you a direct question Alexandra?"
"Sure Mr Soprano."
"OH. Please drop the Mr--just call me Anthony or A.J."
"OK. Anthony. You can call me Alle too! So what's your question A.J.?"
"Are you really a big whore as your mother said earlier in the funeral home office?!"
Alle half covers her mouth to hide her giggle as she peered up from behind her cupped hand to answer him: "No.--Actually A.J. I am more of a Slut!" They both laughed outloud together.
"Honestly Anthony it just depends upon my mother's mood--Whether she is drunk hung over or sober. I can be a whore a slut a little bitch or even a piece of shit!"
A.J. hangs his head as he deeply inhales his cigarette but before he can apologize for making light of her mother Alle grabs his arm to assure him that his question was fine.
"I should be thanking you Anthony for standing up to our mother to defend Robbie & I. You really don't know either of us & our mother's estimation of us both was not untruthful."
A.J. looked up and smiled with a nod running his fingers through his sweaty head of hair.
"How about you & I get back indoors out of this furnace?" A.J. flicks his cigarette butt to offer Alle his arm to take.
Taking a final drag of her cigarette to put it out in the provided outdoor ashtray Alle inquired: "How about I ask you a question A.J.?!" (Sure. That's only Fair. Shoot Alle!"
"Why do you think Chris Cornell hung himself last month like my Daddy did over a decade ago?"
A.J. pats the top of Alle's hand in his arm to confidently answer her from his own real life experience of a failed suicide attempt that:
"They wanted to Escape." ( Escape? Escape What?) "Life. But always remember Alexandra--Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem!"
With that A.J. opened the side door to feel the chrilling comfort greet them as he kissed the top of her head to enter in before him.
A.J meets Vito at the top of the staircase after Venus left with her father George Pagilieri to return home to Hell's Kitchen in NYC.
But at that moment Vito & A.J. noticed the organ music had stopped playing. As they turned the corner to see what happened they seen Francesca leap from the organ bench into Jerry Basale's large arms.
"What the fuck is that all about?!" Vito asked himself as if A.J. wasn't there.
"Hey there "Baby-Doll!" Jerry said hugging and kissing Franny back. "We have missed you Sweetheart! How have you been?!"
But before she could answer him Vito stepped up between them. "Who do we have here?!" Jerry took a step backwards.
"You remember my big brother Vito who went away to military school & enlisted in the Army? He came back home to us--me!"
"Yes. Yes. I remember Vito Jr!"
"I don't remember you." Vito said with a glare.
"Oh come on Vito! You rememberUncle Jerry?! Jerry Basale!" Franny attempts to defuse her over-protective brother.
"I can understand why you don't Vito. You were young when you went away & after your father was murdered I stepped in to look out for your mother & sister during your absence." Jerry explained.
In between all of this Meadow stood with A.J. watching & listening along until she intervened. Meadow stepped up to take Francesca by the arm & excused themselves. At which both men turned and walked away from each other without another word or a handshake.
Meadow leads Francesca into the Ladies Lounge to ask her what that was all about out there? And why was Franny fawning all over that older man like that?
Francesca came straight out with it. "I don't know what you think Meadow?! But I am not some innocent & nieve girl that you just discovered to be your little sister. I had a life before learning Vito & I were Sopranos. Although I came to find out my entire life was made up of my mother's twisted lies & hollow denials."
"I am just like you big sister--When you were my age. I like to smoke cigarettes & pot--I like to drink & get shit-face drunk--I like to do recreational drugs when i can & I love fucking sex--lots of it! I am not made of glass or porcelain like a fragile pop-up music-box ballerina as you project me to be."
Meadow sincerely listened & embraced Franny while apologizing for her presumptions & for cradling her little sister as a child.
But Francesca had still failed to answer Meadow's questions.
"So how does "Big Daddy" out there figure into this equation?"
Franny warmly smiles & lies saying he doesn't. He is merely a friend/lover of her mother who looked out for them after Vito Sr & Tony were murdered & Vito was sent away.
Concluding with a change in the subject: " Is there any food left? I'm starving after playing that organ all afternoon!"
Meadow laughs taking Frannys arm to suggest that they go take a look together downstairs in the kitchen.
In the meanwhile A.J. returned to greeting the late arriving guest before the calling hours ended.
Carmela stood with Janice & Barbara between the guest-book pedestal & Corrado John Soprano Jr's open silver casket enshrined in the masses of sent funeral flowers.
A.J. seen a full table with Vito sitting with his mother Maria Spatafore at one end & Rosale & Kelli (Where did she come from?) Aprile with her cousin Macey (Mackenzie) Trucillo.
A.J. could see that Deanne Pontecorvo had in fact not left the funeral home & was jabbering with Nucci Curta & Josephine Palmice at a crowded corner table.
While their sons Robbie Pontecorvo & Raymond Curta Jr were still sitting together with Mikey & Franky Palmice pretending to play cards but were actually watching (& pointing out) all the young (& older) ladies' tight asses strutting past benenth their short clinging black slit dress skirts revealing their non bra & panty-lines garnished in their rich status of silver inlaid diamond studded ear-rings with matching bracelets & necklace jewelry while teetering atop their tall high heels.
It was glaringly apparent ro see who the Have's & Have Not's were.
Alot of old-money widows wore more traditional funeral dress fashion with ladies' hats & netted face veiling. While wearing their diamonds sparingly not to appear privileged or conceeded.
The poorer widows wore much more silver & gold jewelry & accessories with their modest funeral fashion.
Although there appeared to be no old grudges or jealousy surfacing. Only alot of genuine happiness & laughter shared by all from the older & younger generations alike.
A.J. being a Realist realized it would be only a matter of time before all of the folly & facades would wear off & end.
As long as all the happiness & laughter last until they had successfully pulled off their Grand Caper of the Last Great Gangster Funeral.
...
(To Be Continued)
ALL
AI GENERATED IMAGES
CREATED BY
USING WORD PROMPTS
2024
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