seen. He held his breath as the man stopped in front of the door and actually turned and looked in his direction. Tony was about to say, “Let me explain,” when the man turned around, got on his phone, and walked toward the exit.
Whew! Close call! I guess he didn’t see me , thought Tony.
Then he wondered if Paulie and his men were in the room with his father. “Fuck it! If they are, they’d never disrespect the family,” he told himself as he headed out from behind the door.
He stepped into the hallway and looked to his left. When he looked to his right, he saw Uncle Veto in the hallway, shaking his head. It appeared that he was mad. Tony really didn’t wanna hear his anger, not now.
“Hey yo! Where the hell you been, you fuckin’ piece of shit?” He tried to walk past him but to no avail. Veto stepped in front of the man. “What am I, a fuckin’ window or something?! You don’t fuckin’ hear me when I’m talking to you?” Veto barked. He stepped closer and raised his hand as if to give Tony a backhanded smack.
“I’m sorry, Uncle Veto,” Tony said with sarcasm.
Veto looked at him and said, “If my brother wasn’t in there on that table dying, I’d slap the shit out of you! You disgrace this family! You and my fuckin’ son. I can’t believe we put up with this shit! But you listen to me and listen good! If my brother doesn’t make it, you might not be living around here too much longer. I’m gonna make sure you fuckin’ leave town and don’t come back! Go somewhere else and be a fuckin’ junkie, Tony! We don’t need that kind of thing ruining our family’s good name! Capisce?”
Tony looked at him and just nodded his head. “Yeah, I got it, Uncle Veto.” He brushed past him. Tony Entered the room. His mother walked up to him.
She grabbed his face and said, “We’re gonna talk about what I saw later. Right now, your father has been waiting for you. Tony.”
He looked up and what he saw made his heart fall. Tony’s dear father was lying in the bed with a contraption around his head to stop it from moving too much. In the middle of his head was a piece of Rebar, a steel rod, sticking through. Tony slowly walked up to his father, tears streaming down his face.
His father opened his eyes. “My boy,” he whispered and reached his hand up.
“No, wait, Pop. There’s gotta be something they can do. Wait, get the doctor!” Tony began to get a little frantic.
His father grabbed him. “Tony, listen to me, son!”
Tony stopped and got closer to his father. “Yes, Dad?”
“I’ve been waiting for you, Tony. I have to tell you something.” Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke. “Tony, I need you to stop using drugs and become the man I need you to be. I’m going on now and I need for you to become more than nothing! I need you to make sure your mother has all that she needs, and you can’t do that if we have to keep sending you away! Now, promise me, Tony. Promise me you will stop right now!” Tony Senior squeezed his son’s hand as he made his deathbed plea.
“I promise you, Pop! I promise,” Tony said.
“Good,” he said. “You promised me on my deathbed, so don’t let me down. I love you.” Tony Senior reached up for his wife and they all hugged. Then he cried and closed his eyes for the last time. He had a pleasant smile on his face, and his family was in his arms. The heart monitor went beeeeeep. The doctor came into the room and pronounced him dead at 9:07 p.m. on June 25, 2014.
Tony began to feel strange as he and his family sat in silence while the priest prayed. That old, familiar feeling began to return. He began to pass gas. Oh, shit!
He got up and rushed into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him, and the last thing he saw was his father’s smiling face in death. Tony pulled out the heroin that he had in his pocket and stared at it long and hard. He heard his father’s voice: “Promise me, promise me, promise me!” Tony took out the bags and
Whew! Close call! I guess he didn’t see me , thought Tony.
Then he wondered if Paulie and his men were in the room with his father. “Fuck it! If they are, they’d never disrespect the family,” he told himself as he headed out from behind the door.
He stepped into the hallway and looked to his left. When he looked to his right, he saw Uncle Veto in the hallway, shaking his head. It appeared that he was mad. Tony really didn’t wanna hear his anger, not now.
“Hey yo! Where the hell you been, you fuckin’ piece of shit?” He tried to walk past him but to no avail. Veto stepped in front of the man. “What am I, a fuckin’ window or something?! You don’t fuckin’ hear me when I’m talking to you?” Veto barked. He stepped closer and raised his hand as if to give Tony a backhanded smack.
“I’m sorry, Uncle Veto,” Tony said with sarcasm.
Veto looked at him and said, “If my brother wasn’t in there on that table dying, I’d slap the shit out of you! You disgrace this family! You and my fuckin’ son. I can’t believe we put up with this shit! But you listen to me and listen good! If my brother doesn’t make it, you might not be living around here too much longer. I’m gonna make sure you fuckin’ leave town and don’t come back! Go somewhere else and be a fuckin’ junkie, Tony! We don’t need that kind of thing ruining our family’s good name! Capisce?”
Tony looked at him and just nodded his head. “Yeah, I got it, Uncle Veto.” He brushed past him. Tony Entered the room. His mother walked up to him.
She grabbed his face and said, “We’re gonna talk about what I saw later. Right now, your father has been waiting for you. Tony.”
He looked up and what he saw made his heart fall. Tony’s dear father was lying in the bed with a contraption around his head to stop it from moving too much. In the middle of his head was a piece of Rebar, a steel rod, sticking through. Tony slowly walked up to his father, tears streaming down his face.
His father opened his eyes. “My boy,” he whispered and reached his hand up.
“No, wait, Pop. There’s gotta be something they can do. Wait, get the doctor!” Tony began to get a little frantic.
His father grabbed him. “Tony, listen to me, son!”
Tony stopped and got closer to his father. “Yes, Dad?”
“I’ve been waiting for you, Tony. I have to tell you something.” Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke. “Tony, I need you to stop using drugs and become the man I need you to be. I’m going on now and I need for you to become more than nothing! I need you to make sure your mother has all that she needs, and you can’t do that if we have to keep sending you away! Now, promise me, Tony. Promise me you will stop right now!” Tony Senior squeezed his son’s hand as he made his deathbed plea.
“I promise you, Pop! I promise,” Tony said.
“Good,” he said. “You promised me on my deathbed, so don’t let me down. I love you.” Tony Senior reached up for his wife and they all hugged. Then he cried and closed his eyes for the last time. He had a pleasant smile on his face, and his family was in his arms. The heart monitor went beeeeeep. The doctor came into the room and pronounced him dead at 9:07 p.m. on June 25, 2014.
Tony began to feel strange as he and his family sat in silence while the priest prayed. That old, familiar feeling began to return. He began to pass gas. Oh, shit!
He got up and rushed into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him, and the last thing he saw was his father’s smiling face in death. Tony pulled out the heroin that he had in his pocket and stared at it long and hard. He heard his father’s voice: “Promise me, promise me, promise me!” Tony took out the bags and
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