Brooklyn is a different territory than the rest. We have a certain
reputation that was put upon us long ago. We were "inhabited by gang
members and street thugs, ruffians and street kids." We were hard and cold-
hearted. Sometimes, I find that difficult to believe. Sure, most of the
boys in the house have had hard lives, and of course there are those who
had been members of brutal street gangs, but we are not hardened criminals.
At least not most of us. The smart ones at least...
Smart. Yes, that was another good quality to becoming a good leader. You have to be smart. I do not mean book smart. It is not a bad thing to be book smart, but it is better if a guy is more street smarts. A guy has to know his way around, has to know how to get out of tough situations. He has to know when to say something and when to keep his trap shut. A guy can read all the books he wants to, but only true experience will keep you alive, and teach you how to be a good leader.
Now you see how tough it was, and how important it was that I chose the right guy to take over. It had to be someone with sure promise to being a good leader. I would not have Brooklyn run into the ground and be made a mockery of when I stepped down.
I continued to think about it day and night. I still needed to tell Antonio of my plans, however.
As I looked down the dock at the boys jumping in the water, I just could not pick a leader out of the group. I was not sure why. Maybe it was Joseph's lack of honesty, or Shooter's quickness to spat out sarcastic comments to anyone and everyone. It could have been Red's fiery temper to go along with his Irish decent, or even Fighter's willingness to fight everyone. Lucas was too young, and he did not have enough experience on the streets. Meez was a pushover, and Pockets was gullible. The naivety of Damon made me pass over him quickly. Logic was smart, and he knew the ways of the street, but he was not a fighter, and he preferred to talk things out instead. He would not survive as the leader of Brooklyn with his personality. I could not exactly count on Drifter, who was very true to his name. Ori was not serious enough, and took everything as a joke. None of these boys had the promise of being a wonderful leader one day. It was nothing personal against them; it was only my personal judgment. I was once told I was a good judge of character.
"Cain, you okay?"
I glanced over my shoulder at Antonio and nodded. "Just thinking about a few things."
"You've seemed out of it these past few days," he told me as he held his cigarette out to me.
I held up my hands and shook me head, declining. "What do you think of these boys?"
"They're okay," he answered, patting my shoulder. "What are you talking about, Cain? You know these boys. They're the best damn boys in New York. Why do you ask that question?"
"It was just a question," I answered, smiling some. "You think any of them could replace us?" I asked with a smirk.
"Best leader this city has ever had? I doubt it." Antonio laughed as he inhaled the smoke.
I nodded and started walking away from the dock. I motioned for Antonio to follow me away from the ears of curious boys. "You know, I've been thinking lately..."
"Yeah, you told me."
"No, I mean... I've been thinking about maybe packing up and leaving. Getting out of New York and getting a change of scenery. Maybe Boston or Jersey."
"What? Cain, are you serious? You're actually thinking about leaving?"
"It's time. I'm twenty years old now. I've never been out of New York. I've been saving up for a long time."
"Wow..." Antonio trailed off as he ran a hand through his hair. He wiped the greasiness and sweat off his pants.
"We've been good friends for a while."
"Yeah, and now you're thinking about leaving."
"I'd like you to come, if you want."
"Me? Come with you? I don't know, Cain."
"I know. New York is your home. I understand."
"Brooklyn won't be the same without you, though."
"Maybe not. Someone will take my place. It'll be you, if you don't come."
"I don't know..."
I nodded, accepting his response. "That's all right, Tony. Don't worry about it," I told him as I patted the back of his shoulder. I began walking away, leaving him standing there.
"Cain!" I turned around when he called me. "When are we planning on going?"
* * * * * * * *
As Antonio had agreed to leave New York with me in search of a better life, we still decided to keep it to ourselves. It was safer. However, we could tell everyone as soon as we found a replacement, but the search was wearing thin.
Antonio insisted that I give his cousin, Vincent, a chance as leader. I never liked Vincent, and Antonio was aware of that. But Vincent as his family, he argued. Screw family, I say. I told Antonio it would never happen. It understood, but I knew he was slightly hurt by it. It did not matter.
I was sitting at the table, with Vincent, Spot, and Red, looking over the different sections of South Brooklyn. Even without any territory scuffles happening, we still needed to be ready. There were many stupid people out there, and we had to recognize that.
"I should help with the East side. Queens is a tough crowd, and that's where they would come from," Vincent suggested.
"I'll put people where I see fit," I informed him. One of the many things I disliked about Vincent—he though highly of himself. Truthfully, he really should not, or in my eyes at least.
"We need more people along the East border though."
"Yes, and that doesn't mean you'll be one of them. We need a significant amount watching the East border and the bridge," I said as I wrote down a few numbers on the places on the map.
"Don't forget about the South section," Spot pointed out.
Red shook his head. "No one's in the South who could really harm us."
I watched Spot shake his head calmly. I wanted him to figure out why it was important. "Sure there is. Queens is allied with three gangs down there. They could go that way. Or those gangs could come up by themselves."
"That's ridiculous—"
"No, he's right," I interrupted Vincent's comment. "They'll find out where people are before long. This is why we change out every month. But, if they realize we don't have a big group guarding, those gangs will flock this way."
"I'd rather take the East."
Vincent always wanted his way. Another reason I could not stand the kid. "You'll take the North side."
"Nothing comes from the North, Cain. We have no signs of threats there."
"And you can make sure of it." I looked at him, daring him to defy my decision. I was satisfied when he said nothing. I would have preferred for him to never say another work, but I aware of the fact that is would never happen.
Vincent argued more about his appointed position, and also went to Antonio. It would do him no good. If he knew Antonio at all, he would know that he respected decisions that I made. Crying to him would get him nowhere.
However, Antonio still suggested to me that Vincent should be made leader. I was not on his level of thinking, obviously, so I was not quite sure of why he was telling me that. Vincent did not have the qualities of leader. All Antonio argued though was that "he's family, so he should b considered." I love family just as much as the next guy, but hell if I was going to let that be a deciding factor.
Smart. Yes, that was another good quality to becoming a good leader. You have to be smart. I do not mean book smart. It is not a bad thing to be book smart, but it is better if a guy is more street smarts. A guy has to know his way around, has to know how to get out of tough situations. He has to know when to say something and when to keep his trap shut. A guy can read all the books he wants to, but only true experience will keep you alive, and teach you how to be a good leader.
Now you see how tough it was, and how important it was that I chose the right guy to take over. It had to be someone with sure promise to being a good leader. I would not have Brooklyn run into the ground and be made a mockery of when I stepped down.
I continued to think about it day and night. I still needed to tell Antonio of my plans, however.
As I looked down the dock at the boys jumping in the water, I just could not pick a leader out of the group. I was not sure why. Maybe it was Joseph's lack of honesty, or Shooter's quickness to spat out sarcastic comments to anyone and everyone. It could have been Red's fiery temper to go along with his Irish decent, or even Fighter's willingness to fight everyone. Lucas was too young, and he did not have enough experience on the streets. Meez was a pushover, and Pockets was gullible. The naivety of Damon made me pass over him quickly. Logic was smart, and he knew the ways of the street, but he was not a fighter, and he preferred to talk things out instead. He would not survive as the leader of Brooklyn with his personality. I could not exactly count on Drifter, who was very true to his name. Ori was not serious enough, and took everything as a joke. None of these boys had the promise of being a wonderful leader one day. It was nothing personal against them; it was only my personal judgment. I was once told I was a good judge of character.
"Cain, you okay?"
I glanced over my shoulder at Antonio and nodded. "Just thinking about a few things."
"You've seemed out of it these past few days," he told me as he held his cigarette out to me.
I held up my hands and shook me head, declining. "What do you think of these boys?"
"They're okay," he answered, patting my shoulder. "What are you talking about, Cain? You know these boys. They're the best damn boys in New York. Why do you ask that question?"
"It was just a question," I answered, smiling some. "You think any of them could replace us?" I asked with a smirk.
"Best leader this city has ever had? I doubt it." Antonio laughed as he inhaled the smoke.
I nodded and started walking away from the dock. I motioned for Antonio to follow me away from the ears of curious boys. "You know, I've been thinking lately..."
"Yeah, you told me."
"No, I mean... I've been thinking about maybe packing up and leaving. Getting out of New York and getting a change of scenery. Maybe Boston or Jersey."
"What? Cain, are you serious? You're actually thinking about leaving?"
"It's time. I'm twenty years old now. I've never been out of New York. I've been saving up for a long time."
"Wow..." Antonio trailed off as he ran a hand through his hair. He wiped the greasiness and sweat off his pants.
"We've been good friends for a while."
"Yeah, and now you're thinking about leaving."
"I'd like you to come, if you want."
"Me? Come with you? I don't know, Cain."
"I know. New York is your home. I understand."
"Brooklyn won't be the same without you, though."
"Maybe not. Someone will take my place. It'll be you, if you don't come."
"I don't know..."
I nodded, accepting his response. "That's all right, Tony. Don't worry about it," I told him as I patted the back of his shoulder. I began walking away, leaving him standing there.
"Cain!" I turned around when he called me. "When are we planning on going?"
* * * * * * * *
As Antonio had agreed to leave New York with me in search of a better life, we still decided to keep it to ourselves. It was safer. However, we could tell everyone as soon as we found a replacement, but the search was wearing thin.
Antonio insisted that I give his cousin, Vincent, a chance as leader. I never liked Vincent, and Antonio was aware of that. But Vincent as his family, he argued. Screw family, I say. I told Antonio it would never happen. It understood, but I knew he was slightly hurt by it. It did not matter.
I was sitting at the table, with Vincent, Spot, and Red, looking over the different sections of South Brooklyn. Even without any territory scuffles happening, we still needed to be ready. There were many stupid people out there, and we had to recognize that.
"I should help with the East side. Queens is a tough crowd, and that's where they would come from," Vincent suggested.
"I'll put people where I see fit," I informed him. One of the many things I disliked about Vincent—he though highly of himself. Truthfully, he really should not, or in my eyes at least.
"We need more people along the East border though."
"Yes, and that doesn't mean you'll be one of them. We need a significant amount watching the East border and the bridge," I said as I wrote down a few numbers on the places on the map.
"Don't forget about the South section," Spot pointed out.
Red shook his head. "No one's in the South who could really harm us."
I watched Spot shake his head calmly. I wanted him to figure out why it was important. "Sure there is. Queens is allied with three gangs down there. They could go that way. Or those gangs could come up by themselves."
"That's ridiculous—"
"No, he's right," I interrupted Vincent's comment. "They'll find out where people are before long. This is why we change out every month. But, if they realize we don't have a big group guarding, those gangs will flock this way."
"I'd rather take the East."
Vincent always wanted his way. Another reason I could not stand the kid. "You'll take the North side."
"Nothing comes from the North, Cain. We have no signs of threats there."
"And you can make sure of it." I looked at him, daring him to defy my decision. I was satisfied when he said nothing. I would have preferred for him to never say another work, but I aware of the fact that is would never happen.
Vincent argued more about his appointed position, and also went to Antonio. It would do him no good. If he knew Antonio at all, he would know that he respected decisions that I made. Crying to him would get him nowhere.
However, Antonio still suggested to me that Vincent should be made leader. I was not on his level of thinking, obviously, so I was not quite sure of why he was telling me that. Vincent did not have the qualities of leader. All Antonio argued though was that "he's family, so he should b considered." I love family just as much as the next guy, but hell if I was going to let that be a deciding factor.