Twelve year-old Jesse Hawke sat watching his favorite TV show, Law and
Order. He loved the way the cops took out the bad guys in the end. He
hadn't told anyone yet, but he was thinking of going into law. He heard
the phone ring and he quickly changed the channel. His father hated him
watching any show that dealt with cops and law.
His father picked up the phone and started swearing, "What do you mean it didn't explode? She must have found it. Put a price out on Jimmy's head. He messed up and has to pay," He slammed the phone down.
"Please, not in front of Jesse," His mother called
"It is time the boy learned what I do. After all he is going to take over eventually. Aren't you boy?"
"Yes, sir," Jesse wanted to take over the family business, although he wasn't really sure what it was.
"There, you see. That's my boy," Al leaned over and hugged his son. The left the room to plan on a new way to track Canary. She will pay for what she did to my father.
Jesse looked at his mother and she nodded the minute to door was closed. Jesse turned the TV back on in time to watch the officer chase down the criminal. He smiled and said the words with the cop as he cuffed the man. "You have to right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you can not afford one, one will be provided for you."
********** Jesse's mom loved to garden. Vegetables, flowers, whatever. She loved the feel of the working in the dirt. She liked nurturing the plants as they grew, it gave her a sense of fulfillment when the flowers bloomed, and the vegetables were ready to be picked. She would sell them people in the neighborhood, under her maiden name of course. Everyone loved Mrs. Reese's vegetables.
She wanted to have Jesse take her last name, but Al wanted to have a son named after him to take over the business. She had tried to shelter Jesse. Make sure he grew up as a normal child. But now he was old enough to start understanding. Al wanted to take him to some of his meetings, but she wouldn't let him. Not till Jesse was at least 16.
"Mom?" Jesse called from the back porch.
"Out here, son," Jesse walked toward the garden and found his mother on her knees, weeding.
"Mom, can I ask you a question."
"Of course. What's up?"
"What does dad do for a living? I mean he seems to be around all the time, and he wants me to take over, but what does he do?"
She knew this question would come one day, and she would never be prepared, "Jesse, that is a hard question to answer. Why don't you wait till you are older?"
"That's what you said last time. I want to know. Please."
She sighed., "Alright Jesse, alright. Son, your father is the boss of a group. But you knew that. He is the boss of an organized crime syndicate," There was no way to sugar coat it.
"Dad, a criminal? Ya, right. I don't believe it."
"I am sorry to tell you this, but he is. He started right before we were married. I didn't think he would get this big, but he has. And he expects you to take over as soon as you are old enough. I made him promise not to get you involved till you turned sixteen. I don't want to see you dead because of your father's life of crime. My hope is, by the time your are sixteen, you will be able to make that decision on your own," She laid her tools aside and stood up to look her tall son in the eyes, "I have seen the love for the law in your eyes. From the TV shows I let you watch and to books I buy you. Your father would beat me if he knew what I did for you. I hope what I did for you has given you a respect for the law. Enough respect that you will know what could happen to you if you decide to go against it. Now, help me finish weeding."
"Yes ma'am," Jesse kneeled down and began pulling weeds. She is wrong. She has to be wrong. Dad wouldn't do something like that. I don't doubt he is the boss of something, but a crime syndicate. Ya right. Jesse smiled and continued pulling weeds with his mother.
His father picked up the phone and started swearing, "What do you mean it didn't explode? She must have found it. Put a price out on Jimmy's head. He messed up and has to pay," He slammed the phone down.
"Please, not in front of Jesse," His mother called
"It is time the boy learned what I do. After all he is going to take over eventually. Aren't you boy?"
"Yes, sir," Jesse wanted to take over the family business, although he wasn't really sure what it was.
"There, you see. That's my boy," Al leaned over and hugged his son. The left the room to plan on a new way to track Canary. She will pay for what she did to my father.
Jesse looked at his mother and she nodded the minute to door was closed. Jesse turned the TV back on in time to watch the officer chase down the criminal. He smiled and said the words with the cop as he cuffed the man. "You have to right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you can not afford one, one will be provided for you."
********** Jesse's mom loved to garden. Vegetables, flowers, whatever. She loved the feel of the working in the dirt. She liked nurturing the plants as they grew, it gave her a sense of fulfillment when the flowers bloomed, and the vegetables were ready to be picked. She would sell them people in the neighborhood, under her maiden name of course. Everyone loved Mrs. Reese's vegetables.
She wanted to have Jesse take her last name, but Al wanted to have a son named after him to take over the business. She had tried to shelter Jesse. Make sure he grew up as a normal child. But now he was old enough to start understanding. Al wanted to take him to some of his meetings, but she wouldn't let him. Not till Jesse was at least 16.
"Mom?" Jesse called from the back porch.
"Out here, son," Jesse walked toward the garden and found his mother on her knees, weeding.
"Mom, can I ask you a question."
"Of course. What's up?"
"What does dad do for a living? I mean he seems to be around all the time, and he wants me to take over, but what does he do?"
She knew this question would come one day, and she would never be prepared, "Jesse, that is a hard question to answer. Why don't you wait till you are older?"
"That's what you said last time. I want to know. Please."
She sighed., "Alright Jesse, alright. Son, your father is the boss of a group. But you knew that. He is the boss of an organized crime syndicate," There was no way to sugar coat it.
"Dad, a criminal? Ya, right. I don't believe it."
"I am sorry to tell you this, but he is. He started right before we were married. I didn't think he would get this big, but he has. And he expects you to take over as soon as you are old enough. I made him promise not to get you involved till you turned sixteen. I don't want to see you dead because of your father's life of crime. My hope is, by the time your are sixteen, you will be able to make that decision on your own," She laid her tools aside and stood up to look her tall son in the eyes, "I have seen the love for the law in your eyes. From the TV shows I let you watch and to books I buy you. Your father would beat me if he knew what I did for you. I hope what I did for you has given you a respect for the law. Enough respect that you will know what could happen to you if you decide to go against it. Now, help me finish weeding."
"Yes ma'am," Jesse kneeled down and began pulling weeds. She is wrong. She has to be wrong. Dad wouldn't do something like that. I don't doubt he is the boss of something, but a crime syndicate. Ya right. Jesse smiled and continued pulling weeds with his mother.