Frankie was bad at school, but he picked up on Al's business nice and fast.
Since Jesse wasn't allowed to have anything to do with the business till
he was sixteen, Al began training Frankie to become involved. He turned
out to be excellent with a gun. Al began having Frankie trained in knife
fighting. His reactions were a little slow, but over time, Hawke believed
he would become a great knife fighter.
Jesse started to become jealous of Frankie. He isn't Dad's son, I am. Who is he to come in here and make my father love him more? He isn't a real son, he isn't blood. I am! He doesn't have a right to my father. He is mine. Jesse's mom could tell he was becoming upset. She tried to point it out to Al, but he didn't pay any attention. Since Frankie was involved in the business, Al didn't have to make time to spend with him. It was a task to spend time with Jesse; one Al didn't have time for.
After a year of Frankie being the favorite, Jesse finally had enough. He decided to do something about it. His mother had gone shopping for the day, and his father was out making a money transaction, or something along that line.
Jesse watched out the front office window as Frankie got out of the car dad had bought him for his sixteenth birthday. Jesse walked out the front door, blocking it.
"Hey kid, get out of my way," Frankie was tired of Jesse.
"No way, Frankie. I am tired of you stealing my father's time from me," Jesse glared at Frankie.
"Oh, ya. And what do you think you are going to do about it, Junior?" Frankie was being sarcastic. He had been waiting for the day he could take down this little kid. It was time little fourteen-year-old Jesse learned who was in charge around here.
"This," Jesse slammed his fist into Frankie's jaw, surprising him by the power behind the punch.
"Why you no good, little brat," Frankie ran into Jesse, pinning him against the house. Some of Hawke's men noticed the fight and ran outside. Not to stop it, but to take bets on who would win.
The wind was knocked out of Jesse when he hit the house. He was having trouble breathing. Jesse raised his knee and nailed Frankie's groin. Causing him to double over in pain, giving Jesse a chance to catch his breath.
"Nice shot, Jesse. Didn't see that coming did you Frankie," The men were laughing at Frankie.
Frankie was mad. He reached down in his boot and pulled out a switchblade. Over the past year, he had become quite skilled in knife fighting. Time to teach Junior a lesson. He ran at his opponent.
Jesse saw the blade come out, and became worried. I know nothing about knife fighting. What should I do? Frankie saw the fear in his eyes. He smiled. The men increased their bets, knowing the winner would soon be decided.
At the last second Jesse sideswiped the knife, but not before it sliced his forearm. It wasn't a deep cut, but it still hurt, and drew blood. Jesse held the cut with his hand and felt the blood between his fingers. Frankie was laughing at Jesse.
"What's the matter kid, never been sliced with a knife before?" Frankie started to run at Jesse again.
"Frankie stop!" No one noticed Mrs. Hawke had returned from her shopping. She dropped her bags and ran towards her son.
"Aww, look mommy's here to fix all her babies problems," Frankie mocked Jesse. He wiped the blood from his switchblade and put it back in his boot, "Lets go boys," Frankie snapped his fingers and the men followed him, exchanging money on the way.
"What do you think you were doing? You know better than to mess with Frankie," She looked at Jesse and pulled his hand away from the cut. She shook her head, "Come on, lets get that cleaned up," She led Jesse to the house to take care of his cut.
*********** When Al arrived home, he got an ear full. His men were praising Frankie's fighting skills, while his wife was yelling at him for teaching Frankie to fight.
"You should have seen him, boss. His posture and approach were beautiful."
"I told you to spend more time with your son, now look what happened."
"His thrust had so much power behind it."
"And I asked you not to teach Frankie to fight. If you would have waited and taught them together this wouldn't have happened."
"You would have been proud of him, boss. He even had the talk to go along with his fight."
"Spend more time with Jesse. He feels left out."
"Enough!" Hawke had heard enough, "I am proud of Frankie. I spent lots of time and money to see he was the best. I am glad it paid off. I would spend more time with Jesse, but we don't have anything in common. I promise to spend more time with him when he turns sixteen. When I start training him he will be spending much more time with me. Now if you will all excuses me, I have work to take care off," Hawke had had his say, and now he was moving on.
The men went back to playing poker, and Mrs. Hawke shook her head. Jesse is going in a different direction than you want him to, and you don't even know it.
Jesse started to become jealous of Frankie. He isn't Dad's son, I am. Who is he to come in here and make my father love him more? He isn't a real son, he isn't blood. I am! He doesn't have a right to my father. He is mine. Jesse's mom could tell he was becoming upset. She tried to point it out to Al, but he didn't pay any attention. Since Frankie was involved in the business, Al didn't have to make time to spend with him. It was a task to spend time with Jesse; one Al didn't have time for.
After a year of Frankie being the favorite, Jesse finally had enough. He decided to do something about it. His mother had gone shopping for the day, and his father was out making a money transaction, or something along that line.
Jesse watched out the front office window as Frankie got out of the car dad had bought him for his sixteenth birthday. Jesse walked out the front door, blocking it.
"Hey kid, get out of my way," Frankie was tired of Jesse.
"No way, Frankie. I am tired of you stealing my father's time from me," Jesse glared at Frankie.
"Oh, ya. And what do you think you are going to do about it, Junior?" Frankie was being sarcastic. He had been waiting for the day he could take down this little kid. It was time little fourteen-year-old Jesse learned who was in charge around here.
"This," Jesse slammed his fist into Frankie's jaw, surprising him by the power behind the punch.
"Why you no good, little brat," Frankie ran into Jesse, pinning him against the house. Some of Hawke's men noticed the fight and ran outside. Not to stop it, but to take bets on who would win.
The wind was knocked out of Jesse when he hit the house. He was having trouble breathing. Jesse raised his knee and nailed Frankie's groin. Causing him to double over in pain, giving Jesse a chance to catch his breath.
"Nice shot, Jesse. Didn't see that coming did you Frankie," The men were laughing at Frankie.
Frankie was mad. He reached down in his boot and pulled out a switchblade. Over the past year, he had become quite skilled in knife fighting. Time to teach Junior a lesson. He ran at his opponent.
Jesse saw the blade come out, and became worried. I know nothing about knife fighting. What should I do? Frankie saw the fear in his eyes. He smiled. The men increased their bets, knowing the winner would soon be decided.
At the last second Jesse sideswiped the knife, but not before it sliced his forearm. It wasn't a deep cut, but it still hurt, and drew blood. Jesse held the cut with his hand and felt the blood between his fingers. Frankie was laughing at Jesse.
"What's the matter kid, never been sliced with a knife before?" Frankie started to run at Jesse again.
"Frankie stop!" No one noticed Mrs. Hawke had returned from her shopping. She dropped her bags and ran towards her son.
"Aww, look mommy's here to fix all her babies problems," Frankie mocked Jesse. He wiped the blood from his switchblade and put it back in his boot, "Lets go boys," Frankie snapped his fingers and the men followed him, exchanging money on the way.
"What do you think you were doing? You know better than to mess with Frankie," She looked at Jesse and pulled his hand away from the cut. She shook her head, "Come on, lets get that cleaned up," She led Jesse to the house to take care of his cut.
*********** When Al arrived home, he got an ear full. His men were praising Frankie's fighting skills, while his wife was yelling at him for teaching Frankie to fight.
"You should have seen him, boss. His posture and approach were beautiful."
"I told you to spend more time with your son, now look what happened."
"His thrust had so much power behind it."
"And I asked you not to teach Frankie to fight. If you would have waited and taught them together this wouldn't have happened."
"You would have been proud of him, boss. He even had the talk to go along with his fight."
"Spend more time with Jesse. He feels left out."
"Enough!" Hawke had heard enough, "I am proud of Frankie. I spent lots of time and money to see he was the best. I am glad it paid off. I would spend more time with Jesse, but we don't have anything in common. I promise to spend more time with him when he turns sixteen. When I start training him he will be spending much more time with me. Now if you will all excuses me, I have work to take care off," Hawke had had his say, and now he was moving on.
The men went back to playing poker, and Mrs. Hawke shook her head. Jesse is going in a different direction than you want him to, and you don't even know it.