Chapter
1 – Birth of a New Kind of Mobster
“A government of criminals and
sinful men is no government at all,” old man, Russell Tranquillo says as part
of his daily wisdom.
“We ought to cap all those
bastards. That’s what our founding fathers did,” my brother, Cesare Campione,
says.
Russell hits him upside the head
with a dirty rag and says, “They killed other soldiers and drove out the whores
of the crown. Violence was their last resort, so we should do the same.”
“Voting and protesting haven’t been
working. What else can we do?” I ask.
“Think, Vicenzo. Unlike your
brother, think. What else can we do?”
Considering it for a second, I say,
“I can only think of things that are illegal.”
“So what if it is? Is it sinful?”
“Given our situation, I don’t think
so.”
“Remember. Laws are made by men,
but what’s right and wrong is decided by God, who is truth and love itself.
Remember that, boys.”
Cesare and I nod, look at one
another, and then continue our work with the other boys on the cars around us.
On our break, Cesare lights a
cigarette and says, “I rigged some of those cop cars to break down. I hope
those pigs get in an accident.”
“Idiot. They’re going to figure out
it was our shop that tinkered with those cars. If they can falsely accuse Great
War veterans of drunkenness and get away with it, they can shake us down for
less,” I say and hit Cesare upside the head.
“You’re right. They shot and killed
Earl Puramente when they tried to rob him. I heard his father, Amoroso
Puramento, is with the mob. He’s already lost most of his kids in the Great
War, and now this? He has to be mad. I’m telling you. We have to do something.”
“Soon, Cesare. Soon. The Great War
veterans say they have us covered during this upcoming election, so the chief
of police can’t rig it again.”
“Do you really think they aren’t
going to walk all over them like they usually do? Just because they’re veterans
doesn’t mean they have any official power as the cops do.”
I can only grunt in response.
“Thought so. We have to become made
men, men of honor.”
“Our parents wouldn’t approve of
that.”
“So what if they don’t? They
respect and talk to them. Without those members of the mob, some families
wouldn’t be able to feed their families and still be harassed by the cops.”
“We can be a friend of theirs, but
not direct members of their groups, and still get some of their benefits.”
“Some, but not all. They won’t tell
anyone who isn’t a made member everything, and didn’t you say that it’s best to
know as much as possible before acting? Maybe they can get us secrets from
their friends in the government to get you that governor job you want.”
“What about you? What would you do
as a made man?”
“Go where you go, brother. I may
want to put my neck on the line for others literally, but you want to do it by
going into politics, and that’s crazier than what I have planned. More people
will want you dead if you try to change the system from within. Don’t you
remember what happened to that general who said we fought against the wrong
side and was trying to make changes?”
“I remember.”
“Think about it, like you always
do. You’ll come to see that your stupid brother isn’t as stupid as he seems.”
“You aren’t stupid, Cesare. Just a
little too headstrong and loving.”
The day of the election comes, and
sure enough, the cops are watching the polls and bullying the people to vote
for the current administration. Seeing this, the Great War vets push back
against the cops, and violence breaks out to the point where the cops take the
voting machine and boxes to a walled prison to be counted. In Russell’s car
mechanics shop, Russell, Cesare, our friends, our family, and all the veterans
sit in dread as we hear the votes being counted.
One of the veterans stands up and
says, “Soldiers! We fought and risked our lives to prevent tyranny in another
country. Why can’t we do the same here in our own home?! We have a God-given
right to do so, and our families, our neighbors are depending on us, so why
don’t we do something rather than just sitting on our asses?!”
Everyone in the shop cheers. The
veterans go to their friend in the army supply depot and arm everyone willing
to take up arms, including Cesare, many of the city’s residents, and me. The
veterans and Russell tell everyone to try not to kill anyone and only injure
them.
Russell reminds everyone that,
“We’re doing the right thing. We’re not doing this as an excuse to murder those
bastards, even though they deserve it. The government won’t let us get away
with it otherwise.”
The armed crowds walk through the
streets as everyone else in the city cheers us on. We’re met by the police who
tell us to disperse or else, and we refuse to unless we see that the ballots
are fairly counted and don’t include fake votes. They deny us, and we deny them
peace. The veterans at the front of the crowd open fire, injuring all the cops,
and continue to the prison, where the voting machines and boxes are. Meanwhile,
the crowds take their vengeance on the cops by beating them up, but not to the
point of killing them.
At the prison, the veterans demand
that we see the votes. When they’re denied again, the veterans shoot at the
prison and blow up the chief of police’s and the mayor’s personal cars with
dynamite, threatening to shoot through the windows next. Seeing they’re
outnumbered, the cops surrender, and the votes are counted correctly. The man
the people wanted in office is elected, and the city celebrates. The government
tries to investigate what happened, but no one on our side says a word, and all
records of guns and ammo being taken are erased, so they’re forced to accept
the election results. With their allies, the rightfully elected officials put
in jail everyone who rigged the elections, as well as the cops and officials
who abused the civilians they were meant to serve.
Again, the city celebrates. At the
party at the Delicato Restaurant, Russell tells us, “See? This is what happens
with the right tools, connections, and actions. This is the perfect result. No
one died, and those who deserved to face punishment got what they deserved.”
“You’re right, old man. I must
admit you are right,” Cesare says as he smokes.
“I always am, or at least most of
the time I am.”
We all laugh and have a good time.
Some days later, a gang of bikers invades the same restaurant where we were
celebrating. They act rowdy and drunk, and start scaring away everyone in and
around the area. Seeing this, Cesare and I go up to them and tell them to stop.
The bikers laugh at us and try to get us to loosen up by drinking and eating
with them.
“Look at these kids trying to tell
us what to do!” they say.
“Why don’t you work on my bike like
you usually do?”
“Go back to your boss or party with
us, grease monkeys. Just don’t ruin our good time.”
Cesare and I look at the bartender,
who is looking expectantly at us as if silently asking for help, so we oblige. Cesare
and I grab a bottle each of alcohol that the bikers are drinking out of and
smash them across their faces. The rest of the bikers jump up and throw
themselves at us, excited to fight. They sloppily throw punches at us, but when
they hit us, we get hit hard. I try to keep my distance and use chairs to help
me get them down, while Cesare mostly uses his fists, nearby bottles, and
utensils on the tables.
Bringing the fight outside, we’re knocked
down and get up, ready to continue the fight. We’re pretty beat up, whereas the
bikers seem more affected by the alcohol than by all the cuts and bruises on
them. They’re about to attack us until they see what we see and laugh at us.
“You grease monkeys can’t beat us!”
they say.
“We’re still standing, and we’re
drunk out of our minds!”
“You’d best get out of here while
you still can.”
“I can say the same thing to you,”
Cesare says.
“We won’t let you mess with our
neighborhood without a fight!” I add.
Before we can charge at the bikers,
a group of men in suits runs up and steps in between us. Some have bats in
their hands. Others have brass knuckles. The men in suits beat up the bikers
and smash up their bikes.
“Get the hell out of our
neighborhood!” one of the men in suits says.
“Remember who did this to you!”
Everyone else sees the fleeing
injured bikers and beats them so that every biker who caused a scene leaves in
an ambulance. Angelo Delicato walks out of the restaurant, observes what’s
happening, and looks at us. He comes up to us and puts a hand on our shoulders.
“I’m proud of you boys. You acted
like real men,” Angelo says.
“I’d be less of a man if I acted
otherwise,” I say.
“That’s right. You put your lives
on the line, even though you were outnumbered and could’ve been killed.”
“Did we do something wrong? Do you
need us to help you clean up your restaurant? We will,” Cesare asks.
“You’re not in trouble. In fact, I
think you’ll like what I’m offering you. Come back inside my restaurant.” Going
inside the restaurant, Angelo takes us to the furthest corner of it and says in
a low voice, “Russell told me you’re interested in helping the family, possibly
becoming members. If you do a few favors for us, that can be arranged.”
Cesare is elated and automatically
accepts it and asks what we have to do.
Angelo doesn’t say anything or even
look at him. Instead, he looks at me in silence.
“What’s wrong, Vincenzo? This is your
ticket to changing the country like you want,” Cesare asks me.
“You’re right, but there’s more to
it. I don’t want to do anything that I’ll have a guilty conscience for later,”
I say.
Angelo smiles and says, “You won’t
have to. We’re a new kind of family, unlike those savages in suits who were out
for themselves and their own. You see me in church, Vincenzo. You know I do
good work for the community with my own money and two hands. I sweat and bleed
for everyone who deserves it. If you don’t like what you do, then you can
always back off. We only ask that you don’t say anything about the more…sensitive
aspects. As far as I can see from you marching with the veterans on the corrupt
cops and standing up for the neighborhood like you did today, you’re already a
man of honor. What do you say?”
I look at Cesare, back at Angelo,
and say, “Alright. I’ll help out. Tell us what we need to do.”
“That’s fine with me because my Heaven is
being with you.”
“Right, and you’re probably not going to
leave my side for a while then.”
“I don’t need to leave your side at all! I
can be like this for the rest of my life.”
That might actually be a benefit for what I’m
planning next.
As Jess and I walk by Testardo’s family
casino, we see none other than Duraturo, the brother of Testardo and Regina and
mayor of Sapphire City. “Ah, there you are, Bonaventura. I heard you humbled my
brother like always, and even ended on a draw with my sister.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor. Would you like to play
a game of Divinity’s Divinations with me as well?”
“That’s exactly why I was out here searching
for you. It’s Divine Providence that we met like this. Let’s find a table out
here to play on.” We find a table, and even while starting to play, Jess hangs
on me.
“Uh, Jess. I can’t exactly play like this.”
“Of course you can. Besides, I can act as
your good luck charm.”
“Miss, please give him some room to breathe.
Plus, you’d put me at a great disadvantage if you give him your luck.” Jess
lets go, and we start our game. We flip a coin, and Duraturo goes first.
Meanwhile, a crowd gathers to place bets on who will win.
“Let’s start big with the Parents modifier.
Using this and its Up effect, we both use a modifier of yours or mine of my
choice. Hmm. I think we’ll use this one.” Duraturo flips over and picks my
Prisoner modifier, and the Up effect is revealed. “Can we use this one? You may
make us use another.”
“Let’s use the Prisoner. I want to see how
interesting things get when we use it.”
“Very well then.” Duraturo uses the Prisoner
to force one of my modifiers to be face down, and I do the same to him.
Unfortunately for me, he picked the Penitent modifier to be face down, so that
could cause some trouble. “For my second move, I shall flip over the Vocational
modifier, its Up effect stipulating that you must give me a card from the top
of your deck or play a card of higher value on my field than the card you play
every time you play a card. I choose to use this card for myself.”
“Your modifiers’ effects are pretty brutal
and wordy. Tell me. Is there another reason why you want to play with me?”
“I’m merely playing this wonderful game for
the same reasons you and many others are. I need some direction in my life and
to get a better picture of myself. From the cards that I’ve played, you see
that I’m very commanding and try to both benefit my opponent, but not give them
more advantages than me.”
“The automatic win condition of my Dealer is
to benefit my opponent and myself three times, and I’ve already benefited
myself twice and you once. Speaking about my cards, you must know that the
family and the religious are the pillars of society. Without good families,
priests, nuns, and consecrated laity, the power of the government would falter
and fall into chaos. Yes, I’m beginning to see what God is trying to tell me.
Ah. Before I forget, I play a seven, ten, and five, and end my turn. I’m trying
to go for the automatic win and have the game set for me by the second round as
my brother told me to do.”
“I swear, he can give you and your sister
advice that will make you win, but he can’t do the same for himself when he
faces me.”
“That’s what we admire about him. He’s always
thinking about others rather than himself, and only thinks of himself if it can
benefit other people. I have to copy that mindset, especially being the kind of
man I am with the position I have.”
“I have a lot to live up to, Mr. Mayor. I
think I’m going to need a miracle to win this, so I flip over the Divine
modifier, get the Up effect, and give you three cards from my deck: a three, a
five, and a one. Because I did that, the Lovers modifier activates, thankfully
giving me its Up effect, so I’ll hand you another three. I play a five, give
you a five from my deck, play a seven, give you an eight from my deck, give you
a nine, and hand you a ten from my deck. I don’t think you know how insane my
score can get since my Dealer multiplies my round-ending score by seven for
each time I’ve given cards, and so far, I’ve given away cards on five separate
instances. My Dealer’s automatic win may be forfeit, but my ending score might
be in the hundreds of thousands. I think it already is if my math is correct.”
“I’m well aware of that. Testardo also told
me that going for a Dealer’s automatic win condition is the best way to play
the game, so that’s what I’m trying to do.” Duraturo and I draw cards and start
the next round. He flips over the Royalty modifier. With its Down effect, he
puts down a ten and a nine on my playing field from the top of his deck. “Do
you accept these cards? If not, I’ll have to exchange one of them with another
from the top of my deck.”
“I’ll gratefully accept them.”
“Very well then. Moving on. The Chief
modifier is next. Its Up effect will let us play a little game.” Duraturo and I
shuffle our hand and playing field into our decks, and we draw four cards. “Do
you want to exchange your cards with mine?”
“I’m good.” When we show each other our
hands, it’s revealed that I have the higher scoring hand, so I decide how the
cards are played on the field. I give myself a nine, a ten, an eight, and a
five, and give Duraturo a three, a nine, a ten, and a nine.
“Here we go. This’ll be my final move, and
since I am a Politician, I might as well play one. The Down effect of this card
is long to read, but it counts as one that benefits me as I take cards from
your deck that you won’t know the total value of and have to exchange the same
number of cards to get them back, or I can simply keep them. Your choice, if
you think it matters.”
“Ah, it doesn’t matter. I admit defeat since
you’ve fulfilled your automatic win condition.”
The crowd around us disperses, sad at my
loss, while others are happy they won their bet that I would lose. “Thank you
for the quick, and yet, exhilarating game, Bonaventura. You would’ve surely won
if I hadn’t been so blessed by how the cards turned out. I think I’ve learned
what I’m meant to do.”
“Yeah? And what’s that?”
“To continue on the path already set before
me. I’ve had my doubts about whether I should continue being mayor, and whether
I should run for governor or help Testardo with the family business, but this
card game has made me realize that I’m exactly where God wants me to be. Thank
you again, Bonaventura. I wouldn’t have figured out the obvious without you.”
“Happy to be of service, Mr. Mayor.” If only
it were that easy for me to figure out what to do. I still have lingering
doubts, but I know I’m being pushed to a singular solution that should be just
as obvious for me.
“Go for it then!” the clown says as he
appears out of nowhere like usual. As I’m about to complain about him scaring
me again, I see that everyone around me is frozen.
“What’s going on? Did you do this? Who even
are you?”
“You should know by now, if the three faces
on mine don’t give it away. You should also know what I want you to do. I told
you while you visited me in the adoration chapel.”
“Okay then. I think I get what you’re saying,
but it’s hard to believe, not just who you are, but also what you want me to
do.”
“Oh, ye of little faith. To get rid of those
last bits of doubt, I’ll do you a favor and remove them by playing the same
card game you’ve been playing all day with you.” The clown spits out a coin from
his mouth, and we call it. He goes first, and a bunch of cards appear before
him. “Ah! Don’t draw any cards yet. My Prank event card automatically flips itself
over at the beginning of the game. Its Up effect says we can’t draw cards this
round, but we can draw the cards next turn. Don’t feel too bad about not
drawing cards because my next modifier, the Joy and its Up effect, allows us to
draw five cards. Don’t feel so good, but now, the cards five to ten are valued negatively.”
“What kind of trickster deck is this? Your Dealer
also dictates that the cards one to four are valued negatively and the player
with the lowest score wins, so if any of my multipliers go off, I can get a
high negative number and lose the game, but win it.”
“It’s called the Joker deck for a clown like
me. It’s made for fun! Besides, you shouldn’t worry about how silly this game
is. Tell me…”
Suddenly, all the color in the clown’s face
and clothes is gone. He starts to bleed from his head, chest, feet, and hands. “What’s
the one thing you should worry about? What’s the only serious matter that
exists in the world?”
I feel something tightening around my head.
My hands and feet feel pierced, my side feels cut open, and my body feels like
it’s sweating to the point where I feel like my blood is going to be pouring
out of every part of it. “Uh. Sinning against God is the only thing I should
worry about, and the salvation of souls is the only serious matter in the world.”
“…correct…You have spoken wisely.” The clown
plays a three, a four, a seven, a five, and a two, and ends his turn, his faces
still stuck in his eerie and bleeding form.
I don’t have a good feeling about this game
or what’s happening. I play the Prisoner modifier, and with its Up effect, I
prevent one of the clown’s modifiers from being used.
“That’s a shame. That could’ve helped you win
the game.”
Ignoring the clown’s words, I flip over the
Fool next and get its Up effect, so I play a ten from my deck. For my last
modifier, I play the Worker, get its Up effect, shuffle my hand into the deck,
draw another five cards, and play all of them: a ten, three, five, two, and
one. With my turn and the round over, we draw four cards.
The clown silently flips over a modifier, and
all the color returns to him. “The Two-Faced modifier is next, and its Up
effect dictates that all the Up effects of modifiers used after this have to
use their Down effect. If that isn’t confusing enough, I activate my Fiction
modifier. I flipped it Up, but its Down effect activates, and now when a modifier
is flipped Up, you have to use its opposite effect, so you always have to use the
Up effect. I place two threes and end my turn.”
What’s the point of this game?
Come on. I can’t let that bother me. I play
the Divine, and because of the clown’s modifiers, I have to give cards. I go
through the motions of the effect. The Penitent modifier automatically
activates; I give a card again. The Lovers modifier activates, and I give a
third card, securing my victory. I place whatever cards I have left to fill the
playing slots and end my turn. “That’s it. Game’s over.”
“Ah, great work! Your nickname should be
Israel from now on.”
“Seriously, who are you and what do you want?”
“You already know the answer, but I’ll force
you to accept it. My last modifier is the best hint at my identity. Let me ask
you first, what is often misrepresented, men seek, and are fearful of?”
“…the truth…”
“That’s it.” The clown flips over his last
modifier, the Truth. With its Up effect, cards one through five have their regular
value. “Why are you afraid of the truth? After playing all these card games and
talking to your friends, what have you discovered your life’s purpose to be as
of right now? I know you figured it out after your game with Duraturo and it
was there from the start after your game with Testardo.”
“It’s…um. To live my life as I am right now
and marry Jess. I guess I’m afraid to accept it because it feels like an answer
I don’t want.”
“Such is life, and yet, you must humble
yourself as always to find fulfillment in it. Do you hate your life as it is? Do
you hate me for revealing it to you?”
“No. No, I don’t hate it or you, and will do
my best to accept it with joy and thankfulness, my Lord and God.”
“I know you will, my good and faithful
servant.”
Time resumes to normal, and the clown
disappears. Who would’ve thought I would play a card game against God and that
He would appear as a clown to me? Does He do that to other people? Maybe He did
so because others don’t take Him seriously or because I didn’t. I'd better improve
on that, regardless.
“Are you okay, Bonaventura? Did that defeat
against Duraturo really hit you that hard? Want me to go beat him, physically
or through a game, for you?”
Composing myself, I say, “No, not at all.”
Not wanting to hold back what I should’ve done any longer, I get on one knee
and use the ring in my pocket to propose to Jess. “I know you’ve been waiting
for this, so here it is. Will you marry me, Jess?”
Jess seems overjoyed at first, then her
expression sours. “Now you ask me after so many times of denying me? Even
today, you denied me marrying you, but now, you want to do it? What changed?”
“Nothing did. I just had to realize the
obvious and do it. Please, forgive my constant rejections. This card game has
made me realize that what I’m supposed to do and where I’m supposed to be is right
here, where I’ve always been. If God wanted me to be somewhere else with
someone else, it would’ve happened by now, so-”
Jess takes the ring and slips it on her
finger. “Yeah, we better get married before you end up with someone else! I do!”
Jess and I kiss, a little too long for my liking, to the point where I have to
push her away. Now, she’s clinging to me even more, and I must have lipstick
all over my face.
Passersby who saw what happened congratulate us
on our marriage and tell me it should’ve happened sooner. “Yeah, it should’ve,”
I admit. It took Divine intervention and a whole lot of card games for me to
realize it, but I’m glad that I did, and thank God for it. From now on, I won’t
be as hesitant to accept God’s will, appreciate what I have more, see the value
in the here and now, and pray and hope to be better in the future. May
Providence, who guides fates and decides the winner of games, ever mercifully
be in my favor. Amen.