Blood of a Boss: The Moreno Family Read online

  January 3, 2008

  There was a skating party at the Wow Skating Rink, Tommy and Sheed had gassed him up to go because he wasn’t really into the party scene. Especially a party that revolved around roller skating.

  On the night of the party, the three of them were fresh to death. They were dipped in butterscotch Timberlands, Seven jeans, white long sleeved shirts, and customized Marc Bucannon leather jackets with ‘Bishops’ stitched on the back. Sonny’s jacket was red with black stitching. Tommy’s was white with red stitching. And Sheed’s was black with white stitching. The Blood culture was fairly new to the city, so to let it be known that they were Damu, they each had a red bandana hanging from their back right pocket.

  When they arrived at the skating rink and saw how jam packed the party was, Sonny was glad that he had came. Unfortunately, none of them knew how to skate, so they posted up at the arcade and played video games.

  “Damn, Sonny, lil’ buddy over there keep starting at you,” said Sheed. He then gestured toward a short, petite, light skinned girl with long, silky, black hair. "She on ya top, bro. You better go over there and bag her.”

  Sonny smiled at him and used his left hand to lay down his wavy hair. “Nigga, you ain’t said nothin’ but a mu'fuckin’ word.”

  He casually made his way to the food stand where the girl was waiting for the slice of pizza she had just ordered. He approached her. “What’s up, ma? They call me Sonny. Who you?”

  He extended his right hand, and she accepted the gesture with a feminine handshake. “My name is Riana, but all of my friends call me Riri.”

  He smiled, displaying the dimple in his left cheek. “A’ight, Miss Riana, it’s nice to meet you. But dig, though, I noticed you was over here looking at me like you knew me or somethin’. So, do I know you from somewhere?”

  She looked him up and down. “No, I don’t think so, but I was definitely looking at you. I think you’re cute, and I’m feelin’ the way you and ya mans and ‘em is killin’ it wit’ y’all lil’ leather jackets.”

  “Well, speakin’ of cute,” he shot back, “you look exotic like a mu'fucka. Whatchu Brazilian or somethin’?”

  “No, I’m not Brazilian,” she blushed. “My dad is Black, and my mom is Puerto Rican.”

  “More or less. So, who you here wit’? I know you ain't here by yaself.”

  “I’m wit’ my best friend, Erika. She’s over there in the corner talkin’ to her boyfriend, Troy.” She pointed toward a tall dark skinned girl with an ass like Nicki Minaj and a tall light skinned dude.

  “Hold up, you mean to tell me that you come to a party just to to stand around looking cute, while ya home girl in the cut talkin’ to her boyfriend?"

  She quickly replied with a playful attitude. “I came here to party and have fun like everybody else. I’m just hoping that don’t nothin’ pop off in here because it’s a lot of niggas at this party, and whenever Philly niggas get together for somethin’, somebody's always gettin’ stomped out or shot the hell up. Especially when they're from different parts of the city, and they all try'na prove who’s the hardest.”

  “Yeah, I know that’s right,” Sonny concurred. “But we all know that the North get it poppin’ the most.”

  “Oh, so let me guess, you’re from North Philly, huh?”

  “Without a doubt,” he smiled, and then licked his lips seductively. “What part of the city is you from? You look like one of those lil’ prissy Mt. Airy chicks.”

  “Naw, I’m not from Mt. Airy, but you’re close. I’m from Crestmont.”

  “Crestmont? Where the fuck is that?”

  “It’s the neighborhood right next to the Willow Grove Mall. It’s okay out there. It’s mostly an all-black neighborhood, and the majority of the people who live there are originally from Philly.”

  “Oh, a’ight,” he nodded his head, and then realized that Riri was looking in the direction of Erika and her boyfriend.

  “Ahn ahn, no the fuck he didn’t!” she said to herself as she watched Erika crumble to the floor from the blow her boyfriend had just landed on the left side of her face.

  She left Sonny at the food stand and skated toward her friend. Unbeknownst to her Sonny was right behind her, and Tommy and Sheed were right behind him.

  “Erika, why the fuck is this clown ass nigga puttin’ his hands on you like he lost his fuckin’ mind?” She helped her off of the floor.

  Troy scowled at her, and then folded his arms across his chest. “Yo, mind ya business, Riri. This shit ain’t got nothin’ to do wit’ you.”

  “It’s cool, Riri,” Erika said as she rubbed the left side of her face. He’s just mad ‘cause I quit his cheatin’ ass.”

  “Bitch, you can’t quit me!” Troy snapped. “Matter of fact, speakin’ of quittin’ somethin’, you better quit runnin’ ya fuckin’ mouth ‘fore I…”

  “Before you what?!” Riri interrupted him, and then got up in his face.

  “Bitch, you better back the fuck up ‘fore you get the same shit ya girl just got!” Troy snarled, and then he ice-grilled Sonny who was standing directly behind her. “And why the fuck this super save a hoe ass nigga keep lookin’ at me like he want somethin’?”

  Without saying a word, Sonny pushed Riri out of the way, and hit Troy with a devastating left hook, knocking him out cold. As soon as his body hit the floor, Tommy rushed in and began stomping him in the face, knocking him out and waking him up with every blow.

  As Troy laid on the floor blinking his eyes and trying to figure out what had just happened, Sheed spit a straight razor from his mouth, then swooped down and gave him a buck fifty from his ear to his chin. A gory wound appeared on the side of his face and warm blood sprayed everywhere.

  The people in the skating rink began to crowd around them, and immediately Sonny thought about the potential consequences of their actions. He looked at Riri, “Yo, I don’t know whatchu and ya home girl ‘bout to do, but me and my niggas is gettin’ the fuck out of here.”

  She looked at Erika, and then returned her gaze to Sonny. “Shit, we ain’t stayin’ here either. We going wit’ y’all.”

  From that day forward, Sonny and Riri became extremely close and have been together ever since.

  Chapter Two

  After getting dressed, eating breakfast, and cleaning his gun, Sonny was ready to start his day. As he was about to leave the house, he stopped at his mother’s room to check on her. “Hey, mom, you need anything ‘fore I leave?”

  “No, baby. I’m good,” she replied while smoking a Newport 100 and watching a movie on the Lifetime Network. “Just be careful out there.”

  She knew the game. Her husband played it well, but just like the majority of the players in the life, it ate him alive. That was a concern she had for her only son, but in the same vein, she knew she couldn’t control his actions. He had to live and learn on his own.

  When he walked out of the front door and into the blistering heat, he was dipped in a pair of black True Religion shorts, a fresh wife beater, and a pair of black and red Lebron’s. An iced-out ‘NP’ charm hung from his 35’' chain, and his iced-out Breitling glittered like a light show. He looked across the street and noticed a dingy individual who resembled a Center City street person was wiping down the 26'’ rims on his Tahoe. When he realized who it was, he gritted his teeth and ice-grilled the man who at one point in time was the sharpest hustler in the city, his father, Ervin ‘Easy Money’ Moreno.

  “Yo, what is you doin’ to my truck?” He barked at his father which broke Easy’s concentration.

  Easy looked over his shoulder and smiled at him. “Oh, there he go! There he go! North Philly’s finest, Lil’ Easy Money!” He shouted in a raspy voice and displayed a mouth full of gums.

  “Lil’ Easy Money?” Sonny retorted. “Look at you, you all dirty and stinkin’ and shit. Nigga, I ain’t nothin’ like you.”

  Easy dropped the rag he was using to wipe down Sonny’s rims and cracked his knuckles. “What the fuck did you just
say to me, boy?”

  Sonny approached him. “Nigga, you heard me. I ain’t nothin’ like you.”

  As soon as Sonny came within reaching distance, Easy wrapped his hands around his neck and applied pressure. “Oh, so ya lil’ ass think you a big shot, huh? Ain't got no respect for your own goddamn father? Nigga, I should break ya fuckin’ neck!”

  As he struggled to breathe, Sonny pulled the .357 Sig Sauer that was tucked in the small of his back and pressed the barrel against Easy’s temple. “Nigga, you better get the fuck off me ‘fore I rock ya dumb ass!” He snarled through clenched teeth. “Pussy, I ain’t gon’ say it again!”

  Easy released his grip and with tears in his eyes, he tried to apologize. “Sontino, I’m sorry, man. I’m sorry for everything. I mean, look at me.” He held out his arms for emphasis. “I ain’t shit no more. I used to run this muthafuckin’ city, now look at me. I’m just a has been junky.” He dropped his arms and shook his head shamefully. “I didn’t come over here for this. All I wanted to do was talk to you.”

  Instead of responding, Sonny removed the gun from his head and used the back of his hand to wipe away the single tear that slid down his right cheek. Easy tried to hug him, but Sonny pushed him away. He hopped in his Tahoe and laid his head against the headrest. Disgusted, he scowled at Easy in the rearview mirror, and thought about the man that he used to be. In particular, his mind traveled back to the day that Easy moved their family out of the hood...

  August 18, 1992

  It was 2:30 p.m. when a three year old Sonny and Easy pulled up in front of their Reese Street row home in Easy’s brand new SL 500. Easy turned down the trunk rattling sounds of Steady B & Cool C’s ‘The Glamorous Life’, and then looked in the back seat where Sonny was playing with his Happy Meal toy.

  “What’s up, Lil’ Easy Money? You good back there?”

  “Yes.”

  “You know that your daddy loves you, right?”

  “Yes."

  “And you know that your daddy is the boss of the city, right?”

  “No!” Sonny laughed and frantically shook his head from side to side.

  “No?” Easy looked at him like was crazy. “Well, if your daddy ain’t the boss of Philly, then who is?”

  “Me!”

  “You?” Easy laughed. “Naw, lil’ man, we gon’ clear this up right now. I’m the boss, and you’re the underboss.”

  Sonny looked at him and smiled from eartoear. “I the underboss, daddy?”

  Easy nodded his head up and down, and then honked the horn. A couple of seconds later, his wife, Annette Moreno, emerged from the house in a soft pink Gucci short set and white Gucci Lottos. Her door knocker earrings and gold Rolex sparkled in the Philadelphia sun, and her cinnamon complexion had a natural glow. She was 5’ 9", 135 pounds, and had a strong resemblance to the actress, Phylicia Rashad.

  She climbed in the Benz and leaned across the center console to give Easy a kiss. She then turned her attention toward the back seat where Sonny was stuffing his mouth with French fries. “Hey, baby.”

  “Hi, mama. Look.” He held up his doll sized Ronald McDonald. “My daddy took me to McDonalds,” he bragged.

  “I see,” she smiled, and then leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead. After stealing a couple of his French fries, she settled into the passenger’s seat and returned her focus to Easy. “Alright, now where’s the surprise you were tellin’ me about?” She asked in reference to the phone conversation they had earlier that day.

  “Just relax and enjoy the ride.” Easy smiled, and then pulled away from the curb.

  About forty-five minutes later, they pulled up in front of a huge estate in Upper Dublin, Pennsylvania. “Surprise!” Easy stated with a wide smile spread across his face.

  The sight of the 10,000 square foot mansion left Annie mesmerized. Being the city girl she was, she instantly fell in love with the manicured lawn and the tall trees that were spread throughout the property. Her eyes scanned the horseshoe driveway and the luxury cars that occupied the space. She spotted a Range Rover, a Lexus SC 400, a BMW 850, a Porsche 911, and a 5.0 Mustang. Each vehicle was cocaine white and had matching rims and tinted windows.

  “Didn’t I tell you I was gonna get us out the hood?” Easy smiled at his beautiful wife, and then used the back of his hand to caress her face.

  “Yeah, but this—this is just too much. Is this really our new house?”

  “Yup,” Easy confirmed with pride in his voice. He drove up the driveway and parked behind the Range Rover.

  They hopped out the Benz and approached the eight foot high double doors. He placed a key inside of the gold door handle, and led them inside. The first thing to grab their attention was a dual grand staircase that led to a balcony on the second floor and the whitecrystal chandelier that hung from the foyer's twelve foot ceiling.

  “Oh, my God! This is so nice.” Annie stated, and then stood on her tippy toes to give Easy a kiss.

  “Come on,” he began walking. “I’m a show y’all around the first floor, and then I’ma take y’all to see the basement. After that, we’re going upstairs to the second floor.”

  When they entered the living room, they were greeted by a black leather sectional that occupied two walls of the room and a 100 inch projector screen that was accompanied by a state of the art sound system. A marble fireplace decorated the third wall and on the forth wall there was a huge fish tank they could look through and see the dining room on the other side. The fish tank was decorated with colorful stones and small castles and three miniature sized sharks were swimming back and forth as if they didn't have a care in the world.

  “Look, mama,” Sonny pointed at the fish tank. “Do you see the fishies?”

  “Yes, baby, I see them. Aren’t they nice?”

  “Yes.”

  After showing them the ‘White Room’, Easy took them into the kitchen where a granite island was positioned in the center of the room. In addition, there were stainless steel appliances, marble countertops, and mahogany cabinets that were stockpiled with groceries.

  Next, he led them downstairs to the basement where there was wall to wall carpeting, a fully stocked bar, a regulation sized pool table, and three arcade game systems.

  “So, how do y’all like the new house so far?” he asked.

  “Bae, I love it!” Annie smiled.

  “Me too, daddy.” Sonny nodded his head. “I like it a lot.”

  “A’ight.” Easy began walking toward the back of the basement. “Let’s go upstairs so I can show y’all the second floor.”

  “Bae, why are you going that way?” Annie asked, pointing toward the staircase behind her. “The stairs are that way.”

  ‘I know, but we ain't takin’ the stairs. We takin’ the elevator.”

  ‘The elevator?” She asked in disbelief.

  Sonny raised his hands in the air and playfully shouted, “Yeah, mama! We takin’ the elebator.” He looked at Easy. “Right, daddy?”

  Easy chuckled. “Yeah, lil’ man, we takin’ the elebator.” He mimicked the way his son mispronounced the word.

  When the elevator reached the second floor, the doors slid open, and they stepped off and into the exercise room. The floors were padded and the walls were covered with mirrors. There was a punching bag, a speed bag, universal weights, a treadmill, and two exercise bikes.

  “Ahn ahn, bae. You got us an exercise room, too?”

  Easy nodded his head. “Yeah, so that way I can teach Sontino how to box, and he can grow up to be the next Holyfield. Ain’t that right, lil’ man?”

  “Yes,” he laughed, then bounced around, doing his best rendition of Evander as he threw a left hook and a right uppercut.

  “A’ight, now I’ma show y’all the bedrooms.” He led them to the master bedroom, which was more akin to a small apartment. There was a ‘His & Hers’ closet and bathroom, a jacuzzi, and sliding doors that led to a balcony overlooking the Olympic sized swimming pool in the backyard. A circular king sized bed s
at in the center of the large room, and it was covered with silk sheets and a mink blanket. There was also a 62 inch television, a sound system, and a suede loveseat that was positioned against the back wall.

  Next, he led them down the hallway to Sonny’s room. The walls were painted ‘Ninja Turtle’ green, and life sized stickers of Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael were stuck on every wall. His bedspread and curtains had a Ninja Turtles theme and a slew of Ninja Turtles action figures were stockpiled in the middle of the floor. As soon as Sonny laid eyes on his new room, he placed his left hand on his forehead, and then fell to the carpet, acting as though he’d just fainted. Easy and Annie burst out laughing.

  Back To August 2012

  Unfortunately, that was then, and this is now. After becoming a success in the drug game, Easy fell victim to the same drug that made him a millionaire by the age of twenty-five. Crack! By 1996, he’d lost everything. He’d lost the money, the cars, the mansion, and ultimately his family.

  After coming to grips with his nostalgic memories, Sonny started the ignition and pulled away from the curb. As he turned the corner and darted up Susquehanna Avenue, Easy wiped away his tears and looked at the impoverished house that his family once again called home. His eyes wandered to the second floor, and he noticed that Annie was staring at him through the window. Embarrassed, he lowered his head and walked away.

  *****

  When Sonny pulled up in front of Riri’s house, he noticed her mother’s car was gone. He remembered it was Saturday and assumed she spent the night over at her boyfriend’s house. He climbed out the Tahoe and knocked on the front door. A second later, the door creaked open, and Riri was standing before him in her birthday suit.