It was 1942 in south Brooklyn. This was the side of town that was neglected and looked rundown. All the apartments were tattered and messy, the liquor store had cage type bars around the windows because it had been broken into so many times and same with the convenience store across the street. There was a beat up and neglected school and next to it a ragged ugly looking basketball court with chains for a net and a fence all around. Now some would say that this is no place to raise a kid, but that didn’t stop my dad. We would be what you called a messed up family; my dad, the “boss man” because no one could know his real name, was pretty much in charge of all the gangs in Brooklyn, My mom left when I was eight and my sister Mercedes was five, and, well, I am Joe the crazy kid who everybody loves. I have grown up like any other kid in Brooklyn. I go to school everyday, get a coke from the convenience store, and go play basketball for hours. But unlike most kids I live in a nice apartment, I have a driver to drive me around and protect me. I get anything I need and I never get to see my dad except on rare occasions.
Then one day everything changed my driver came rushing in and told my sister and I we must pack our things and go. Our first reaction is what’s wrong? And what’s happening? But nevertheless we packed our things and left Brooklyn heading out of the state. Then after driving forever, we rolled into an old town and the driver said “Welcome to Hillbilly country” In a sarcastic voice.
We stepped out of the car and there stood dad arms wide open. If you knew my dad at all you would know he wouldn’t be caught dead hugging his fifteen and twelve year-old kids. He then took us inside and told us all about how this gang is attacking and we need to get out and four or five days we will be back home.
After a week at this abandon mansion we packed up our stuff and went on home. When we got closer to home it seemed a bit different like something really wrong happened. Then as we passed by the convenience store and the liquor store all the windows were busted in and it was pretty much cleared out. When we got home my dad looked at us and said, “You can’t go to school you need to stay home with me for a while so I can protect you.”
So four months passed which felt like forever and summer was finally here and that mean we got to go to our summer home in California. I met new friend and caught up with old friends. But then summer came fast and we were right back at school again and then before I knew it, it was time for me to pick a college. I decided to go to Oregon State to get a degree in business.
The day I graduated I remember my dad coming to me and he was so proud but he said one thing that I will always remember, “Don’t follow in your dads foot steps cause nothing good will ever happen.” So I searched and I found a job as a manager in a small store called Nike. Well now I am 80 my dad has passed away when I was 56 and I am a owner of a big sports clothing line called Nike and I have 4 kids and am happily married to the same girl since I was 24.
