The Tempest Act 1 Scene 1 Part 1.1

Act 1, Scene 1

The roads on these hills were steep made more dangerous by the torrents of rain. The convoy of four cars filled to the brim with passengers left their safety to the four assigned drivers. The development of the car then was early in design; Ford Model T, four door touring was their choice that night. It had a front mounted engine, producing a 20 hp, with a top speed of forty to forty five miles. The high body with the tall windows made the car rather unstable on its mounting for fast speeds on slopes, but with Alan Nates impatience, it was not much of a choice. Not when the person asking you to drive was the boss of the company. He was Mr Nates to those who were not in the circle of his so called friends.

Alan Nates was a tall man with the wide shoulders, was a High School football player, but his attitude stopped his advancement. He was balding at the top with the receding headline but his frame of muscles was still on with his strength. He worked on the docks; took his brash manners to the brawls, and won a reputation in the mob scene. He boasted that he once killed a hit man that was sent to killed him. He took two bullets but still managed to squeeze the lights out of that man. Alan build the empire with his partner then from the dockyards worker before he took over as the boss when his partner retired. During his tenure as mobster. he worked with the bigger families, trade some punches but nothing serious that they could not sort out over a poker game. He had the cops bribed to look everywhere except at his business, and also the Union kissed his arse when he stepped over to their office. He was how you placed it; when he asked you to jump, you do it without asking how high. You just do it to the highest or he would just floored you with a sledgehammer.

He was invited to a wedding. Once a friend and then a rival. Alan had assembled the convoy of Ford to be the display of his riches to the rival business peer of his, Christopher Tanis. He told Blake, his head driver to get the four vehicles; 'they must looked like dark and vengeful'.

Alan also told him to make sure it can reach there. He once sat in a convoy of vehicles to meet the other gang but they reached late when the vehicles gave them issues. It was both embarrassing for him and made him a laughing among the families.

"I don't want no cars that breaks down half way up the hill." Blake nodded and got to it. Alan looked at the cars just before they set off. He checked them and made sure they are running well.

"All black; like the hearse car. I liked it." Alan Nates smiled and got in. He looked to his boys getting into the other cars. Then he looked at Blake. 

"What an impression it would make. We are like the funeral boys." Alan Nates laughed out. "The clown hosting his celebration on the hills. He think I would not turned up so he left me out of his invitation list." Alan told his boys. "Well, I am crashing in. Nobody tells Alan Nates whom he can danced with."

But they were not only in the black vehicles. Every others was in the same shade, but maybe they had read flowers to decorate the front. Or the driver was dressed in white including the gloves. Alan laughed again.

"That's a vehicle I would like to be seen in at the funeral." Alan pointed to the only car that was different;the Ford T that was painted with the red roses. It belonged to the groom who gave it to his new wife; 'I would see her as far as one mile away. Give me time to hitch up my pants.'

His boys laughed at the car and then walked in with their boss like members of the mob; all dressed in dark suits and shined leather shoes. They were all issued with identical kits including the fedora hats. They were welcome by Christopher the host. He was like Alan, but he still kept his hairline on the forehead although they are gray. He was a bookkeeper and became the bookie; the man to go to for the betting slips. He took everything from sports to even the weather. In his older age, he had ventured into other business which he claimed was managed by the daughter. He was going legit for his own family.

Christopher was the perfect host; he had to with his youngest daughter's wedding. She was marrying a guy named Micheal Callini; lawyer by profession, hoodlum by reputation with the family to backed his call but Micheal was all clean. He was doing his law with a reputable firm that served his father's empire but he was doing only real estates dealing.

"No family dealings for my son. He's going legit." The older father in law told Christopher. "He is going to run the family farms. No more gun toting or running the dens."

Christopher agreed, that his daughter was cleaned too. She was enrolled in the convent and had a firm education with a degree in mathematics. She was working for a firm which deals with stock broking but soon to take over the father's business. He had placed his daughter at the same street as the guy, so they could meet that summer. He cared not they fucked, well at least they would be soon after the vows, but it worked. The guy was smitten by her after a few dates.

"Darned! She was doing the bonds and stocks." Christopher told the potential father in law. "I told her never to come into my business with a ten foot pole. But only the legit ones."

"My son ain't no pole vaulter. He is a lawyer but I am sure he had a size able one." The two older men laughed at their corny jokes while their wives were busy preparing on the who's to come list. The husbands later removed the unneeded ones to make the list short by half. He even deleted Uncle Ben, who holds too much beer and less of his tongue. That annoyed his wife which refused to speak for him for days.

It was all a ploy by Christopher so that the Tanis' family would be stronger in alliance with the East Coast families. That was his hidden ace in his sleeve which he played then to annoyed Alan. His exact words to Alan when he received the entourage were subtle in meaning but threatening.

"Hello, Alan" Christopher received them. "I did not know you were bringing in the brass band. I would had dismissed the 'blues' at my gate." Christopher was referring to the Police at his gates. They had the place monitored with their photographers taking photos on the car number license plates or faces.

"Anytime, you needed us to play for your funeral, Chris?" Alan nodded to his peer. "We bough the violin case, just in case."

Christopher laughed. He knew what they kept in there. Capone showed the the trick some years back.

"I am sure my band played better violin." Christopher motioned to his boys all in white suits and roses on the lapels. He looked to the rear of Alan and saw the two goons who suckled at the uncle's toes.

"Your nephews are here too? I see you brought your son, Freddy." Ferdinand Thomas Nates is Alan' successor and only son that his wife would bear for him. He's got some bastards but they are only his henchmen. "Sorry, my Marie did not take to your son. It had to do with the family traits; you ain't got the balls to handle us."

Christopher laughed out loud and then looked at his new family members. He knew them when he was fresh on the streets then in the Los Angeles. He used to be their runner on the streets, before he moved west. There he was linked up with Alan and his partner then, Paul on the eastern dockyards. It was over a bad shipment; they met and argued but ended up as good friends. Christopher left LA and came over to work with Alan. They became good friends and even during their setup, Chris had the Eastern families gave him some leverage.

"I am marrying her to a lawyer, not any dick head accountant." He added on. He heard rumors that Freddy was a gay and liked to taunt the old man on it.

"Let me introduce you to the new families. They are from the Eastern side." Christopher offered to Alan, but the other declined.

"I seen the wags before. They are no good unlike the Irish. Those are real brawlers. They got balls that hard that when it hits you, yours would break like bad conkers." Alan spat out his venom. He knew who they were; once they were allies but the days of his working for them were long gone. He was his own now; he owed no one.

"Oh, your new allies scares me." Christopher smiled. "I tell ya anytime, your numbers still outplayed mine, but I have new friends now'. Alan took the words with a grin. "They got members from Detroit to Los Angeles, by blood or fuck. We ain't no more back folders for your game. And we don't play conkers. We cut the whole branch down like sausages."

"Soon, I would see the smile fade, Christopher." Alan Nates shook this rival hand. "These Eastern families are back stabbers."

"Well, at least they won't fucked me in the rear." Christopher motioned to Freddy. "I heard its painful. What do they do? Spat at it..."

Christopher did the motioned in front of Freddy. It was Stanley, the nephew of Alan who came forth but Alan stopped him. He saw the other goons stepping to assist their boss.

"Back off, Stanley." Alan spoke out his command. "We are at his place."

"Yeah, Pit bull." Christopher glared at Stanley. "Heel!"