The Beginning of Q

Q's mom, Naima, was the child of an Italian father and a multi-racial mother of black, white and Jamaican heritage. Naima was gorgeous with thick, long dark wavy hair, light brown eyes and a sun-kissed tan complexion. Her parents knew that their beautiful, sweet child would have to endure the mean side of this world. Their goal was to give her every possible advantage they could afford. Naima's parents were not accepted by their families. Maima's father, Gino, found disapproval from his family right away. The intensely proud Italian family did not approve of his multi-cultured non-Italian wife. They disowned him and would have nothing to do with them. Mona, Naima's mom, found that her family welcomed the hardworking Italian into the family with open arms. Mona's father was a loving minister, but he came from the streets, and he knew the neighborhood would cause problems for them. So, Gino and Mona settled in a small neighborhood not too far from the Italian section but closer to the black neighborhood where Mona's parents resided. The multi-cultural neighborhood was the perfect place for them. With their hard earned savings and a secret monetary gift from Gino's grandmother, Gino quit his job at the factory, bought a small restaurant space that had living quarters above it and opened their own restaurant.

Their small eatery was a neighborhood gem. Ravioli's was known throughout their neighborhood. Their soups, sandwiches and pizza were all amazing. The bread - freshly made every day. Soups & sandwiches were served during lunch hours only. Chicken Gnocchi was everyone's favorite, with the minestrone coming in a strong second. Their pizza sauce was made with a family recipe that was delectable and like none other. Pizza, spaghetti & salad with breadsticks were the only items served during the dinner hours. The neighborhood didn't care. They loved the food and the Raviolis were reasonable. They had family specials and great deals on sports nights. The kids and teens loved the slices and cheesy breadsticks all day every day. Their quirk - they did not serve ravioli regularly. Once in a while, and on random occasions, they would have Ravioli Day, selling only ravioli, breadsticks and Mona's homemade soup.. They would sell out every time. Mona's soup was a delicious hearty soup that she learned to make from her Jamaican grandmother and it complemented the ravioli and breadsticks - it was perfection.

And so, for a time, Gino and Mona lived well. When Naima came along, they were well established in the neighborhood for five years past. Naima was known to the neighborhood. She was always underfoot at the restaurant, bounding from the upstairs apartment to the restaurant downstairs. Her happy childhood was the stuff of dreams through to the start of kindergarten.

Gino grew up in the Italian section of town, and his father Rocco was a hardworking man with a lot of Italian pride. He was a plumber and made good money, always having work. No matter how far the jobs were, his father would go. Gino's mom was a baby sitter and always had at least three kids she would sit for regularly. His parents made sure he stayed out of trouble, but couldn't help that his cousins ended up working for characters of the underworld. This caused a rift in the family, as Gino's grandparents were also hardworking people and didn't support the criminal activities of their son and grandson. Gino's dad Rocco and his brother Marco never saw eye-to-eye in adulthood, as Marco accused Rocco of feeling like he was better than him. When Gino was small he and his cousin Angelo would play together regularly, But as they got older, the visits became less and less until Gino's uncle and his cousin Angelo just stopped coming by to visit altogether. Then they grew up.

Angelo was working as a low-level runner in a certain crew. He did odd jobs and the dirty work for the boss of this crew, never really moving up the chain, never really accomplishing anything other than the money he was paid each week. He had heard about the restaurant through the family grapevine and decided he would pay cousin a visit and try his food.

"Come on Naima," Mona said, gently waking her 5-year-old. "It's your first day of Kindergarten. Let's get a move on!"

Naima excitedly hopped out of bed and they did their morning routine. As they left to walk to the elementary school that was only a few blocks away, Naima gave her daddy a big hug and kiss. The air was filled with the bread that had been freshly baked by her parents at 5:00 that morning. They didn't open until 11:00 for lunch, but the breads and soups were all prepared.

Angelo pulled up in front of the Ravioli's and watched Mona and Naima walk away. He greeted his cousin. "Gino! Business is slow?"

"Angelo! Long time no see! We don't open until 11 for lunch. For you, we open now. It's never too early for soup and a sandwich." Gino offered.

"That's right. I'm starving. Let's eat." Angelo was impressed with Gino's life, if not a lot jealous. Gino has his own business, little family, known and beloved by this little unknown neighborhood, seemingly no worries. Angelo wished he didn't have to hustle so hard for the crumbs he had. Oh, Angelo was handsome enough and smart enough, so he had women and was never broke. But it wasn't easy dealing with the types in his world. Everyone always looking to take someone down so they could get up. That's why Angelo never tried too hard to move up close to the big boss. Angelo wasn't as ruthless as some of the others. But he suddenly felt he had found a way up.

"Hey Gino, give me an extra order of some Gnocchi, spaghetti, and some bread. I think I want some for dinner." Angelo said on one of his lunch stops. He was frequenting Ravioli's a lot more regular now, enjoying the visits with his cousin.

Angelo got his food, left and went to the club where the crew he was running with were scheduled to meet with the big boss. Leo, the leader of his crew, was always talking about how close he was to their Big Boss, and how often they ate together and how much he loved good food. Angelo knew that Gino's food was authentic and better than any he'd ever had, event their own grandma's (though he would never tell her that).

So, when the Big Boss arrived and saw that Angelo had brought his own meal. He was interested. "Angelo, why are you bringing food into this place when I'm paying for everyone's meal?"

Angelo replied, "I appreciate that, sir, but I just came from my cousin's restaurant and his food is outta site! I couldn't resist! Would you like to try some? I got an extra order for dinner later, but I would gladly give it to you."

"Food so good, you would turn down a free dinner from your boss? It better be good Angelo, or I might be a little insulted."

Angelo wasn't worried about the food. He was worried that no matter how good the food was, the boss could still be annoyed and Angelo would still suffer the consequences.

But Angelo's boss loved the food. He raved because it was just that good. The boss started thinking as he was eating. Unfortunately, that was the beginning of the end for Ravioli's. Angelo sensed it and suddenly wished he had never mentioned his cousin's restaurant. For in the weeks to come, the boss would order frequently from Ravioli's and was never disappointed. He was a business man and saw an opportunity. He never really liked Angelo. He only kept Angelo around because he was skilled at doing the crew's dirty work without leaving a trace.

The boss knew that Ravioli's was very profitable and he wanted a piece of it. He wanted to open another one and he wanted Gino's recipes. Gino would have nothing to do with the criminal element. He knew how they operated. Ravioli's was a magnificent success for 10 years under Gino and Mona. He was happy with his simple life. Living above the restaurant saved money, and they were able to sock away a nice savings, and renovate the two floor of living space above. It was gorgeous. He didn't have to answer to anyone because of his hard work. The great food and the great customer service and family values contributed to the popularity of his restaurant. Ravioli's was mentioned on the local morning news show as one of the local hidden gems. They had three free food days a year - Christmas eve, New Year's Eve and Easter Sunday. They believed in giving back to the community. Life was good. And there was another baby on the way.

So, with Gino having turned down the boss's offer, you can imagine that there would be fallout. There would be threats. There would be attempted sabotage. There would be would be a deadly fire and a kidnapped child taken across state lines to be spared death.

Angelo felt guilty and his only redeeming act was saving Naima. His little cousin. For the past week, he prayed that she survived the bullet that grazed her scalp. He prayed for and drank, drank, drank. He received a call from one of the guys in his crew.

"Hey Angelo. We'll be stopping by in a few minutes. The boss has called a meeting. You can ride with me."

Angelo knew what these last-minute impromptu meetings and "ride with me" meant. He was the lethal back seat rider in some of these meetings. He prayed that Naima survived and he hoped he covered his tracks well when hiding her. She would never again know her now dead parents, her Uncle Angelo nor any of her family. As for Angelo he had two choices - take the ride and die or go rogue and survive on his assassin/cleaner reputation.