For the Sins of My Father by Albert Demeo

Author:Albert Demeo [Demeo, Albert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Broadway
Published: 2002-09-24T05:00:00+00:00

The saving grace of that year, and of all the years since then, came in the form of two guys named Tommy and Nick.

Nick came into my life one afternoon as I crossed the school grounds on my way home. Nick was a tall, burly kid with a big heart and a tendency to get into fights, and that day he was hopelessly outnumbered. Five kids had jumped him, and seeing him swinging gallantly at the ring of boys around him, I jumped in to help. I barely knew him, but I knew an unfair fight when I saw one, and I came to his defense. I was still short for my age but strong and skilled; and between the two of us, Nick and I sent the others running. From that day on, we remained fast friends. Nick was kind, loyal, and warm hearted. He didn't care what my father did for a living, and he didn't ask. I was just his friend Al. For the first time, in and out of school, I knew someone had my back. It felt good.

Tommy became part of my life the summer before the ninth grade. Tommy's family lived down the street from us. I knew Tommy's younger sister from school, and one afternoon she invited me over to swim. I walked with her out to the pool, and there was this tousle-haired blond guy sitting in a pool of blood on the deck. He had cut his foot working on their boat. Tommy was older than I was, but we hit it off immediately. We talked and joked for a while and ended up taking the boat out into the canal. Tommy knew who my father was; everyone in the neighborhood knew. He just didn't care. He was more interested in swimming and girls and sneaking some beer down to the dock on a hot summer evening. Tommy told me he'd hang out with the Wop if I'd hang out with the Kraut. It sounded like a deal to me. I took him home to dinner one night, and once he'd tasted my mother's cooking, he practically moved in. Between my pretty sisters and my mother's food, he was at our house more than I was. When I had to go away with my father, Tommy volunteered to “hang out and keep an eye on things.” That meant flirting with Debra and making sure my mother never had to wrap up any leftovers.

When most people say they would never have survived without their friends, they don't mean it literally. I do. I would never have survived, physically or psychologically, without Tommy and Nick. They became the brothers I never had, and I knew they would die for me if necessary, just as I would for them. They made my life survivable.

My father knew that. The first time he met Tommy, he said that Tommy would be my friend for life. In an atmosphere of continual fear and betrayal, my father told me I could trust Tommy.

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