Call to the Wise

To Grandma,

I’m moving out. I’m tired of this. Probably going to move in with my cousin Joey who lives in Bridgeport. You know all this gang life and everything. I know how much you hated when mom married my dad, and now I know why. You were right, he could never take us out of the South Side. Sure, he got mom out of Englewood, but he brought all the problems from there with him! I like East Pilsen though, but Bridgeport isn’t so gang centered. I have a girlfriend now, her names Christina. Man grandma I might love her. But I can’t get into that with her like that just yet. I mean my gang brothers always have girls, but they never talk about love. How did you find love? I don’t know gran but something about Christina is amazing, I feel like the Almighty Bishops are so far away from me, as if I can actually live my life again. She always takes us out of East Pilsen, she hates it there. We go to Greektown a lot since her grandfather was from Athens, and just walking around reminds her of what it was like when he would take her out before he passed away. Christina wants to move to Greece, and I’m afraid she’ll leave when she’s eightteen, because I think by that time I will really love her. She tells me about the cousins she talks to in Greece and how every cousin has a spare room with her name above the door. She really wants to flee Chicago, I think the United States too, she’s political like that.

But being in the Almighty Bishops is hard grandma. I’m now a bagboy so they keep me away from all the serious stuff. That’s doing better than a lot of my other friends in the gang. My friend Zach is out “patrolling” the territory. He works the “Fight Hours” as we call them. I hate that I fell into dad’s footsteps. Mom never wanted me to join, but once David joined, you know, twins have to stick together. David is more into the gang than me, he reminds me a lot of how mom describes dad. Same walk, same confidence and charm with girls, but you can see the fear growing in his eyes. Part of me wonders if David ever thought he would get caught up in this life. Oh! Yea! You’re going to be a great-grandma because David’s girl Michelle is pregnant. I know but I’m happy for him. Michelle knows of the gang, but she thinks maybe she can still live a safe life. She too dreams of getting out of East Pilsen, she might take the baby to Rogers Park when she has it.

Mom’s doing well though. She takes Michelle out all the time, trying to be there for her new daughter-in-law. Mom you know still working, still single, but she’s happy. Maybe I should put her on eHarmony, but two gangster sons isn’t a good look on the resume. David and I are her only priorities. She does what she has to do, just like you did for her too Gran. Man I miss you. I’m going to take the Metra up to Waukegan in two weeks. Maybe I’ll bring Christina and you can talk her out of moving to Greece. Just kidding, maybe you can give me more words of wisdom on how to just get out of this situation. I hate it. I feel like it wasn’t even my choice, it was dad's before it was David’s. But I’ll make it somehow.

See you soon,

Michael