The Last Cigar

By Thomas Mello

The Last Cigar is about generations of a Portuguese family, beginning in São Miguel, in the Azores archipelago in Portugal, in the 1800s. The story encompasses the struggles, trials, and tribulations of the family through the years with the aim that their future generations can lead more prosperous and rewarding lives. The theme involves specific traditions of the family, such as whenever there is an important meeting or special event, whoever is present will be offered a cigar to smoke from a box containing 20 cigars. Another tradition is that when a son in the family turns 21, the father offers him a chance to attempt to prove whether or not he can beat his father in a fight.

The book encompasses much action and drama, including fighting, accidental killings in self-defense, and even an illegal bareknuckle fight. Other areas comprise the struggles of making a livelihood, fighting for the country of the United States, having a famous Portuguese naval captain in the family, and some revelations from police officers in the family, such as when a retired policeman acts as a Robin Hood to get justice for people when the courts failed to do so.

The book is in the spirit of family, values, traditions, and respect, which is carried over to all nationalities. From building livelihoods by owning properties, a winery, apartment tenements and delivery trucks to dealing with racism to committing violent acts, this book has it all!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781669804727

Thomas Mello

Thomas J. Mello is a retired police officer who worked for over 30 years on the job. He retired as a lieutenant and is still active as a reserve officer in a town in Massachusetts, USA, where he also lives with his wife, Teresa. Additionally, he is an attorney admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and also in several federal courts. Mr. Mello has written three articles regarding police topics that were published in a police union magazine. The Last Cigar is his first book.

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THE LAST CIGAR

Thomas Mello

Copyright © 2022 by Thomas Mello.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Editing by Lorraine Reguly from WordingWell.com

Cover creation by the Xlibris Publishing Team

Rev. date: 02/14/2023

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter 1     The Quinta

Chapter 2     A Wedding

Chapter 3     America

Chapter 4     Visitors and Vengeance

Chapter 5     A Remarkable Christmas

Chapter 6     A Death in the Family

Chapter 7     Greenhorn

Chapter 8     A Changing Family—Jorge

Chapter 9     Jorge

Chapter 10   A Growing Family

Chapter 11   Traditions Continue—Mickey

Chapter 12   Townie

Chapter 13   Injustices

Chapter 14   Duties, Divorces, and Dating

Chapter 15   Undercover—Marcus

Chapter 16   Robin Hood

Chapter 17   Robin Hood, Again

Chapter 18   The Retirement Party

Epilogue: Success

Endnotes

To state the facts frankly is not to despair the future nor indict the past. The prudent heir takes careful inventory of his legacies and gives a faithful accounting to those whom he owes an obligation of trust.

—John F. Kennedy

PREFACE

This book involves much drama and suspense. It encapsulates some of the struggles, trials, and tribulations of generations of a Portuguese family—from their time in Portugal to their arrival in America and thereafter. While this book is classified as fiction, the characters, places, and events were created and inspired by the history and experiences of multiple Portuguese families, including my own. Also, throughout the book, you will periodically find superscript numbers in the text because I have included many pieces of historical and factual information in this book. The corresponding source for each can be found in the section called ENDNOTES, at the end of the book.

The main characters include the first son of each generation, dating back to the 1800s. Specifically, the generations of men are Francisco (born in 1835), Angelo (born in 1887), Jorge (born in 1929), Mickey (born in 1962), Marcus (born in 1990), and Brian (born in 2017). Each generation has gone through much and always try to help and support their family members as well as their friends. As time goes by, they try to leave their generation better for the next, to become more accepted and to be as successful as or even more successful than the previous one. It is well-known that the Portuguese have always been hard workers.

The Last Cigar is symbolic of the tradition wherein a certain brand of premium, fresh, mild-burning and medium strength cigars is offered from a family member to anyone who may be attending a meeting or important event. Each generation is asked to carry on the traditions to the next generation.

Every nationality and ancestry has its own history, culture, tradition, norms, and style. In the past, particularly in Portugal, if someone owned a lot of land, they would be considered rich, and women were looked upon as the property of men. Times have certainly changed!

Enjoy!

CHAPTER 1

The Quinta

The Azores Islands, an autonomous region of Portugal, form an archipelago of nine islands located in the mid-Atlantic. They are characterized by dramatic landscapes, fishing villages, green pastures, and hedgerows of blue hydrangeas. Green, volcanic, and remote, the islands were first settled in the 15th century and are popular for hiking, whale watching, blue marlin fishing, surfing, and diving. ¹

São Miguel, the Green Mountain, is the largest and most populated of the islands and has been referred to as the presidency of the autonomous region of the Azores. São Miguel is made up of villages, hills, mountains, farms, wineries, and ports of fishing. It is well-known that if someone owns a large amount of land in São Miguel, they are considered to be rich. A person with money or investments is wealthy, but someone with land is truly rich.

In one particular area of São Miguel, there is a village called Povoção. It is made up of villages, farms, masses of great picturesque scenic areas, and waterfront views. In one particular area of a remote village, a massive mansion stands atop a huge amount of acreage of land that encompasses a large farm and winery.

On a balmy day in June 1846, a young woman in her late twenties was picking flowers in a beautiful garden on the south side of the property. She stood to take a break from her work, inhaling calming and soothing breaths of fresh air. While enjoying the environment, she heard a faint sound in the distance that repeated itself approximately every five seconds. It sounded like it was coming from the area of the mansion. Never hearing the noise before, she was perplexed, so she slowly made her way toward the large dwelling.

Upon getting closer, the weak sound became louder. It was a kind of snapping noise, accompanied by some sort of screaming from another side of the mansion. Upon proceeding closer, she realized it was coming from the wine cellar.

She entered and discovered a young boy being struck on his back by a man with a belt. He was screaming at the top of his lungs.

Stop, please! It was a mistake! I’m sorry! It will never happen again!

The eleven-year-old boy’s hands were bound together and tied to the rafters. Blood was beginning to appear on his already red back.

The man yelled, You stole my cigarettes and got caught smoking. You were told never to smoke. You disobeyed me! The man lashed out with the belt once again.

The woman from the garden, who was the boy’s mother, rushed toward them and yelled at her husband to stop. She thrusted herself in front of the boy to block the blows to his body.

"Stop, now! That’s our son."

The man pushed her away. She tumbled to the floor. She grabbed a nearby axe, picked it up, and raised it above her head. In one swift motion, she aimed for the rope tied to the rafters and swung. The rope split and the boy crumpled to the ground.

She turned to her husband. His face was full of rage, veins bulging from his neck.

She pled, Leave him alone now. You’ve punished him enough!

The couple stared at each other. Finally, the father turned away and exited the cellar.

The woman covered her son with a nearby blanket. She wept and said his name continuously.

Francisco. Francisco. Francisco.

She lay crying over his bloodied body until some farm workers entered the cellar and carried the boy upstairs to his bedroom where he would lie on the bed to recover.

***

Many years later, a man in his early fifties taking an afternoon nap abruptly awoke from a nightmare and sat up in bed, gazing outside an upstairs bedroom window. Shaking, he remembered the past when he was much younger. The boy was now a man—Francisco. While thinking of that horrendous incident in his youth, a warm breeze flowed through the grape vines used to produce wine. It wafted through the open window. He scanned another area of the property and marveled at the abundance of apple and pear trees. He could see strips of carefully manicured crops of corn, string beans, tomatoes, and potatoes. Farm workers were picking and planting crops. Some were riding on tractors and other equipment while sprinklers threw streams of water throughout the property. Chickens and roosters ran freely in their penned area. Francisco’s face chiseled out a small smile as he thought of his accomplishments. He had been through a lot in his lifetime but had accomplished much through his ownership of the quinta. (A quinta is a country villa or estate—in particular, a wine-growing estate in Portugal.)

Francisco forced himself from bed and sat at a desk near the window. He began writing. He carefully checked his work. Then, he grabbed a nearby phone and spoke with a servant in the downstairs kitchen, who served at his every beck and call. Francisco instructed the servant to summon his son, Angelo, who was working on the property. The servant immediately ran outside, jumped into a work jeep, and drove away in search of Angelo.

It was late in the afternoon. The sun was beginning to fall in the cloudy sky. Angelo was found supervising a large group of workers picking crops in the field. The servant told Angelo that his father wanted to speak with him.

The two returned to the mansion in separate vehicles. The servant went back to the kitchen as Angelo entered the elevator to meet with his father upstairs.

Upon entering the elevator, Angelo watched the floors change from above the door. He appeared to be in a trance while staring at the numbers. He wondered why his presence was needed by the patriarch of the family. Usually, they would meet at dinner, where business and ongoing events would be discussed—one of the customs of Portuguese families. But Angelo knew today was different, as per his father’s rare request.

Angelo entered the hallway and cautiously peered inside the bedroom. The room was elegantly decorated with colonial hardwood furniture and beautiful, expensive paintings. Francisco was seated at his desk, which overlooked the quinta. Angelo knocked to announce himself, then awaited permission to enter the large room.

Francisco, a handsome gentleman whose dark hair was mostly gray now, continued working at his desk. Francisco didn’t acknowledge Angelo’s presence, but Angelo knew his father heard him knock. He stood silently in the doorway, not saying a word because he knew better than to disturb his father’s concentration. After a few moments, while still looking down at his work, Francisco ordered Angelo to come in. Finally, Francisco turned and greeted his son.

Francisco stood slowly and made his way to the adjoining outside porch. ¹He gestured by hand for Angelo to sit and relax. Francisco proceeded to a nearby shelf and took a wooden box from it.

There is an old tradition in the Azevedo family. I never spoke of it with you, but today, you will learn of it. He said, Do you know what these are?

Angelo nodded and smiled. Cigars. I’ve smoked them before.

Francisco reached into the box and retrieved two cigars. He sat down and gave one to his son. He cut his cigar on one end with a cigar cutter and then passed the cutter to Angelo. While Angelo was cutting his cigar, Francisco lit his.

After exhaling a cloud of smoke, he said, It is a tradition with our family, going back many years in our ancestry, that when members of the family meet in private such as this, they speak while enjoying a cigar. When they speak, the conversation is usually one of importance, and hopefully, the results are good for everyone involved.

While listening attentively, Angelo lit his cigar.

Francisco continued, Of course, it’s a cigar, but not just any cigar. It’s what they represent. Apparently, upon opening the box, one could readily see by the texture and color that the cigars were expensive and of a high quality.

Francisco added, They represent tradition. Many people will give someone a cigar if they just became a parent. In this family, you can also do that, but when you open a traditional box of cigars, it usually signifies that you are talking with someone about something of great importance and seriousness. The person you smoke the cigar with can be anyone. It doesn’t have to be a family member, but it must be smoked during a matter of importance. Do you understand?

Angelo puffed on his cigar and nodded.

Francisco resumed, The cigars must be from a box containing twenty cigars. When the box is finished, whoever from the family is in control of the box must purchase another box of twenty and keep passing down the tradition. Do you understand?

Yes, replied Angelo, nodding his head thoughtfully.

Francisco paused while everything sunk in.

A moment later, Angelo asked, What happens if the tradition were to stop?

Francisco said, We don’t know for sure, but it is believed that bad luck will follow. As far back as anyone in the family knows, the tradition has never been broken. We have had ups and downs, but overall, things have been very good. Hopefully, it will never be broken. Francisco raised his eyebrows as he looked at his son imploringly.

Angelo nodded slowly in response.

Seemingly satisfied with his son’s assent, he sat back and said, Angelo, you must be wondering why I wanted you to come and see me.

Angelo responded, I am curious.

I want to talk to you of something of importance. Francisco paused to enjoy a puff from the cigar. Before continuing, he poured each of them a glass of red port wine, a popular drink among those of Portuguese descent.

While Angelo listened attentively, Francisco said, Angelo, you are now eighteen, so today, we are going to talk like two men. Sometimes, what men do is drink a little cognac, so let’s have a taste. He then filled two shot glasses and placed one in front of Angelo and said, Try this.

Angelo drank it and replied, Not bad.

Francisco said, Listen to your old man. Do you ever refer to me as your old man?

Angelo replied, No, that would be disrespectful.

Francisco continued, Your grandfather and I, while smoking cigars, had a similar chat as the one we are having today. He took a deep breath, a sip of wine, and another puff.

I don’t know how much longer I have to live. No one knows what they have, so I want to have this talk. You are my only son, and I want you to someday take over the quinta.

Angelo smoothly replied, That’s up to you, if you think I am worthy and noble enough.

Francisco said, To be noble is good, but you must also never let anyone take advantage of you. Be one step ahead of people and never let anyone know what you’re thinking. If you tell someone what you’re thinking, you must have complete trust in them to the end. If you’re in a relationship with someone and you break up, they will tell your secrets. Even a wife someday will likely reveal things. Generations before us, women were owned by men. Females were considered their property. Women were beaten, as were family members. That’s the way it was. The head of the family ruled with an iron fist. To give you an example of this, I’ll tell you about the time my father caught me smoking.

Angelo sipped his wine and remained silent.

He tied me to the rafters in the wine cellar and whipped me until I bled.

Angelo’s eyebrows rose and his eyes widened.

I was saved when your grandmother found him beating me. She cut me down and I fell on the floor like a dog, nearly unconscious. He finally walked out after she pled with him to stop hurting me. Francisco took a long puff of his cigar. Angelo shook his head back and forth in disgust.

There will come a time when you will probably have a wife and a son of your own. Do me one favor. Never strike her or whip him. They’re your family. Can you promise me that?

Yes, of course, said Angelo.

Francisco continued, I am going to sign everything over to you in my will. When the day comes that I am not around, you will own the Azevedo quinta. Do you understand?

Yes, said Angelo, but I am not asking for any of this.

Francisco said, Who am I to leave it to a stranger? You are my blood. The only thing I want from you is when you turn twenty-one, I’d like you to go to America. You must see what it is about. It will be a better life for you and further generations, and hopefully, there will be many traditional cigars there. Parents always want their children to do better and have more than they had. But if you don’t like America and want to come back, of course, you always can. You will always have this place to come back to. We are rich here because we have land, but in America, land is not the only thing of value. In America, there is so much opportunity. You can do and be anyone you want to. You can own real estate, as you can here, if you want. You can go into business, invest in stocks, bonds, and even run for political office. With this opportunity can come much happiness, and if you’re happy, you are rich from life and what it has to offer. Since your mother’s passing, I’m going to have the papers changed.

Sadly, Angelo’s mother, Carolina, had recently met the same fate that claimed Angelo’s grandparents years earlier—death from a debilitating disease. Many diseases, including Polio, various plagues (bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic), influenza, and other infectious diseases affected the lives of many during the turn of the century. Angelo’s parents had him much later in life because they were told that Carolina could not have children. When Carolina found out that she was pregnant, the doctors were dumbfounded and couldn’t believe it. Her pregnancy went almost full-term and Angelo was healthy when he was born. Now, Carolina was gone, and Angelo was a young adult.

Angelo simply stared at his father in awe.

***

A week later, while Angelo was supervising some workers in the fields, his attention was directed to the adjacent property, a winery owned by their neighbor, Manuel Oliveira. Angelo heard screaming and yelling.

He moved closer and observed the owner of the winery grab a young girl almost the same age as Angelo and begin groping her. Angelo had spoken with the girl several times in the past. Her name was Maria and she was roughly three years younger than Angelo. The owner was forcing himself upon her; she was pushing him away and screaming at him. Manuel remained persistent and aggressive. Angelo ran over to help her, shouting angrily, Let her go!

As Angelo got closer to them, the owner yelled at him to get off his property. Angelo kept going toward them. He pulled Maria away from Manuel. The men then struggled. Angelo punched him squarely in the jaw. Mr. Oliveira fell to the ground. Angelo landed a few more punches until the man was barely conscious. Angelo said, Let that be a warning to you. The next time, you will pay dearly.

The owner said, Yeah, right, this is my property. She works for me. I can do what I want.

Angelo responded gravely, This is your only warning.

The girl looked at Angelo thankfully and ran toward the grapevines. Angelo stormed back to his property.

A week or so later, Angelo heard what appeared to be a high-pitched scream, but it abruptly stopped. He made his way toward the noise and again observed Mr. Oliveira engaging in the same type of behavior with the girl. This time, he had his hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t be able to scream. Oliveira saw Angelo running at full speed toward him and put his forearms up to lessen the impact and to block him while holding the girl. Angelo barreled him over and landed on top of him, punching him, until the man was almost unconscious. Angelo was in a rage.

I told you to keep your hands off of her, but no, you couldn’t, you animal. Angelo took out his pocketknife and cut off the top third of the man’s pinkie finger. Oliveira screamed in pain and tried to stop the bleeding. He picked up the piece of the finger from the ground and dashed toward his house.

Angelo yelled, It will be worse next time. He grabbed the girl by the arm, and they briskly walked away. The cutting of the finger was a message to keep his hands off her.

The next morning, Francisco met Angelo at the breakfast table. Unbeknownst to Angelo, Francisco received a call from Manuel Oliveira immediately after the incident occurred. Mr. Oliveira sought medical treatment at the local hospital, and he requested to have a meeting with Francisco and Angelo later in the evening.

Francisco said to Angelo, When I was out walking yesterday, I thought I heard a little commotion coming from the winery next door. Did you hear anything? Francisco was trying to bait him to see if his son would admit to the incident and maybe talk about it.

Angelo was speechless for a moment. He swallowed deeply, as though he had a lump in his throat.

His eyes opened widely and he said, "Yes, I heard something. I also saw Mr. Oliveira going after a girl working in his field. He was like an animal. I had to get involved. She was so defenseless. I had warned him before, but he still went