Thread by @jeysundhar_d

It has rained last night. The cloudy, wet, sky watches the dim sun try to dry what’s left of the moisture. The heavy leaves outside my window are dripping some of the water weight they gained overnight. #Thread #Story

“What’s a Sunday without a story?”, they ask me. What about you? Would you guys like to hear a story to fill your Sunday morning with? #Story

This is a story based on true events.

This is a story of blood, of gore, of violence and more than anything else, of power. #Story

This is the story of a family. A different kind of family!

You have heard about the Corleone Family, but have you heard about the Mak Family? #MakFamily

Gather around folks!

Today, I’ll tell you the story of the Mak Family, the story of Mak and his brothers!

#MakFamily #Story

This will be a slightly long thread, chronicling the rise and fall of #MakFamily!

Those that stay till the end will be gifted with a Big Reveal, so stick around!

The names used in the story are all adopted names, names the characters were known by, to the rest of the world, even if their own names for themselves were different.

#MakFamily

These adopted names are not to protect, but actually embellish the identity of those involved.
The members of #MakFamily

Let’s begin with Mak, for this is his story more than that of anyone else!

Nobody knows where Mak came from. His early years are shrouded in legend and lore.

Mak deliberately kept it that way, perhaps to hide his ignoble origins, or perhaps to build an aura of mystery.

Perhaps it was a mix of both.

When we meet Mak for the first time, he is just entering the prime of his youth.

Like any angry, young man, Mak is pumped with the hormones of early adulthood and is highly aggressive.

Until that age, Mak had been a free radical, fending for himself and surviving against all odds.

Years of living alone had instilled a strong spirit of independence and doughtiness. Perhaps it was also responsible for his larger size and strength.

Thus far, Mak had gone for anything he wanted. It didn’t matter what, and it didn’t matter what he had to do, to get it.

He always found a way.

And when he didn’t, his powerful arms did the talking.

All that early success nurtured his ambitions and thirst for power.

Mak wanted more and ever more.

More territory, more wealth, more power. He wanted it all.

Strong as he was, Mak knew that he wouldn’t be able to do it by himself.

The world had too many actors. There were several who wanted what he wanted.

And they were seldom alone.

Mak needed allies. He needed a gang, or a ‘family’.

He did not have the patience to build one from scratch. There was so much to do and so little time.

So, Mak set out to find a family and make it his.

He spent quite a bit of time observing and learning about the West Street Gang.

It was a local outfit that had started with petty crimes and moved up the ladder to collecting protection money, conducting contract killings and the like.

Over time, the West Street Gang controlled a large chunk of the town.

Mak identified one of its older, balding members as someone notorious for his sexual proclivities.

Mak knew this was a weak link he could exploit.

He entered the gang, introducing himself as a forgotten son of the bald guy, born out of one of the numerous romantic escapades.

The ageing gang, eager to have young, strong members, took him in.

Mak’s story gave him entry into the gang, but he still had to earn acceptance.

He volunteered himself for some of the riskier hit-jobs the gang took on.

His strength and ferocity, coupled with his tactical genius in planning and executing an assault, earned him respect and reputation, especially among the few younger members of the gang.

Within a few years, Mak had built a formidable rap sheet of killings that he had led or had played a key role in.

There were even occasions when with astute planning, he had single-handedly taken down big shots.

With his successes, the reputation of West Street Gang also grew.

However, Mak quickly realised that he was more important to the gang than the gang was to him.

His attempts to rise through the ranks and take charge were thwarted by the founding members.

He was repeatedly admonished for his greed and told to learn his place in the system.

Typical of his nature, Mak refused to be limited by their rules.

He gathered a bunch of the younger members, and left the West Street Gang to seek his fortune elsewhere.

This was the beginning of the #MakFamily

The #MakFamily, now a band of 6, moved to a different part of the town.

Out on their own, and without the older members to rein them in, their individual personalities rose to the fore.

In the Family, were Rasta and Dreadlocks, with their fancy hairstyles.

There were also the flamboyant Pretty Boy and Kinky Tail, the latter called that for the long coats he wore.

If Mak had an equal in the Family, it was Mr.T, also called Satan for his ferocity and ruthlessness.

Some said that despite his own strength and stature, even Mak feared Mr. T and never travelled alone with him.

For all their strength and rage, #MakFamily was now a smaller gang and more vulnerable than they had been when with the West Street.

But working together, they increased their chances at success.

Mak’s immaculate planning and tactical acumen, combined with the ferocity of Mr. T and the strength of the others, brought them hit after successful hit.

Soon, they got the most lucrative contracts, each one large enough to retire for a lifetime.

None of them were looking to retire though.

Their appetite was too large to be satiated so soon.

With increasing big hits, their reputation spread far and wide.

Rivals feared their collective strength, but also wanted to assert themselves.

Some of the other gangs even tried to corner one or the other of #MakFamily alone, only to realise that they had walked into a reverse ambush planned by Mak.

The failure of the other gangs to subdue them boosted the reputation of #MakFamily.

They started to acquire a reputation of being invincible.

Everyone feared them.

When they walked the streets, people withdrew to the sides.

If you rubbed them off the wrong way, if you laughed at the wrong minute, if you as much as breathed loud, you’d be looking at a painful death.

With increased resources at their disposal, #MakFamily expanded into the northern part of town, bringing them inevitably into conflict with the local gang.

Undeterred, Mak sketched out a plan to take out the leader of the gang. His familiarity with the terrain raised Mr. T’s eyebrows.

Mak admitted that before joining the West Street Gang, he had spent some time in this part of town.

Before agreeing to Mak's plan, Mr. T and Rasta did a recce of the area.

This part of the town was new to them, so they had to familiarise themselves with the terrain.

As they returned, Mr. T admitted that the plan was risky.

“Yes, but it has to be done. It’s either us or them. Both can’t survive here.”

Mr. T grunted in consent.

It was a full moon night.
Even if they had familiarised themselves with the terrain, Mak wanted no glitches.

He wanted to ensure that the local gang would not enjoy any advantage in the darkness of the night.

The moon shone high in the sky. Mak and the others lay hidden in the shadows it threw behind the shrubs.

The leader of the local gang was walking back after spending time with a "friend".

Ecstatic and exuberant, he exercised his limbs with a dance of a walk, oblivious to the danger lurking in the shadows.

Mak was ready.

He knew that the leader could be caught alone at this time, and if caught at the right spot, will be too far from any help from his gang.

Mak’s plan was simple.

Mr. T would approach the leader from behind and launch a surprise attack with a deadly slash across his spine.

Before the leader could recover, the others would hack away his limbs, leaving him bloody and dying.

Mr. T saw that the plan put him in a dangerous position.

He would be first and alone while attacking.

What if the leader saw it coming and turned the tables?

He would be cannon fodder!

Mr. T suggested that it would be better to throw in Rasta as distracting bait and then have the others attack together.

Mak agreed that it was a good idea, but reasoned that throwing bait would, instead of distracting, alert the leader about the ambush.

He also appealed to Mr. T’s ego, that a single blow from Mr. T would instantly cripple the leader.

Mr. T grunted in consent.

The ambush went as planned.

The leader was caught unawares.

Fatally injured in the perfectly planned ambush, his cries of pain brought the rest of his gang to the scene, but only long after Mak and his family had walked off victorious.

Watching their leader die a gruesome death, the rest of his gang bolted, leaving the entire territory open to #MakFamily

#MakFamily took control of all that belonged to the previous gang.

It was a bloody transition.

The uncooperative members of the families and all the children were killed, so that there were no challengers to their dominance.

This was not the end, only the beginning of their bloody reign.

Having tasted blood, the Mak family repeated their bloody coup over and over again, until most of the town belonged to them.

By modest accounts, #MakFamily had eliminated over a hundred people in their rise to power.

If you thought control over large territories and resources would keep everyone in #MakFamily happy, you are sadly mistaken.

Strengthened by success and driven by greed, Mr. T often clashed against Mak’s authority.

He also had a lingering suspicion that Mak wanted to finish him off by pushing him to the forefront during their hit jobs.

With time, Mak’s advantage of strength was also being offset by his advancing age,

The younger Mr. T clearly had a greater appetite and ambition.

It was, after all, his time to shine.

Mak and Mr. T often clashed, sometimes violently.

During one such clash, an especially long-drawn out duel, Mak seized a second’s window to slash at Mr. T’s feet.

Caught off balance, Mr. T fell, eventually admitting defeat.

Soon after, unable to live under the humiliation, Mr. T convinced the pliable Kinky Tail to join him.

The two set out on their own, towards the eastern part of town.

Mak knew that the family was weaker without the aggressive Mr. T, but to preserve his supremacy and safety, he chose not to stop them.

Mr. T and Kinky Tail, despite being only a duo, held their own for over 2 years, including against the powerful and well-entrenched gangs of East Town.

But nothing lasts forever.

A larger Gang of Five entered the district, challenging their authority repeatedly.

Mr. T and Kinky Tail were waiting for an opportunity to strike back.

The opportunity presented itself.

The leader of the Gang of Five was on a lookout, attempting to claim territory that was controlled by Mr. T.

Mr. T tried to emulate one of Mak's successful sketches.

He and Kinky Tail were waiting in the shadows. They chased the leader down the alley, pushed him against the wall.

Mr. T sliced his throat.

Kinky Tail went low and sliced off his genitals.

He took a step back, admiring his handiwork and mocking his emasculated opponent.

Enraged, the leader of the Gang of Five attempted to fight back.

Mr. T stepped up and broke his spine, leaving him to die slowly, painfully.

Mr. T's victory dance did not last long.

That night, the other members of the Gang of Five mobilised themselves, to avenge the death of their leader.

They stalked Kinky Tail, having already figured out that he was the weaker of the two and could be taken out easily.

Two of them stood out in the open, apparently oblivious of Kinky Tail’s presence.

With a massive ego boost from the morning’s killing, Kinky Tail took the bait.

He attempted to attack them, running after them as they ran away.

As his eyes were focussed on his front, the two others moved in from behind him.

Before he could react, the two running in the front also turned around facing Kinky Tail.

Surrounded, but not short of misplaced confidence, Kinky Tail fought against the four of them, all by himself.

Fortune was not on his side, and neither was Mr. T.

Kinky Tail was pinned to the ground, the dust rising to smother his nostrils.

With the killing of their leader fresh in their minds, the four tore off Kinky Tails’ groin, while also hacking across his back.

Mr. T came rushing in to save Kinky Tails.

But it was too late. Kinky Tails had his spine broken.

Knowing a lost cause when he saw one, Mr. T escaped from the scene, barely evading the attacks from the four, all of whom were younger and stronger than him.

Having lost his comrade, a defeated Mr. T decided to move back in with #MakFamily.

Despite his own advancing age, Mak had miraculously managed to retain control over the territory and the Family.

Mak accepted Mr. T back in, hoping to bolster the strength of the gang.

Slowly, Mr. T fortified his control over the gang, creating loyal allies amongst the newer recruits, until he was the de-facto leader.

An ageing Mak agreed to live with the reality of Mr.T's leadership, as long as his share came in.

Despite the reconciliation within the Family, they were still weaker than they were before.

And in their rise and resilience, they had invited the attention of a new set of enemies, ones with methods and tactics different.

These adversaries came from out of town, armed with powerful weaponry and with the intent to use them.

They were resolute that it was time to finish this bloody reign once and for all.

Out on a lonely jaunt, Rasta fell first.

Dreadlocks lost his way and walked into an ambush that ended his life.

Now, it was just Mak, Mr. T and Pretty Boy.

The news spread like wildfire.

Other gangs from the south heard that Mak’s company had thinned.

Emboldened they moved in to seize the opportunity. It was now or never.

Mr. T, no longer as strong and confident, was gingerly walking around the area when they spotted him.

Realising that he had unwelcome company, Mr. T tried to escape.

But it was too late.

Before anyone could realise what was going on, a long gash was made on Mr.T's once-strong shoulder.

Another gash sliced across his spine.

With his spine broken, Mr. T was paralysed from the waist down.

But this was the formidable Mr. T!

He fought on.

The gang stepped back out of his crippled reach and strategised.

One of them walked around Mr. T making him crawl around in defence.

Just as he was preoccupied, another attacked him from behind severing off the lower part of his body.

With blood flowing out of his open thorax, Mr. T howled in pain.

Mr. T, whose voice sent shivers across town, whose gait shook the earth, was whimpering.

He was left to die, bleeding and in pain.

A few months later, Mak and Pretty Boy were seen walking into a nearby village, humbled and perhaps in need of help.

Their wizened frames no longer scared anyone around. Of this, they too were aware.

For several years after, nobody heard from or about #MakFamily.

People assumed that they had perished in penury.

Several years later, graying old Mak was seen walking alone, near the old town he had grown up in.

Perhaps, his time to die had come as well.

That was the last time he was seen.

Everyone concluded that it was the end of #MakFamily.

If you have read the thread this far, thank you!

A small, little gift of gratitude from my side.

The BIG REVEAL!

Mak, Mr. T, Rasta, Dreadlocks, Pretty Boy and Kinky Tail, all the other families and gangs I spoke about...

None of them were human.

They were all....

LIONS! Yes.

They were all Lions.

Mak was actually Makhulu.

Here are our Dramatis Personae!

What you have read so far, is the story of the Mapogo Lion Coalition that ruled across the Sabi Sand region of the Kruger National Park in South Africa.

At their peak, they controlled an area of 170,000 acres (Almost 700 sq.km).

You can watch a documentary on the Mapogos here

Thank you for reading.

@threadreaderapp Please compile.