2 | Romano Descendant

Luciano never knew about his family. He was only raised by his mother who was also a gardener. His mother had no family. However, there was someone he already considered to be his own family. Aunt Valentina.

In the past, Aunt Valentina also worked in the Verga family’s mansion. Now, the woman had been retired. Her house was in the suburbs of Verona. Under the present circumstances, driven away and had no penny, the first thing Luciano could do was just going to Aunt Valentina's house.

Luciano vowed that he would not forget about this cursed day once and for all. Winter was coming with biting temperatures. His salary this month was not given. His salary from the previous months was taken from him. Without his proper thick clothes, Luciano walked over with a bruised face and a grog body after being beaten blindly by his former employer.

Actually, Luciano was able to withstand all that. The most painful thing for him was to hear Lucrezia drove him away. Lucrezia said that Luciano was shameless and very inappropriate for a girl like Lucrezia.

That night, Lucrezia met him on the terrace. Witnessed by the whole persons in the mansion, including Lucrezia's father and younger siblings, along with all the servants. The night was getting darker. It started to rain. Slowly, then turned into a large grain that hit Luciano on the face. Added the pain on some of the bruised parts of his body.

Lucrezia looked as beautiful as a moon in the dark night. If only Luciano hadn't been fascinated by the beauty of his young lady. Luciano always thought Lucrezia was a gift. A miracle in his aimless life.

Luciano wished if Lucrezia could talks alone with him as usual. It was better not being witnessed by many people like that.

"I'm going to be engaged with Primo. He's decently good for me. I hope we never meet again after this. Don’t ever pester me again, Poor Gardener! I hate you!" Lucrezia threw a glass of hot chocolate to Luciano.

"Lucrezia, Honey, what exactly happened? I know this is not your will. Tell me about it, Sweetheart." Luciano tried to persuade her. The young man ignored the burning heat felt on his right arm.

The burns from the boiling hot chocolate that Lucrezia threw at him.

Lucrezia laughed insanely. "You want to know? Of course it's because I've had enough of you. It's time for me to stop playing with a lowly young peasant like you."

"You never underestimated the social status of others, Lucrezia. I know it!" Luciano retaliated insistently.

"You think you know me? You're wrong! You don't know anything about me."

"That's not true..."

"Of course it's true! Bury your disgusting dreams deeply which to be side by side with me. Can't you see that our gap is like heaven and hell? Don't you know your place?"

"Lucrezia..."

"Don't you dare say my name with that dirty mouth of yours!"

Luciano would never forget all of Lucrezia's insults to him. When he looked at Lucrezia's father and found a triumphant smile there, Luciano's anger peaked. The only hope of life that he had was to take revenge on Lucrezia and her family. Someday.

***

Aunt Valentina's house was in the suburbs. It was on a small patch of muddy field with a wooden fence that has been weathered by the times. Her yard was filled with second-hand goods piled up. The tiny house was overgrown with bougainvillea flowers that propagated to the roots. Luciano remembered that his mother used to took him to come here. Things hadn't changed much. In fact, the house was the only unchanged one among all the houses in this neighborhood.

When he found Aunt Valentina's house, Luciano was already soaked in the rain. His body was shivering and he had a high fever. One of his hands was covered with blistered burns.

"What's going on, kid? Gosh!" Aunt Valentina was buoyant in welcoming Luciano and immediately took the young man in.

Luciano recounted everything that happened. And closed it with a sentence, "I don't have any family left, Aunt Valentina. I have neither money nor roof to shelter."

Aunt Valentina treated Luciano's wounds compassionately. Several times, her eyes filled with tears at how heartbreaking a son of her departed best friend was.

At the end, Aunt Valentina said, "You're wrong, Luciano. Actually, you have some family. A great one. I have promised to your mother not to tell you anything. However, now I don't think I can keep that promise anymore."

"I have some family?" Luciano looked at Aunt Valentina in disbelief.

"Yes, boy. You still have family. The Romano." Aunt Valentina smiled warmly at him. "'That' Romano." Aunt Valentina continued again.

Luciano hardly believed this information if it wasn't Aunt Valentina who said it. 'That' Romano family. Oh my god. It turned out that he was a part of the most distinguished family in Italy!

"Auntie didn't lie, right, didn’t you?" Luciano asked. His eyes lit up excitedly.

"I swear." Aunt Valentina then told the dark past of Luciano's mother.

According to Aunt Valentina's story, Luciano's mother was a servant in Romano’s house. She was involved in an illicit relationship with the Romano family only son. When they knew that she was pregnant, she was expelled from the city of Rome.

"Your dad didn't even know that your mother was pregnant. Your mother didn't have time to say anything when she left."

"Why, Auntie? Why did my mother just leave like that?"

Aunt Valentina let out a long sigh. "Didn't you also experience it? You know how powerful those families are, right? These people like us have no chance to resist, boy."

Luciano cried at that moment. It was heart-wrenching to realize that he and his mother had the same story. Both were kicked out of the house of wealthy family.

"If you want to go to see your late father's family, son, you can go to Rome. I give you the address."

"Okay, Auntie." Luciano immediately wiped away his frustrating tears.

"And I have a little money for your travel, kid. Not much, but I hope it can help." Aunt Valentina opened a worn-out storage box and took out a few pieces of banknotes.

Luciano accepted it gratefully. "I will repay Auntie's kindness one day. I promise."

Aunt Valentina smiled and shook her head. "You don't have to repay anything, kid. Live happily from now on."

This time, Luciano would not give up. He was a strong boy. He was not like her mother. He was determined to turn things around, no matter what.

The next morning, Luciano left for downtown of Rome. Using a little of money that given by Aunt Valentina, he bought a one-way ticket. He went to the Romano family residence and would not take rejection for granted. If Aunt Valentina's story was true, and he believed that woman did not lie, Luciano would not gave up his rights as Romano heir. And he vowed not to return to Verona unless he had managed to turn things around with the damned Verga family.

***