“Two hours, a two-hour call. I tried going this way and that way but he was not letting me get off that easily. He was fast, telling me why it was in my best interest to take his offer. With that boy’s mouth and the other’s fist, whuuuu, I see how they got where they are in a span of four years. The boys are dangerous. Salvatore is the arm and Elio is the fist. The arm can survive without the fist but cannot do much lifting. The fist can not survive without the arm but together, phuuu, unstoppable.” I gave up, Eduardo was having too much fun. It was as if he had never had anyone to talk this with and it was his time to shine. He drank half of his drink and placed down the glass. “Alvaro, you won’t even offer Lethu a drink?” Eduardo asked with wide accusing eyes. “She will not accept sir,” Alvaro said. I was grateful. “Aahh, okay. This is Alvaro and Felix. I am sure they did not introduce themselves. They are your personal guards when you are here and their sole responsibility is
The way I slid through the seat, it was something from a Matrix movie. The funny part was how the guards took my rush, literally running themselves. The cars were already lined, and my door opened. Alvaro slid from the other door, all doors closed and the cars began moving. They slowed while in the compound but once out, they were blazing through. I did not wish to be in the front car, if mine was basically flying, the one in front was just wheezing I guess. I was not scared this time. My face was stuck between both front seats, just watching with eager eyes as the first car ate the distance away. I watched each swerve, hands on the chairs to lock myself down with each turn. It seemed as if Eduardo had hired car racers because wow. The traffic lights were blown and I was thankful it was night because I did not want to see the chaos that would have happened if it was during a busy day. I was sure they wouldn’t have slowed down. Alvaro was staring at me with such an intense gaze, h
“Amore mia.” I nearly painfully cried out. The way he said it, no one would ever say it like that. I longed to hug him again and bury myself into him. I wanted to inhale him until I went high from his scent. “Elio.” His lips claimed mine, his other hand letting go to wrap around my waist, crashing me to him. I forgot he was hurt and found myself rounding mine around his waist as I melted. The wind blended with the silence of the night and I was flying, crying, happy and in pain at the same time. When he pulled back I had to take a minute to peel my eyes open, staring right into his emerald and gold specked eyes just taking me in with such love. “Lethu.” He whispered out like a ghost, as if afraid for me to hear. “I am here my love. I am here.” I assured, holding on firmly. He lowered his head, kissing my forehead with his lips trembling before he pulled back. “Let’s go home.” He said as if he never wanted to step foot back there ever again. We turned, me tucked into him with
I don’t know when I fell asleep but I do recall hearing screams somewhere. I heard the crash of glass and I shrunk into myself before darkness engulfed me. In my dreams more trauma waited. In my dream I had been late and when I got to Eduardo he told me it was too late, that Elio had passed. The grief rocked me so hard I could feel myself shiver hard even in sleep. I tried shifting around the sheets to find warmth but none was provided. At a point I cried, weeping for my lost love and the feeling haunted me even as my eyes peeled open. My chest was so sore I couldn’t stop rubbing it. My body ached as if I had been thrown into a hurricane. The sheets were all twisted around me, some hanging to the floor. A trickle of sweat ran down my spine and instead of feeling rested, I felt as if someone murdered then brought me back to life. Movement caught my eye and that was when I saw Elio, his back turned to me. He was buttoning up his clean navy shirt, his hair combed back to perfection. Th
Mamma led us to the dining table where food lay in abundance. It seemed they had prepared a feast for Elio’s return. Mamma pulled Elio’s chair and he pulled mine back. We sat down, smiling and thanking as Mamma fussed over him, asking how he was, touching his face, kissing his cheeks, and plating his food. I took my own plate, just filing it because I was dead hungry. The few house staff stood by the door, watching and listening. Other family members, far many than those I left, took their seats. Dario stared at Elio intensely and as my eyes drifted around, Salvatore was nowhere to be seen. Irya sat on her chair, no one next to her. Three new people walked through the doors and I nearly splattered apart right there and then. My eyes went wide. Brown eyes stared back at me as if they had been waiting a lifetime to connect to mine. My world shook and crumbled all around me. I did not know if to cry, shout, jump, or just run. I felt like running, running from the truth staring right at
Death. You can dream about it. You can talk about it. You can prepare for it but when it hits, it breaks everything in you and shows you that you can never be ready for it. Silence. A great abyss of silence. I saw them talk. I saw them walk. I saw them stand before me, eyes staring and lips moving but all I heard was silence. I curled myself in the chair, feet on the suede. A fleece blanket covered me, not sure when it was draped over but it brought me warmth. Head on my knees with my left hand holding on, afraid to let go because I was afraid that if I did then they would snatch Elio away. Internal bleeding, fractured ribs, torn muscles, ruptured spline. The list went on and on. The doctor’s words came and went as they had in the three days of my grief. A hand fell on my shoulder, my body jerking in fright, my eyes turning—red and burning. Brown eyes stared at me, never leaving. I could see the sadness, the heartache, reflecting pain I could not describe. For long minutes I jus
Giving Elio his sponge bath was the highlight of my days as the week progressed along with spending some time with my mother. It was the only time where no one else occupied the room, leaving me with Elio to take care of him. It brought some light back in me. If anyone walked in they would label me crazy because the whole process was spent with me just talking his ear off or singing to him, hoping my terrible singing would wake him up. I realized just then that he was my best friend and not being able to hear his voice over the days tore me apart. I refrained from telling him about my mother and siblings because I wanted to do it when I could stare in his eyes and see him excited for me. In a span of three days I had learned so much about my mother’s life and culture. She taught me so many things and I could not wait to have cooking dates with her which we put a pin on because she and my siblings were leaving in a day. It saddened me but surely Elio and I would visit whenever we coul
Two Months Later “Champagne?” My fifteen-year-old sister gestured, the glass filled with the sparkling liquid held out for me. I narrowed my eyes at her. “Hold it for me sis.” She turned around and I watched as she scoured the room for mother’s eyes before she quickly took a sip. It was why she took the champagne glass in the first place. I chuckled, shaking my head. About seven people ran around me, picking a certain part of the dress, pinning, or dusting something off. They were all in panic which hid my own panic. Eyes from the girls were on me as they dived in the delicates offered in the room. I folded my moist hands, eyes moving around the large room again with red the only thing I saw. Elio took it upon himself to make sure I woke up with every part of our room filled with dahlia flowers. There were boxes on boxes of red, pink and white dahlias. I blushed and nearly giggled while recalling the smell that had hit my nostrils as I came alive from dream land. My head had tu