CHRISTIANO

ONE

"Zarina, Zarina! Where the f**k are you?"

"Language De Luca. Your son is standing right next to you" Zarina chastised. She knew her husband would always have a filthy mouth, but she expected him to control it whenever they were around their son.

"My son, is it?" he asked sarcastically "Go upstairs Chris, I need to talk to your mother"

"But papa, you promised to play football with me once we got home" Christiano whined. His father was spoiling him and she had to stop him before he became one of those egotistical men. She wanted him to be confident but not arrogant. In their world, arrogance was something that could easily get you killed.

"I'll come get you once we're done talking. Now go"

"You promise?"

"Yes, now leave" he said impatiently making Zarina furrow her eyebrows. This was the first she'd ever seen her husband show some kind of impatience towards Christiano. Normally he tolerated everything his son did, good or bad. With his head down, Christiano dragged his feet up the stairs reluctantly. Once he was out of sight, Edmondo turned to her "Do you want to f*****g tell me the truth?" he hissed.

"The truth about what?"

"Picture this, we were on our way home when we passed a blood drive station. Chris said he wanted to donate blood but I told him he was too young to do it and I'd do it in his place. He agreed, but still insisted to have his finger pricked to know his blood type. Imagine my surprise when I found out we don't have the same blood type. Now I wouldn't have been bothered if his blood matched yours Zarina but it doesn't. So do you want to tell me who's son he is? I was there when you gave  so he's definitely yours and not adopted. Who is the father?"

"He's your son Edmondo. That's all you need to know"

"Tell me who that fucker is Zarina"

"It doesn't...."

"Start talking before I lose my temper!" she knew from experience how bad his temper was. He'd never touched her but he always scared her because she knew he was capable of killing her. Violent men came in all shapes and sizes. Her husband wouldn't physically abuse her. He'd just shoot her and be done with it.

"Christiano"

"Yes, tell me who his father...." he stopped finally understanding what she meant "You told me you named him after Lombardi because he was my best friend. But in reality you were really naming him after his biological father? Are you f*****g kidding me?"

"Calm down Edmondo. Christiano is still...."

"When? When did you have time to sleep with him? Did you do it in our bed? In my f*****g house?"

"No. At a hotel while you were away on one of your business trips" she answered calmly. Fear wouldn't help her at that moment.

"Why Zarina? What did he offer you that I couldn't?"

She sighed. This was his problem. He was so oblivious to a lot of things that it ended up looking like he didn't care "You knew I was in love with him but you still asked me out first. You knew I loved him but because you were selfish and wanted me all to yourself, you asked me to marry you"

"Oh so now it's my fault that you slept with my best friend?"

"He stepped aside to make you happy. You made him give me up only for you to go on endless trips right after we got married. What did you expect Edmondo?"

"For you to be a f*****g faithful wife"

"Because you were? You think I didn't know that you slept with every w***e that came your way?"

He was bristling with anger but she didn't care. He had no right to judge her when she didn't know how many puttanas he'd impregnated out there. Soon enough some would come knocking on their door claiming he's the father of their child.

"I stopped doing that a long time ago"

"Yes you did. After Christiano was born and by then, it was too late"

"You f*****g b***h!" he roared taking a step back. She knew he did that so he wouldn't hit her "After everything I've done for you, everything I've given you, you have no ounce of shame or regret for sleeping with my best friend? What kind of a person are you Zarina?"

"The kind that doesn't regret having a beautiful boy. I don't care what you think of me. To you, I was a prize you won. For the first time you had gotten something Lombardi couldn't. And to him I was someone he could let go so easily. None of you care about me so I decided not to waste my energy either"

"Don't hold back, I want to hear everything you've been keeping inside you f*****g b***h"

"Insult me all you want Edmondo but it won't change a thing. I've been prepared for this day since I gave birth to my son. You do what you want to me. I'll take it. Touch a hair on my son's head and I'll show a side you've never seen before"

"Oh, so now you even have the balls to threaten me?"

"You don't even know the half of it" she told him going back to the kitchen.

"We will sort this when I come back" he yelled after her. Zarina knew her husband was going to confront his best friend and she didn't care. If anything, she wished they would kill each other while they were at it. That way they'd save her the trouble to explain anything to Christiano. Grabbing the phone on the wall by the kitchen door, she called Lombardi.

"Hello"

"Edmondo is coming and he knows everything" was all she said then hung up.

When news of his death came, she didn't even blink. He'd gone there to start a fight and he'd lost, it was that simple. The only thing she regretted that day was not going after her son. If she'd known he had followed Edmondo, she would have dragged him back by his ears. But since he had and he'd seen everything, Christiano started blaming her. Saying it was her fault his father had died. Zarina knew she couldn't live if her son hated her so she told him everyday that Lombardi had killed his father, so that the hatred he'd started to feel towards her was directed to that man. In a way, she was getting her revenge. Lombardi had given her up, it was only fair for him to feel the way she did when his son rejected him. From that day onwards, it became her mission to make Christiano hate his biological father with every bone in her body.

~~~~~~~~~~

Christiano

Everyone is worried. Ornella is sitting in one of the chairs wringing her hands, Marianna is next to her, looking down at her phone, Giovanni is pacing back and forth in the front of the waiting room. Paulo is seated in another corner, elbows on his knees while his head is bowed. Gianna and Simona are huddled together crying. Nev is also next to me, staring into space. Not forgetting Damiano, he's beside Marianna but I haven't seen them talking. There are nurses rushing back and forth.

The first was carrying a bag of blood. The next had bottles of what I figured had to be medicine. The third left but hasn't come back. In short, it's chaos. I think I heard Giovanni swear he was going to gut the little b***h that shot Carina and Damiano told him if he tried to touch her he'd spend the rest of his life in prison. Not sure what that means though. Did I mention Ornella is holding a rosary? I bet she's praying for her daughter to come out alive. There was a lot of blood so I guess she has every right to worry. I should also be worried too because I know without a doubt that my child didn't survive that.

Aurelia, as Damiano called her, shot Carina twice. One on her left thigh and the other in the stomach. I've gotta give it to that kid though. She's got guts walking in there and opening fire, knowing there was a chance her body would end up filled with bullets. But then again, she walked away unscathed. Well, not really. They locked her up in the basement because everyone was busy trying to save Carina. Point is, she didn't even get a scratch. Any other day, I'm sure I would have skinned her alive. Not today though.

I'm still reeling from the shock of finding out that bastard is my biological father. I haven't had time to process anything yet. I know Carina has lost the baby and that she might not make it out. I know she's known that Lombardi was my father and kept it for months. I know she got mad at me when she found out about Giovanni even though she was literally hiding the same thing from me. I know she let me marry her then went behind my back and forced my mother to tell the truth. I know all that, but I can't get past the fact that the man I've hated all my life is my father. Everything seems like a dream and I'm hoping to wake up any time now.

Miraculously, I remembered that day like it was yesterday. The day my mother and father fought. All these years, the only thing I could remember was the last part where my father stormed out and I followed him. I'd thought he was leaving after promising to play football with me so I had been determined to bring him back. Since his legs were longer than mine, I had to run to keep up but even then it was a chore. By the time I caught up with him, he was standing outside Lombardi's house. I got there in time to hear the gunshot. The last image I had of him was his body crumbling to the floor. That was the part I'd kept alive in my memories. It had fueled my hate towards Lombardi.

But on the way to the hospital, I started remembering bits and pieces. The quarrel my parents had had that day. Just from his voice, I knew my father was angry. I also remember seeing my mother on the phone on my way out. Her face when I came back and accused her of fighting with my father. How she'd brainwashed me into hating that man instead of her. Now that I think about it, I wonder if I really know who she is. Someone capable of doing that.... What more has she been hiding? What more can she do or has already done?

God, her face when she told me who my father was is still clear. Even after spending hours in the waiting room, I can't seem to forget her expression. It screamed proud, as if what she'd done was something to be proud of. She literally turned my life upside down but couldn't care less. I don't know who I am now. My whole life has been a lie, one I wish hadn't come out. As the doctor comes out of the operating room, a thought echoes in my head. It's her fault. If she hadn't threatened mamma then I would have died oblivious to everything.

"The family of Carina Lombardi?" the doctor asks making me want to laugh. Carina Lombardi? What if she had really been Lombardi's daughter?

"How is she?" Giovanni asks

"We've managed to stop the bleeding and put her in a comma for two days. If she makes it out of that, then she will be okay"

"And the baby?" Nevio asks, on my behalf I think.

"I'm sorry. We did all we could but it we couldn't save the baby"

"But she's fine, isn't she? She's going to be okay?" Ornella asks worriedly.

"We will have to wait and see. Can I talk to her husband?" he asks and everyone turns to look at me. Getting up, I follow him. He's in his late forties or early fifties with grey hair visible at his temples. I randomly wonder if he has children and how simple his life is. All he has to do is cut people open then go back home in the evening. Should they die on his operating table, no one would point fingers at him as long as he says he did all he could "Come in" he opens one of the doors along the corridors, letting me go in first.

It's a room but there are no patients inside. I walk over to one of the beds and sit down because I'm too tired to stand up for even a minute. Then I look up at him, waiting for him to tell me why he called me here.

"I'll get to the point so you can go back to your family" he stops, waiting for me to say something but I don't. I have absolutely nothing to say. Finally he gets the point and continues "The bullet punctured your wife's uterus. There is a chance she might not be able to conceive again. I don't mean she can't be a mother, Just that it will be hard to have children. But don't despair. You can adopt or have a surrogate carry a baby for you"

I nod.

"I'm a surgeon but I know what she's gone through will leave leave her traumatized. You need to look after her, her mental health I mean. Both of you will need each other so I suggest you keep a close eye on her" 

He seems to think that I'm in shock so he leaves me alone. Looking around, I realize that he brought me here in case I broke down and cried. That way, I would have privacy and still be able to keep my dignity intact. I didn't know doctors these days were so sweet and considerable. As I get up from the bed, all I feel is relief. There's nothing tying me to her. I don't have to look at her face everyday in the morning and pretend to love her when she lied to me. Her family is capable of taking care of her and looking after her needs. If I take her home with me, she'll end up more traumatized than she already is. I still have some humanity in me to let her go instead of taking my anger out on her.

So we're done.

It's over.

**********************************************

Is this the beginning you were hoping for? Are you a little disappointed? Most of all, I wanna hear your thoughts about Zarina. That woman is something else. Isn't she?

Sooo, I stopped planning how many chapters a book will have because things normally spiral out of control. I think CHTISTIANO might be a little longer than CARINA but I'm not sure. What I will tell you is to sit back. It's gonna be one hell of a ride. 

Before you go any further, I'd like to let you know that updates will be irregular since I'm participating in the Rebirth contest. If you don't want to wait for chapters just add CHRISTIANO to your library so you'll be updated whenever a chapter is up. My other book The High Goddess will have daily updates so check it out too. I'm hoping you'll support me throughout this journey. Also, Thank you for stopping by.