The Mafia's: Bodyguards Redemption

Three: My Downfall

My Downfall

Three: Antonio

I follow Mater down the hallway to a door on the right. I haven’t been here before. Years ago, when The Family started to clean their act up. Leaving behind the illegal game of snatching children to raise for their own purposes. For instance, children like me. I was raised in a house for the sole purpose of being trained as a Bodyguard. They cleaned up their act here in the U.S. because the government was cracking down on Child Trafficking. Wanting to stay off the radar they sent Bodyguards out to kill all the woman in charge of the houses. Including my Mater. I couldn’t let that happen. So, I had her snatched before anything could happen to her. Put her up in her apartment she has now. Staying away so they wouldn’t be able to find her. Setting her up with a new name and social security number.

Mater motions for me to put the woman down on the daybed in the room. I lay her down and am struck once more by how Angelic she looks laying on the bed. I shake my head not understanding the feelings I am having. I have never felt this way over anyone. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like it. I don’t do feelings. Those were beaten out of me at a very young age. I turn on my heel and walk out of the room leaving my Mater with the woman as I head towards the kitchen area, I had seen on the way though the apartment.

Reaching the kitchen area, I take the tea pot off of the stove. Filling it with water I dig around for the tea that Mater always has. Finding it I put the pot on the stove. Turning on the burner I ready the cups and tea bags. Getting the honey out. Pouring a generous amount in my cup. I know Mater will want me to talk and this is the only way that my throat will not hurt doing so.

“Filius, why are you here. What is going on with that woman?” I look over at Mater as she is in the doorway as the tea pot starts to whistle. I motion for her to take a seat at the little table she has in her kitchen. I prepare our cups thinking of what I’m going to say to her. I walk over sitting her cup in front of her as she watches me like a hawk. Those hawk eyes I could never get away from. It was like she always knew what was going on before she would even open her mouth to talk to me. Like she just had to look in my eyes to know what was going on in my head.

“Filius, you have left the Cosa Nostra, haven’t you?” Sitting down I look at her finally. Letting out a long breath I nod my head once as she gasps. “Is that woman the reason why?” I pick up my cup looking my Mater in the eyes as I see a frown on her face. “No, you would never do that for a woman.” I hear her mumble as I sip my tea. I watch as she fiddles with her fingers as lines crinkle on her old and worn face. She is still a beautiful woman to me. The only person I have ever let in to actually know me. She knows exactly why I am the way I am. She alone would be my downfall if anything were to ever happen to her. Now a little girl of about three or four with her bluish green eyes has taken up residence in my heart right next to my Mater.

I take a couple more sips of my tea. Letting the honey work its magic before I clear my throat and talking lowly as I can. “Mater.” I say as her eyes zero in on me once more. “They sent me to cleanse a family. Not telling me that the daughter was only three maybe four years old.” I watch as she gasps and her hand flies to her cross hanging around her neck. Mater was a sister in a church in Italy when they had her come to the states to take care of one of their houses of illegal children.

A tear escapes her eye rolling down her face as she stares at me. With a nod of her head, she lets her breath out. “Is she safe?” I stare at her as she releases her necklace. “I have her in a safe place.” My voice grumbles as I feel the sting in my throat. I take another sip of my tea as she watches me like a hawk. “I have thrown away my phone and all my cards. I am now blacklisted with the family.”

Mater gets up and walks to the cabinet in the kitchen and pulls a box down. “Filius, I knew this day would come.” She says sliding the box onto the side of the table. “Just like I knew you and your brothers are the ones keeping me flush with money in my account.” I look at her, my face not changing as she sits back down. “Don’t look at me like that.” She snaps at me as I let out a breath. Of course, me and my brothers. The other children that grew up with her being our Mater would take care of her. She is the only softness we have ever known.

I flip the latch up and open the top of the box revealing new IDs for each of us and money. A lot of money as my Mater doesn’t trust banks and what not. Too used to the Costa Nostra having all the power in Italy. Which is probably why we were taught Latin by her so no one could understand what we were saying to each other. After all the woman was a nun until they took her from her church. She always told us that it was God’s way of protecting us. I close the lid, putting the latch back in place.

“Now filius, tell me about that woman in the other room.”

* “Filius” Latin term for son*

* “Cosa Nostra” Italian for Mafia*