Diamond ring
2221 Words
The ship arrived USA on January 2, 1928. Immediately Sara was glad she saw the land of USA for the first time. She saw hope and freedom. This feeling was shared with almost all of the immigrants. The joy of making it on board, and having a safe journey to their destination was overwhelming. As the people alighted to leave the harbor to their various destinations, Sara felt her heart beat.
Van!
She had not seen him since the day he was arrested and hoped they would release him. She searched the crowd and hoped she would see him but all to no avail.
Then she asked a man.
‘Please what happens to the offenders in the cells?”
“They are mostly thrown into the ocean.” The man said. “That depends on the gravity of their offence.”
Within that short period, she recalled the first time she saw him, how he chewed buts carelessly and all the times they spent on the ship. She could not deny that he livened her up and the rest of the trip became boring without him.
Was he thrown into the ocean?
Sara tried to leave but as she took a few steps, she turned back and went back to the ship. She began to check around, and then went down the cabins. She would hide from security men or say she left something.
“Stop!” A guard saw her and shouted. “That place is out of bound. Go back.”
She knew she could not lie about leaving something.
“Please I need your help.”
“How may I help you?”
“My friend is in the cell. Please can you release him?”
“The food thief?”
“Yes.”
“Whoa! How could such a thief have a beautiful friend like you?”
“Please
“I need him out of here.”
“Don’t you know what happens to them?”
“No.”
“They get thrown into the ocean.”
Her hearty missed a skip.
She felt tears in her eyes and the guard noticed this.
“You really love him, don’t you?”
“He is not my boyfriend.” She said. “But he is a good friend and I care for him.”
“He is still in the cell but he will be thrown into the ocean on our way back.”
“That is wrong. You should hand them to the police instead.”
He looked at her and laughed.
“Police? Who said we communicate with the police? Did you come in here with any papers?”
“What papers?”
“Four years ago, for the first time, the 1924 law required immigrants to present medical certificates to the U.S. consul abroad and obtain a visa prior to arriving in the United States. You don’t even know about this and you talk about the police. We are doing this on our own so we are the law. That is why we can do what so ever we like. No one is registered and the guy you talk about did not even have a real ticket.
He did not pay and if he was not arrested for theft, he would have enjoyed a free trip. What a jerk.”
“Please help me.”
“Then you help me too. I can show you where he is but I can’t help you escape.”
“How may I help you?”
He looked at her body lustfully and then licked his lips.
“I have something for you if you will help me.”
“What do you have? I see what I want.”
“I am sorry, you can’t have that but I have something that can enable you get plenty of this.” She ran her hands over her body.
“What is that?”
She showed him the diamond ring.
His eyes bulged. That was a very expensive ring that was worth his five years salaries.
“Let me have it.”
“No. Until you show him to me.”
“Has it crossed your mind that I can get it off you by force?”
“Has it crossed your mind that I can shout loud and in the end, you will not have it but your superiors?”
“You are a beautiful bitch.”
“Thank you. You are wasting time.”
“Okay, come with me.” He knew what he was about to do was risky but the diamond ring was worth losing his job for. In fact, with this ring, he was leaving. He forgot her beauty or the urge to have her. He led her to the cells .Van was in a cell alone sitting on the floor.
“Van!” She called him sharply,
“Sara!” he sprang up and smiled. “I thought you were gone,”
“Shhh..this is no time for Romeo and Juliet drama.”
“She is my cousin aunty.”
“Cousin aunty?” The guard wondered and then shrugged. He spoke more of Italia and all he knew was cousin sister or brother. Maybe there was cousin aunty or cousin uncle but none of those mattered now.
“Let me have it.” He said.
“Have what?” Van asked.
“Get him out first.”
“Ruben!” A voice called out aloud.
“Sto arrivando (I am coming)” He said aloud. “Hurry up. He is coming here.”
“Get him out.” Sara said.
Ruben got opened the door and Van came out. Sara gave him the diamond ring but immediately he did that, he heard steps and quickly asked them to hide behind the wall of the cell .
“Cosa stai facendo(what are you doing?” The guard asked.
“Controllo di sicurezza (security check)”
The man came and checked the cell.
“Where is the thief with the shoes?”
Sara felt her heart beating aloud she thought the man could hear her.
“He was troublesome and we threw him out.”
“You should have waited.” He said angrily. “We are moving to our harbor for rest. We will throw them out then.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The guard left and Ruben took a deep sigh.
“Come on, out of here. Go that way and you are on your own. I cannot guarantee your safety from there.”
“Grazie (thank you)” Van said and hugged him.
The guard pushed him off and left in a hurry. He climbed up to the deck and found himself whistling. He smiled at almost every one that came his way. He was rich!
He entered an empty cabin and put his hand in his pocket. He frowned.
Where was the ring? He definitely did not throw it on the floor. He would have heard the sound and he was very conscious as he walked.
Wait!
Van hugged him.
Van was thief!
Shit!
He ran back but to his amazement, other cells were broken and the prisoners were gone. He blew the whistle.
“The prisoners have escaped! They have escaped.”
They guards got alerted and they began to run down.
“How, when?” a guard asked.
“I don’t know! I left here a few minutes ago.”
Bang! Bang!
They heard gunshots.
They are still on board.” Ruben said. “They must not escape!”
They ran towards the towards the direction they heard the gunshots from.
It was the empty common cabin.
“Oh my God!” Ruben exclaimed as he saw the body of a guard on the floor.
He heard a sudden movement and he turned to see Sara.
“Please don’t kill me.”
Ruben raised his gun at the same time his partner did to shoot her.
Bang! Bang!
Ruben and his partner dropped in the floor.
Van moved and fired another shot which killed Ruben finally. He knew he was a thief but they had no right to throw him into the ocean.
“Come on, let’s move.” Holding the guard’s gun, they down the corridor.
Two guards appeared in front of them and set their gun and the first one fired. The bullets zipped pass Sara’s ear and she screamed. Van had pulled her and that made the bullet miss her. Van pulled the trigger and hit one of the guards. He dropped on the floor. The second guard retreated and hid behind the wall.
Van knew that was the only way to the exit from that part and the guard was definitely waiting for them.
He saw the door and kicked it. It led to a narrow corridor. They ran down there. It then led them to the first class cabins.
Now they had no way to leave.
Meanwhile, the Captain moved with alacrity.
“The police are coming!” He said. “We have to move now!”
“The criminals are still on board.” A guard said.
“What do you want me to do? Wait for the police? Go and get them while we move.” He yelled. “Let the crew take positions.”
Five minutes later, Van and Sara heard the steam engines roaring and they knew the big ship was about to move.
“What is happening?” Sara asked.
“They are moving.” Van. “We can’t let them take us back to the ocean. That is death sentence.”
“What do we do?”
“We have to leave at all cost.”
“It’s moving.”
“Come on.” He looked at the window. He looked round, picked a stool and broke the glass.
“Come here.” He lifted her and made her pass through the window. Immediately she passed through, he followed her.
“We have to go up the deck and jump into the water before they go far. Can you swim?”
“Yes. What about you?”
“I am a Sicilian who lived on an Island all his life. We are bounded by water.”
They began to climb up using a rail. He supported her until they reached the top but a guard saw them.
“They are here!”
Van began to fire continuously. He shot two of the guards while some went into hiding. The ship was in motion already.
“Come on.” He grabbed her hand and they broke into a run. A guard saw them and came out of hiding. He fired some shots but missed because they jumped into the water. They moved to the edge to fire shots but they submerged and the ship was moving far away. They emerged after swimming towards the shore. They reached the shore while the ship moved deeper on the ocean.
They saw two men throwing the bodies of the slain guards into the ocean.
They both lay on the sand breathing hard. No one said a word. After a few minutes, they looked at each other and began laugh.
“You got real bad associates.” She said and they kept laughing.
He stopped laughing and stared at her.
“You came back for me.” He said and astonishment displayed on his face. “You even gave up the diamond for me. I am shocked because I know that diamond is more valuable than me.”
“Come on, Van.”
“Seriously no one has ever taken me serious or important. My father once said he would gladly trade me for a bottle of red wine and my mom said carrying me for nine months in her belly was her greatest waste of time and unnecessary self infliction.”
“Savage.” She laughed. “That is so mean. You are valuable.”
“But diamonds are forever.”
“Diamonds falls under the vanity class. Your soul is forever.”
“Thank you for saving my life.”
“You saved mine first. I was on board with no single Lira. Thank God you had rich business associates.”
They laughed again.
He got up, lifted her up and stamped his feet on the sound.
“I can’t believe that I am on the soil of America.” He said. “I saved so much money to get here.”
“Get out! You never had a ticket.”
“Who told you that?” He laughed. “Okay, stamp your feet like I did. I got my first major impression. Do that.”
She stamped her feet.
“Yes!” He then spread his hands and raised his face upwards.
“America!” He shouted at the top of his voice. “Here is Don Van Marco Of Sicily.”
She laughed.
“Come on Sara, mark your presence.”
She spread her hands just like he did, raised her face up and shouted, “America, here is Sara Fillipo!”
“Whoooooooooo!” He screamed and she joined him.
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- Writer
