The Seventh Family

True love lives forever

Andrea lit a stick of cigarette and inhaled smoke. He sat alone on a pew in the private garden in the estate. He saw armed men all around. Even though he recognized as part of the household, it seemed they still watched him. That did not come to him as a surprise. Van would never trust him.

He did not know if to appreciate him or hate him for tormenting him. Okay, he accepted the fact that he saved his life the other and brought him and his family here for safety. He had also used his private doctor to treat him.

Van had a small clinic in his estate where wounded gang members were treated. He also gave them an apartment to live in before they settled.

Did Van do this to let him feel the pains of seeing how he and Sara lived? Was there anything Van could do to let him forget Sara and what they did to him?

No!

He could not forget Sara and he still loved her and was willing to get her back. He did not mind having her as a secret lover which may give him the chance to win her back totally.

She was a woman and women were gullible so he would cajole her to connive so they could get rid of Van and inherit his empire.

All he needed was a private time with her. He would spark memories and she would remember some of the moments that shared back in Italy.

This thought made him accept to stay in the estate longer. It was a chance to pay back.

Getting to see her was not as easy as he had thought. She had come to check on him and see how he was recuperating a few times and it seemed he saw love and affection in her eyes.

That encouraged him. She still loved him and maybe the infatuation she felt with Van was wearing off.

It pained him to see her carrying his second child but that did not deter him.

He had never loved any lady like he loved her and nothing would make that love go away.

He got the chance on one fateful afternoon. He had come out of their apartment and come down to this garden when he saw her sitting alone.

He could see the broadness of her hips even the baby bump. Oh no! He wished they had not plan to leave that day. They would never have met Van and they would have been together.

It was a simple logic and not fate.

“See who I see here.”  He said with a broad smile.

She turned and saw him and she smiled back. He saw how genuine the smile was and he felt sputters of love in the air.

“Andrea.” She said. “What are you doing here?”

“I love to enjoy a few sticks of cigarette here and beer if I can.”

“I know you love gardens.” She said. “Just like I do but we use the other garden more, I only come here when I want to have a view of the stream.”

He chuckled.

“You still remember what I love?”

She eyed him.

“Come on, don’t be stupid. Do you think I can ever forget you?”

He felt a bang in his heart. Did she just say that? He knew it! She could not forget him. Not after all they went through in Italy. He was first real guy.

“I thought you did. May I?”

“Please sit down.”

He sat beside her. He felt something crawling up his spine. It has been years since he sat close to her or even had the chance to be alone with her and he felt some memories erupting.

“It has been a while since you and I talked.” He said.

“It is four years already.”

“Really?”

“1927 and it is 1931.”

“funny how time flies.”

“Yeah. It was just like yesterday. Now we are here, both married and parents.”

“We shared that dream..but not to live it apart.”

“Hmm..You are right. I never thought we will not get married to each other. The dream was to be together.’

“Did you know that I almost went bonkers? Did you know how much I miss you?”

“I felt the same way too. I was always thinking about you even when I was with Van.”

He felt like holing her hand and kiss her but pressed the urge. He needed just a little more time.

“True love never dies.’

“That is true. I believe that Andrea. You can say that again.”

:I still wake up sometimes to imagine all that happened was just a nightmare.”

She chuckled.

“Really? It is for real.” She said. “I am expecting my second child, Andrea.”

“I know.” He said. “But true love breaks all barriers.”

“Who knows better than I?”

“And my dream was to live in a world like this with you. My dream is to end my life with no matter what. Sometimes great love stories meet hitches like ours but in the end, love prevails.”

“I am lost Andrea. You use past tense and present tense all in a statement. Is that not paradoxical.”

“Yeah. It is about real love not dying. What I have for you is that love that never dies.”

“You mean you still love me after everything I did to you?”

She was more direct now. This was the chance he had been waiting for.

‘I know Sara. What you did was an act of confusion. I saw it

in your eyes that day. It was not just about Van. You barely knew him. It was about the fear of jumping off the ship and going back home after everything. I saw the fear and confusion in you and I understand that you got indebted to him and could not leave him. I do not hold it against you. Van is a nice guy and he was ready to give you up that day, he was even leaving when you saw him and empathy flushed into you.”

She looked at him directly into his eyes and she saw tears accumulating.

 Oh no!

“Andrea.” She called out softly and placed her hand on his. He felt a vibration, like electric flow that made his heart shiver. “I understand exactly how you feel and I am glad we are here, alone and talking form heart to heart.’

“Same here.”

“You can only make a choice when you have an option.” She said. “You are right, I had never been more confused than that day on the ship. You are right when you said I barely knew Van. It was while we were standing I turned round an saw him. Immediately I saw him, a sudden wave of fear gripped me and I did not know why. The first thing I noticed about him was his shoes which was shattered but he wore it proudly, posing in his shabby clothes. It started from curiosity. I never gave it a second thought because you were the only man I wanted. When he got on board, and you did not make it, I wanted to jump. It was not about the fear of going back home. We had this dream together so what was the use of it without you? I was about to jump off when he held my hand and asked me not to do that. It was like he hypnotized me. Not even my parents could have stopped me from jumping down. Why did I listen to him even when you were calling out my name?

He was nothing to me. I was just seeing him for the first time and there was nothing promising about him. I kept asking why?

There were things that were happening I did not realize then. He had this power around him that overwhelmed me. It was not  physical strength. It was something unexplainable. It was an  unconscious chance to chose between him and you and I stayed back, letting you go even though the plan was to leave and live with you.

I could not understand it then until I saw both of you together. Until that moment I saw him leaving me.

Andrea, I understood that it was pure love. I never meant to hurt you but the truth is, I only knew what real love meant when I met Van.

I don’t know how to define what you and I had but the truth is my heart, body and soul is for him.”

Andrea did not see this coming.

“Empathy I what I feel for you. I know I really hurt you but I need you to forgive me. Love is a strange phenomenon. I need you to forget that we ever dated because it will only hurt you. I see you as a brother. I still have feelings for you but not as a over or something. It seems my heart and love can only accommodate one person and that is my husband.

I am sorry to say but you and Van are completely different people. It is not just about love but no man ever treated me the way he does. I feel the connection, Andrea. He makes me laugh, feel pampered like a baby, he is everything I dreamt of. He has the strength to control his anger and has never raised his hand on me. It is not about his money. He had nothing when we met and I chose him over you when you had more money than he did.

You have a pretty wife who loves you. I like her and happy that you found someone like her. Van knows you are still hurt and you can harm him if you have the chance but he still helps you.

He saved the life of your child and yours. He gave you money and the chance to start a business and get protection. I feel you should face reality. I am not yours and would never be yours, even if he dies.

Drop your ego and accept him as the godfather. You have seen that you can barely survive without this protection in this business. You should grow strong enough to be on your own. You won’t be under him forever.

It is not everyone who has his kind of determination, courage and smartness. He used to refer to himself as Don and he is a real Don today.

Andrea I can never forget you but the memories I have of you is not about the times we shared together. I hate to remember that I was with another man before him. Any romantic memory in my reverie lane is about him. As you see me sitting right here, I am thinking about him.

I am sorry if I said anything to hurt you but I owe you the truth and the truth shall set you free.”

Andrea squeezed the butt of his cigarette as he remembered those words she said to him that day as he sat in the garden now.

That was the day he realized that he had lost her for life. The revelations hurt him more than the physical distance between them. She had told him plainly that she never loved him. What was this love? What was the difference between infatuations, love, empathy, and appreciation?

Another bitter discovery was the fact that it was Van who had stopped her from jumping off the ship that day.

Van stopped her from jumping off! He would not forget that.

She was right about something. He could not be on his own yet. He would work for Van for the mean time and get established before leaving the bastard.

****