The Seventh Family

My rich associates

Sara sat alone with her hands folded across her legs. She did not want to sit in the overcrowded common cabins. She was feeling lonely, and wished Andrea made it. It would have been fun. But why did not jump down? Why did she decide to leave without him? Was it because she felt he would come after wards? They had planned to go to Chicago. How would they meet again?

“There you are.” He said and the first things she saw before her was the shoes. Even though she was depressed, she fought the urge to laugh at his shoes. The funniest part was his swagger. He acted like he was the best dressed person there.

He sat close to her.

“I can understand how you feel.” He said. “Some decisions are tough.”

“You don’t understand anything. We have been together for two years and we planned this all along.”

“Remember if you are destined to be together again, you will be together. He is a soldier and I am sure he will get the next ship. I just need you to calm down.”

“I guess you have not eaten.” He said. “My associates are in the first class cabins.”

“Your associates in first class cabin?” she eyes his shoes again.

“Yes. I am a business man and I deal only with the rich. Excuse me.”

He got up, smiled and walked out of her sight.

He was right. She was very hungry and she had no money with her. She did not even know how she was going to survive over there.

“I am back.” She was lost in thoughts she did not hear him come. He dropped a package and she was shocked to the  varieties  of food he brought: flapbags, roasted chicken, red wine, cigars and fruits.

“Come on, let’s eat.” He said and began to munch carelessly. She was too hungry to reject it. She joined him and they began to eat.

“What is your name? I call you the man with the shoes in my heart and I feel guilty.”

“Seriously?” He laughed. “I love this shoe so much. I got it from a business partner six years ago and as you can see it is very expensive so I maintained it.”

She laughed.

“Are you serious?”

“It is an Edhèn Milano Double Monk Straps.”

“I know but can’t you change it?”

“I will do that when I get to the States where I am going to have a big restaurant with hot Italian cosines and my secret bar.”

“Where do you intend to go?”

“Chicago.”

“That is where we planned to go. I am headed there and hope Andre will find me there.”

“You are Sara, huh?”

“Who told you that?”

“Andrea kept shouting your name, remember?”

“I asked what your name is.”

“Oh, I am Don Van Marco of Sicily.”

“Don?” She giggled. She sipped wine while he lit a cigarette. She saw an expensive lighter which he used to light the cigarette.

“You don’t believe that I am a don, huh? Okay, come with me.”

He grabbed her hand and lifted her up. He held her hand and they went to the edge of the ship and they saw the vast water.

“Look at this.” He said. “The ocean looks pacific and empty but under this blue enigma are creatures beyond comprehension but it does not loud it. It is calm but prone to changes and it becomes violent as the storm provokes it. These beautiful waves increases its altitudes and force of movement.

I am like this ocean. Inside me are lots of things going on without anyone knowing about it. I got in me so many metabolic reactions going, various systems but you can’t see or hear it. Like the storm, certain factors can change my mode and I become unrecognizable. I am something now and I can be anything tomorrow.  I may be wearing shoes with stitches which make me special and a celebrity because people love to stare at me. I am glad a pretty queen like you could not help but get attracted to my shoes. Who knows what I will wear tomorrow? What lies tomorrow is not in my hands but the drive is in my hands. I am going to Chicago to claim that title that is mine: Don.”

They spent the next three days together. He would always excuse himself to the first class cabin where his rich associated were and come back with expensive food.

On the fourth day, they were sitting at their usual spot when they heard, “that’s him!”

  They turned to see a rich looking man dressed in an expensive suit and trench coat pointing a finger at Van.

There were ship armed ship guards behind him.

“What is going on?” Sara asked him.

“I guess he is one of my associates.” He said.

“Hey come here!” One of the security guards said.

“Easy, easy.” Van said “ Io sono un gentiluomo, signore(I am a gentleman, sir.).”

“He is the thief!” the man said. “He had been stealing our food for days.”

Two of the guards moved towards Van.

The next thing Van did astonished Sara. He grabbed her and sent his lips to hers. He kissed her and smiled.

“You need to settle down when you arrive.” He said. He gave her a few Lira notes. “For food. We have like two weeks to go.”

The guards grabbed him forcefully.

“Hey, take it easy!” Van said. “I am a gentleman.”

“You are a thief!” The rich man said.

“I am your associate.” Van said.

They led him away and Sara just watched. They led him down to be locked up in a cell.

Sara sent her fingers to her mouth and removed what a ring. Her heart raced as she saw it. It was a diamond ring.

“You need to settle down when you arrive.” He had said after he put the ring in her mouth with the guile of kissing her. This was enough to get her settled.

“Don Van Marco.” She whispered to herself.

*****

Nicolas  sipped red wine before he put some grapes into his mouth as he enjoyed the morning on his swimming pool bed. There were over five gun men around the pool watching him.

The ninety two year old billionaire loved to lie on the bed every morning while he floated, enjoying fruits and wine. He was forced to stop smoking cigar by his doctor whom he reluctantly agree to just one year ago.

“Grandpa.” A man called and Nicolas turned to see a thirty year old man standing by the pool.

“Camillo.” The old man called. “You don’t look happy. Is she on it again?”

“It is not about her, grandpa.”

“Okay”

Nicolas pressed the bed navigator and it moved to the edge of the pool.

“Here, have a glass.”

“The guy is here waiting and Don Vito celebrated his birthday yesterday.” Camillo said.

“How old is he? We were born the same year. That makes him ninety two. We are growing old, boy.”

“He was killed at the party.”

Nicolas frowned.

“How was he killed in the party?”

“He was in the middle of a speech and the lights went out for about five minutes. When the lights came on, he was found dead with a hole in the head with a note stuck to his mouth.”

“A silenced gun..hmm. What was in the note?”

“Buon compleanno. Didi. Arrosto all'inferno- Giorno dell'amore”

“What? Come on, repeat what you just said.”

“Buon compleanno. Didi. Arrosto all'inferno- Giorno dell'amore”

“Give me more details.”

“That is all I know. The house was locked and intensive scrutiny was done but nothing was found. The police came in and are currently investigating but the family are doing theirs.”

“The note is strange.” Nicolas said. “Giorno dell'amore”

“Leonardo was there.”

“They reconciled.”

“But they suspect him. Carlos confronted him and he left in  fit of pique. He was the only one allowed to leave, including his guards and son, Leonardo. He is dead too. He died in his car. He was poisoned at the party.”

Nicolas who sipped wine had to spill it out.

Camillo had never seen his grandfather act like that. He was a man known to have nerves like steel.

“What is it, grandpa?”

“Do you remember when his money was stolen from the bank?”

“Yes.”

“I learnt the money was first transferred to a faux account with the name Giorno Dell’amoure 21499 Ventures.”

Camillo frowned. He stretched his hand and poured himself a glass of wine.

“This is strange.” Camillo said. “Could it be the same person or people?”

“First, it was Frank Jr  who was killed on February 14 this year. Then Cambell was killed on the day his granddaughter was getting married two months later and Laura was killed and a card was placed  on her body with the words love day can you see what is going on?”

“Not yet. You old men have so many dark histories I can’t figure out most  them.”

“They all died on the day that has to do with love or the word love day would be written on them. Listen son, I am old and would soon die.” He said. “But I don’t want to get killed. That is an insult to my existence. Your father is not as smart as you are. I wish you were my son and came earlier. I kept so many things which are hidden in my safe. It will be handed to the right person after my death. It is written in my will. Your uncle Danilo wants to take over from me. Danilo is a pure brute and we did not come up like that. We did not kill for fun or and when we had to do that, we calculate. We plan just like our parents did. We are like the animals in the wild. Wild animals do not kill for fun. It’s either for food, survival or territorial dominance.

I am not making any promise to you but I see you as a potential candidate. The world is now digital and I need a young man like you with the maturity you exhibit to head the family. At the same time, I do not want them to kill you. Your uncles will fight you secretly so I may put one of them there but let you have the secrets of the family. I am sorry I never opened up to my kids because they never made me trust them. I only put them on the family business. Back to what we were saying. You only know of the six families. We promised each other to keep the secret no matter the feud between us. The families did not start with us. It began with our fathers. The families were not six but seven.”

He collected the glass from Camillo and took a sip.

“The seven of us called the second generation all grew up together in Chicago and we knew all of our fathers. We use to attend each other’s birthday….”He paused and frowned. “What did I call the faux account name again? Giorno Dell’amoure 21499 Ventures., right?”

Camillo nodded.

“Oh my God! Now I get it.’

“What do you get?”

“The second generation comprised of me, Roberto, Laura, Vito, Diego, and Angelo.”

“Angelo? I never heard of him.’

“That is the forbidden name.” Said the old man. “I just broke the oat but that is imperative because I am the only surviving soul out of six of us and five were killed in one year.”

“How come you never figured this out?”

“We are old and retired. We are also cot coordinated. Plus the killer knows it would be difficult to figure him out because he is thought to be impossibility.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Someone that is not meant to be in existence exists. I am confused but Giorno Dell’amoure 21499 Ventures and the serial deaths now add it up. We were made to suspect each other like Carlos suspected Roberto. And all of us lost money miraculously.”

“It is IT and not a miracle. That reminds me, a few minutes after Vito was killed, over three hundred million dollars was taken from his account and the same happened to Roberto.”

“The same happened to Laura and Diego.”

Camillo gave his grandfather a sharp glance.

“They are after you?”

“There is no doubt about that and it is not just about money…revenge.”

“What did you people do? I don’t care what you did but you will not be killed. Good that we know.”

“We must secure our money and find the heist. Did you say he guy was here?”

“Ye but this is more important. Tell me what happened.”

“If you have the time, spend it with me here today. I will tell you all about it but first, we must see the guy. When he is gone, we take a walk to my study and I will reveal everything to you but…you must keep this a secret.”

“Trust me.” Camillo said. “I have time grandpa.’

“Very good. I am glad to have someone trustworthy to tell this today.”

Camillo got up and walked away. Five minutes later, he came with a man.

“You must be Jayden Rogers. Please sit down.”

*******