Man and Wife: A new Dawn

~ LUCA ~

When I received a call an hour ago summoning my attention, I never thought it would be me walking into the presence of the entire family, an air of despair surrounding the room, while father laid on that bed, utterly beaten with woes.

I waddled into the room slowly, managing to earn the attention of every person present in there for a moment, not until they returned their focus to the subject in question—The sole reason why I had journeyed all this way here.

It was earlier this morning when I received a call, requesting that I showed up as soon as possible, as something had come up with father. And now coming out here to the presence of the entire family gathered, sparked a twinge in my heart.

Aunt Lola was the first to welcome me into the room, pulling me into her embrace, I could hear the sound of her voice, telling me to stay calm no matter what happened.

She soon stepped back, showing me to father's bedside, and at my approach, he pushed up slowly in bed, gaze coming to settle on my form.

"...figlio" That voice of his, ame raspy, a ragged cough being followed after his utterance.

He made a motion to sit up, but at the protest of the people in the room, he remained laid back on the bed, eyes all the while fixed my way.

"Luca..." He called, beckoning me to his side.

He grabbed my hands in his, eyes latched onto my form, and I tell you, for as long as I've known the man laid before me, never have I seen him so helpless.

He bore little to no vigor in those eyes, and all the while they pled for mine, I was lost in whatever it was so cruel that had left my father bed-ridden.

And as if reading my thoughts, an utterance which provided every answer I sought, broke out in the room.

"Cancer" I spun to the speaker, eyes beholding the look of distress which had crossed his face.

He was propped by the wall at a corner, gaze blank, face hard to read, and only at the break of his words, did I come to realize that he had in fact been in the room all the while.

"What do you mean?" I poured in a breath.

He only followed with a grin, soon drawing nearer.

"The last stage of it" Enzo began... "And for some reason, your father decided to keep it out of the knowledge of his own sons"

"It was for your own good" Came the voice of Aunt Lola, which was just the breaking point of it all, cause at the pour of her utterance, it all went unfolding.

"To hell with that!" I heard the bellow from Enzo, hands slamming onto the headrest.

He shifted his gaze off Aunt Lola, onto the profile of Father.

"You think it was fair on us keeping such news off our knowledge, only for you to ring us one morning when the life is almost drained off you, demanding that we showed up at your place?!"

"Everything he did, he did for you" Aunt Lola began, slowly making her way over to Enzo.

"You're forgetting that there are people out there who mustn't catch whiff of such news...people who have sworn to bring down what he toiled for all these years..."

"...Enzo, your father has enemies. This family has enemies, and I hate to break it to you, but the instant word gets out that Aldo Bonnucci suffers on his deathbed, believe me, hell would unfurl"

"And you think that would be prevented when he eventually dies..." Enzo chortled, snatching off the fedora hat worn on his head.

"Perhaps you deem the family so weak that we can't handle whatever ill relations has caused father to earn those enemies"

"It's not you I fear for" Followed Aunt Lola, eyes shifting off the figure of Enzo onto my jumbled one. "It's the clan I fear for"

"The clan which is headed by Luca. Is that the one you fear for?" Uttered Enzo.

"You know that's what they seek... Destroying the foundation, bringing the mafia down, perhaps then they would have every power to strike"

"Well you shouldn't term the mafia weak, for it was in fact, father who decided to put it in the hands of his son whom he thought was best fit for running all of its operations" The words of Enzo came with a sting, and at his utterance, such quietude made its entry into the room.

"What's going on?" The break of my words did little to clear the air of melancholy which had now formed around.

"Father's dying"

A figure had now emerged from a corner, making his way over here and at his approach, I noticed the great woe held in that gaze of his.

He drew closer, coming to stand before me, eyes laden in mine.

Giancarlo paused before me, settling into the silence which came forming.

"The physician phoned us..." He began.

"These are his final hours" He dropped the words on me, yet all I remained was ridden in sheer desolation, lost on whatever was erupting here.

If I had been told that all I would walk into was such ruction on such fine morning, perhaps I would have stayed back home in the comfort of the lady whom I had dismissed just to come here and being told that my father was in his last hours.

"What do you mean father is dying?" I spun to Enzo, gaze matching his.

He only followed with a scoff, eyes latched onto my form. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

And at those words, I turned to the subject, watching the dolefulness that gaze of his bore.

He steered in his position, a grin now appearing on his lips.

"It's my time Luca" Those words from him only earned a snicker from Enzo who was now pacing around the room, huffs after huffs to be emitted from the fellow.

Father stifled a cough, eyes all the while centered in mine. "What use is there fighting it anymore?..." He let out. "I've in fact been bestowed all goodness life could offer...The jos, the thrill...

I've drenched in evil, figlio" He sighed "Perhaps, it all ends here" Came his words.

And here I remained, sat in utter silence, listening to him go on, yet, all I wanted to do was to scream at the fellow, seeking answers to why he decided to leave us in such despair.

"I'm sorry, Luca" Came his voice.

His hands reached to caress my face, but at my sudden retreat, he paused Mid-air, a weak breath escaping his lips.

"I know how much I've hurt you all..." He coughed, grief building around his gaze. "It's true that it's unfair of me to keep such knowledge out of the know for years now since I was diagnosed" I heard his words.

"But you were just healing from the death of your wif—

"How dare you?"

The mellow of my voice, the abruptness of it, and just how quick it had cut father's words was enough to spawn the silence in the room.

I watched the man lingering in sheer quietude, while my eyes remained fixed on his profile.

"How dare you try to use Isabella's disappearance to make up for your sins?" I watched him steer in response, gaze laden with worry.

"I'm not trying to make up for anything, figlio" He began, but I was quick to interject.

"You harbored such knowledge away from us for years, only to summon our attention one day, stating that you're in your final moments, and you lay there, placing blame on my wife's absence as the sole reason for your actions?"

"Luca..."

And at that I stood to my feet, going over to the windowside.

And even while I tried to block out that voice, I still could hear father's words pushing into my ears.

"I'm proud of who you've become" His utterance came gravelly, all the while low.

"But you shouldn't let the past mar your future"

His words came more than a sting to the situation I had waddled into

"I think it's time you let go of her and accept her death, for it is a blessing freeing you from the sins I caused"

Those were the words I heard right before silence took its play.