THE MAFIA'S PENANCE

THE FORGOTTEN MEMORY

My whole body hurts when I open my eyes, especially my head. Right now I'm in an overturned car. The seatbelt I was wearing held my body in place until I was in my seat. There was a girl in the back seat.

"Viv, are you okay?" Arthur's voice sounded faint as my ears were buzzing now.

I turned to the chair beside me and saw a brunette woman I knew. It was Wynetta. He is currently unconscious.

Arthur removed the seatbelt and immediately pulled me out of the overturned car. I looked back and saw Alec bringing out a blonde-haired girl who kept moaning in pain. It was Olivia.

When I was outside I could see that we were on a hill where the overturned car was at the end of the gorge.

Arthur put me in the car with Olivia who looked scared when he saw me. I just realized that this car is a car chasing the car I drive. It seems like the car that was chasing me was the car that Alec was driving, while the car that hit my car was Arthur driving it. Because not long after, Arthur immediately pulled me out of the overturned car. He hit my car too, surely because my car was about to drive into the abyss when my focus was diverted because Wynetta was trying to stop the car.

Arthur and Alec were about to return to the car at the end of the ravine, but the position of the car was not good because most of the sides of the car hung over the cliff. The side where Wynetta sits.

"WYNETTA!!"

I looked back to hear the screams of someone who had just come by his car. Vernon got out of the car and was about to run to the car where Wynetta was still.

There was a loud voice that averted my already very heavy eyes. The car hanging above the ravine fell into the abyss and went straight into the sea below.

Seeing what happened to Wynetta, something in my heart was sad as well. So I could feel tears coming out of my eyes, making my vision even more blurry because my head hurt so much.

Suddenly the car door where I was was open, I turned with dark eyes.

"It's all your fault!!"

That was the last time I heard it before my consciousness was gone. Vernon's voice was filled with sadness.

Slowly I opened my eyes. Looking at Vernon sleeping beside me from the darkness of the room without the lights on.

What was in the dream, it was not just an ordinary dream, but a memory that I had forgotten about what happened ten years ago. An event that no one has kept secret from me. The secret of a fact that should have been my fault.

Somehow that's all Arthur's doing, my brother. Until he made the covenant of penance to Vernon. I understand now, the reason why Vernon asked me for the penance, is because the fact that it was all my fault. I'm the one who made Wynetta die. No matter what reason I do it, I'm still guilty. I am the one who committed that sin.

Vernon opened his eyes and immediately looked at me who kept looking at him who had been asleep since. I didn't say anything or take my eyes off her.

"What's wrong? Why did you wake up? Is there anything uncomfortable? Do you feel like throwing up?" Ask Vernon.

"You okay?" Ask Vernon. Maybe he is currently feeling strange at my attitude that is just silent and instead avoids his gaze. "Viv, is anyone sick?"

"It turns out what happened was my fault." I was still in a supine position staring at the ceiling of the room. "Arthur crashed into his car to stop it from speeding into the ravine. But he couldn't be saved and fell into the sea."

Vernon made no sound to my words. Unconsciously tears came out of my eyes, what I felt when I saw the car go into the abyss while in a dream, I felt it again this time. That's why I'm shedding tears now.

"I understand why you asked me to be Art's penance, as you said, you wanted to torture me. It seems I deserve that torture." My word. "Torture to make up for what I did to the woman you love. Because that's also why the day after we got married you took me to Wynetta's grave, you must have told her that you would avenge all my actions on her right?"

Vernon turned on the lamp behind the bed and woke me up to sit down.

"What do you remember? Which part do you remember?" Look Vernon.

"That thing I forgot came to my dream just now. Regarding the accident to the car where Wynetta was mired in the ravine and into the sea. And it's all because of me, I'm the one driving that car. Even you said it too that what happened was my fault at that time."

"Then what are you gonna do? Do you feel guilty right now or vice versa?"

I raised my eyes to Vernon. Obviously if I feel guilty right now, I've killed a woman who didn't do anything bad. The reason I did it must be because I was so jealous of that woman, because I loved Vernon back then and Vernon loved Wynetta, and vice versa.

Once again I bow my head. After knowing the truth why make me like this? I was very curious about it before, but now I regret knowing it.

Unexpectedly, Vernon pulled me into his arms. He grabbed me even by the head he held.

"Just sleep, you're pregnant. Sad feelings aren't good for her fetal growth." Vernon said as he put me back to sleep. "Until you give birth, I don't want you to talk about what happened ten years ago. Don't try to remember anything. You got it, Viv?"

I just kept quiet and didn't answer. If I could I wouldn't even want to remember what happened ten years ago now. Not knowing anything is best. I will not feel guilty and sad at the same time as I am today.

"It's only three o'clock in the morning, go to sleep again." Vernon yelled as he pulled me into his arms. "I want my son to be okay. You also have to keep your mood. You heard me, right?" Vernon Whisper.

I didn't answer and just kept quiet. It seems like my pregnancy is also making me feel sensitive right now.

"I don't know why you're a little different now. You're not like you used to be. Hopefully not because of your current pregnancy." Vernon Whisper.

...–NATZSIMO–...