THE MAFIA'S PENANCE

BE ALONE

The next day I was discharged from the hospital, and it was over two days later. Not Vernon's house where I came home but mine, which is now Arthur's.

Vernon is still in the hospital. After I met him I no longer saw his condition and just left the hospital without saying goodbye to him.

"Yes, today I will go to Venice and live there. I decided to stay there." I spoke on the phone with my best friend Sesya.

I was sitting in front of my dresser when Sesya called. I'm getting ready to leave Sicily. I decided to live in Venice in my grandmother's house and either go back to Sicily or settle there next.

"I'll miss you Viv." Sesya sounded sad. "You don't have to leave just because you're separated from Vernon. Stay in Sicily, we'll enjoy our time like we used to. What if we go to Dublin tomorrow? We should have fun like we used to."

"I don't want to do any of that. Right now I just want to rest for a moment, Ses. I just lost my son, I feel so bad for not being able to take good care of him. Now I'm thinking how many lives have died because of me."

"Don't say that. What happened wasn't your fault. You don't want anything bad to happen to your son, but it happens very quickly. Don't blame yourself for his death, Viv. Don't even blame yourself for everything that happened ten years ago because you didn't know everything, you only know a piece of it." Sesya.

My best friend tried to make me understand but it was a futile effort because after all everything that happened because of my carelessness and my actions were too selfish, he said, both what happened to my son and what happened ten years ago.

I looked at my face in front of the mirror after ending my conversation with Sesya on the phone.

Seeing my face now makes me bad because I failed to become a mother of the boy I love. Everything was too late, I realized my love for Vernon after something bad had to happen between the two of us first. It's only making me worse.

Someone opened my bedroom door, I turned my head and saw Alec walking in my direction. He gave me a charming smile. But seeing his current presence means nothing to me now.

"Viv, are you okay?" Tanya Alec hugged me from behind by wrapping her hands around my neck who was sitting on the dresser chair. He looked at me from the mirror of the dresser. "You'll be separated from Vernon soon enough, that's a very good thing."

There was no answer from me because I didn't want to say anything to her, even now I'm not happy with her whereabouts.

Alec gave his kiss to my head by continuing to look at me from the reflection of the mirror.

"Do I have to stop the wedding plans, Viv? I'll do it if you want. I'm leaving Olivia and being with you. How's it?" Ask Alec.

"Come, Alec. I don't want to think about anything right now. I'm going to Venice to calm myself down there, I don't know if I'll come back or not." My answer.

Alec let go of his hand that hugged my neck from behind and then he looked at me with both shoulders.

"What's Viv? You're going to part with Vernon, isn't that a good thing? Isn't that what you wanted all this time?" Alec said with an astonished look on my face. "Why do you look so sad when you're going to part with Vernon?"

"I'm just sad about losing my son." My answer.

"Isn't that good?"

"You don't have a child with Vernon, that's a good thing. I mean, there's nothing that binds you two without kids." Alec replied, so that our views are aligned. "I know that's what you want, too. Having a child of someone you don't want to love is a bad thing what else from someone you hate."

I threw my face away from Alec's gaze. I do not agree with his words, I want to have a child with Vernon even though he is not with him, maybe it is because so that he and I are bound by the existence of our child.

"Viv, don't go to Venice, I'll cancel my wedding plans for you. We can be together after you and Vernon are officially divorced." Alec said holding both hands.

"I'm sorry, Alec, we better stop this. You don't have to cancel your wedding, I'll stay in Venice." My answer. "Come out, I'm getting ready, and I don't want to go when the sun goes down."

All the clothes and things I needed I put in a suitcase that wasn't too big because most of my things were still in Vernon's house. I walked out of the room with a suitcase and was immediately confronted by a pair of humans standing in front of the room door.

"Viv, you don't have to leave Sicily." Arthur held my arm. "Stay here, you can stay with me here."

"That's right, Viv. You can stay here and not go to Venice. There's nothing there, you won't be comfortable being there." Renata Timpal. "Both of your parents were not there either, they were having business in Rome. You'll be so lonely living there."

"It doesn't matter, I've been wanting to be alone for a while." My answer.

"Then let me go with you." Renata Seru.

"No need, Ren. I told you I wanted to be alone. I don't need someone to accompany me."

"No Viv, you're not going anywhere!! You must stay here!! It'll be dangerous if you're there!!" Arthur's voice seemed to be starting to raise his tone. "Also here in Venice there is only a grandmother alone, the guard there is also not too tight, what if the people of Sacra Unita come after you again?"

"No, you also know Venice is a city untouched by other mafia because grandma looks after it so well." I said and started walking back to pull my suitcase.

"Viv, wait a minute!!" Arthur stopped my steps. "Gig!!" Call Arthur to one of his men.

A tall, blonde-haired young man approached us. I just saw Arthur's men, when he saw his face he was very young, probably still 17 or 18 years old. Looks like he's the new guy that Arthur recruited into his men.

"Go to Venice with him. You have to look after her." Arthur cried to the young man.

"Good sir." The young man named Esteban answered and immediately looked at me. The suitcase out of my hand.

I walked back in with the young man following me behind.

...–NATZSIMO–...