Marco

"Marco, come down from there. Some sucker from the Yakuza wants to talk to you, and only to you. Entitled loser," screams Stefano from the balcony below, making sure I don't enjoy my roof coffee.

"Who exactly?"

"Some Yamato, Yamamoto, fuck knows. Come down and stop annoying me."

This is unexpected. I have not talked to Yamato in years. In consequence, I jump down on the balcony where Stefano is waiting to hand me the phone.

"こんにちはヤマトサン/Hello, Yamato San! It is an honor to hear from you."

Stefano just rolls his eyes and walks away.

"I have heard some rumors," says Yamato without further ado. His voice makes me recall the time spent together years ago and forces me to remember the Japanese I haven't practiced in ages.

When I was eleven, I was sent to Japan according to my father's wishes, to stay with his business partner's family for a year, which ended up being four and a half. It was a modern-day, cordial hostage situation, kind of like in the middle ages when a lord did some shit and the other lords take away his kid to be the ward of another family so the father can be kept in check.

My father didn't respect his previous agreement with the Asian clans and was caught red-handed, so to prevent a war I lived with the Yakuza clan led by Yamato's father, Yoshi, at that time.

To be honest, I think my father was quite happy and relieved I was gone, as Stefano's mother, Giulia, wasn't happy at all to have the child her husband had with his mistress living with them.

Later I also found out, that another child our father seemed to have had with a waitress in Napoli was found dead at the age of five, presumed being that Giulia gave the order for that to happen after she found out about his existence.

It was never confirmed but what was certain, was that Giulia never agreed or was happy about my presence in their house or in the world.

In Japan, I have learned several Asian arts like for example, the use of needles. I was taught how to sew with them, how to heal, and how to kill with them.

"What rumors?" I ask Yamato in the end.

Yamato is five years older than me and by now the leader of the clan after his father retired and became a Buddhist monk.

"That Stefano is not well."

"That is not true," I lie.

"Too bad. Our house would have welcomed if you became the head of your house."

"I understand, but that is not going to happen, Yamato San."

"Mhm. Have a good day, Marco San. You might be a gaijin but I got to consider you my brother. I miss our time together."

"I do too," I say in the end.

It is impossible to not get attached to someone you spend so much time with like the two of us in those five years. Yamato had the mission to take me everywhere with him and teach me Japanese and martial arts, among other things. He also has a younger brother and a sister, Minoru and Hitomi. While Minoru is the youngest and was quite fond of me, my relationship with Hitomi was a bit more complicated, but everything got to be neutral after she got married.

"What did the sucker want?" asks Stefano.

"Uh. He thinks about doing business with us again," I lie... again. No, I don't like it; it's just that loyalty to the family goes over friendship, as sad as it might be, and it is also for the good of the family that I didn't tell Stefano what Yamato actually asked. He would only go crazy again.

"So, brother, tonight we go out, as discussed."

"Do we have to?" My tone shows my undisguised lack of appetite. 

"Come on, Marco. I promised you some girls and I want to make it up to you."

"No need for that; my hopes were high but my expectations were low. Sadly, I know you can't keep it in your pants, but seriously Stefano, stop sleeping with the people who work for us."

Now Roxi quit and I can't help thinking that you had something to do with that. Thank you very much, asshole.

"Ah, shut up. She enjoyed herself. You should have seen her face. Though if you would have told me you want to fuck her I would have let you go first."

Why does he keep doing this?!

"I am not in the mood to go out and neither should you. It's not good for your health if you drink and sniff cocaine," I say, unable to control my dry tone and try to walk away.

"Ah shut up. I do what I want and nothing is going to kill me."

"Stefano, for fucks sake, if you continue like this you are going to die. You need to quit doing drugs and start chemo."

"I am not dying and I am not sick. The doctors must be wrong. I feel fine; it was just too much snow white."

"Jesus, Stefano. You saw the scans. I know it's difficult to accept but this attitude is not helping. I want you to be fine but you need to do your part too if you want to be alive to be a good capo and a good father to Anabella."

"Fuck off! I am sick of listening to you. I will call some girls. You can join if you want," he says in the end and walks away.

My goodness, if he continues like this the tumor is going to end up inoperable. It hurts, it is enraging and I understand that he is frustrated and struggling to accept that the cancer is back. I try to give him space and time, but time is working against him.

Stefano had cancer before, unfortunately. It happened six years ago, but luckily it was caught in time and after a small surgery and chemo he was completely fine after a year. Thyroid cancer is among the ones with the highest survival rate. The very unfortunate thing with cancer is that it can come back and Stefano was never keen on going to checkups after.

His illness was a secret then as it is now. In this business, the competition is preparing to eviscerate you as soon as they smell any kind of weakness.

I go back inside and lay on the bed looking at the scaffolding that is being built around the house. It will obturate my view. Unfortunately, I am not keen on looking at half-naked men and the only female that might have been able to grace my view is sadly gone.

Not sure how to tell Stefano that I am going to Switzerland without him throwing a tantrum or doing something stupid. I guess I'll tell him I'm seeing Alex. He won't be delighted but he will accept it after he sees that business without him isn't as easy as he thought.

Two small knocks on the door disturbed my thoughts.

"Uncle Marco, why is your door locked?" screams Anabella from outside.

To be honest, because of your mom, kid.

"Wait, I am coming," I answer standing up and unlocking the door.

I can't help smiling when I see her. She looks incredibly cute in her pink dress with a matching hairband.

"What is that man doing out there?" she asks, pointing at the construction worker outside who is building the scaffolding.

"They have to do repairs on the house that's why they build that around it to be able to climb and reach the higher spots."

"Oh, that man is really big and his hair has the same color as that of the girl from a few days ago, just like Barbie."

Oh, look, if that is not Roxi's friend. I could ask him for her number. Though it will be an awkward conversation, not sure in what language.

"Indeed. But sweety, you didn't come here for that, did you?"

"No, I came because I want to go and eat ice cream and Daddy does not want to take me and Mommy. He is downstairs with some girls and Mommy saw him kissing one of them on the mouth and got angry and they had a fight."

"Ok, I see. I will go with you to town to eat gelato, how about that?"

Better than to stay here while Stefano is having an orgy.

"Yey, I knew it! I love you, Uncle Marco! Come on," she says enthusiastically dragging me out the door.

"I love you too, kid!" I answer and can't help smirking.

"Did you tell the blond girl too that you love her?" she inquires frowning a bit.

"No, it's way too early for that. You are the only girl I said that to in a very long time," I answer truthfully.

Chiara is avoiding me after our weird nightly encounter and I can't say that I mind.

"Mommy, let's go! Uncle Marco said yes!" says Anabella, running towards her and laughing.

Chiara is wearing jean shorts with high heels and a tiny crop top. That means a lot of men are going to stare at us. Yeah, well.

Once in Taormina, we walk around the central Plaza. Anabella is running around and seems genuinely happy while Chiara is not talking or looking at me. Part of the staff is walking a few steps behind us as they are used to.

"Look, there is the ice cream girl," says Anabella pointing at a girl with a little ice cream cart wearing a funny hat and having her face painted like a clown. "Let's go! Hurry!"

"Go ahead, love, and tell the lady what you want; we will come and pay. I need to talk to your uncle a bit," says Chiara, and Anabella runs off. "Marco, you were rude and stupid."

I scoff at the audacity.

"No, Chiara. And my opinion stands. I don't want to discuss this anymore."

She pouts and looks at me annoyed but I stop paying attention to her and run towards Anabella.

"Anabella!" I scream desperately but it is too late, the ice cream girl already pressed the needle into the back of her neck and ran away.

She collapses into my arms and her eyes close instantly.
"No, no, Anabella, wake up!" but I know too well that that isn't going to happen.

For the next hours, I feel like a living dead. I hear Chiara scream, I hear the ambulance arrive, I hear Fabrizio whispering to let go of the body because the doctors need to call the time of death and in the end, I feel wetness on my cheeks. I have not cried in twenty years, not even when my father died. And Like this, your life changes in less than the blink of an eye. 

"Son of a bitch, you did that! You killed her so I don't have an heir anymore! I am going to kill you!" screams Stefano and rips me out of my paralysis.

"No! Stefano! You know I would never hurt Anabella or you. I am sorry, I am so sorry! It must be some Asian assassin. Nobody else knows how to do that!" I try to explain myself desperately. The words are however more for me than for Stefano.

"Yes, nobody else except those small-eyed fuckers and you! And I doubt they have anything to win from this while you do," he screams, punching my face.

"I am sorry, Stefano! I know how it looks but do you think if I were guilty I would still be standing here? I will find whoever did that and whoever gave the order and make them die the most horrible death of all. I never targeted children. Never! And you know that. How can you believe I would ever hurt Anabella? I love her more than anything. Loved..."

It does not really matter to Stefano. I feel his hits on my face, stomach, and ribs, but nothing hurts bad enough to numb the pain from inside.

Who could have done that? It was a child, sadistic monster.

The blood is trickling down my temple, from the corner of my mouth, and my left nostril as I kneel on the ground in front of the villa, under the eyes of the frightened staff, a crying Chiara, a pleading Tomaso, and a raging Stefano.

"Die, son of a bitch!" he screams again, pointing his loaded gun at me.

I close my eyes expecting the blow that never comes.

The gun falls from his hands and fires in the air, scratching my right elbow, while Stefano is kneeling on the ground beside me clutching his head and ultimately fainting.

"Stefano." I hurry to check his vitals. He has a pulse but it's erratic.

"Call a doctor," I scream at Tomaso.

"Arturo is on his way."

"Ok." I exhale.

"Don Marco, I think you should go."

"Where? My place is by his side."

"Your father made me swear I am going to take care of both of his sons. That is what I am doing. If you stay, you are going to die and your death is going to be very much in vain."

"But..."

"You know, I am right. Go."

I felt it in my bones that he was. I needed to find the actual murderer to stay alive and gain his trust back.

"Shoot him!" screams Chiara, but none of the men is able to pull the trigger while I walk out of the estate leaving a trail of blood drops on the cobblestones.