THE FIRST ATTENDANCE
'Love songs are for us, and everything in between should be shared. The in between could be you or me or us, giving away ourselves for each other, like a unit on course for collision and eventual redemption. Sometimes it is of distant sounds, of men and women, of babies taunting their mothers to madness, taunts that will soon turn to love songs in a matter of years to come' "I wrote this for her on a particularly cold night on a summer where there was too much to say. Somehow, I found my way through the great unknown, doubting everything that came with what we had. She was going to destroy me." Said Ace Vicente. "I do not think many a people can boast of experiences as yours in such a short time and live to tell it." They were in the middle of dinner, both men ate slowly and talked quicker, it was like they were on a date or something of sorts. They had managed to speak of relationships from the past (most notable was Helena) and jobs done out of the rebellion that comes with youth, risky jobs and suffering from choices made.
On Helena, she had been a lover from way back in his days as just another boy in the mafia, a messenger and distractor. They met as teenagers. She, being of diva status in the streets had found him and almost too soon they hit it off well carrying out little jobs together for men such as Vigo Rush and Luca Toni who were strongly linked to the Don Mateo Manzoni, the godfather and later adopted father to Ace Vicente. Luca Toni was not to be trusted." Said the Limerick drug lord Rory Oisin as he bid his sons farewell. They knew what had to be done but only one did not mind waiting. "Welcome to my table, princes of Limerick in Ireland, your brother and I have made good company for each other and now, we are friends, are we not?" said Ace Vicente who was now feeling less heavy as he spoke about his troubles with ease now. "Yes, we are friends, good friends." Said Connelly, "Yes, good friends. Sometimes all a person may need is a good listener." He muttered to himself. "Come, sit, join us." Mark and Conor and Conrad and Alex, all as the follow, listed, sat one next to the other in a massive dining table with their brother sitting opposite them, having a bite at a large stake on his plate. Don Vicente noticed the way the gloomy Mark looked at the plate, he might have been please by what he saw but he was not pleased to be stuck in Italy and his nose did him no favors as he relished the smell of the entire room as the aroma attempted to quench his frustration. "Mark, is it?" asked Don Vicente, "here we like to eat large and classy. On the table is a vast variety of local Italian dishes and samples from all over the world for both your consumption and viewing pleasure. Please sit, enjoy."
As the brothers fed themselves, Connelly and don Vicente watched silently, the ever-suspicious Mark hounded them with his eyes and shaky trust. "What have you…" "I have decided to stay back in Italy." Said Connelly before Mark could finish his question. "What!" echoed the brothers. "Why Conny, are you being forced to stay by this man? "Asked the youngest of them Alex, "No Alex, I like it here. I want to stay." Replied Connelly. "What is this, what is this about?" asked Conor who was now close to losing his peace over the conversation. He stared his brother down waiting for an answer. "My father, your father, needs representation here in Italy if we are going to do good business here." "And who elected you as his representative?" asked the impatient Mark, "there are other people who could do that for him Conny. You cannot stay here alone without us, we have never been apart from each other." Said the young and restless but now sad Alex as he tried to convince his brother to leave with them. "There must come a time when brothers separate to meet again. You are not losing me son." Alex's head dropped as he forked away a huge chunk of pasta, sticking it into his mouth with unforgiveness. When their mother died, Connelly had acted as parent to all of them boys and maybe including their father. It was a hard thing to say but they all, especially Conor must understand and accept the decision of their eldest brother. "So you finally found a way out now didn't you?" asked Conor, the one behind Connelly in the family line. "I suppose I have." Replied Connelly as he nodded in response. "Then it is settled. We leave tomorrow." The ponytailed blonde dug into his meal with subtle aggression as Ace Vicente and Connelly watched. "what on earth is the matter with you Conor, what do you mean by it is settled? The man is clearly mad, he has gone bunkers and you are out here permitting him to stay, what about father, does his opinion not count, what about us does he not know that we need him?" cried a very troubled Mark. "Enough Mark! We do not drag a man by his feet when he wants to leave." Said Conor who now stared Mark down to his sit. "haha! Then it is settled." Echoed a bright faced and drunk Ace Vicente, "It is settled, I will sign now, bring me the deed." A man (henchman) prepared on the table in front of Ace Vicente the papers that required signing and he signed smiling like he had won a price and his need for companion has been settled.
As he took the papers to Conor whop was now in charge of the rest of the boys and maybe even their father, there came a look of approval from Connelly to his younger brother Conor who accepted the deed with casual interest. "I, I do not like this idea, I do not like it one bi…" "For fuck sakes Mark drop it! You will make Alex cry." Barked Connelly at Mark, "No, I will not cry," said Alex looking reassured. "I will not."
"Alright." Said Don Vicente as he arose from his chair, let us take attendance to all who witnessed this event on this auspicious evening. There is Connelly, Conor, the dissatisfied Mark, the sweet Alex and me, Ace Vicente. Let us…" "Make room for one more." Echoed a soft voice from the hall, her footsteps kill the silence as she appeared in front of the door. It was Gabriella.