two weeks later
"Papa?" The deep and gruff voice of my second oldest son Othello, pulled me out of my thoughts as I was about to figure out how to beat my son in a game of chess, although it's pointless. Othello is one of the smartest of my children and he even surpassed me with his intelligence by the age of fourteen. My boy is a genius and doesn't retort to cheating so when he asked for my attention I couldn't ignore him. I pulled my eyes away from the game board and met those light brown eyes of his. " sì, ragazzo mio?¨ I asked, giving him my full attention. He takes a drink of his glass of red wine before speaking once more "Forgive me papa, but what will you do with the Greeks? They have been wanting to hold a meeting for the past month now and the longer you and Mamma hold them off the more dangerous this meeting will be in the end." He is right of course but that is the thing I don't want him to be. thirty- six years ago my wife Tatiana were expecting to become parents soon but both of us were young, too young me only being seventeen at that time, and Tatiana only fifteen herself we were on opposite ends coming from different backgrounds. Her family the Romanovs and mine the Calogeros have always had bad blood decades before the both of us came together, but we were drawn to each other, and the both of us couldn't let the other go. we did something that was forbidden, something that could cause more bloodshed between her family and mine but neither of us cared at that moment. We were young and stupid and in the end, Tatiana fell pregnant. when we told our families they weren't thrilled but there was nothing to be done. so in the end they married us off. In the beginning, everything was great but then Tatiana gave birth to our oldest son Nicolo, he quickly became the light in our lives but then was soon replaced with anger, not for my baby boy but for my father and Tatiana's parents. They took matters into their own hands and promised our firstborn to the firstborn of the Greeks and when they both turned old enough to marry this will strengthen the alliance between our families. Over time we found out and killed our parents together but that was only a temporary fix and lately, the head of the Greek mafia, the Myridis family has been hinting at the marriage. and the worst part is that we couldn't get out of it. The contract was signed in blood something that can't be broken otherwise it would drag the Calogero name through the mud and bring dishonor to all of us. Letting out a tired sigh I as well drink the whole glass of wine in one gulp. "I honestly don't know my boy, but I'll be dead before I let Nicolo be married off like a piece of meat. I want him, no, all of you to find love yourself. just like your mother and I did once, and even though we were wed by the demand of our parents, we were in love and still to this day. I don't wish a loveless life on any of my children. Do you hear me, boy? "I told him sternly and I meant it. I don't want my children to live a cold and lonely life. "I do papa, but that is not going to stop the Greeks from trying and in the worst-case scenario start a war between our families, especially when you haven't even told Nicolo yet" Othello pointed out. which was true I don't want my son to feel pressured to save all of our asses because of a contract his grandfather signed. I do have to tell Nicolo what's happening but I just couldn't. but I didn't say that instead I said. "let's finish this game first and then we will think about strategies, I still have to beat you"
"We'll see old man" Othello replied letting the topic drop for now but he didn't forget. And a part of me wished he did if only it were for my sake.
*The Return of the Lost Son*
It was eleven o'clock at night, after dinner and helping my youngest daughter Aurora with her homework I went up to my office, a place in the house I see more often than my bed. Finishing up some papers and sending my approval for future developments via email, and some are still in letters that I need to post in the morning for the older generation who prefers to handle business on paper and in person not trusting the internet like the kids today do. And if I'm honest I like it that way too, so there is less of a chance to be stabbed in the back or hacked by enemies and friends alike. Some brave people call me paranoid but after what happened I can't help BUT feel paranoid. But I realize now that that is out of my hands and that the things I should be doing are helping my mafia in any way I can before stepping down and letting Nicolo take over when the time's right. So instead of letting my thoughts linger on that one painful memory, I focus on the new winery. It's a gift for Tatiana. She loves wine more than I do and she isn't even Italian. I just have to sign my name and the process of building the winery will be put into motion which means that I finally found the perfect birthday gift for Tatiana. It's only two months but I like to be prepared and not come up empty-handed or show up with a gift at the last minute like her brothers do every year. so without a thought, I signed the documents and put them in one of the piles to keep my desk organized. I was about to pick up one of the other documents that involved our last real estate development. Some things didn't go right and it needs my approval to fix it but my phone went off on the side of my desk. picking it up it read that the call came from the U.S. New York's head police department. Looking up at the clock it was close to midnight now, I had to be up early tomorrow with a meeting with the Spanish head family the Rojas, looking back at my phone screen I pressed my thumb on the green button and held the phone to my ear. "Francesco speaking" I spoke on the phone with a thick accent. It is rare for me to speak English but I do know it's just gotten rusty over the years. "Hello, this is Officer Jennings speaking. I'm calling because we think we have found your son that you gave up missing seventeen years ago." At that moment I didn't care, I couldn't think straight anymore and the only thing that met the other end of the phone were my cries and sobs of happiness, relief, and hope. Those words made me so happy that I couldn't even feel the slightest bit embarrassed for crying for someone else to hear.
my boy is coming home, finally after so many years. I don't remember what I did next at that moment, all of this was still foggy but what I did remember was that I hung up the phone but not before telling the officer that I was on my way. I won't let my son slip away from me, not a second time. Up until that moment, I don't remember what I did. Only now is it all coming back to me with my wife next to me on the fastest plane to New York? And I swear to anyone listening to my prayers all these years that I wouldn't let their gift to me go in vain. I'm getting my son back soon today or tomorrow and nothing and no one will take him away from me again.