Chapter 19 - Marco

Chapter 19

Marco

The sound of the engine was like music to his ears, "first priority accomplished, unto the second." Marco said as he stepped on the gas pedal,

The car drifted then accelerated with breakneck speed, leaving tracks on the road.

Marco was a skilled driver, his navigation skills were top notch, and his eyesight was exceedingly good, making nighttime only look like a darker day.

In less than 30 minutes, Marco arrived at a dilapidated house, cracks all over the surface, and its foundation damaged.

Given a year or two at most, the possibility of the house breaking down would basically be 100%.

"It's been so long," Marco's reminiscence could be seen from his eyes

He quickly stepped out his parked car, "I hope she still remembers me," Marco felt a mix of emotions as he looked at the house.

Marco held the door knobs, drawing a deep breath. He wanted to open it, but he was hesitant, he could hear the voice of an old woman and a young boy

Marco opted to look through the keyhole, and as he thought

Inside an Old woman and a young boy, both sat near the chimney. The old woman was on a rocking chair  with a smile on her face she knitted while talking to the young boy.

While, the young boy sat on the floor and listened to her attentively, occasionally nodding or interjecting. The young boy's face also bore a smile.

Marco withdrew his gaze from the keyhole. "It seems she's truly happy now. She finally has something she has always wanted." Marco said with a tinge of pain in his heart.

He removed his hands from the doorknob. "If she's happy, then I don't want to take away her joy," Marco said as he turned around, heading back to his car.

"Crack!"

Suddenly, a step on the stairs broke, his foot easily sank in, throwing Marco to the ground.

"Ugh!"

Marco propped himself up, shook of the dust, and angrily removed his foot from the broken step.

"Tsk!"

With nowhere to vent, Marco could only leave angrily towards his car, but before he could even leave the premises, the door creaked open, and the old woman came out

"Marco?" The woman's tone was unsure. Her eyes formed tears, the young boy stayed by her side, his gaze questioning the current situation.

Just now, the young boy heard the sound outside while listening to the old woman, so he went to check it, only for him to see a middle-aged man's foot stuck in the broken stairs.

He deduced the middle aged man had eaves dropped on them leading to his current predicament

He quickly rushed to tell his grandmother about the suspicious stranger that got his foot stuck on the stairs, even leading his grandmother to the door.

He wanted to see his grandmother scolding the middle-aged man for stalking on a private property, but what he saw unfold was an entirely different scenario.

"Marco, is that you?" The old woman asked once again, her voice quivering. The more she looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar middle-aged man's back, the more he looked the part of her godson.

Marco came to a halt, he didn't turn to face the woman out of guilt, he knew what he had done to the woman and didn't want to cause any pain for the woman anymore.

In his eyes, tears formed. He came here just to check up on her. Although he needed her help, his main goal was to know how she was doing. He thought he could quietly leave,

He looked at the stair that caused all this with some resentment. It has completely sullied his plan.

With no choice, he turned towards the woman, "Ma'm, you have the wrong person," He said through gritted teeth.

"Marco, it's really you!" The woman said loudly tears she tried holding back fell easily, she couldnt forget the face of her godson so easily "Marco, my godson, where have you been?" She walked slowly towards Marco and embraced him.

"Godmother?" Marco expected scolding, rebuke, denial, or even a slap from her, but it was none of that. Instead, it was a gentle hug.

He had left his godmother and only caretaker to join he Moretti mafia gang 10 years ago. Without a word, he was sure his godmother would've been heartbroken. After all, she only yearned for a family.

Now feeling the warm embrace, tears couldn't help but roll out of his eyes. "Godmother, I am sorry, I'm so, so sorry."

Marco sobbed in her embrace like a small child. She was the closest person to Marco, yet he abandoned her for a mafia gang.

The old woman only smiled, "Dear, dear, you were already a grown up, I can't keep you tied in the house now, can I,"

She consoled him, but Marco only sobbed more, "Godmother, I am truly sorry," Marco knew that him being a grown-up wad only an excuse.

"Otto, go prepare a mat and some tea for my godson. He will be staying over this night," she said to the young boy as she led Marco into her abode.

The boy watched as he's grand mother led the middle-aged man inside. As she called him her godson, the young boy's heart tightened.

He was an orphan that Marco godmother found on he street at the age of four,

Marco godmother had been lonely at the time and took the boy in out of pity and memory of Marco.

Otto was well aware of this fact as she always tells stories about Marco

He never knew the seemingly strange middle-aged man at the door would be her gods. Ifif not, he wouldn't have told Marco's godmother anything.

"Would she throw me our after finding her godson," The thought crossed the young boy's heart, but he quickly shook his head and went on to do what Marco's godmother had asked of him.

Inside the house, Marco sat on a clean, thick mat, as he looked at the woman in front of him.