Sinister

by Sherell Cummings

  In the bucket already was soap and a washcloth and as it was halfway filled, I turned off the hose and grabbed the washcloth, wringing out the excess water before placing it against her chest. Gently I moved it in small circles around her breasts, paying extra attention to her light pink nipples that always grew hard whenever I lightly flicked them with the cloth. She always had the most perfect breasts. Not too big, not too small, but exactly right as they desperately called for my mouth.

  Moving the cloth lower over her flat stomach and then between her legs, I heard her gasp as I slowly ran circles over her clit. I lifted my head slightly to see her face when I kept rubbing, watching as she bit into her bottom lip, trying hard to suppress the pleasure coursing through her body. Groaning, her eyes cut to mine when the sound left my lips. I moved my head back down, wanting to make her cum, to give her pleasure, but I also wanted her to know that it was me giving it to her.

  I moved my hands away and quickly washed the rest of her, before washing the soap off with the hoese. She moved away when I was done, falling wet onto the bed and curling herself back into a ball. I watched her for a few minutes, knowing I was doing the right thing by keeping her here. A few more days, that was all I needed before I could give us both what wanted most.

  As I left the room my cell ran in my pocket. Pulling it out to see an unknown number I hit receive, placing it against my ear. “Who is this?”

  “Is this Christopher Mohammed?” said a curt male voice.

  “Yes and I repeat. Who is this?”

  “This is doctor Ford from Brookdale Medical. We have an Amanda Collins here, who gave us your number to call in case of an emergency—”

  My heart plummeted to my stomach and I started walking out of the hall, dropping the bucket on my way out. Please no, not her. “What happened?”

  “Your mother has suffered a stroke and was brought in by her neighbour. There was some damage, but she is alive. How soon can you be here?”

  “I’ll be there today.” I hung up, racing to my car and speeding out of the driveway. My mother was my life, and now she was sick. Everything else could wait because this was my lifeline.

  Part Two

  After

  Chapter Six

  Nathaniel

  I was on the island Sardinia just south of the French island Corsica. Before today I had never thought of visiting Italy, and it was sad to think it took my father reaching this stage of insanity for me to come visit the family my mother had abandoned all those years ago.

  The rift between my mother and her family was something I could never understand. The story never made much sense, and her family’s reasoning for disowning her was unreasonable at best. I somehow knew there were key elements she left out when she told the story to Nathan and I, but I never pushed for more. She always looked so lost whenever she spoke about them, and I knew she loved them, but couldn’t understand how she could love my father more.

  After being screened and patted down at the gate, I was allowed entry to the massive compound. The large metal gates opened to a scenic architectural masterpiece that was a brown stone Italian house. A large courtyard separated two parts of the house that were only joined by a sitting area in the centre just beyond the courtyard. There were stone walkways, glass doors and windows with brown shutters that when combined made a picture of Home and Garden perfection.

  The front door was opened as the guard at the gate had called ahead at my arrival, and I was ushered into a sitting room beyond the living room by another guard. Taking a seat in the chair indicated I glanced around the massive space, taking in the stone sculptures and paintings. I knew what rich looked like, had been around it for years, never caring for much of it, but being here I saw it in a different light. It felt like I had entered a royal palace as everything in sight looked too valuable to touch.

  I stood when two men entered, reminding me of my brother and I. Striking black short cut hair, with light streaks of grey running through them; they both had olive skin and strong jaws, looking a lot younger than the age I knew they both shared. They were identical twins and stood in front of me with curious expressions, possibly trying to figure me out. Suddenly the one on the left smiled reaching out for my face placing it between his palms while turning my head from right to left before he said, “look at this bambino, Antonio.” He smiled over to his brother who was still assessing me sceptically. He didn’t look as happy to see me as the one holding my face. “Alexandria had a son,” he confirms, pulling me into a hug. It was strange. I never saw much of my mother in me or Nathan. Minus the hair and the complexion everything else seemed to belong to our father. I hadn’t even opened my mouth and they knew who I was and luckily I did know how to speak Italian.

  He released me and by then the other one was smiling as well, pulling me into another hug without a word. “You know who I am?” I said as I pulled away curiously watching them.

  The one on the left who spoke before motioned for me to sit as they did the same on a couch facing me. “Of course, we know who you are. Sure we did not know our sister had any children, but one look at you and you are Donatella. Famiglia knows famiglia.” He smiled knowingly. “I am your uncle Alessandro, and this is my brother Antonio. He doesn’t talk so don’t be offended if he doesn’t say anything.”

  I glanced at Antonio who nodded in response. “I am Nathanial. It is very nice to meet you both. My mother never mentioned either of you, so I was expecting her father.”

  Alessandro's face saddened. “Si, well our sister hid a lot of secrets from us both. My brother and I are the head of the family now since our father died two years ago. May I ask, how may children does our sister have?”

  “It’s only my brother Nathan and I. Were twins.”

  Both their eyes lit up as Alessandro said, “Our family is known to have the most set of twins this side of Sardinia. Did you know your mother was also a twin?”

  “No, I did not.”

  “She was, but unfortunately our sister didn’t make it past birth. Alejandra would have been her name, had she been alive. Our mother had an obsession with A names, hence why we are all burdened with that curse.”

  The other one nodded.

  “Why doesn’t Antonio talk?” I asked curious to the mans silence.

  Alessandro’s face turned grim as Antonio’s hardened with anger. “We cannot be the biggest drug family in Italy, without having a few enemies. One of those enemies caught my brother off-guard and he lost his tongue in the process.” He looked over at his brother who was staring straight ahead with a hard expression on his face. “Unfortunately, that famiglia no longer exists because of it,” he said eyes going dark before returning clear. “So, what brings you to Italy, figlio?”

  “My father.”

  Both their faces twisted with disgust as I was sure they already had some idea as to why I was here. Alessandro said, “Merda. Your father is a disease no amount of medicine can kill. He deserved to die rather than our sweet Alexandria.”

  “I agree. Which is why I am here. My father has become a problem and I need help in getting rid of him.”

  “You want to kill him?” he said not at all surprised.

  “No. I want to destroy him, by destroying everything he loves.”

  “This coming from someone he loves. How is that possible?”

  “I never clamed that my father loved me, and I never clamed to love him either.” Love was something that didn’t exist with us. I learned that a long time ago and I never expected it to appear from a man who can only love himself. “The only person he loves, is dead.”

  Alessandro huffed a laugh looking at his brother who held a smile as well. “If you are referring to our sister, then you are mistaken. Your father only ever loved himself.”

  “And why do you say that?”

  “Because it’s true. Did your mother ever tell you why she was banished from our home?”

  I nodded. “She did.”

  “And you still believe your father loved h
er?”

  I eyed them, confused and unsure of what he spoke of. “I have a feeling that the story you know and the story I know isn’t the same story.”

  “Smart boy, but before we get into that, a drink is in order.” We all turned as a short woman entered the room carrying a tray. She placed it on the table between us, before leaving the room with a curt nod toward Alessandro who offered one in return. “We must welcome our family home, the proper way.” We each took a wine glass after Antonio filled them with red wine and lifted them to toast. “To family,” he said.

  I nodded in response as the glasses touched. Family was a word I used sparingly. My father and brother were the only ones I knew until today and with them I hated the word. They were not the family I wanted, but it was what I had.

  “Your mother was a dreamer. She believed that great loves existed and wanted nothing more than to go out and experience this on her own. Of course Father was against it since she was set to marry the oldest of the Fiore boys.” He laughed as a nostalgic expression marred his face. “She hated those boys, always used to say, ‘padre, non puoi farmi sposare quel ragazzo pignolo,” (Father you cannot make me marry that pigheaded boy.) He laughed. “Father would push and push and push the topic until one day, she vanished.”

  “I thought you knew where she went?”

  “Not for the first five days, we didn’t. When she did decide to call and let us know she was alive, she was in Paris and had fallen in love with your father. Our father was angry and for days they argued back and forth, and he told her that if she married that man, she was not welcomed back here. She threw us away for a man she only knew for five days.”

  “Okay that was the story I was told. I don’t see how it’s any different.”

  “What you don’t know and what your mother did not want to believe. Your father never loved her.” His face morphed in anger as he placed his glass on the table. “She was a game to him, from the very first moment he laid eyes on her. He knew her family name and the influence it has in the drug world and he wanted it. He played her and she fell for it. That figlio di puttana only wanted what our name could give and when father told him no, because he did not consent their marriage he told father that he would ruin her and that we would never see her again.”

  “I didn’t know your father and my father spoke?”

  “Si.” He nodded leaning forward. “He confessed to not loving her, but Alexandria did not believe when Father told her. She was too blinded by love or whatever lies your father told.” In my head the story never added up. When I remembered my mother, she wasn’t happy unless she was with me or Nathan and although she repeatedly told us that she loved our father, I never truly saw it. He never touched her the way I touched Izabella, they never kissed, and he was away on business so much, I swore she was happiest when he was gone. What I didn’t understand was why? If he never loved her and my grandfather didn’t care for the marriage, why did my father stay with her for so many years knowing he would get nothing from the marriage?

  “You know she called me before she died?”

  I looked up at him with a lost expression. The pain of my mother’s death gripping me, because I didn’t get a chance to see, or talk to her before she died. That was my biggest regret to this day. I wanted to spite my father for what he had done to me and in the process I neglected the one person I never imagined would leave this world. “What did she say?”

  His face saddened, eyes turning haunted. “She told me she was sorry— There was nothing else to say. I was mad at her. Did not know she was dying and I let her go. Then your father calls only two days later to tell our father that she was dead. I could not believe it—” He paused, emotion clouding his voice and face. Antonio had his head tilted facing the floor before he stood and walked out of the room. “I am sorry, Nathaniel. I am sorry you lost your mother.”

  I swallowed the rest of my drink placing the glass down. “Yes well, I’m sorry too. I never got to say goodbye. By punishing my father and leaving, I cut all contact with everyone, including her. She died and I didn’t know about it— I hate myself now because she didn’t know that I would have been there had I known.”

  He looked me in the eyes with a sad smile. “She knew— she was your mother and if I know my sister—she knew.” As much as I wanted to believe that, I couldn’t. I was ashamed of my actions and the way things had transpired between us. I let my father get to me and ultimately destroyed the last good relationship I had with the woman I loved very much.

  “You need to forgive yourself and move on. It’s what she would have wanted. Even if you don’t believe it, believe me,” he said sincerely. He clapped his hands together standing. “Now, I think this conversation would be better suited over dinner. Silvia my wife is a wonderful cook and the others should be here any minute now.”

  “Others?” I stand following him out of the room and into a large dining room.

  “Yes, me and Antonio’s wives, your cousins, his sons and my daughters, their husbands, their children. They're a loud bunch, but you’ll love them.” I only came here with the expectation of meeting my grandfather, and now I was being introduced to the entire family. This should be interesting considering I was practically a stranger.

  Right on cue rapid Italian started spewing from the lips of two female voices as running footsteps across the floor brought three young boys shouting, ‘grandpa,’ in Italian as they all stopped at Alessandro's feet, and started pulling and tugging at his arms, speaking in Italian about the day they had.

  Alessandro laughed heartily listening as each tried to talk over the other explaining how the monkey almost bit Nico’s finger off. I wasn’t sure which one was Nico, so I stood back watching the happiness in all of their faces as they went on and on about all the animals they had seen. Alessandro responded to everything they said when two beautiful dark-haired women entered, standing at the threshold of the dining room. They watched me with confused looks as they spoke quietly to one another. “Va bene ragazzi,” clapped Alessandro halting the boys as they stopped their jumping to his command.

  “Papà chi è questo?” asked one of the women as they both came forward wanting to know who I was. The one on the left, who seemed older then the one on the right, scowled at me as the other just looked perplexed. They were both tall and slender with emerald green eyes and heart-shaped faces, dressed casually in jeans and T-shirts.

  “Sofia, Serena this is your cousin, Nathaniel.”

  “Cugino?” said the older of the two with the sceptical look on her face, as she folded her arms over her chest.

  “Yes, your cousin. He is my sister’s son and he is here for dinner. Now where are the others?” he asked glancing at me before saying, “They understand English but do not speak it. The older is Sofia and the other is Serena. My youngest daughter Valentina is around here somewhere. She’s at that age.” He waved his hand uncaring before facing the two women.

  “Rubio e Stafano stanno parlando fuori,” said Serena grabbing the hands of two of the boys and pulling them off somewhere.

  Sofia kept scowling at me before she said to the other boy. “Vai a lavarti per cena Ruben.” Ruben nodded and ran off in the direction Serena and the others went. I listened as a door closed and the clicking of shoes was heard before two large laughing men entered the room. They halted abruptly at the sight of me, before looking at Sofia’s face and then turning their wondering glances at Alessandro.

  “Tutto va bene?” (Everything go well?), asked Alessandro.

  They both nodded once.

  “Bene. This is my nephew, Nathaniel. Nathaniel this is Rubio and Stafino my daughters' husbands.” I shook hands with the both of them, offering up a curt nod as they did the same. “Nathaniel will be having dinner with us tonight. Sofia please stop scowling at him, he is famigilia.”

  “Così dici” (So you say), she said with attitude possibly plotting my death in her head. It was very obvious she didn’t trust me, and that I was okay with because in this li
ne of business, trust was very hard to come by. Even with family.

  “So I know. Now behave,” he demanded giving her a pointed look as Serena and the boys returned.

  Twenty minutes later we were all seated around a large twenty-four seater dining table with eighteen of the seats filled by the other family members who had arrived ten minutes ago.

  There was Silvia, Alessendro’s wife; a buxom silver-haired woman, with a warm smile that easily gave me comfort. She reminded me a lot of my mother with the way she spoke, and her laugh was almost identical to my mother's as well. Antonio’s wife, Caterina, was just as welcoming, but stood taller and looked a lot younger than Antonio himself.

  Antonio’s and Caterina’s sons Andrea and Armando, who were twins, and unfortunately cursed with A names were the older of the five, and following them were, Leonardo, Costas and Gabrielle.None of them were married and none of them had kids. “Allora perché sei qui?” (So why are you here?) asked Sofia glaring at me while she was cutting up the meat on Ruben’s plate.

  “Sofia,” scolded Alessandro pointing his fork at her across the table. He was sitting at the head of the table as Sofia sat six places down, directly facing me. I didn’t get intimidated by much, but she was quickly getting under my skin.

  “Che cosa?” (What?) She shrugged innocently. “Sono sicuro che tutti vogliono sapere.” (I’m sure everyone wants to know.) “Tu dici di essere una famiglia, ma non abbiamo mai sentito parlare di te.” (You say you are family but yet we have never heard of you.)

  “Yes, why have we never heard from you?” This coming from Costas a few chairs up the row.

  I put my fork down and released an exasperated breath while leaning back. I had given everyone enough time to ponder on my arrival, but it was high time to get this over with. “Look, I understand why me showing up here would be cause for speculation, but you have to understand this. My mother barely spoke about her family and when she did, it was about the feud between her and her father. From the time I was old enough to do what I wanted, the only thought in my mind was getting away from my father. He destroyed my mother's life and is now trying to do the same to me and my brother. Which is why I’m here now. I need your help.”