Promised to the Tyrant

Present ...

Two girls walk out of the back door of the club clad in a two piece, well if you can call a couple of strings on their body being dressed. They are about the same age as me.

Soon a man follows them out. He looks familiar. Wait, I know him. I think he is from our neighbourhood. Oh yes, his daughter is in my class.

Will he help me, after all, I am as old as his daughter.

I am still wondering about that, when he leans closer to one of the girls, and then gives her bare ass a tight squeeze.

I gulp, looking at the awkward scene in front of me and abandon any thoughts of asking him for help.

If there were any doubts in my mind what type of club this was, they have cleared. I am not even sure why I am here. I should not be here, at this hour or any hour.

Earlier that day...

"Omertà! Omertà!"

Who was that?

That sure sounds like my father. But that can't be, can it?

I might as well have imagined it. It's already 8pm, and I have been up and running since 4am, but these chores just never seem to end. My shoulders feel stiff, and my legs have almost given up. I am exhausted!

After stretching my neck & arms, I get back to the pile of clothes in front of me. I need to hurry. I still have to clean the dishes, complete my schoolwork, and I am starving. I skipped lunch as well, since I was late from school.

No wonder I am hearing things and that too such impossible things, like my father calling me, can you imagine?

My father has never called me or spoken to me in all of seventeen years of my existence. He barely even acknowledges me.

It's not that we don't see each other often.

I mean, we live in the same house, where you cannot not run into each other. In fact, I serve him his morning coffee and all his breakfast & dinner every day.

But despite all of this, my father has always ignored me.

Actually, that's not true he doesn't ignore me, I just don't exist for him, period.

I wonder if he secretly believes that if he to not acknowledge my existence, I would one day cease to exist at all. And all his problems will be over in a poof just like that.

Sometimes, I hope that this is true as well, that I just cease to exist one day. It is not like it will matter to anyone.

"Omertà, Omertà "this time my father's voice rings through the house, clearing all my doubts. It is definitely him and he is calling me. He really is calling me. I am still shocked.

"Omertà, come down right now", and with that last call, I hurry down, taking two steps at a time, to face my father for the first time in all my 17 years

While I am rushing down the stairs, I hear some heated voices, and as I approach the kitchen, I can almost hear my grandmother arguing with my father. I had no idea she had come over.

"She is your daughter Lucio, how can you forget that?" nana yells, fury evident in her voice

"your own blood & bones, part of the Romano family"

"She is no daughter of mine!" my father says with disgust in his voice, and I cringe at his statement, but I am not surprised. One might think after so many years, I might as well be used to it.

My father, Lucio Romano, has always been a responsible family man, a true Italian, who dots on his wife and children. Well, of course, me being an exception.

In his eyes, I am the personification of his shame & guilt. The mistake that he can never undo. His BASTARD child, living proof of his betrayal that my stepmom, Maria, the love of his life, must live with every day.

My father & Maria were a love match, when they got married 21 years ago. They had some glorious early years of marriage, but a series of miscarriages left Maria guilt ridden and Lucio unwilling to try any more, causing a strain in their love nest.

It was during that time, that one night, my very drunk father met my not very sober mother. Their affair was short, but not that sweet, thanks to me.

"You know why she is living in my house, with my family, under my protection. You know that very well, mama!" my father reminds my grandmother.

As if my name was not enough to remind me and everyone around every day why I was here, in the first place.

You see, my father is a "man of honour ", well not literally but a "man of honour" of the Italian Mafia. An 'initiated' member of the Luciano family, that is one of the five families that make up the New York branch of Cosa Nostra, the Italian Mafia based out of Sicily.

The most important part of being a 'man of honour' is to uphold the Oath of Omerta, a code of honour, loyalty & silence, that all men take when they are sworn into the mafioso (mafia) & have to oblige by with their life. The oath bounds each man to serve

And it is this Oath of Omerta, that assured that my father keep the mafioso (mafia) honour and accept my mother and her unborn child, given my mother was the daughter of another family member and that too from the Original Cosa Nostra family in Sicily. Not accepting her would have meant hurting the mafioso honour, and while no one says it openly it would have meant that my father would have paid for that with his life.

I was the debt that he paid for being a 'man of honour' and that's why I was named and Baptised as "Omertà Romano", to remind everyone and more so my father to why do I exist.

"The girl has been with us for 17 years. Lucio and she is a good girl, does everything that is asked of her and more."

This is a usual topic in our household. My nana trying to plead my case with my father.

Nana has always treated me well, given the circumstances. I mean, it's not like that we are besties who share their secrets or something, but we talk, even if our conversations are more factual & informative. We could never like really connect, but she is the nicest to me.

"We don't ask her to work," my stepmother interjects "she does it on her own accord. We have never raised our voice to her. She is well treated. We have given her everything"

It is true, my mother left right after I was born, for reasons unknown to me, leaving me in Maria's care. And Maria has done her duty towards me- I have always had food, shelter, clothes and education. Our relationship is at best transactional, but I am no fool I know it could have been worse.

"We might not have asked her, Maria, but she feels obliged to do it. She feels she needs to payback for what happened, and she has been doing that since...." My nana stops as she sees me standing there.

My father & Maria follow her gaze, as soon as they see me standing, and they all fall silent.

"Omertà" my name coming from my father's mouth sounds strange.

It was the first time he had taken my name in front of me, but he there was a sense of finality in his voice.

"Good, you are here. Pack your things." He said casually.

Where am I going, I look around to nana & Maria, but they both refuse to meet my eyes.

"Think again Lucio." Nana tries to intervene

"NOW!" was the only response we got.

The finality in his voice was obvious and ensured that there were no follow up questions. But where was I going with all my things?

Present Day

The interaction between the two girls and that man had become too overbearing & immodest for me to watch anymore. As I look away, putting me head down I hear a loud gut-wrenching growl, the one that raises the hair on your neck, and I know they heard it too.

How can there be an animal here in the middle of New York? I start looking around from the car window trying to spot the animal, that is when I hear one of the girls scream.

Stay inside Omerta, you must not go out. I keep on repeating to myself.

But against all my better judgement, I step out of the car and run towards the screaming girl.

Yesterday

I was still standing dealing with the aftermath of my first ever interaction with my father, my mind still trying to process what had just happened. I was baffled, confused, I had so many questions.

Sensing my confused state, nana broke the awkward silence that my father had left for the three of us to deal with

"Omerta, don't worry I am sure your father has thought this through", but nana's usually sure voice failed to support her words. "you should go pack your bags"

"Yes absolutely, you shouldn't think too much about this." Maria added, a little too eagerly.

"But but?" I asked wanting to know what was happening

"Omerta you are wasting time, and you must get up early, if you want to finish the pizzeria statement of account before you prepare breakfast tomorrow. You were so keen on doing it, I would hate for you to not have the learning experience. Also, pack your bags, you surely wouldn't want to disappoint your father."

I nodded out of habit and started towards my room. Maria is right I can't disappoint him; this was the first time he has ever directly asked me to do something.

But why pack all my things?

Probably they are sending me to live with nana, yes that must be it. This topic has come up multiple times, especially after the twin's birth. But nana has always been able to convince my father that it will not have a good impression on Don Luciano, and that the family must stay together. Yes, that must be it. I try to convince myself.

Unwanted child or not, this is the only family I had ever known. They had always provided for me - a roof, clothes, food and a good education.

I might have hoped for more when I was growing up, but at 17 years I knew they had done a lot. I was indebted to them; my life could have been a lot worse. And it's not just what they had done, I had no one else in my life these were the only people that were there, I had no friends or any other living relatives, except for my absconding mother.

My whole life revolved around this house, the family pizzeria where I worked with nana & Maria, and the school, or rather library where I spent the left-over time. I have never had time to make friends or even acquaintances, no one knows me well at school. I have always been busy being "the ideal daughter".

Good or not, this is all I have ever known.

I just hope that it I am going to stay with nana, I really won't mind. I will still be with my family after all.

I start packing my things, it doesn't take me too long to pack my belongings, I don't have that much, just an old trunk that has my clothes, and some books that I have collected over the years.

Lastly, I pick up my mother's pendant that she left me, it is the only thing that I have left of her, and pack it in my school bag along with other school supplies. As I am closing my school bag I start to wonder if I will be allowed to continue school, I still have my last year left, and I enjoy studying learning new things, books and knowledge have always been my happy place.

I am still wondering about school as I lie-down in my makeshift bed. My previous worries try to make their way back in my head, but they soon lose the fight to physical exhaustion that takes over my body putting me in a deep slumber.

"Beep Beep" "Beep, Beep"

As my alarm clock blaringly declares that it's 5am, my body's biological clock robotically puts me to action, like any other day.

I quickly shower and head down to the kitchen, to start on breakfast & cleaning. In the back of my mind I am aware that I also must work on the statement of accounts before everyone is awake.

Come 8 am, the entire family is awake, and I can hear the footsteps moving towards the kitchen. Luckily, I am also done with my statement of accounts. I have been so into my morning tasks that I have not even had a minute to think about anything.

After serving them breakfast, I collect the statement of account and hand it over to Maria.

"Let me have a look at this! Were you able to compile the supply chain log?" Maria asks calmly

But we never spoke about the supply chain log, I think but don't say "Uh-um, I can start right away I will just take an hour"

"No, it's ok we don't have the time, I will have to manage that myself only" she says flatly "We must leave right after breakfast. I hope you are packed, right? The Luciano family home is in upstate New jersey. We need to leave right away to make it there by brunch. You remember what your father told you last night right?"

And the train of unanswered questions, uncertainties hits me with full force. In the morning madness, I had so much to do that previous night's events in my head seemed like a disturbing distant dream. I lose all my morning calm as I realize that this nightmare will be my reality in few hours.

"I also have a dress set out for you, why don't you quickly go change. And come back down with your bags. You too boys quickly go change" Maria continues

I want to ask so many questions, but I am tongue tied. "I am going to live with Nana" I keep telling myself.

Antonio one of the twins looks at me & asks "Why is Omerta packing her bags? Where is she going?"

"We leave in 5 min sharp, all of you go and sit in the car" my father interjects with a cold voice. The twins look uncertain because he is always very warm & loving with them, but they quietly abide when he looks up from his phone to glare at them.

"we will drop you home after the brunch mama" he tells nana

Then he turns his head towards me, looking me directly in my eyes, acknowledging me before going back to his phone.

And that right there is ladies & gentlemen is the second time that my father has acknowledged me in my lifetime, & despite the questions in my head, all I can focus on is a glimmer of hope that this interaction has left me with .

The twins are already in the car, and so is my trunk and school bag in the boot. Maria gets in and asks me check on nana to see if she needs any help. When I enter the house, I again hear nana & father arguing again.

"They had asked for the backgrounds & academic records for all the girls in the Mafioso a few weeks back. Don Luciano called to inform me last week."

"And you did no care to ask why, women have no role in the mafioso.?" nana questions my father

"It's for something important, he will publicly announce it today" father stalls, looking around nervously.

"What are you hiding Lucio?"

Before nana could continue, my father's phone rings.

"We will continue this later mama I promise, let's go pls we can't be late. I will have to take this" he said hurrying out of the room, ignoring my standing figure at the doorway.

When nana saw me, standing against the door she gave me a reassuring smile, assuming I had not heard anything "Are you ready Omerta"

"yes Nana, do you need any help"

"No, I am good. And don't you worry. It's going to be all ok."

She tries her best to pacify me, but the conversation between her and father has left me more worried than I originally was. My mind has started going in circles, and I barely wrap the recent events in my head.

What was that about the details of all the girls, what will be announced at the party today? Why am I invited for today's brunch, I never go? Could it be the Italy scholarship that they had announced, but I never applied for it? Am I really going to stay with nana? Or am I reading too much between the lines?

I know that I am thinking too much, but my gut is telling me that I am right to be worried. These feelers that I get are mostly true.

Plagued with these questions, I see the only home that I have ever known fade into distance.

Present

I should not have gotten out of the car, I should have listened and stayed inside. Nothing could have prepared me for the scene in front of me.

The almost naked girl is now fully covered, with blood dressing her from her naked butt to neck. I have never seen so much blood ever in my lives.

I have never seen so much blood ever in my life. But that is not what has me spellbound in my place unable to move.

Same day Morning

I spent the entire four-hour ride to the Luciano estate rambling through the various What and Whys in my head.

As we get closer to the estate, that nasty feeling in my gut, keeps getting deeper and deeper. I feel a sense of weightlessness, it's like I am falling from a height into an endless pit.

We step out of the car, and into a large clearing, bigger than the football field, with a huge building and dense forest surrounding it. The cars are parked on one side of the clearing, closer to the road that leads here.

My guess is that the huge building that stands at the opposite end of the clearing is the family house, but to be honest it's less of a house and more of a mansion. The structure made an imposing statement with its pristine white marble surface and razor-sharp angles.

Too glamourous, too showy even, like it didn't belong here in the middle of the forest. Clearly, at odds with the nature around it, almost offending the serenity of green forest, just as the people who had gathered in the clearing. Glammed up in their sharp suits, opulent dresses, elaborate hairdos and picture-perfect make up face.

This is far from their usual attire, I would know since most of them live in our neighbourhood, all us kids go to the same school. They are all dressed to impress, after all its not every day that one is invited to Luciano estate.

Seeing such beautiful people around me, I start to feel conscious. As I quickly glance at my reflection in the car window, I am glad for the dress that Maria had given me this morning. It's new, well new for me at least, but still about two sizes bigger for me, making me look even younger. As is, I am on the slighter side, and that includes my so-called girl assets, I look much younger than others my age.

And my face as usual is plain & pale, with dark circles under my stark green eyes, another of my mother's distinct non-Italian features.

I am just glad that my usually wild & fiery red curly hair are strangely behaving themselves, despite the long car ride, but the mane that sits on my head still looks too big for my face and body. But at least today they won't get me a lot of attention, neither in a good or bad way, I hope.

"Oh My, Oh My! Camel Toe is here." As soon as I hear Elenora, all my earlier hopes of being invisible disappear.

Elenora is the IT girl of our school and neighbourhood, she and her friends belong to elite group in our school and within the mafioso (mafia) family. She is also Maria's best friends' daughter though that has never dampened her teasing or even bullying.

"Ele, doesn't the dress look familiar to you" one of the Elenora's friend, whose name I can't remember, asks.

"Isn't this the one you wore to your birthday party last year, the one that your mom got custom made for you in this colour" the nameless girl continues.

"Oh yes, I gave it away a while back to an orphanage. Afterall it is so last season" Elenora smirks, with her friend giggling loudly in the background.

"I see my hand me downs are working well for you Camel Toe, my leftovers suit you" she continues, with more giggles from her gang of girls.

I just murmur a quick Thank you and start walking faster to catch up with nana who is couple of metres ahead of us. I try not to get bothered by any of their words, I am used to them after so many years.

By the time I catch up with nana, we are almost at our assigned table. Not sure what to do I quietly sit down next to nana, aiming to be as invisible as possible. Pondering over my earlier questions & worries, that I still don't have an answer to.

"Omerta, Omerta do you want to eat anything" nana's question pulls me out of my deep and disturbing thoughts. I look at nana holding out a plate of arancini, they are my favourite thing on this planet, but I have no appetite right now, even though I have not eaten since yesterday morning.

The recent events have left my stomach in knots leaving me with no appetite. While everyone around me appears to be calm and normal I get a sick feeling like something bad is about to happen. I can barely keep down water, I am so nervous that I want to throw up.

The party is in full flow now, the dancefloor is plagued with people, and the one that are not there are dancing were hanging at the bar or scattered in groups talking and laughing loudly. It was a true Italian gathering- loud noises, louder laughter and even louder dance moves.

Maria is also standing in a corner with her friends, we know most people here, they are many new faces as well. As I start to scan the party, I realize that most of the new faces don't look very Italian.

I mean sure you see the brown hair and the Roman nose on quite a few, but their physique is not very Italian. The newcomers are all taller, and not just taller by Italian standards, they are taller by American standards as well. That it is not all, they are well-built like proper gym bodies, like bouncers like they spend hours and hours training, there is absolutely no trace of the Italian belly.

Even the women, with their Italian facial features and Italian full bosom, they are taller and well-built, very fit and athletic.

Unable to keep my curiosity, I enquire with nana "Nana, I don't know everyone here, is everyone here from neighbourhood". Questions regarding mafioso, from women are not encouraged after all they are not technically part of the mafioso (mafia), so I was trying to be a little vague, not sure if it was ok to ask.

But it seems like nana was aware of what I am referring to "They are all part of Luciano family"

I look at her hoping for some more light on the topic. Luckily, she is herself very forthcoming about the topic

"The new faces that you are talking about are not just part of the mafioso, but they are also the blood relatives of the Luciano family. They all stay on the estate together, and hold high ranks within the mafioso"

"So, they are all Italians?"

Nana's smile told me that she was not very surprised by my question.

"They are as Italian as you could get" She smiled

"No, it's just that they don't look very Italian, are they from a different part of Italy than the rest of us?"

"Tell me Omerta, what do you know about the word "Don"?"

"It's the head of the family, the mafioso" I answered instantly

"Oh Christ! This American Schooling, you kids have no idea about your heritage. The word Don originally comes from the latin word "Dominus", that technically means Lord, and it in the centuries ago it was used to address the blessed ones"

"The blessed ones?"

"The ones blessed by almighty himself, you see the priests, kings and the ones that were bestowed with powers by gods. They were all called the blessed ones."

I am not sure I follow what Nana is referring to "Sorry nana but how is this related to the Luciano family?"

She continues to explain "So as you know the Cosa Nostra has been in active since the 19th century, but that actually is the only formal name Cosa Nostra. The mafioso philosophy dates to thousands of years before that. The legend started with the pagan gods"

I see how my nana a devote Christian, has trouble referring to anyone or any entity as god

"When the pagan gods left earth, they blessed certain individuals with you can say their deity, you know portion of their divine power. They were the blessed ones. The divinity made these so-called blessed beings were much faster, stronger, smarter and attractive. Like leaps ahead, they were natural leaders, bold, warriors and protectors. These blessed ones took it upon themselves to ensure the protection and prosperity of the community, hence forming the mafioso (mafia) and hence the leaders became the dons. They see that the Dons of Cosa Nostra were direct descendants of these beings."

Well my nana, like multiple generations of her family, is die hard believer of the Cosa Nostra. She does not see it as crime syndicate. Mafioso for her is the family that protects one another and helps one another prosper. And no amount of crime records, police reports or news could change that for her.

"Do you actually believe that Nana" I ask her, but I do have an inclination what her answer would be

"Well it's not just the Luciano family, all dons and their families are blessed. The physical proof is in front of you, especially the Originals"

I look at her confused, she continued in an angry tone "Aah! This American education is no good. I am referring to the Original Sicilian Mafioso, Head of Cosa Nostra. The one Don Luciano pays his respects to, the one whom we all pay our respect to"

Of course, I know who she is talking about, they are said to be as terrifying as the devil himself.

People refuse to even name the, they are the ones that do not need an introduction, nor a mention. The ages old lore goes "Agosti on your breath, can only mean death!!".

Before I could ask more questions about the blessed ones, my father is back at our table

"Come Omerta we have to pay our respects to Don Luciano"

Why do I need to pay my respect, as far as I know it's a male ritual? Something is off.

Looking at my terrified & confused expression, my father explains with one word what my next action should be "NOW!"