The Mafia's Chosen slave

The city of Italy was cold in the morning, as the early morning breeze blew the curtain that sent shivers to the sleeping Jane, who wrapped her blanket tightly as if dreaming of something. "So, he was the traitor among us? we should probably find a suitable punishment for him," Said the most ruthless person among them.

With a lot of anger in his eyes, he removed his gun from his pocket and aimed at all the glass cups lined up perfectly well, before shooting at them. "How dare he try to go against our brotherhood? I trusted him so much," he said with so much disgust.

He spat out saliva on the floor, then used the back of his palm to wipe away his mouth before using his leg to cover it up. "What do you suggest is the most suitable punishment?" he asked his fellow gang.

They murmured some words between themselves, finally one of them spoke out. One of the men in the gang who was well-known as SNAKE, Immediately suggested they cut his hands off. Wow, how did I even know his name was the snake? "Sure that a very good idea." The leader of the gang nodded in approval.

He turned to face the guy, who was thrown forcefully on the floor like a beggar. He gave a satisfactory smile that meant he had won. "Call that girl Jane in here," he commanded. "Yes, sir," one of the gang said bending his head before leavening.

Why was My name being called? That was my name. Immediately I came In, I knelt in front of the boy whose head was bent and was waiting for his fate, this isn't real, right? Why did I have to look at him with such pity? "Give her the ax!" The gang leader commanded. "Cut his arm out, or I kill all of you in the camp." He said with finality.

"No, no, I can't do that!" I objected. "You can't?" He asked. "Get me, two kids!" Did he command? or is he trying to trick me into committing this kind of crime. That I might live to regret.

They came in with the kids. "Why are they here? don't touch them!" I said I moved closer to the kids who were pushed in, I held their hands, hiding them at my back. I kept widening my hands to indicate that, he shouldn't hurt them. "Then do what you were asked to do!" I looked at the boy who was thrown on the floor.

He looked up, staring directly at me. Not knowing what to do. I knelt and started crying. "Please don't let me do this!" I pleaded. Maybe something better please," I begged further making him laugh so hard. He felt he was in full control, yes he was really in control, no doubt. "Okay, marry me!"

I woke up immediately from my sleep. I looked around and felt thankful that I wasn't in such a state. "It was a dream, definitely a dream." I muttered to myself. I touched my eyes, they were tears dripping from them. Wow, it felt real. Why was I there? God, please don't make me fall into such people.

I stood up from bed, not in my usual mood of being cheerful. My body felt weak and tired, not like I did any work at home. According to my mum, I was too young. I got to the living room but nobody was there. It was not usual for my home to be so lonely and quiet on a Sunday morning.

I was about to go to check my parent's room. when the parlor door swing opened. My dad walked in. "Good morning, Daddy," I said Running to wrap my hands around his waist. But he acted scary by pushing me away. it was not his normal way, not to return my greeting. He was always cheerful, happy, and ready to play, instead, he shouted at me.

"What are you still doing here? go call your mother for me!" I was so scared, that I ran upstairs as fast as I could. Shouting my mom's name, tears wailed down my eyes. She must be in the toilet, I thought hard. I locked the door of her bedroom only to see her coming out of the kitchen. "Jane, come and help me in the kitchen," My mum said, I nodded and lifted my face.

"have you been crying?" She asked. "No," I replied. "Ummm, mummy." I called. "what is it?" she asked. "Daddy wants to see you in the parlor now!" I could see the panic in her eyes. "Okay?" she said removing the apron and handing it over to me. "Take this, go cut the onions! I will be back in a few minutes." She said before leaving. why was my daddy this way today? I hurriedly cut the onions and went to peep through the staircase. ***************

"Why are you still here? I taught I made it clear, you should pack your things and leave my house!" Daddy said, without looking at mum in the face. "But I am sorry," I heard my mum say from the stairs. "Sorry?" He asked. Through the little hole in the staircase, I could see my mum go on her knees, holding my dad's leg.

He kicked her hands off his trousers, Making her fall heavily. What was happening there? I was just 9, I didn't know what had happened between them and how to separate my parents. My elder sister wasn't at home but school.

I was in grade 6, I wasn't an adult. I had no say in this. I hid at the staircase, crying so hard, why was mum and daddy fighting? then I heard my daddy say, "Who is the father of Jane and Larey?" I could see the confusion on mum's face.

"What do you mean?" I heard mum scream in between tears. "You are the father, who else?" she asked. My dad dropped some documents on the floor close to my mum. "What is this?" She asked. "You could explain opening that." he said raising his gaze from her. Mum unfold the envelope, while dad faced the wall like he was waiting for something.

I was so scared because daddy and mommy were my only friends. I don't want them fighting. It hurt to see them scream at each other. After mum was done going through the envelope. She laid down on the floor crying her eyes out. "This is wrong.

There must be some mixup somewhere." I heard her scream some words (why me GOD). My dad looked at my mum in disgust and said. "woman! I shouldn't come back and meet you here or you won't like the consequences." did he mean what he said? All that I understood was that daddy wasn't my real papa, Tears wailed more. I ran to the parlor and knelt in front of daddy, tears dropping so hard. "FORGIVE US DADDY!" But he surprised me by kicking my hands off and raged away.

The loud bang sent shivers down my spine, I looked at my mum not knowing what to say or expect from her. She must have seen me as a child who doesn't understand what just unfolds before me But she was wrong, I understood every bit of a show that happened.

I wanted more explanation, but I knew this was the wrong time to ask questions. She stood up from the neat carpet, and walked slowly, towards the center table. Before I could detect what was happening, she trews all the beautifully decorated glass vests on the floor.

I closed my ears as tears kept flowing. "Mummy, please stop, just stop, please!" It was like she had lost control, and kept breaking items. I didn't bother about the sharp pieces of broken glasses on the floor as I stepped on them to get to her. I felt the pain.it was almost blinding.

I was losing control, I finally reached where she stood. I wrapped my tinny hands around her waist, I knew it didn't go round her waist. But I felt safe and happy. "Mummy, please let's stop, please stop!" I begged. She looked at the blood on the floor before glancing at me again. "Why is their blood on the floor?" She asked staring at me in a confused way and manner. "What burning mummy?" I stared at her in tears.

I felt pain in my legs, she sat me down on the chair and ran upstairs to the kitchen where the food was burning and had caught flames with a leather bag. She tried putting it off, but the flames kept increasing "Oh, God! Why me today?" She asked. With my injury and broken pieces of the bottle which was still left inside my legs, I ran outside the house to seek help.

I was already feeling dizzy with the blood gushing out so much. Some men, who I sought help from ran into my house asking for water and detergent to put the flames down. They rushed inside my house with the water but my sister's room had gotten burnt already. They finally put the fire off. I cried more on noticing daddy's car was out of sight. He was supposed to be here with us. Where was he? We needed him right now. After the flames were put off, My mum thanked them so much before attending to me. But by then I had passed out.

*******

I opened my eyes, only to find my mum and elder sister with me. "Where am I? Where was daddy?" I asked. I felt they were the most important question now. My mummy touched my hair, by patting them softly. "Baby, you should get well soon." She said.

"I'm not sick, mummy!" I said confidently. She hasn't answered my first question before I asked another question. "But I want to see daddy!" I said as I remembered what happened last night. "Am I not his baby girl any longer?" I cried out loudly.

"You are his baby!" Mummy said while she rubbed me gently to calm me down. A nurse came inside my ward, asking my mum to calm me down, saying we were in the hospital and we were to be quiet.

My mum gave me an apology sign that she was sorry. I stared at my sister, I could see a heated torrent of gashes dripping so hard. "Larey where is daddy?" I asked crying. I knew she couldn't hold it anymore as she stormed out of the ward.

"Mummy, please answer me!" I pleaded. "Please baby, I don't want to bother you with all this, you are still a young you. When you get to that stage, I promise to tell you," she said with much sadness in her voice. "No mummy, tell me now!" I screamed. "Your dad left us!" She said falling on the floor while she cried harder. The hospital was boring, maybe because dad wasn't here to crack plenty of jokes. After, three(3) days! I was finally discharged.

Daddy wasn't there to always cheer me up, sing lullabies or tell me sweet stories about the animals who became friends, and never quarreled or fought each other. Daddy said lying was a great sin and daddy lied to me. During one of the stories he read, he said quarreling and fighting were bad things, people should never do. But daddy had issues with mum and sent us away. He said he loved all of us. But he lied.

I missed daddy so much. We were finally discharged from the hospital. Throughout our stay in the hospital, my mum and larey stayed by my side. Why didn't they go home so daddy can stay with me for a day? I want daddy to pat me and say all was well. We headed to the car station where they take cars to your hometown, it was always a long journey. My mum found a chair and ask me to seat. She said she was going to get some items. She told larey to watch over me. I sat down patiently for 20 minutes seeing passengers load their bags for takeoff. Finally, she came with our boxes, "Mum why are our boxes here?" I asked standing up from my chair. "Baby, I told you we were going to be fine.

We had to go back to Alberobello we're grandpa and grandma stays." she explained further. "But I don't want to go. I want to go to daddy." I said feeling the tears foaming already. "Hey, Jane he rejected us. We aren't his." My mum said making me remember how he pushed us away.

My mum paid all the necessary fees and we were set on the journey to Alberobello. I stared at the beautiful city of Millan, while it faded away to the long and giant trees that filled the road. "I will miss everybody," I muttered to myself.

The journey was tiring and made me uncomfortable. I stared at my sister and mother, while they were fast asleep. I bet they are tired of stressing over my health. I looked towards the driver and it felt like he was getting confused because the brakes of the car don't seem to work fine. He kept turning the brake but I guess it wasn't given in, he eventually turned the car and it diverted into the bushes. It kept driving inside the bushes before it hit a big tree. we all had passed out.

I woke up to the smoke coming from the car. I tried waking my mum up. "Mummy? mummy?" I said tapping her. But no reply. "Larey? Larry?" I tapped, she woke up immediately. "What happened?" she asked looking confused. "Mummy isn't waking up." I cried, She looked at me before realizing we had gotten into an accident. She tried standing but it felt her legs were held by the scrambled car.

"I can't move my legs." she cried. "Try moving yours." she said. I did and it came off. I tried pulling her out, but it didn't work. I kept crying and shouting for help. "Hurry, Zuki, go look for help before the car catches fire." I could notice the fuel tank trickling badly. I knew she was scared, her eyes told everything! I knew she was trying to be bold for me. "No, I can't leave you here!" I said. "You have to if you must save us, I love you Jane but you have to hurry up." She let out.

I was about to run to ask for help. When the car exploded before me. "No, no, this cannot happen to me." I said as I screamed. I didn't know what to think as I hit the ground. not knowing what happened next. I must have fainted out of shock.

"Jane be the good girl you always use to be." My mummy said in a white glittering dress. "You should go back to the world, It holds a better place for you!" she continued. "What about you mummy?" I asked with tears falling from my eyes.

"I would protect you wherever you are!" She said waving at me as she faded away. "No, no!" I woke up screaming as I realized the tattered room, which was made with broom leaves. I held my head as I felt strong headaches. A man came into the room, I felt startled by him as I moved back and held my self tightly.

He stared at me like I was a disgusting being before going out, some minute later some men came in and asked me my name! I felt scared and didn't reply, one of them held my mouth with his hand. He pressed them so hard that I felt pain.

A man who sat down looking while everything unfolds must have felt little pity as he indicated that he stops. I guess he must have felt bad for how they treated me. "Hey, little girl!" He said. I'm going to take you home If you answer my questions honestly. He continued.

I wanted to go home so hard I guess this was my opportunity. "Yes, sir, you can ask me anything!" I said wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. "Good. What your name?" He inquired. "Jane brown sir," I answered sharply. He kept asking further about my age, and where I was from and lived.

When he was done by questioning me. He smiled at his men and said we got lucky, I didn't understand what he meant by they were lucky. Where they lucky to have saved me from! Then I remembered what had happened to me before I fainted. "No sir! please take me to my mummy please sir," I knelt down holding his leg as tears dripped to the floor. He must have felt disgusted as he pushed me away.

He ordered his men to take me away, He meant they should take me away but where exactly? They handed me to an old lady, who had long fingers and tattered hair. it was a total mess. She had a red dot on her forehead. She asked me to wait inside for her, while she had some words with the men who brought me to her. Inside the building were girls some my age and the rest maybe a little older.

She came inside and told me to undress as she smiled at me, I felt scared as her teeth were all broken. I moved back a little before undressing. She rubbed some contortion and asked me to drink it, it felt bitter and salty she used the rest to bath me all over.

My hair which was very dark and long was barbed using a razor to scrape it. She gave me a cloth which was a gown and hair scarf. She helped me pin the biotins of the cloth Before making me take an oat which was never to try to exist the camp or take food which wasn't given to me. I was later pushed into a dormitory where they ordered a female lady old enough to be my mother to take me to my room.

Why was this happening to me, was God angry at me? to punish me at such an age. I thought as I strode alongside the woman as she ordered me into the room and showed me the up bunk which was empty. The room was noisy as the girls made a lot of screaming and yelling.

I felt so much weakness in my legs. Then I remembered my legs not fully healing before all this mess. This was all daddy fault, a girl strode close to me, she was dirty and was all painted with black charcoal, she stretched her dirty hands before me. "I'm Mary, what yours?" She inquired. "Jane brown!" I replied. "You must be my bunkmate?" she asked.

"Yes," I said losing strength."You are bleeding," she said in a shocking state. before running out to get the senior lady. ******

The nurse wrapped my injury perfectly well so it doesn't get infected. before leaving she told the lady that I was to be of hard labor for a week. I stayed in the tattered house which they referred to as their sickbay, with no light and a lot of insects biting every part of my body and singing to my ear. Mary had visited me once in a while to know how I was doing and if I was getting better.

She was good to me, she had told me how we were going to be sold if we were up to 22 years. Now I knew why we were asked those questions. This was the life I never dreamed about, the days actually ran fast and it was already a week. I was returned to the stuffy dormitory where there was no ventilation.

We worked tirelessly cultivating crops and rearing animals, to sell when it was time to be sold. Days passed fastly to weeks and weeks to months and months to years I was already 22 and still facing hard labor. The hot sun made it harder to work faster today as I kept working on my portion until I was done.

I wasn't going to get dinner today if I wasn't going to be done with my portion. Mary was done with hers but wasn't allowed to help me since it wasn't allowed to help each other. Since the injury on my legs I haven't been able to walk well I still felt pain till today.

I wasn't beautiful any longer I was always tattered, scattered, and messy. I was supposed to be sold next month, but it was postponed due to the gang leader who died the month I was to be sold. They said he had blood cancer, I was pleased I didn't know why. And rumors went round that his son was going to take over the trafficking business. Why were people heartless I thought.

I immediately finished what I was doing, and strode to the stream where I cleared my head a bit, I removed my clothes and jumped into the water. I saw hard hands go round my waist I tried to restrain but he holds me tightly till we were on the surface of the water. I pushed him away before striding out of the water. "How dare you touch me?" I ask slapping him on the face.

"I taught you were going to die!" He said with a smirk on his face. He tried coming close, but I use my hands to demonstrate the stop sign. He raised his hands in defense. "Sure I won't come near you!" I took my cloth and ran as fast as I could.