Me Llamo Tokio (My Name Is Tokyo) - A Money Heist Prequel

Chapter 42 - Pistachio Gelato

Warning!
From here on the chapters are completely unedited and filled with mistakes as this story was always written in a hurry. Please read at your own risk. But, I'd highly recommend you to wait until mid December so that you can enjoy this book at its fullest. Thank you!

"Come on, open it." Juan tells me while I'm looking at the small package that I just received.
We're sitting in the garden and we just finished breakfast, getting ready to leave for our adventure through the streets of Rome. Or, so I thought, until Juan came and placed a small cardboard box on the table.
"Don't tell me it's another gift, Juan." I complain. "My birthday passed and..."
"Shh, just open the box." he replies smiling.
Surely, it's a gift. I think as I'm breaking the small pieces of tape that are keeping the box closed. But, now I'm curious too, especially to find out what Juan thought that I might want when I already have it all.
"Oh!" is the only sound that escapes from between my lips as I'm looking in the box.
It's a camera. That type of old one, probably a local brand that costed him a fortune since it's still working.
"Thank you." I say excitedly. "Thank you so much!"
"You said you always dreamt of owning a camera, those older models." he smiles quoting my words.
"And you got it for me." I'm really touched by his gesture. "I don't know what to say, it's just beautiful."
"I'm happy that you like it." Juan replies with a smile. "I tried to look for one that's actually working and I thought that today it would be a great moment to try it out."
He was right, what other moment you can find to test out a camera, than our secret escapade through Rome.
"Thank you." I say while analyzing the small metal object that soon will hold incapsulated so many memories. "It's beautiful."
I get up to kiss him. I haven't seen him that happy in a huge while and I'm glad that our day started this way. Juan was that kind of person who was happy just by making me happy and I find it the most beautiful thing in the world.
"Now, let's go until Rodrigo will find out." he laughs.
I can't hold my laugh either. Today's going to be an amazing day.

And, I wasn't wrong at all.
We started our adventure with a walk around the River Tiber, then we stopped by to eat a pizza at one of the many restaurants around Piazza Navona.
Our next stop was the Pantheon. An impressive temple, now turned church that had inside the tombs of some Italian kings and the most beautiful one, Raphael's tomb.
Then, our incursion through Italian Renaissance took us on the opposite bank of the river, to the Vatican. Where we admired the work of Michelangelo from the Sistine Chapel.
"Are you okay?" Juan asks me.
He probably caught me staring way too much at the fresco that's decorating the entire altar, depicting the Second Coming of Christ and the final judgment of all humanity. The dead rise and descend to their fates, as judged by Christ who is surrounded by saints. Thieves like us are burning in hell while the just are joining God in heaven.
"Yes, I'm fine." I say trying to take my eyes off of the eternal fire that's probably getting ready for us too. "Im just mesmerized by this painting. It looks so real in a way."
"I know." Juan agrees. "Michelangelo was one of the giants of renaissance and if you ask me, the best of them all."
I nod as we move on to other rooms filled with giant paintings and sculptures. I look at them, and admire their beauty, thinking of how hard it must've been for people back then to do such things without having half the knowledge we do now.
I'm pretty sure that I'll forget a lot of stuff from what I've seen at the Vatican museums. Many artworks left my mind seconds after I saw them, but a thing can't fled from my thoughts, not even when, we're miles away from its place, back on our side of the river, waiting for Juan to get some Italian gelato and still remembering the eternal fires of hell.
It might seem odd for someone like me to have such thoughts. Supposedly, thieves have no God, no principles and no remorse, yet here I am, being afraid of some fire that I've spotted in a painting.
Starting from the premise that what I do is wrong I might have to prepare myself to burn in hell forever, but also, doing all these things in the name of love makes me think of another principle that's only reserved for the just — "you shall love your neighbor as yourself." I don't love myself too much, but God knows how much I love Juan. He's the only person that I'd die for without even thinking. So, I guess I'm good, since I'm still entering in a bible accepted category.
"Silene!" his voice startles me as I was too caught in my moral debate with myself to see when he's approaching. "We have a problem."
"What?" I ask frightened, thinking of the worst case scenarios that might occur.
"We have company." Juan seems way too calm. "See that guy over there?"
I try to look in the direction that he's indicating me. For a few seconds, all I can see is a guy with glasses and a hat, then it hits me.
"Oh, no, Rodrigo found us." I laugh.
Juan looks at me while grabbing my hand. And here our adventure really started.
There was no time for ice cream or anything else, as two Serbs appeared from the crowd, ready to jump on us. So, we run through the tiny streets like our lives were depending on it.
It was something we did simply to have fun, since we were both aware of the fact that we'll have to face Rodrigo at some point when we'll get back to the villa.
"There!" Juan says indicating me a stone alcove from a small garden that seem like a perfect hiding spot.
I go in and he comes after me. His body is covering the sun and all I can see are his eyes somehow shining in the penumbra.
"This makes me think of something." he says while getting closer to me.
"What?" I giggle as I'm gently touching his lips with mine.
"It was a movie that I watched a while ago." he replies. "It was called "L'Alcova", made in the 80s."
"Oh." I say.
The 80s were my week spot.
"It was Italian." he whispers while his lips are slowly traveling down my jawline, then sucking on my neck, making my entire body shake out of pleasure. "And erotic."
"And now you tell me about it." I laugh. "We should watch it... or do it."
"I don't think we have time, mi amor*." Juan's soft laugh follows. "We're stuck in another movie now and I think it's called The Tourist, only it's taking place in Rome."
I don't have much time to remember the movie, even if I watched it a while ago, because Juan grabs my hand and says:
"Run, run, they found us."
I guess that was pretty much all about that movie too. I think as I run with Juan through the tall hedges of the garden.
I can't control my laugh and I hear Juan's laugh too. I've never ever believed that running and trying to hide from Rodrigo's men can be so funny.
Our escape plan made us embark a tourist bus and admire the city view for a few minutes until we decided that they lost us and got down.
I'm still laughing as I'm walking hand in hand with Juan on a small street filled with luxury stores called Via Condotti.
"We should rob these stores." I exclaim. "At night, one after the other."
"Shh." he seems a bit scared by my loud remark.
"You gotta be more convincing if you want me to shut up." I exclaim.
"Like this?" he says taking me on a side of the road and pressing his lips on mine.
"Yes, exactly like that." I say in the kiss.
"Good." Juan seems satisfied. "Then I'll do it more often."
"You just read my thoughts." I exclaim.
I don't think I can be happier. And, even if we had some incidents with Rodrigo's guys following us, they just spiced up our day, making it even more perfect than I thought it can get.
We stop by a gelateria and this time I insist to wait in line with Juan.
Mesmerized is too little to cover what I'm feeling when we step in the small ice cream parlor. There are rows of ice cream and gelato flavors, looking like a rainbow just exploded in the vitrine. From classic ones like chocolate and vanilla to some that I never heard of like earl grey, roses or lavender.
I decide to take a break from my all time favorite chocolate ice cream and try a pistachio gelato instead. And I can't say I was disappointed at all.
"This tastes amazing!" I exclaim as we were getting out of the gelateria.
"Mhmm." Juan is fighting with his three flavors cone, trying hard not to drop it. "Let's go sit there."
We cross the square to a huge row of steps that seem to go to a church located right above us.
"These are the Spanish steps." Juan announces when we finally take a seat on the stone steps.
"Not ironic at all." I laugh.
I take out my camera to immortalize the funny moment. Two Spaniards eating ice cream on the Spanish steps, while one of them is trying really hard not to drop it on the ground.
"Oh, come on." he laughs when he sees what I'm doing.
"You should've thought twice before getting me a camera." I giggle. "Now, shut up and smile."
I like that he obeys my command. It even amuses me with how much seriousness is trying to smile.
Then, after my goofy moment with the pictures, we stay in silence enjoying our gelatos. All I can say about my pistachio gelato is that, somehow it tastes like freedom and joy, an incredibly refreshing snack after running away through the city and hiding from Rodrigo's men. Also, I feel that it's going to take a while until we'll be able to have such a relaxing and fun day, as the date of the auction is getting closer and we really have to come up with a plan.
"Rodrigo will kill us." I conclude when I finish my gelato.
"Nah, don't worry about that." Juan seems really calm. "I think he was busy too."
"Busy with what?" I ask raising an eyebrow.
"Haven't you seen?" he throws me a complicit look. "Him and Alonso..."
"Oh my goodness!" I exclaim. "No, I haven't!"
I must admit that I haven't payed much attention to Rodrigo or Alonso these days because I was too preoccupied by my own relationship. Truth to be told, we weren't even meeting too much, as I was sleeping late and by the time I was waking up they were out. All I knew is that Alonso decided to leave the gang and join us, but I've never suspected that it's something more than that.
"Yesterday I saw them looking at each other in a way that indicates me something more." Juan adds. "Finally, Rodrigo might've gotten himself a good partner."
"I don't know why I'm so excited for him." I laugh. "I guess it's because he'll leave us alone if he'll have someone to fuck."
"Oh my, Silene!" he's trying to scold me, yet he ends up laughing too.
"Don't try to tell me it's not true!" I throw him a killer look, not allowing him to contradict me anymore.
This is followed by even more laughter and I can't believe that we're both so happy now and we successfully overcome all our problems.
I love Rodrigo, he's like a brother to us, but he can be really annoying sometimes. So, now that he has someone too, maybe he'll stop meddling in our sexual life and focus on his instead. But I can't stop myself from thinking how comes that a loud guy like Rodrigo ended up attracted by one that has no tongue. Perhaps, the saying with opposites attract works on them.
"We should go out on a double date." I joke as we get up and let myself be guided by Juan to our next destination.
"This is such a Rodrigo thing to say." he laughs.
"You know I'm joking." I gently punch his shoulder. "But, I wanted to ask you something for a while."
"Yes?" Juan's voice immediately becomes serious.
"What happened to Alonso?" I ask. "You never told me his full story."
"Do you really wanna know?" there's a hint of concern in his voice.
"Yes." I reply categorically. "I wanna know ever since we were in Madrid with your old gang."
"Okay, I'll tell you." he replies fast, like he's afraid that I'll reopen the subject with his old gang. "He's El Zorro's son."
"Oh my fucking God, I can't believe you haven't told me till now!" I say a bit angry about the fact that Juan omitted this "small" detail about him. "How can you not tell me this?"
"You never asked." he replies casually.
"Go on until I'll beat you for real." I say in a dead serious voice. "I don't have time for this."
"Alright, so Alonso is his son who fled from home and betrayed his father." Juan goes on. "He chose to work for his uncle instead and joined our gang that, as you know, was initially ruled by Sancho. Alonso provided Sancho so many valuable informations, that there was a moment when we were about to kill El Zorro in an ambush, but he run in time from that hideout. But, at some point, when we were in the middle of a robbery, one of our members betrayed us and helped El Zorro to kidnap his son. We found him with his tongue cut after weeks of searchings and we don't know what really happened there, but surely his tortures weren't nice. Alonso never mentioned anything and Sancho ordered us to stop asking him any questions related to that moment. He allowed Alonso to remain in the gang only because he provided valuable informations in the past, but from a position of power the boy was degraded so much that he ended up driving people around and cleaning our guns. And that's pretty much what's with him."
"I'm sorry for him." is all I can say. "He seems a good guy."
"Yeah, he is." Juan agrees. "We were good friends before his father cut his tongue and we remained like that too even after the incident."
"That's nice of you." I tell him, but he looks down.
Juan can't take compliments all the time and, knowing him, I'm pretty sure that he's blaming himself for something that happened with Alonso.
"You know, it's not your fault." I continue and this time he looks at me. "You can't protect anyone."
He smiles, probably because I just gave an answer to some thoughts that were running through his mind, making him to have a guilt trip and now, the entire storm just calmed.
"Thanks." he whispers and takes my hand.
I don't say anything. I just look at him, admiring this man that I can proudly call mine.