Chapter 1
10 years earlier. October 15th 2012
It was a night I'll never forget. I was about twelve years old. The thunder roared like an angry lion looking for its prey. Suddenly my mother Anna ran into the basement. My little sister Sarah was six years of age. She was sleeping when the incident happened "Quickly, get inside son! HURRY!" I didn't know what was going on. I heard gunshots. They were just as dreadful as the noise of the thunder. "Mother, what's going on in there?" I asked. "Just stay low, and keep your head down.'' It took an hour for the gunshots to stop. But they finally did. "My son, keep your head down. Stay here, I'll come back for you." I was so desperate to find out what was going on, so I disobeyed mom's orders and made my way downstairs. This mansion was huge, I thought to myself. I made my way into the kitchen and hid in one of the drawers. My aunt Amanda came and sensed my presence. "Gotcha you little brat! You stay in THERE UNTIL YOUR GRANDMA FINDS YOU!" She put me on top of the cabinet . I always thought my uncle's wife was crazy. As the thunderstorm passed, I yelled "HELP! HELP!" But no one would hear my cries.
I swept into tears while the rain was pouring down on the land. Finally my mom came and picked me up. " Who did this to you, my son?" she asked, trembling in fear. "It was Amanda." I replied in fear. "Don't be afraid my son, your mother was looking for you. I would never let anything harm you." The rain took longer than I expected. It was raining cats and dogs out there. As the rain finally calmed, my mother and I made our way downstairs.
My grandma was crying and bursting into tears. "My son!" Grandma was shouting. "SOMEONE DO SOMETHING! MY SON IS DEAD!" All the family gathered. My uncle Cihan was extremely late arriving at the scene. My grandma made me swear, "My grandson, promise me one day that you will avenge your father." I didn't know what to do. I felt like I was forced to make that oath. But I did it anyway. I promised one day I will seek retribution and avenge my father.
Chapter 2
Present day October 15th 2022
I wrote in my journal. On this day 10 years ago, my father died. My grandma was saying her last few prayers in the cemetery. I was thinking of the promise I made to my grandmother about visiting her in the cemetery, when my mom interrupted.
"Son, do you have a second?"
"I am supposed to meet grandma in the cemetery."
"What's up mother?"
"I just don't want you to go through this with revenge son, I'm really worried about you."
"Don't you remember ten years ago I made an oath saying I would kill the man responsible for my father's death." I was always terrified of my grandmother, because she is the oldest one in the family. I want her to feel like I'm not a burden to her because she does not want her son's death to be in vain. I don't want to let her down.
"I'm going to keep that oath."
"I raised you better than that. There is more to life than revenge."
Mother always seemed careful of me, even though I can sometimes be arrogant. "Plus you didn't promise anything, your grandma forced you to make that promise." I remember my grandmother that day, she said specifically ten years ago "My grandson, promise me one day that you will avenge your father."
"Mother, if I could tell you how much I feel right now. My anger is a dark shadow and my heart burns like lava hotter than the sun. Please leave me be."
I met my grandma near the cemetery. As I approached her, I overheard her say something. "Look, the birds are chirping in the morning similar to crickets at night." The cemetery was huge and it was full of people and tomestones. There were plenty of trees, tall, and short. She was talking to the tombstone of my father. Poor thing. "My son, I promise this family will avenge you. I will do my best to convince Mason to take retribution for the murder. "Grandma I'm here."
"Look who is here Adam , it's your son Mason," she whispers to his tombstone. She looks towards me. "I'm on my way grandson.'' She got up and slowly passed me as if she saw a ghost. "Where are you going?" I asked.
"I have business to take care of," she replied.
I miss my father.
"I missed you dad," I was talking to the grave as if he was there listening.
"I really do. Even though I love my mother, I feel like my life isn't complete without you..... without both of my parents." God made us to be dutiful to our parents, but I feel like the job just isn't complete. As I left the cemetery, I drove back to the mansion and I got some news.
"Your sister is getting married."
I was shocked because my sister was still young. "Married at a time like this? To whom?" I was desperate to know who the man was. "The young man's name is David Ramirez. His family is supposed to meet with us today because the young man is proposing to Sarah tonight."
"He asked my mother for her permission?!"
"Where is this wedding going to take place?"
"Sarah wants true love, pretty pathetic if I do say so myself." Grandma says in an ignorant manner. A few hours went by and the family started to arrive at the house to introduce themselves. Then Jessica Ramirez, David's mother, suggested that we should start preparing for the wedding, as if she wanted them to get married right this second. Then my grandma replied, "I don't think we should get them married today."
Then, I remember the flashback "My grandson, promise me one day that you will avenge your father." I took deep breaths as I was drinking my tea remembering that on this day 10 years ago, my father was murdered. Then I suggested "I don't want my sister to get married at a time like this. Especially not on this day. I think it would be better for us to start preparing for the wedding, but take it slow." Then Jessica Ramirez agreed. We said our farewells and goodbyes. My grandmother was relieved. "Thank you grandson."
