Collapsed

TRUTH

Never in my life I would have thought that I would be sitting on the dining table with strangers, eating a lasagne and discussing my family's funeral.
After the first bite I just couldn't lift up the fork to take another. My mind was all fuzzy and eyes watery. Drinking glasses after glasses of water was not helping either. Apparently I was in Seattle.
Yes! ladies and gents I was in SEATTLE. I travelled all the way from Denver to Seattle in my unconscious state. The house were I am currently being settled is the Arison mansion. The reason I was brought here like a sack of potatoes was because my Uncle told me that Denver was not safe for me anymore. And the whole discussion was about the burial site of my family. Whether they were to be buried in New Orleans, my home or here in Seattle.
"I think your parents would want there last resting place here sweetie, in Seattle. After all it was there home city. They grew up here together.", Mrs. Arison put forward her suggestion.

I was getting frustrated, my hands shaking. Anger taking over me. I places my fork aside and looked up staring directly into her eyes, "I don't know Mrs. Arison. According to me my parents were living in New Orleans with me and my siblings for years. I don't remember them mentioning anything about you or Seattle. And this whole, ' I knew your parents and we were friends' thing is getting a bit frustrating. So please if anyone of you could explain to me what the hell is going on. Because my family is dead and instead of taking there bodies with me to my home I am listening to you guys telling me to bury them here in Seattle. To which might I add I don't even know I was brought to because I was unsafe from something I don't know about. So please stop taking decisions for me and tell me the truth. Just the truth."
I ended my rant and composed myself picking my fork back up and taking up a slice.
Did I just hear you speak so loudly. I thought you were a meek little mouse.
OH GOD! I am already regretting it. I mentally face palmed myself. I think I went a little overboard and over reacted.
You think...
The room was pin drop silence. I could feel everyone's stare directed towards me. My anxiousness taking over.

" She's got a tongue", William smirked. I glared at him absolutely not liking his comment.
" And a glare", This time it was Mark. A throaty chuckle followed.
What now, are they making fun of me?
I like his voice better. I think one point to Mark on that.
Really! Now we are keeping records.

I looked up to see Uncle James staring back at me. I gave him the pleading look with my eyes as if begging him to take me out of this mess. He released a sigh and folded his hands to his chest, relaxing his tense shoulders a bit he began speaking.

"Aira your father was not just a regular architect working in the firm. He was the leader of the American mafia along with Reed here. He was once the most feared man across this country. Our father was the previous mafia leader along with Arison Senior. From there your father inherited this mafia title. Your mother met him in school and they were so in love and inseparable from there. Your mother grew up in an orphanage devoid of any family. She married your father right after school and got pregnant with you, the product of there love. Your father knew that it would be a grave risk to let you into his world of crime. He left Seattle with his family leaving the whole organization in the hands of Reed Arison. I was never the one to get involved in this mess. So, I started my own company away from this hassle in Denver. " He completed releasing another sigh, as if unloaded of a huge burden.

I blinked a few times, letting it all in.
OK.... This is the time when someone jumps from behind the curtains and shouts that I have been pranked and it was just part of the prank show?
I moved my head and assessed everyone's face slowly, for any sort of reaction. But they were as still as a damn statue.

All I could do was laugh. I started laughing hysterically. To the point where tears started coming from my eyes. Everyone was looking at me as if I was some kind of maniac.
Well you are looking like one. Why are you even laughing?
I don't know.... It's just so overwhelming dammit! What am I supposed to do, cry?
"Is this the point when I call the mental hospital?", I heard William mutter. Getting smacked on the head in return by Mark.
Being told that my entire life has been a lie. That my father was a mafia don.... a bloody MAFIA DON.  And I never knew any of it. Eighteen years of my existence and everything was a lie. And to top that my parents are not even with me to clarify this whole situation.

Tears started streaming down my face. My laughter turned into sobs. My body shaking and my head paining. " So you are telling me that my father lied to me the entire time?" I couldn't help but ask.

Mr. Arison got up from his chair a grave expression on his face, " He had to for your own safety. Being in the mafia is not easy. You make many enemies and allies on the way, mostly enemies. Your father was worried that you would be in danger all your life. He wanted you to have a normal life, a normal family. And he left all this empire for you. Every six months he visited to keep check on the basic things and attend the meetings . He trusted me enough to let me be the in charge and head. We were like brothers."

I felt a hand on my shoulder to see Lillian sitting on the chair next to me, wiping her own tears.    " Your father wanted to tell you everything, Infact he was about to tell you the moment he reached home but the events took another turn. Everything was going quite alright until your father started getting threats involving you. Someone from our rivals had information about your connections to this mafia. Your father went to Denver for the annual meet to discuss this issue. And the most favorable option was to tell you and Jasmine the truth and bring you back to Seattle for better security .  But on there way to airport a truck crashed into their car. And from all the resources we have concluded that it was not an accident but a plan intended to kill them."

That's it! It was getting too much. All this information that had been bombarded on me was making my mind explode. I couldn't even comprehend my words. I wanted to say something but my throat felt parched. I tried to stand and walk away but my head started spinning and my legs gave away. I saw black dots clouding my vision and collapsed on the ground.