For five years, Polnareff took on different jobs so he could start saving up and make his and Sherry's dream come true without relying on anyone or anything. Somehow, he considered contacting the Joestars again, to assure that he's doing well and to ask for help with his new life goals but he later turned his own suggestion down. Memories that he's been trying to bury will surely be brought up and that's the last thing that he wanted to think about.
Taking on a lot of jobs turned Polnareff into an observer. In one job, he quietly drove some group of bantering office friends to the beach, reminding him of the times when he used to sing Murray Head's "One Night in Bangkok" or Modern Talking's "Cheri Cheri Lady" whenever Mr. Joestar assigned him to drive. At the stopover, he recollects that time when Kakyoin scolded him for trying to abandon their car on their way to Pakistan.
"What kind of driver leaves the car first? Who's going to hold the handbrake?"
In another job, he was hired to clean some dormitories for foreign students in a suburban area where its residents' scattered video games, comics, trading cards, and sumo collectibles made him think about Kakyoin. These jobs required him to talk less, which aligned with his intentions of never getting close to someone again.
In his current job, he silently follows orders from customers who are asking him to write "Happy Birthday" or "Congratulations" on their cakes. Keeping quiet may have kept him away from harm but this has only exacerbated his loneliness. Bits and pieces of the memories he wanted to bury keeps resurfacing in the most mundane situations. A Boston Terrier sniffs on parked vehicles and refuses to walk with its owners. A dark-skinned, stone-faced man clad in gold ornaments drives to the business area. A young, red-haired customer asked him for extra cherries on his dessert. He can only swallow the bitter pill of reality that his beloved friends are gone and nothing can be done to get them back.
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One day, Polnareff was tasked by the catering manager to run their regular client's engagement party. This regular client is the Rigatonis, a powerful Italian family running different conglomerates across the continent. Rumor has it that this family has ties with some mafia from Rome. This party will present their daughter, Norma Rigatoni, to be engaged to an equally powerful Italian clan. Polnareff was entrusted with this VIP client as he's the only capable and available among the catering staff.
Guests and visitors were getting into the venue as Polnareff was in the middle of laying out the coffee booth. It was a formal engagement party which expects attendees in their fancy suit ensembles or shining evening gowns. For an extravagant party, everything seemed dull as attendees were speaking in a hushed tone. They have to be extra careful of what they say, regardless if Rigatoni's connections to the mafia is true or not.
Attendees fell into a trance when Alfonso Rigatoni, the patriarch, presented himself and welcomed everyone to the party. It is his pride and honor to present his precious daughter, Norma, to the public. When the young lady appeared on stage, everyone gave her a round of applause, with some murmurs about her appearance or potential political moves. Polnareff finds this Norma lady quite pretty and by her looks, she might be around Sherry's age.
Party guests and visitors were having fun socializing, drinking, or admiring the Rigatonis when suddenly, a white Land Rover Defender rammed into the stage, with a furious intent of crashing onto father and daughter. Without waiting for any violent reactions from the crowd, heavy motorbikes then surrounded the venue driven by armed goons, obliterating everything on its path, including Polnareff's newly-installed coffee booth. The mad crowd dashed, scattering throughout the venue, forgetting where they entered from. Some ended up ducking, crying, and shushing themselves, silently praying for the unwanted visitors to go away.
Rigatoni's security reacted slowly as they caught their mistress held at gunpoint by one of the goons. No one knows (except probably the Rigatonis) where or who even deployed these goons to sabotage this momentous event.
"Let go of Norma! She has nothing to do with you guys!"
"Oh yeah? Well now she has!" The goon pushed the muzzle deeper, as if the hard metal was trying to pass through Norma's skull. The poor lady was too defenseless to do something. "We have nothing against you really, but the Boss does... So sorry but all in a day's work...!"
Polnareff hid in one of the venue pillars, listening intently to the standoff. What do they mean by "Boss"? Whatever their problem is, no family deserves losing a loved one, especially someone's daughter. He has to think of something, anything, to save Norma. But then what can he do? He had always failed to play the hero, placing someone else in harm's way.
"...we have to get rid of the Boss' past..."
What's there to lose in this life? Once this is all over and done, he might be able to come to the other side and meet his loved ones again. The caterer ran towards the stage in a heartbeat, jumping over the hostage-taker to break the standoff... He has nothing to lose... He'll surely receive another lecture from Avdol or Kakyoin once he gets there... Heck, as long as they see each other again...
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Polnareff could hear noises, different kinds of noises coming from a mix of booming gunshots, breaking glasses and cracking furniture, followed by ringing shrills from souls asking for redemption. Could this be the afterlife he's been longing to go to? He felt hot and sweaty, probably from all the tension that he just went through... Then there was chaos surrounding him, pulling him back...
He then opened his eyes and saw some bullets, sliced seamlessly around him. Sharp gusts of wind have been dividing anything that's trying to hit the brave caterer. Some party guests who stayed during the standoff could witness a gusty whirlwind forming around this random food servant.
This was the opportunity for the patriarch to run towards his precious daughter and hide for their lives.
For some reason that most people can't explain, these sharp wind lashes seem to be hitting not only the hostage-taker but all visible goons at once. How a storm was just formed inside a fancy event hall is way beyond the Rigatonis, the hired goons, and the ones who witnessed everything.
The hostage-taker freaked out, glared at this random bête noire, then stepped away from the stage in horror.
Polnareff feels a warm, familiar presence behind him, a dignified silver knight ready to defend him from danger, the same way it always does...
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Rigatoni asked the catering company about "that silver-haired employee who jumped over some thug", asking for a private meeting with the man who saved their daughter. Polnareff already appreciated the family's gratitude yet they were insistent on repaying him, no matter how much it would cost.
"Tell us, how can we repay you? You placed yourself at risk during that ordeal, so it's not right for us to leave things as they are..."
Polnareff kept quiet for a while. What does this man really want from him? After Cairo, he has been careful or even skeptical about these people who "grant wishes". He won't be played and deceived ever again.
On the other hand, what does this innocent rich man have to do with his life before shutting himself off? He didn't sense anything "bizarre" from this man, except his regal presence that could topple over the socioeconomic status quo.
Maybe this is the only chance he'll get. For himself. For Sherry. For keeping their dream alive.
...
...
...
"If you can...."
"Yes?"
"...I want to build Polnareffland."
YOU ARE READING
Living on a Promise
FanfictionJean-Pierre Polnareff, Founder and CEO of Polnareffland Parks and Resorts, has recently announced his plans for global expansion. He has been with the recreation industry for a few years, building his business from the ground up. What's the secret b...
