The Mafia Boss

Part 9: The Pool

I take a large swig from my wine bottle and return to my spot in the middle of the pool, floating on my back, looking up at the sky. The stars twinkle each with their own souls. Their luminosity represents the souls they were created with. Some stars shine brighter, others are barely a visible dot amidst big bright ones. My dad was one of those big happy souls, without his, the sky would feel empty, boring. He was always so excited and cheerful about the least interesting things. He would always play with me at any time, with every last energy he had left. I loved him so much. I loved him so so much. And so did he love me. Sometimes I get flashbacks from before. The ones in which my childhood came to a stop haunt me, torture me. The memories from my childhood are the ones I enjoy the most. They always arrive with this air of nostalgia, of regret. Regret that I wasn't more grateful, that I hadn't taken more advantage of those moments, that I hadn't enjoyed it as much as I should have had.

I remember that day in the boat. Me and my parents, the perfect, unscathed little family, all together in sea. Who would be the first to return to the boat? We raced and swam and swam. I was six years old and too young to race so I stayed on my father's back, cheering him on as he swam with my mother. I was laughing with joy at how fast it all went until we reached the boat, even if it wasn't all that fast. My mother won and climbed back into the boat first, standing up sticking her tongue out at me and my dad. We ascended the ladder to the boat. My dad placed me aside, laughing and hugged my mother closely kissing her. I laughed because my mother was laughing and he came over and picked me up, kissing me all over too. We were all so unconditionally happy, never would the idea ever pop into our heads that our family would me ripped apart, gone. Forever.

The rain had started falling, drop by drop, one by one. The summer humidity stayed so it wasn't cold. I laughed. Laughed at the stupidity of it all. The unimageable way it had all turned out. I laughed a sad laugh. Because I knew that if I didn't laugh, I would break. I return to the edge of the pool and down the rest of the bottle's contents. Feeling relieved, feeling relatively fine once again.

"Lucia." the figure walking from the closing door states. The door closes with the same startling loud bang it had before. He doesn't sound happy, he states my name with such lethalness it scares me. He walks over to the pool where my arms lean on the edge and the rest of my body is hidden beneath the water. The rain falls harder and harder.

"Matteo." his name still feels so strange to pronounce after all that time I have spent with his other name. "What are you doing here?" I smile up at him, my words sound so sweet to my ears. I'm being strangely kind to him. It might be the wine. He doesn't reply, he's staring at my face, with a strange look on his face. 

"Why don't you come swimming with me? The water is cold at first, but once you get used to it, it's really nice." I take my bottle and try for one last drop. He bends down and pulls the bottle from my hand. "Oh, you're no fun." I pout.

"I'm a lot of fun, trust me." he tries to retain his reputation. He places the empty bottle and places is it next to my clothing further from the edge.

"Then come swim. If you're as fun as you claim, you wouldn't neglect my offer." I say luring him in. 

"You're drunk." 

"No, I'm not." a stupid idea pops into my head. An idiotic one, generated by the wine. I wade over to the stairs in the pool, by my right and slowly take the steps out. I feel his eyes stuck on me, captured by me. My wet, shimmering skin. I walk over to him with slow, agonizing steps. One by one, I sway a bit from one side, to the other. I reach him and smile at his hypnotized state. Smile up at him and pull down his shorts. He looks so confused, it's hilarious and I can't help but giggle a little. I try to take off his shirt but his height restricts me and he pulls it off himself. I want to know what he's thinking. I wonder what he expects to happen next, or is he not thinking? Can he not think, memorized as he is by me. He hasn't swayed an inch from where he placed himself while I was in the pool. Right on the edge. I push him in. His large muscular body lands in with a mighty splash of the water. I laugh as he resurfaces below me. Smiling up at me. With his dark hair matted down, sticking to his face. With half his chest slick with water dripping from it. I jump in afterwards, screaming during the fall. I stay under water, watching the bubbles float to the surface, following after them. The water comes up to the very top of my shoulders. He comes towards me; ever so close does he stop advancing. Matteo's hand pushes a wet lock behind my ear, his hand stays in place and pulls my face close to his.