Hyacinth || BokuAka

018

"Oh veramente? (Oh really?)" he replied, his tone challenging. "Sì, (Yes,)" I said, ignoring his tone. Before he could say more, the ceremony started.

As the ceremony began, a quiet, respectful silence fell over the crowd. Everyone gathered around the casket, which was covered in beautiful white and red flowers—a sign of both respect and mourning.

The priest, dressed in his black robe with a white collar, stepped up to the front. He began with a gentle, serious prayer, asking for peace for my father and strength for everyone who was grieving. His voice was calm and soothing, breaking the silence only with the soft sounds of the breeze rustling through the trees.

After the prayer, several people took turns speaking. They were family members, friends, and people who had known my father well. Each person shared stories and memories, talking about how my father had touched their lives and made a difference. The mood was heavy with emotion as people listened, some wiping away tears and others simply nodding in quiet reflection.

The priest then called for the two sons of Francesco Gambino to come forward and share their memories on how their father had impacted their lives. The crowd's attention shifted expectantly between Alessandro and me. I was prepared for Alessandro to step up first, being the biological son of Francesco Gambino.

Instead, Alessandro turned to me with a hint of challenge in his eyes "Tu per primo. Sei sempre stato il suo figlio preferito. (You first. You were always his favourite child.)" I was taken aback. I knew he held a grudge against me, but his request was clearly meant to make me look disrespectful, as I was the adopted child.

It was uncomfortable to be put in this position. Despite the tension between us, I knew Alessandro's feelings were justified. Francesco had always spent more time with me and valued my feelings, often neglecting Alessandro. This favouritism had strained our relationship, making me feel uneasy. I had tried to reach out to Alessandro, but his resentment only grew.

When I confronted Francesco about it, he admitted that Alessandro reminded him too much of his deceased wife, making it too painful to be around him. Instead of offering affection, Francesco had showered Alessandro with material things to compensate for his emotional distance.

With this in mind, I felt a mix of guilt and discomfort as I approached the front. Despite my own grief, I couldn't ignore the emotional weight of Alessandro's words and the complex family dynamics at play.

"Ciao a tutti. Come probabilmente saprai, sono Akaashi, il figlio adottivo di Francesco, (Hello everyone. As you probably know, I'm Akaashi, Francesco's adopted son,)" I began, my voice steady but strained. "Francesco mi ha adottato quando avevo cinque anni da un orfanotrofio in Giappone. Potresti chiederti perché il Giappone. Mi ha detto che una volta i miei genitori lo avevano salvato e lui voleva ricambiare il favore. Mi ha accolto e mi ha trattato come se fosse suo figlio. (Francesco adopted me when I was five years old from an orphanage in Japan. You might wonder why Japan. He told me that my parents had once saved him, and he wanted to return the favour. He took me in and treated me as his own child.)"

I paused for a moment, gathering my thoughts. "Quando lottavo contro la depressione, mi ha incoraggiato a tornare in Giappone per riconnettermi con il mio paese natale. Anche se stavo lasciando l'Italia, mi rassicurò che non avrei lasciato la famiglia e che sarei sempre stato sotto la protezione della famiglia Gambino. (When I struggled with depression, he encouraged me to return to Japan to reconnect with my birth country. Even though I was leaving Italy, he reassured me that I wasn't leaving the family and that I would always be under the protection of the Gambino family.)"

I looked out at the gathering, my emotions weighing heavily on me. "Francesco mi ha dato tanto e la sua assenza si sente profondamente. Farò sempre tesoro del tempo trascorso con lui e la famiglia (Francesco gave me so much, and his absence is profoundly felt. I will always cherish the time I spent with him and the family.)"

I stepped back, feeling a mix of relief and sorrow, hoping my words had conveyed the respect and gratitude I felt for the man who had shaped so much of my life.

I began to go back to my seat, Alessandro stood up, and I gave him a small smile, hoping it came across as sincere rather than a challenge.

As I was getting to my seat from the corner of my eye I saw him.

Well, three figures stood at the edge of the gathering, their presence almost ghostly against the backdrop of the funeral, but his eyes were all I was looking in.