His Angel

Chapter 16

It was bizarre. I knew the type of people I was sharing my meal with but I wasn't aware. It was just so casual, so carefree and so uneventful that I felt a sense of delusive comfort. I conversed with ease, responded appropriately and laughed on cue. I leaned my back against the fridge, comforting a glass of water. A meter away from my left was Luca standing with his hips against the counter island. Across from him was Abele with his arms cross still on his last bite of sandwich. Betty also hadn't finish her meal, too caught up by the speaker sitting beside her. In fact, everyone's full attention was given to Alessio as he recalled tales of his youth gone by.

"And that was the start of me not leaving the house without a gun," he said laughing contagiously. However, there was an irony to his humour. It was tragedy without the laugh. Maybe that made it all the funnier.

"Tsk...tsk...tsk...," Betty sounded shaking her head. "Men and their toys. Gun should be illegal. It's the reason why we have so many mass shooting in this country."

"Lighten up Betty. Trust me, it's true what they say, guns don't kill people. People kill people," Alessio replied as charming as a salesman.

"Yes dear, that's true. But a madman shouldn't have it so easy by practically handing him a weapon."

"You never know Betty. Maybe the madman is just trying to protect himself," Abele spoke up. "That's why it's important that people should know how to handle a gun, be educated about it."

"You and the rest of the country it would seem," Betty replied. "Me? No thanks."

"What about you Miss Contreras? Would you learn to handle a gun?" Abele asked looking at me with curiosity.

"I've never needed it before," I told him.

"Have you ever held one?" Luca asked. I shook my head. "Would you like to learn if I took you to a shooting range?"

"I think that would be wise," Abele commented. The way he said it with conviction made me feel wary immediately.

"How so?" I asked.

"It'll be fun, you'll like it," Luca spoke before Abele could respond. It was very suspicious. "In fact, I can take you right now."

"Ummnn.... I can't. I have to meet Gabriela this afternoon," I said truthfully.

"What time?" I really didn't trust his persistence on the matter.

"At 4."

"Plenty of time," he said.

"Yea but...."

"Meet me by the elevator in 20 minutes," he interrupted while walking away. I guess I was going to spend my afternoon with him yet again. I wonder what this trip would entail this time.

I held the handgun firmly with both my hands as I raised my arms, aiming at the target in front of me. There was such a thrill that came with holding a deadly weapon. Adrenaline rushed through my veins like magma beneath the earth's surface before a volcanic eruption. I knew I should fire soon. Pressure built the longer my finger hover on the trigger and I was afraid of the explosion.

"Relax and just shoot like I showed you," Luca shouted over the earmuff behind me. As much as I wanted to adhere to his advice, it was much easier said than done. I couldn't control the shaking.

"I can't," I told him, setting the gun down. "I don't understand why you took me here," I said facing him.

"Don't you want to learn how to defend yourself?" he asked while we both took off our earmuffs. We weren't worried of others for we were the only people in the range.