The promise

A smile broke on Steven Gold’s lips when he was released for the day. He walked out of his workplace where he carried heavy boxes and called his elder sister.

”Hello, hard worker!” Her weak voice said at the other end. Steven smiled.

“It is nice to…,” He bumped into a lady.

“Sorry,” he apologized, but she rudely ignored him.

He brushed it off and entered the bus.

“Sorry for the interruption,” he said to his sister.

“How do you feel now? Your stomach wasn’t great in the morning.”

“I threw up twice. That's a new record. Yay!”

His sister joked. Steven couldn’t believe she found her stomach pain funny.

“It's not funny, Mary.”

“I ate lots of chocolates. I blame myself for this.”

“I thought you wouldn’t. You always look for someone to blame for your situation, you know.“

“Where are you? Be quick and come. I am waiting.” She grumbled bored.

“Fine, fine. Few more minutes.” Steven gave his word and hung up. His focus went back to the window, watching the trees speed past.

When he arrived home, his sister hugged him briefly, before watching him leave for the kitchen.

“Let us go back home,” Mary said breaking the silence. He pretended he didn't hear what she said. He made himself a nice cup of coffee and sipped it. “Steven, they are still our parents,”

“Do not say that Mary.” He frowned. “It doesn’t sound good. What sort of joke is this? Parents do not leave their children to suffer!”

“We were the ones who left home. They didn’t kick us out,” she defended.

“They are freaking mafia! What else do they expect?! They kill people and take their money. Do you know how painful that reputation is? We do not want their bloody money!”

“I know, but you’re just seventeen. You still have next two weeks to turn 18. Do not act like an adult now. You know we need them, right?“

Steven squeezed his face and crossed his arm.

“Age is just a number….”

“Change your mind, Steve,” Mary opened a drawer and inspected some coins. “We cannot survive on pennies, and you’ve got to go back to academy too.”

“I do not want their money. I enjoy carrying boxes.”

“Says who? You are a terrible liar!”

“But I don't want to go there, Mary. They killed ....” Tears flowed down his eyes. A memory he hated, rushed back in. “They….”

Mary understood. She tried not to cry and sniffed a mucus instead. She blinked back her tears, punching his arm.

“Cry baby. Forget what they did.”

Steven gave her a reluctant stare before nodding.

“I will try and forget.”

Mary looked with pride.

“That's the Steven I know.” She held his arm. “It won’t be easy. But you have to try. At least, for the meantime until you are independent.” Steven nodded at her. “And also cut your nails. They look nasty. No girl will like you with that.”

”You do not act like you’re one year older than me,” Steven laughed. “You act like you are my mother.”

“O! Please!” She brushed his arm. “Who else do you have?”

She noticed something hanging on his shirt collar and removed it.

“What’s this?” She asked. He gazed at what she held and caught sight of an earring. “Did you meet a lady?”

“Someone bumped into me today. I guess her earring got stuck in my collar.” He denied immediately.

“Wow! That’s random.” She inspected the jewelry. “Awwn! Cute!”

”Whatever!” Steven rolled his eyes.

”Look Steven! She marked it. Look!” Mary pointed at a permanent initial marked on the silver plating.

“People and weird stuffs. Come on, give me that!” He collected the earring rudely from her and went to the trash.

”Don’t trash it.”

“We cannot keep this here.”

“Why? I love it. I want one of those.”

“It is for a stranger.”

“Does it matter? Mum will get me something like this. Keep it in your wallet for now…”

“This is a random earring, Mary.”

“Please, I want it.”

Steven couldn’t argue anymore. He placed the earring in his wallet.

“Happy now?”

She hugged him with a cheerful screech..

“Yeeeeeeee! I love you, brother.”

He pretended to be unimpressed, but secretly smiled afterwards.

I will always protect you, Sister.

***

“Steven! My man!” His dad welcomed him, cupping his arm around his neck playfully. Steven tried pushing him away, but the man was too strong for his weight. That was what he got for coming home!

“How are you? Did you bring your sister?”

“She is on her way,” Steven informed him and looked around for his mother. The house looked the same just as he left it; boring, smell of cigars, and probably haunted ghosts.

“Your Mother is at the casino,” His father knew he searched for her.

“What client do you want her to seduce this time?”

“You are insulting me, my man.”

“I only told the truth. It is insulting because no man allows his wife to do that.”

A punch flew in the air and landed on his chin. Steven was on the couch, bleeding from his mouth and nose. His fingers felt the stickiness. He forgot about the punches. How much he missed his father’s punches. They were like breakfast to him.

“Is that all you’ve got?” he asked, clenching his fist.

“My man, we do not have to fight again. You just came back.”

“I want you to fight me now!”

“No one is fighting,” His sister’s voice said from the door. They turned to her. “No one is going to fight. We will live happily as a family should.” She gave Steven a puppy look. “Please?” He couldn’t bear her upset look. He nodded and she pecked him on the cheek. “Thanks! Now let me get my hair washed. I stink.” She hurried to her room beside the stairs.

“So, how are you?” His father asked as if he cared.

Steven ignored him.

“You remind me of myself, Steven,” his father smirked, “Angry, handsome, determined. You are a mafia like your father.

Steven furiously pushed him, and seized his dad’s gun. He’s never used a gun before, but who cared?

“Stop talking nonsense!” He threatened.

“I pointed a gun at my father multiple times . It felt good,” His dad laughed.

Steven was embarrassed. How could His father say such a thing? He badly wanted to spill the old man’s blood on the couch. But his sister? He couldn't hurt her feelings. He lowered the gun and threw it at him.

“I will never be like you!”

“I said that at 16!”

Steven ignored him and went up the stairs. His father didn’t even know his real age! What father manipulates his son like that. The sooner he can stand against his father, the better. But he has to figure out how.

***

Later that night, Steven heard some noises down the stairs. He wasn’t sure what it was, but the noise alarmed him for sure. He got out of bed and snuck down the stairs. The sound grew louder and louder. It sounded like someone was pushing something against the cement floor. He followed the sound of the noise and arrived to his father’ office. The man had pushed his office desk against the wall and smiled, as if impressed by what he did.

“What do you think, son?” He asked when Steven walk in. ”My back will be to the door from now on.“

Steven rubbed his sleepy eye.

“That was a very loud noise. Why would you do that?”

“I am sorry, my son,” he apologized. “I had to rearrange somethings. It is good you are here. I want to tell you something.”

Steven folded his arms. His sleep was disturbed anyway and there was no way he was sleeping any time soon. Listening to his father wouldn’t hurt, would it?

”What is it?” He asked.

”Here, come here my boy,” his father waved his arm to him. Steven stood beside him and caught sight of some documents. The documents looked nerdy for some reason and he hated their sights.

“What do you want to show me, father?” He asked with a bored look.

”I want you to know about our neighboring, Mafias. They aren’t as powerful as we are, but they do have a huge amount of money.“

Steven scoffed.

“I have no interest,”

As he turned to leave, his dad grabbed him.

“Wait, son! Trust me, as a future mafia this information will be very important.” His father tried to convince him.

“I do not want to be a mafia!” Steven pulled away his arm. ”Why won’t you leave me alone?”

”Because you are my legacy, Steven. Who will take over this business if not for you? Look,” his father pulled out a document from a pile of them and tapped on a list of names. “These are the names of the leading Mafias under us. They ask for loans and do our dirty jobs for us, but I can assure you, they are still powerful. There is the Yellow Sulphur, the fake perfume industry that sells drugs. No one is surprise about that. There is the Red Ripple. They own a huge money laundering business. They promised to established a new business called the Red Pill soon, but I am not sure how soon. There is the Yellow Curl, one of the biggest smugglers of diamonds. There is the Ancient Buglar, a big supplier of illegal weapons, there are few others which I cannot mention, but here is one final one owned by a man named Mr Haman. It is unspeakable and no one dares them. His mafia is called “The Unthinkable”.

Steven yawned nonchalantly. Those were terrible names for a mafia. Couldn’t they be more creative?

”I feel sleepy now, dad. I need to go to bed,” he turned towards the exit.

”Trust me, my boy. Being a Mafia is the best business you can ever get into.” His father advised, replacing the document back where he took it.

“Maybe killing amuses you, but it doesn’t amuse me, dad. I love people! I will never harm them.” Steven protested.

“People are scorpions, my boy. You shouldn’t trust them.“

”I do not care. Even if everyone turns bad, there is one thing I know within. I will never ever be like you.”

He walked out of his father’s office and banged the door shut.