1. Faith Must Be Accepted
Adele was sitting in the back seat of a car alongside her fourteen year old daughter Vienna. The car was guarded by four other cars two at the front any two following behind at the back. All this tight security was for ensuring the safe return of mother and daughter from a town hall charity event organised by the local church in the prestigious part of New York where Adele lived with Francesco for about sixteen years since their marriage.
Vienna spoke ” Mum, where do you think I should hang my painting I did from the art workshop today?”
Adele spoke softly “You hang this painting where you wish, as long as its not your father’s office. He doesn’t like personal objects in his room.”
Vienna sighed deeply ” If I hang it in my room, Vincenzo may make it disappear. He hates my paintings. If I hang it in the corridors, then dads associates may see it and they would compare it to uncle Costanzo’s paintings as they walk by it just to make small talk with dad. I don’t like being compared to uncle. His paintings are so good.”
Adele sighed ” Does Vincenzo still come to your room and bothers you? I would have a word with him. How long is this going on? You hang it in your room or in my special dining room where I hold afternoon parties with your aunt Georgina and wives of your father’s associates.”
Vienna spoke ” I think your dining room is best. Forget talking to Vincenzo. He does what he wants. He leaves me alone anyways. It’s just he picks on my paintings and also gives me lectures about boys I talked to on any day at school. He has stopped bothering me ever since you asked dad to have a word with him. Honestly it’s nothing mum.”
Adele nodded ” It’s good he is acting kinder to you. Just let me know when he starts bothering you. I will talk to him.”
Vienna nodded and looked outside the car windows ” Here we are. At last we are home. Not that I look forward to another day of Vincenzo being the man of the house. Seriously, he is fifteen, only a year older than me and he has so much power over everyone. It’s pretty scary.”
Adele spoke in hardly a whisper ” I know sweetheart.” Adele felt depressed suddenly at thinking about how much his son was different to her daughter. Vincenzo was raised solely by Francesco’s rules, he took Vincenzo on business trips, Francesco also let Vincenzo attend his meetings and much more that Adele even did not know of. From day one Francesco had been clear about this. Adele was allowed to raise her daughter how she wished but she was not allowed to have a say in how Vincenzo was raised and treated by his father. Neither was she allowed to voice any concerns. Vincenzo as a result was acting more mature and way beyond his years. He didn’t act like a typical fifteen year old at all. He was alot like Francesco when he was Vincenzo’s age..... The only difference was that Vincenzo was given even more freedom to choose what he wanted to do in general, around the mansion and outside.
Even though Vincenzo was just in school, he had an air of authority around him, that Adele hadn’t even seen grown ups have. Vincenzo did not have a post yet in his father’s business but everyone automatically around him obeyed him. He had earned everyone’s respect working for his father by means that was unknown to Adele and also his intimidating personality.
On that particular day, Francesco was away. Francesco was visiting a Las Vegas client and he had decided not to take Vincenzo with him this time since Vincenzo had some mid term exams this week in school.
Francesco had appointed his head of security in charge but of course everyone knew the unofficial head of the mansion. Vincenzo wasn’t appointed to take over from Francesco but everyone feared him just like how they feared his father. Everyone knew it was only a mater of time before he was going to be the one in control and in charge of the Rosario organisation . He may have been a teenager and given the chance by his father to enjoy his teenage life as well as learning his father’s line of work but he seemed to have been quite a fast learner. He was a born leader and everyone knew it. Vincenzo idolised his father and wanted to be like him ever since he remembered.
Vincenzo was still a teenager but not only he didn’t act like one, he also didn’t get along with most kids his age. He was sent to a private school alongside Vienna that belonged to the O’Neil family. The principal directly reported to Emanuelle O’Neil, Sancia’s husband and many prestigious big name families in business sent their children there. But still that hadn’t helped integrate Vincenzo with the crowed. Vincenzo had a few kids in his circle that he could call friends or rather gang who did as he told them in and out of school. The only kids he called his best friends truly were Sebastiano Giovanni who was Sergio Giovannis son and of course his cousin Alexander who was Antonio’s son.
Vincenzo also had rivals called Tristan O’Neil and Trent O’Neil. They were Emanuelle and Sancia’s sons and they weren’t liked by Vincenzo for various reasons including the fact that their parents owned the school. But the school was highly performing and very safe for children of mob bosses as well as high flying businessmen in terms of security and quality. Adele liked to change her children’s school but Francesco didn’t allow her to for academic reasons as well as the fact that he liked his son’s feud with the O’Neils building a competition spirit in him. He wanted his son to compete with people whom could be his rivals one day.
As the car went through the gates of the mansion, Adele spotted his son outside the mansion talking to Francesco’s men. As the car stopped in front of the mansion, Adele got off the car with Vienna. Vincenzo walked to his mother as she spotted her out of the car and stopped in front of her looking into her eyes defiantly ” Mother, you are late. You took longer than expected at the town hall. I was about to ask Pablo to send some men to make sure all was well. Don’t do that again mother.”
Vienna responded ” They were running late with the preparations. That’s why we are late. All is well now. You can breathe.” She then rolled her eyes.
Vincenzo walked close to his sister and looked at her with narrowed eyes ” Guards, accompany my sister to her room. She is going to be in solitude until my father returns.”
Adele gasped as she embraced her daughter “Enough Vincenzo. Why would you give such order? You can’t treat your sister this way.”
Vincenzo spoke ” Mother, obviously she needs to be taught a lesson in respect. I am a year older than her. She just addressed me rudely. She is not allowed to roll her eyes at me when I address her.”
Adele spoke ” Enough, Vincenzo. You are over reacting. You should stop being so sensitive. Now, your sister and I are going to the kitchen to make some blueberry muffins. Come and join us if you wish.” She then held her daughter’s hand and pulled her inside under Vincenzo’s death stare.
Suddenly guards circled them. The guards were standing respectfully in a kind of military stance around them. Adele looked back at his son with raised eyebrows.
Vincenzo waved his hands ” Let them pass. What my mother wishes, she gets.”
Adele sighed as she took her daughter’s hand and pulled her inside the mansion. This was what bothered Adele about his son. He was just a kid but he had authority without even being appointed in a position to have that effect on people. Naturally people obeyed him even when he was making no effort at all. Even with no rank in his father’s organisation, his word was accepted as the law by Francesco’s men. Heavens was to help them in a few years time when he grew older and actually was appointed in a position of authority. He feared nothing and no one except his father. He didn’t take orders from anyone also except from his father. He didn’t listen to his mother either but when in such situations she was involved, he couldn’t do anything. She was the special woman who was exception to his father’s rules. He didn’t take orders from his mother but had to respect her. This was as respectful as he got to his mother.
Vienna knew that her mother had just made it worse for her. Vincenzo never let anything go. He was going to come to her room and deal with her. So as she was carrying her painting in one hand and was being pulled Howard’s the kitchen, she spoke ” Mum, I think I dropped my bracelet in the car. You go to the kitchen and wait for me. I will run back to the car and quickly will come back.
Adele stopped walking and turned to her daughter ” Fine. Don’t be long.” She then let go of her and walked to the kitchen.
Vienna dreaded going back out there to face her brother but she didn’t have a choice. It was either now or later. She preferred now or the anticipation of seeing his deadly intimidating presence in her room was going to bother her all day. With Vincenzo, it was never going to be the end of it if you crossed him. It didn’t matter who you were and why you crossed him. He was going to get you. No thanks to Vincenzo and his passion for vendetta, she couldn’t have a normal time in school. It was crazy how Vincenzo had most people he met shake in fear or bowing to him in respect.
The wait was finally over. She made it outside and saw her brother talking to a guard. To her horror, she saw Vincenzo push the man to the ground and started kicking him. He then took out a pocket knife and stabbed the man in his tight as the man was groaning in pain on the ground making him scream.
Vienna closed her eyes shut and looked away. She hated seeing violence around the mansion. Her father tried to keep his business going on during hours when she was in school or in general, away from her eyes but she still saw glimpses of it here and there.
She heard his menacing laugh before she felt his rough hands grabbing her chin and tilting it upwards ” Open your eyes, I ordered the guards to take him to one of the cabins where I will finish him off later. It’s all clear now.”
Vienna opened her eyes and gulped as she was met with her brothers hard stare as he was towering over her.
Vincenzo raised an eyebrow ” Talk. Will you? I don’t have all day. If you want to get yourself out of trouble, I suggest you speak fast. I don’t like people wasting my time.”
Vienna hated acting remorseful and she normally stood her ground in other situations when dealing with other people. But Vincenzo was different. You didn’t want to make an enemy out of him. You just didn’t.
Vincenzo spoke ” Well...”
Vienna spoke quickly ” I am sorry for .... rolling my eyes at you. I forgot you hate that gesture.”
Vincenzo shrugged ” Apology accepted. Don’t do it again.” He then gave her a smile.
As Vincenzo let go of her chin, Vienna took one step away and felt Vincenzo take the painting from under her arm.
Vienna turned around facing her brother who had a disapproving look on his face as he was inspecting the painting.
Vincenzo spoke in a harsh tone ” I thought I told you that I don’t want you to waste your time on painting. Art is for losers. You are a Rosario. Act like it. We are lawyers and economists. Not some pathetic artistic hippies.” He then dropped the painting to the ground and Vienna’s eyes widened as she realised what he was going to do. She ran to him and pushed his chest slightly ” Please...... Don’t break it. I spent the whole morning painting it at the town hall.”
Vincenzo spoke ” Exactly, I rest my case. You spent time painting a picture that could easily be destroyed if someone steps on it and throws it in the mud. That’s the point I am making Vienna. Why do you bother wasting time on something that can be so easily destroyed. Get the message. There are far much better things to spend your time learning and perfecting. Now go inside to mother and try to keep out of my way today.”
