Hiding in the shadows of random strangers was what Alita kept doing. After seeing random girls following her with weird smiles on their faces, getting kidnapped became her worst fear.
It’s was indeed a miracle that she was able to leave Calabria through the help of Mia and the great girls. They could not get her better things but her bus fare and a black hoodie with black shorts was something she would never forget.
Finally, she spotted an alleyway and dashed into it. By her left hand side was an empty cathedral, without thinking, she dashed into and walked straight to the altar. The place was so silent that her footsteps could be heard.
Sad memories of how she, Mama Samantha, and Gio used to go to church every Sunday flood back. The happiness, the joy of having a family, the peace of being extremely poor but happy was all she remembered.
Warm tears flowed down her left eye to the corner of her lips.
“Nothing lasts forever” She remembered Mama Samantha’s last words.
Truly nothing lasts forever on this earth, but even pain.
Weeks ago, Alita was at the edge of breaking and begging her late parents and Mama Samantha to guard her soul to an eternal end. The kind of end where she would feel no more pains, the kind of end she would ‘Remember to forget’ what pain feels like.
On getting to the altar, Alita stood erect with her hand behind her. Her neck was raised up as she stared at the crucifix in front of her. Her eyes became stormy as she blinked vigorously trying to dry up the hot tears threatening to fall.
“You don’t deserve my tears” Alita sniffed.
She paused for a few seconds, staring at the altar in whole. Pictures of how she and Gio used to go pray on the altar flood her memory as she imagined Father Lorenzo blessing them.
Her neck angled towards her left shoulder as a disgusted look appeared on her face. Her nose and lips raised the same as her brows that were in different positions.
“All my life I had prayed and worked,” Alita said “I have lived my life suffering for myself, Gio and I even gave to the church!” She raised her voice.
Alita straightened her head, fold her hands under her breasts, and began to nod.
“Years ago” She wiped her nose with the back of her palm “I stood and watch my parents die!”
All the pain and tears dried off from her face, her once sad face was replaced by an angry red one. Slowly, she looked at the image on the crucifix from head to toes, then to the widespread arms.
“I know you are not here,” Alita said in a harsh whisper “I know you are sitting comfortably up there watching us suffer” she paused to swallow saliva “When my parents were about to die, I prayed to you. When I was about to lose Mama Samantha, I still prayed to you. Before Lu took Gio and I, I prayed to you”
She tucks stray hair behind her ears before looking back at the image again.
“You did nothing!!!” she yelled, “You just watched and didn’t do anything at all!!!”
As she couldn’t hold back the grief, Alita broke down and began to cry. No sound left her lips just that her tears continued to flow uncontrollably as she buried her face in her palms and shook her shoulders.
A minute had past and she haven’t stopped crying. Nothing stopped, nothing changed, just bad and sad memories she has had kept replaying themselves. Even when she shook her head and groaned in frustration, nothing good seem to come.
Not even when she was still happy with her parents. She didn’t even get memories of when she was happy with Gio and Mama Samantha, eating dry bread on a Thanksgiving evening.
“… Vengeance belongs to God!…”
She remembered Father Lorenzo’s preaching on a cold Sunday morning.
That period, Someone had pushed Mama Samantha off the road and called her names because she was poor and always in wants. Even when they claim to love each other in the church, they still discriminate against the old woman because she had no one to help her.
“Yet they say God is love!” Alita sneered.
Love!
The same love that had gotten her to the same point that she is. The way she had loved Luciano was something Alita couldn’t explain. Despite the fact that he kidnapped her, Locked her up, hit her, raped her, and later claim to care about her, Alita still loved Luciano with passion.
No wonder they say not every love story is a romance.
Even if he wants to act like he was obsessed, she felt he shouldn’t have been a problem in her life by killing her Dad and kidnapping her. As if it wasn’t enough, he locked her up and did all manner of ungodly things to her.
Things she never wants to remember again. Things she always forced herself to forget so she won’t get to keep building the pain that had always been in her.
If only he haven’t shown up with his father years ago, she might be in college or in a better condition. Not with a black broken heart, broken ribs, wounded feelings, and shattered happiness.
“… Vengeance belongs to God!…”
A creepy smile appeared on her face, she moved her hair away from her face to behind her ears and stared at the image on the cross.
“Since you have been resting all this whole time, I think it’s better you rest for real,” Alita said “If you don’t see me back here to ask for forgiveness, Know that I am dead!”
At that moment, she turned to go. Her gaze locked with a priest whom she assumed to be the father of the church. At first, she didn’t want to act as she noticed him until he did the sign of the cross and placed his palms together.
“I mean it,” Alita said to him before he could say anything then walked out of the church.
A small smile spread across her face as she remembered Mia and the rest girls. The last thing she said to the image on the cross was the last thing she said to the girls before she left.
Something strong and yet cold kept on telling her that she might not come out from Lu’s mansion if she go. Technically, that’s what she wants to do. All she wants is to go there, shoot him in the face, and walk back to where ever she can go.
“Easy!” She scoffed.
Deep down, she knew that she can not even make it past the main gate. Even if she would, she can not make it past his guards and still be able to get a gun in her hands.
Another problem is how she would be able to get there, still, yet, she was determined to get to the point of what she had lived her life for.
“I will make sure all you see is nothing, Luciano” Alita smirked “And after then, we can both burn in hell!!!”
After surveying the area for some while, she put on her hoodie and walked into the crowd. She had barely moved a few steps before she saw someone she least expected.
“Jordan!!!” Alita gasped.
Quickly, she hid behind an ice cream van she saw at the side and covered her face properly. With her back on the van, she held her chest to get back her breath.
“Jordan?” She asked unsure “What is he doing here?” She wondered.
Slowly, she brought out her face to meet another surprise.
“Dante?!” Alita’s lips fell open.
For all she knew, Dante can’t be in Cittianova at this time! Even if, she refused to believe he had come here by chance especially when he seems to be too close to Jordan.
Like a thief, she moved from behind the van towards them. Even when her mind kept giving her 200 reasons to be in danger if she doesn’t retreat and look for the nearest escape route.
Before she got even closer, she had already begun to hear their faint whispers but still need to get more closer. If she wants to deal with the devil, getting information from the devil’s advocate.
“… Alita is not…”
On hearing her name, her ears stood in attention as she quickly moved closer. If these two can be out here in the public talking about something related to her.
“Davidson is such a sweet boy,” Jordan said with a cute smile on his face “Can we spare him?” He beamed.
Dante groaned, he quickly surveyed the area before looking back at Jordan in disbelief.
“Don’t tell me you love him already!” Dante frowned “Forget about him, Fratello” he touched Jordan’s left chin “Another one will come”
Fratello!!!
Did Dante just call Jordan brother in the Italian language!?
The resemblance! The cute eyes they both have!! They are brothers!!!
“Dante is Jordan’s brother?” Alita asked rhetorically.