NICOLE
“What the hell was that?”Raphael asked as he walked down from the stairs. He had just taken a sedated, sleeping Maya to one of the numerous bedrooms upstairs.
Everybody was still as shocked as ever. I could feel the tensed atmosphere. It was soaring in the air, gliding through every one.
Raphael had his gaze focused on Micheal who seemed the most shock.
His brows were creased and deeply knitted, his mouth slightly ajar in blank amazement.
“Why did Maya say you are an imposter Micheal?” Raphael interrogated, coming closer to his father.
I noticed Raphael seldomly addressed his parents by the tittle they held in his life. He always called them by their names with no atom of fear.
“I have no clue. Do I look like an imposter to you?!” Micheal barked back at Raphael.
I watched his bloodshot gaze flash at Raphael and scaring the living daylight out of me.
Raphael stood silent. I didn’t know what he was thinking and I was scared of asking. I didn’t want to add fuel into the already enraged atmosphere.
“I think it’s best you leave for now. If Maya sees you she might go on a panic fright. So maybe you should just remain away from her probably until the wedding is over” Luca suggested, walking over to Micheal.
“Luca” Micheal bellowed, clasping his hand on his shoulder and pressing it roughly.
“I have no idea what is going on with Maya but you are the medical expert here. Get her well and sound. I don’t her to turn out as a lunatic”
Luca gave a slight dip of his head.
Raphael didn’t utter a single word. Micheal travelled his hot gaze at Raphael. “Take care of your mother”
Raphael nodded to his father’s order.
Crazy how this felt like the first time Raphael literally seemed obedient to his parents.
“Nobody should approach Maya until she regains her consciousness and when talking to her try as much as possible not to mention micheal. The patient mental fortitude can not bear that at the moment” Luca requested once micheal had left.
“Homero I want to speak to you” Raphael announced shoving past everyone and walking towards Homero.
“The study room then” Homero suggested as he led the way upstairs.
What the hell literally happened today?
I thought today would turn out as a normal, blissful experience but instead it brought out another confusing problem.
Assassins on our neck now Maya claims Raphael’s father is going to murder us all.
What does Cuba really have in store for us?
Well I had a feeling whatever it was, it wasn’t something good.
* * * * * * * * * *
I stood from a close range and watched Raphael stand outside his mother’s room.
After the event that unfolded yesterday, Raphael had become extremely quiet and withdrawn.
I had no clue what exactly was bothering him and I also didn’t have the guts to approach him too.
Was it because he found his mother or the fact that his mother accused his father of wanting to kill them all?
Or both?
Raphael didn’t seem like he believed his mother anyways.
He perched by the doorway of his mother’s room, his large hands held on to the handle.
It was as if he was battling with himself on if he should open it or not.
Raphael hadn’t seen his mother ever since she regained her consciousness. I was the only one talking to her.
She seemed very nice that I almost found it hard to believe she was the same woman who abandoned Raphael in the past.
I ponderously walked towards Raphael statue-like profile and placed my slender fingers on his tensed shoulder.
His gaze snapped to mine and I gave him a soft smile, gently caressing his shoulder. “Go talk to her ok”
“You think so?” Raphael wanted to be sure and I gave him doting stares.
“Yes Raph. She needs you right now. Please go and talk to her”
He sunk in breath and pushed open the door wide.
I positioned my stare on Maya. She looked so surprise to see Raphael.
“Raphael you… are here” the whisper mumbled past her lips.
Raphael nodded to her. She moved her frail legs, creating space for Raphael on the bed.
He took a sit by her whilst I stood outside, gluing on to the doorway.
This was their reunion and they needed their time.
“How are you feeling?” Raphael wasted no time in asking Maya.
Maya had her eyes widened in blank amazement.
“Well say something” Raphael prod.
Raphael’s sudden calm nature definitely robbed her off her voice.
Maya narrowed her orbs at me then back to Raphael.
“I am… fine” She pushed the words out of her mouth.
“And you?” Maya queried, her hands immediately holding on to Raphael’s hand.
Raphael took a sneak glance at Maya’s frail hands that were placed on his and withdrew his hands.
A disheartened look washed upon Maya’s face.
“I am good” Raphael replied.
“Glad you are healing” he abruptly added before standing up.
No. This can’t be it.
Raphael can’t just end the conversation like this.
I prayed within me that Maya would call him back and she did.
“Yes?” Raphael asked turning to face her again.
She patted her hand on the bed,”come sit with me”
Raphael gave no reply but heeded to her demand.
A brief, unsettling silence consumed the atmosphere with each person wondering what to say.
“I’m sorry Raphael” Maya was the first to speak.
“For what? Being a bad mother?” Raphael sarcastically asked, darting his stare downwards.
“For everything”
Raphael moved his face to meet hers and he chuckled darkly.
“Stop it will you. It’s been more than twenty years now and I’ve learnt to live without you. Don’t bring up this false charade of sympathy”
I wasn’t the one Raphael was talking to but it pierced my heart. I could only imagine what Maya was going through because I could see she was genuinely sorry but again, she deserved his harsh remarks.
“It’s not false Raphael. I mean it” Maya insisted, her voice croaking.
“Why now Maya?!” Raphael instantly retorted causing I and Maya to recoil in our skin.
“Why now? Why did you have to come back now? We were better off without you! You inflicted so much pain on to me and you showed up out of the blue, trying to fix bonds that were never there and act like you are the perfect mother”
Maya had her salty tears slipping down her eyelids and trailing across her cheeks.
“That is not it Raphael” she whispered shaking her head.
“Then what is it!?” Raphael barked.
I stretched out my hand to call him but withdrew it. I shouldn’t interfere.
“Raph… believe me. I know I am probably the worst mother any one could ever think of but I am deeply sorry” Maya pleaded.
Raphael rubbed his forehead and groaned. “Why Maya?” His voice now seeming serene.
“Why did you hate me even though you birthed me? Why? What did I ever do as a child that made you so inflamed with hatred that you didn’t think twice before leaving me”
Maya squeezed Raphael’s palms before interlocking her fingers with his. “I… I felt betrayed by your father Raph. I married him because I deeply loved him. I knew our marriage would encounter challenges like every other marriages especially when I brought him into this mafia and he was being made a capo. But it didn’t go as I planned. My marriage was a disaster Raphael”
We all paid rapt attention to Maya as she spoke in between her ever flowing tears that wouldn’t cease.
“This mafia was the cause of it. We began having difficulties. Fights upon fights. Every day we would quarrel Raph even before you were born. I didn’t want micheal to get too involved with this dangerous organisation but clearly he had his own plans” She quivered in between her speech.
“He became father’s dog. Always at his beck and call but forsook his marriage. Worst of all was when I discovered he had an affair with… Camilla. Camilla was my best friend Raphael. She went behind my back and did shits with my husband. Micheal blamed his affair on our fights. He said the marriage was suffocating him”
“What did Armani do?” Raphael cut in softly.
He was being calm with her right now.
Maya chucked faintly. “What did he care? Sometimes I wonder if he birthed me too Raphael. I miss my mother. If she was alive, our family would have been much better”
Maya cleaned her tears and smiled at Raphael. Her hands found his cheeks and she caressed it lightly.
“I am sorry for what Micheal did to you Maya”
Maya nodded. “Whenever I looked at my growing stomach, it reminded me of the fact that I was carrying Michael’s seed. I grew to despise micheal and at that point I didn’t want to have any thing more to do with him or my family. So I had my own affair and later on I divorced your father”
I could see tears forming in Raphael’s eyes.
“I never knew the full story maya” I heard Raphael’s gruff voice whisper.
” I’m so deeply sorry. I was so hurt by your father’s action that I forsook my own responsibility towards you as a mother. Raphael will you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?” Maya beseeched for herself, her tears drowning her already faint whispers.
Raphael pulled Maya in for an embrace. That was the first time I actaully witnessed my husband doing what I saw as almost impossible–crying.
He hugged Maya tightly like a child, crying on to her shoulder.
“You love me now Maya?” Raphael asked.
It was such a beautiful sight to behold. I struggled not to crumble into tears.
“I love you Raphael. I was blinded by hatred for your father that I transferred it to you. I love you my son” Maya softly replied.
They stayed in such other’s embrace for a few minutes, enjoying the company.
It had been so long.
“Nicole don’t stand there come in please” Maya called out to me once they pulled out.
I dragged my slumbering feet into the room and she stretched out her hand to me.
I grasped hold of it.
“Raphael really loves you. I can see it in his eyes. Please always make my son happy. Don’t ever leave him” she admonished.
I smiled broadly, tiny drops of tears trickling down my cheeks.
“I wish you both a very happy, long and fruitful marriage. I want you to have the marriage that I couldn’t have Raphael. Love your wife Raphael. Stay loyal to her. She’s your number one priority”
Raphael nodded and stood up to kiss me on the lips.
“You ladies talk. I have some thing to attend to ok. I’ll see you for dinner mother” he announced before laying a kiss on his mother’s cheek.
Finally!
At least something was going right in our lives.
It felt like we had been robbed of all good fortunes.
“He loves you alot Nicole” Maya intruded into my thoughts the moment Raphael left.
I nodded shyly.
“Please go close the door will you?” She instructed.
I stood up and headed for the door.
Closing it, I wondered why she asked me to do so before sitting by her.
“Nicole” Maya began in such a serious tone.
I was seriously taken aback by her sudden seriousness.
She was calm a moment ago.
“Yes maya?”
She sighed. “Promise me you will protect my son”
Me protect Raphael?
Or he should be the one to protect me?
I almost laughed at her request but I noticed she was serious.
“What’s wrong Maya?” I became worriedly concerned.
“That man. The imposter. He will kill me” she replied urgently.
I gasped and pulled my face back. I seriously thought she had forgotten about all that imposter shit she was screaming yesterday.
“Nobody will kill you” I attempted to calm her. Luca told us not to remind her of all that for her mental health.
She shook her head at me, disposing my worries like it wasn’t important.
“He will kill me. Believe me Nicole…” She stopped and her eyes roved around the room as if someone was in here with us.
“He isn’t Micheal. Micheal is dead Nicole. That man there isn’t my ex husband”
This was getting out of hand.
“Why do you say this? You made mention of him several times….”
“Nicole” she cut me short in my words.
“Nicole the man I eloped with to Germany, it turned out he was working for the Russians. He never really loved me. It was all a plot. Everything has been a plot right from the beginning.”
All this freaking revelations!
God damn it! Right when I thought every thing was going alright.
“Are you being serious Maya?”
She nodded frightfully.
“I happened to eaves drop on his conversation over the phone on a fateful day. He said some thing about killing Micheal and dealing with the Armanis. Nicole i barely made it alive after he discovered I eavesdropped on his conversation.
He stabbed me twice and left me to bleed to death. Disappeared off with all my essential documents. He totally bankrupt me and got me stranded in Germany. I was saved by my next door neighbour. She rushed me to the hospital. This happened many years ago Nicole–more than ten years ago. That man there isn’t micheal. All this is a plot and he will kill me because he knows I am aware of his real identity”
“Then why don’t you tell Raphael? Please tell him” I pleaded becoming infused with horror.
“Nobody believes me. They all think I’ve lost it. He even sedated me. You were there weren’t you? Please Nicole protect my son. Nobody can be trusted in this family. Secrets and plots are cooking and I’m afraid for Raphael’s safety”
The tears that I fought to stay within me broke through the barriers and flooded down my cheeks.
“Don’t say that Maya. Nothing will happen to my husband and nothing will happen to you”
“I’ll die Nicole. Very soon. I am not safe as long as he lurks around. I don’t know his real identity but I definitely know he isn’t Micheal. You are the mafia queen Nicole. Raphael will give his life up for you in a heartbeat. Please stand with my son. The enemies are already too much and I fear for him. He is cleaning up the mess his grandfather made and it’s creating more enemies for him”
I nodded determinedly. I knew Raphael would go through any length to protect me and I’ll readily do same for him. He is my life and I seriously can’t imagine life without him by my side.
“I’ll always stand by Raphael Maya.
I’ll do all I can to protect my husband even if it means I’ll have to die in the end”