NICOLE
I froze. My heart sank to my knees, racing for its summit with the tremor in my body rising to its peak.
My own husband just freaking pointed a gun at me.
My hands instinctively dropped, the gun lowering with my gaze diverting to Raphael’s neutral look.
No sign of regret or concern.
Am I dreaming?
I want to be woken up because what the hell is happening right now!?
“Raphael…” my horror-striken voice came out as a whisper.
Nobody had the guts to interfere. It was a man and his wife. I felt like the entire hospital was void of any other being apart from I and Raphael.
My world came to an abrupt halt as Raphael tightened his hold on his gun.
Would he really do this?
“I’m just trying to help you….” I whispered.
Tears pooled in my eyes and trickled softly down my cheeks.
From the corners of my eyes, I could see a wry smile forming on Michael’s face.
That fucking liar!
“You live me no choice my love” Raphael gravely uttered.
Suddenly I felt the kick of a boot on my hand making the gun swing out of my hand at impact.
I jerked and shuddered, my heart rate increasing rapidly.
Luca kicked the gun out of my hand.
“You need to rest Nicole” he picked it right before I reached forward to grab it from the floor.
I watched Raphael tuck his gun back into his pants.
My eyes widenened as I realised it was just a distraction.
Raphael pointed the gun at me to distract me.
A part of me felt relived knowing he would never raise his gun to shoot me and another part felt angry at the fact that I could have killed Micheal and all these attacks would end–atleast I hoped so.
I shuffled my trepadised feet to Raphael. Clenching on to his collar, I watched his dull rimmed blue orbs stationed at me.
“Raph.. please just listen to me” I pleaded, hot tears rolling effortlessly down my cheeks.
“That man is evil. He will kill us all please” I pleaded, pointing my fore finger at Micheal.
The wry smile had been replaced by a sober look.
What the hell!
“Nicole…” I heard Raphael call out to me. So many emotions swarm in his voice.
It held a lot of pain, regret and guilt.
“Baby please… that man isn’t who you think he is. He… killed Maya” I sobbed onto Raphael’s chest.
He encircled his arm around my waist and had an hand wandering through my braids.
He wasn’t taking me serious.
I locked my gaze with him once more and began rambling in my speech as I sought to convince him that micheal was the one behind it all.
“Bella calm down”
I couldn’t hear Raphael’s voice any more. I tuned out everyone who kept trying to interfere.
“M-maya told me Raph. She screamed it that he would kill us all. We didn’t believe and… now she is dead.. please believe me” I was literally crying my eyes out at this moment.
I couldn’t even hear my own voice.
“Nicole please!” Raphael’s gruff voice bellowed back at me which got me shuddering in my skin.
“I just lost my mother Nicole. We will find who ever did this I promise. I owe it to her to fish out the murderer but don’t do this Nicole. Not now please”
I could feel the hurt in his voice as he spoke.
Tears distorted my vision, my breathing becoming unsteady.
Raphael tightened his hold on my waist and buried his head on my chest, crying bitterly.
Raphael totally came unhinged before everyone.
I was dumbstroke. My husband is falling apart–my whole world is falling apart and I can’t do a thing.
At its own accord, my hand softly caressed Raphael’s partly moist hairs that had been kissed by sweat beads.
“I’m sorry raph” I said under my breath. It was all I could think of.
Uncertainty and grief became the ambiance.
I just wished all these could end.
“I’ll assign a driver to get you both home” Homero was the first person to talk.
I glanced at him and nodded slowly in approval.
Raphael was in no way able to speak.
“Raphael” Leila called out, slowly coming over to us.
I watched her with curious eyes. She stretched forward an arm to touch him and I held it immedately, preventing her finger tips from coming in contact with his skin.
She stared at me open mouthed.
“Don’t touch my husband” I muttered silently to her before she aggressively yanked her arm from my grip.
“You will be fine Raphael” she forced herself to speak and quickly excited the area.
Nobody can be trusted at this hour.
“Nicole next time I won’t take this stunt you pulled lightly so I advice you control your emotions” Micheal surly uttered, flashing me menacing stares before turning to Homero.
“Take care of my son”
I watched him go, the anger rising in my body.
I have no doubt that some persons are trying to kill I and Raphael.
The people behind all these are definitely people within us.
* * * * * * * * *
NICOLE
I was shattering into millions of pieces, my heart being repeatedly pierced by emotions too painful to bear.
Today we bury Maya and I still found it hard to believe that she was literally gone.
Raphael spent an entire three days in our room. He didn’t come out. I was the one bringing him lunch, breakfast and dinner which he hardly ate.
Occasionally I would find him staring up at the ceiling as if Maya’s face was bodly embedded into it.
Everyone was present. It was such a small burial ceremony.
Maya’s casket was placed at the alter of the church, opened.
Raphael walked towards it and so did I. We both stared down at her colourless face.
This was a woman that was alive a week ago for Christ sake!
Images of the first time I met Maya began replaying in my head.
We met her with a terrible injury on her abdomen now she’s leaving us with a bullet wound in her chest.
I couldn’t hold back my tears and neither could Raphael.
“Mum I just found you. Why did you have to leave so quick?” I heard his agonising voice.
That was probably the longest sentence Raphael had uttered ever since he locked himself up in our room.
Elisa held on to Homero’s arm, crying and continuously coughing mildly.
Grief and sorrow was in the air. It was suffocating us all. Nobody could comfort each other.
The Garcias children gathered around Sophia, sobbing could be heard amongst them.
Aurora was the last person to walk in. On seeing Maya’s casket, she fell to her feet. Her muffled cries could be heard echoing round the hall.
Alessio pulled her to her feet as she can’t stand on her own. His eyes are filled with tears and I wondered how he was so able to keep himself calm on seeing the opened casket of his sister.
Armani is present. A devil by heart but he was broken. He came over to Raphael and released a deep sigh, clasping Raphael by his shoulder.
Not a word did he utter but it was enough comfort for Raphael.
We moved away from the casket, allowing the priest to begin his sermon.
I am sure Raphael couldn’t hear a word spoken.
Neither did he want to hear.
His mother whom he just got would be lying six feet underground very soon.
It wasn’t supposed to end like this.
I concealed my face in my hands, crying profusely.
I couldn’t watch this go on.
I had no idea when the priest stopped talking. I stood up and so did everyone else.
Raphael’s men present lifted the casket unto their shoulders.
We all walked out in mourning from the church hall and into her hearse.
Sliding her into her hearse, I noticed the sorrowful gaze on everyone’s faces.
My eyes locked with Micheal’s. I tried deciphering what was going through his mind but I couldn’t.
I pushed my gaze from him and wandered it around.
Alessio swims around in guilt. His daughter Francesca and her husband are present. He shakes his head and almost falters in his steps.
Everyone is quiet, choosing to mourn in silence.
We all scattered towards our various cars, riding to Maya’s final resting place.
“Is this real principessa?” Raphael asked me as we pulled up at Maya’s resting place.
I nodded whilst sobbing and used my hand to wipe my never ending tears.
I watched as Raphael’s men took Maya’s casket from her hearse, walking slowly to her grave.
It was Raphael’s orders that Maya be buried next to her mother, his grand mother.
My eyes browsed his grand mother’s tombstone. It was so beautifully carved.
Lowering her casket on a burial machinery, the casket slowly sinks into the open grave.
The priest began his sermon once more. Each woman present burst into tears.
I tried so hard holding mine back but I failed miserably.
Two female vocalists stand by, singing a heart breaking song which only fuels the sorrowful ambiance in the air.
Each family member bends and takes a handful of soil, pouring it onto the casket.
Taking a sharp intake of air, I did so too.
Raphael was the last to do his.
“I’ll find out who ended your life mother. I promise you” he gravelly spoke as he poured out the soil from his hands.
The sky was bright but our lives wasn’t.
We all watched the cemetery workers cover up her grave in silence.
Swallowing the grief in my throat, I opened my lips to speak to Raphael.
“Can we go to a church tomorrow Raph?”
He turns to face me. “Why?”
“I’m scared Raphael. I just… I want us to go to a church and talk to a priest”
“I don’t do that Nicole” Raphael abruptly uttered making me sigh.
“But if you want it, then I guess I’ll have to accompany you” he added not so later.
My eyes shone with relief.
“Thank you”
“Anything for you bella” he flashed me a charming but faint smile.
Things were really spiralling out of control and I just feel like seeking the face of my Lord.