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I Give, Devise and Bequeath (5)
Marco had moved the legitimate business into new modern offices and had his own penthouse apartment on the top floor of the same building. He had created a fund for the support of any needy families in the Italian community and had give huge sums to communal facilities. His father, still did business, from the club and the little office, although modernised by Marco, was preferable to Gianni. The club was the place they both felt very comfortable. Here the men could all be themselves, come and go from jobs allotted to them and where verbal reports were made. It was family.
Gianni's youngest brother, Paulo, ran the fitness club a few doors down. In his youth he had been a boxer and his face and particularly his nose bore the scars. He now functioned as bodyguard and driver for Marco, and although Marco had strongly protested that he did not need a bodyguard, Gianni insisted. So, it came about that Marco and Uncle Paulo were always seen together, and the bond between them over the years was strong. It was Paulo who ran interference for Marco, and he was the one he confided in. His uncles physical strength and alertness, as well as his knowledge of the business was such that allowed Marco to hand over the reigns when necessary.
Members of the family were visiting Nonna in hospital who was recovering nicely from a broken hip. Marco had bent down to kiss his beloved grandmother, who kissed him and then slapped his face for not coming sooner to visit her. His sisters were there, having flown in from Italy and New York at the news of Nonna's fall, and they were at her bedside long before Marco's visit. Paulo was told in no uncertain terms, what a good-for-nothing son he was and he should get a haircut, after he had kissed his mother. Good old Nonna was herself again. Never a good word without a bad to follow. Marco and his uncle were just leaving the room when a female patient was being pushed in a wheelchair along the corridor. The left side of her face was bandaged and her arm was in plaster.
Marco immediately recognised her, "Deborah? Debby?". She looked up at him with her one bruised eye and smiled awkwardly with her swollen lips. "Hi Marco", she managed to whisper. Her voice sent a shiver through his body, and his heart skipped a beat. He went down on his haunches and took her hand. "What happened to you?" She just shook her head and a tear rolled down her face. "I have to go", she whispered nodding to the waiting room at the end of the corridor where two uniformed policemen were waiting for her.
Marco, his heart beating fast with excitement of the first and only love he had ever known, told Paulo to wait downstairs and headed for the Administrator's office, which Marco entered without knocking. Dr. Peter McLachlan looked up and was about to say something about the disturbance, when he recognised who it was. Paulo asked about Deborah, wanting all the details of what had happened to her and her treatment. MacLachlan who was totally in awe of the young man before him, and painfully aware of the huge donations made to the hospital every year by the family, told Marco everything. Even the fact that it was the second time Deborah had been in the hospital within six months for her husband's maltreatment. He added that he hoped she would press charges this time. Marco thanked him and gave him instructions to give her the best treatment available for her recovery.
When he and Paulo were driving back to the club, his uncle did not speak as Paulo always knew when Marco wanted silence. Marco was totally astonished by the intense feelings surging through his body. After an hour he called Paulo into the office. Marco calmly looked into his uncle's eyes and said, "I have a problem".
Deborah did press charges, but her husband could not be arrested as he had disappeared from the face of the earth the same day.
feedback van andere lezers- Mephistopheles
What did they do? Tie some bricks on his neck and throw him into the ocean?
Enjoyed reading it.
xxx
killea: Thank you, Bert - keep reading and you will find out, soon.
xxx
j - GoNo2
Super-de luxe !
Ik versta wel niet alles, maar de grote lijnen kan ik volgen
killea: Thank you for reading me and the great feedback always
xxx
j - drebddronefish
You wrote this very clear. At other occasions I'm thinking 'did I read this right?' and then I have to start again. Nice writing june
greets
killea: Thank you so much for reading me and fb dddfish
xxx
j
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