Sua Farfalla

I owe you one

Alonzo's POV:

(Six years later)

Walking down the streets of California, I hurry my legs towards the building my informant told me Jenna lives in.

After so many years, after so many dreaded hours alone, I'm finally out of that hellhole and looking for my farfalla.

It took longer than expected, longer than promised, but I know it in my heart she'll forgive me.

Reaching the apartment building where she lived, I quickly open the door and climb on the steps of the stairs three at a time, almost making it seem like I was flying.

I could hear shouting somewhere in the distance, as if someone was fighting, but I didn't care. First task at hand: finding my farfalla.

Reaching the eighth floor as instructed, I quickly searched for apartment number 14. 

Once I did, I knocked like my life depended on it, to the point where I considered tearing it down since she was taking too long to answer.

As I was about the knock again, the door opened slightly, enough to show a man in nothing but work pants with a baby in his arms.

My eyes, fearing the results, dared to look down to the man's left hand, where a wedding ring could be seen.

My heart stopped pumping blood right then and there.

"May I help you?", the guy politely asked me.

Taking deep breaths, I forced myself to ask the question I needed answered. 

"Yeah, umm, do- does Jenna Somers live here?"

Please say no, please say no, please say-

"Sure, I'll get her for you", he said with a smile. 

"Honey! There's a man at the door for you"

Honey? Please no, let it not be my farfalla. 

She 's my honey.

"I'm coming Steve!", I heard a woman shout out.

The voice was familiar, but there's a chance it's not her... right?

Footsteps I've been longing to hear met my ears, and a few seconds later, there she stood.

My farfalla.

Looking down at her hand, I saw the same wedding ring adorning her finger. 'That should be my ring', I couldn't help but think.

"Oh god... Alonzo?", she asks incredulously. "I thought... I mean... you said five years", she said sadly, whispering the last part as if afraid her words would kill me.

They did.

"You're right, I did. I just-", sighing, I look behind her to see the baby in her husband's arms. 

Beautiful, just like her.

"Never mind Jenna, goodbye". I finally said forcing a smile so that she wouldn't see how broken I actually was.

I couldn't yell, I couldn't get mad, I couldn't really say anything. 

I did say five years, and it's been six already.

I'm... late.

I tried so hard, I behaved so well, only to be late. 

Only to lose my farfalla to another. 

'I took her for granted, just like my dad did with my mom, and Jenna too flew away'.

Never thought saying goodbye would hurt so much, never thought I'd have to say it to her. 

Usually when you say those words, you'd expect to see the other person again somewhere, some time. 

But I knew this wasn't the case.

This goodbye was forever, cause I know I couldn't bear seeing her ever again. 

For I'd be looking at what I used to have, that I now lost.

She gave my life meaning, and now that she's gone, there's no point fighting anymore... I'm done.

-

As I walked down the stairs, far less enthusiastically than before, I kept on hearing those annoying screams, except this time, they were louder.

I feel a tap on my shoulder, and hope fills my soul once more. 

She came back for me.

But once I turned, no one was there. 

The tap however, was getting stronger and stronger.

So strong and harsh, that it made me finally open my eyes.

(End of Alonzo's dream).

"Dude... dude, wake up!" I hear my cellmate say.

Opening my eyes, I came to the realization that it had all been a dream. 

My farfalla isn't married, six years haven't gone by yet, she doesn't have a child, there's no wife-robber Steve...

Thank the lord.

In reality, only two years had gone by since she left, and in that time I met with the judge more times than I have blinked in my life, trying to convince him he should let me leave before my designated time. 

Still no decision has been made, but at least I know they're considering it.

Bringing my mind back to reality, I saw my cellmate walk out of our cell in a rush and into the communitarian hall, where all inmates were supposed to hang out.

Bringing myself to a standing position, I deliciously stretch my muscles before walking out in the same direction I saw him leave to.

It was a mess alright, there were men punching each other and breaking things to no extent, paying no attention to the sirens going wild around them.

All of a sudden, I feel a strong pull on my shirt, followed by a stinky breath invading my nostrils from behind me.

"You", the voice said with distaste, quite dramatically I might add. 

"You're the one who killed Bronsio", he said while turning me around so that I'd be facing him.

"Who the hell are you talking about man? And take your f*****g hands off me!", I basically spat on his face.

"Bronsio, your ex cellmate, you killed him, I know you did", he shouted at my face, spitting quite a few times while doing so.

Disgusting.

Then it clicked, "Ooh, him... yeah, I did kill him", I said with a smirk. "And I'd kill him all over again, you know? He was a r****t, he deserved so much more than death"

My words were full of hatred and venom, one being more meaningful than the other. 

He truly was a disgrace to mankind.

Taking me by surprise, he quietly took a knife from his back pocket and aimed it at my neck full force.

I wasn't fast enough to see it at all, thinking the baboon grabbing me was harmless. 

I shouldn't have underestimated him.

I closed my eyes waiting for an impact that never came. 

Instead, I felt someone push me to the side.

Once I opened my eyes, I saw my cell buddy had been stabbed in the middle of his hand while trying to save my ass.

Before my idiotic attacker could react, the guards started throwing gas cans all over the place, forcing everyone to go back to their cells.

Once all inmates were inside, their doors were closed, imprisoning us again.

Turning my face towards the man that just saved my life, I saw him staring at his stabbed hand while hissing in pain after trying to take the knife out.

I swiftly made my way towards him and stopped him with a sign of my hand, as if telling him I'd do it instead.

Grabbing the knife from its extremity, I look at him in the eye and truthfully thank him. 

"Hey cell buddy, thank you for what you just did. Truly, I owe you one".

Before he could reply though, I harshly took the knife out of his hand making him cry out in pain. 

Still growling, he painfully said. "Yeah i***t, you owe me big time".