One Mistake: The Start of a Journey

Connection

Chapter One

     I can sense that I am being followed. I don’t know who it is. I pick up my pace but can hear the footsteps falling quicker behind me. I see the library just up ahead, so I start to run. I don’t stop until I’m through the doors. That’s when I always wake up. I’ve been having this same dream for over a year now, and I don’t know why. I wish Mama or Papa were here. They always seemed to have the answers.

    Come to think of it. The dream didn’t start until they passed. Is it their passing that triggered it? Is there more to this dream? The one thing I know for sure is that the library in my dream is from my home. Home. I haven’t been there for at least 200 years, possibly even longer. You see when you reach my age, time passing doesn’t really bother you anymore. You lose track of your true age.

    I didn’t even go home for my parent’s funeral. I received word of their passing from my sweet former servant Maggie. I don’t feel guilty about missing their funeral. I feel guilty that I let Maggie down. She begged me to come home before their deaths. She told me that something was happening, but she didn’t have all the details. She even begged me to just write to my parents and try to make amends with them. But I refused.

    I sat straight up in my bed. The connection has been there all along. I just refused to see it. Selfish, selfish, selfish, selfish. That’s all that ran through my head. I remembered when I first learned of my magic, my parents told me that good and evil always had to be in balance in order for the world to be at peace. Maggie told me that something was happening, and because of my estrangement from my parents over something that now seems so stupid, I ignored the warnings. The months leading up to losing my parents, Maggie had written to me on several occasions telling me that she could see a shift in my parents’ behavior. They were more on guard and gathering people together for secret meetings.

    I didn’t dare write back to her for fear that my parents would find out and respond to the correspondence themselves. I ignored all of her warnings, and now I have lost my parents, and something bad is happening. Why? Why did I ignore her? Why did I have to hold on to a disagreement that is hundreds of years old? A disagreement that a stupid child made. That all that I was when it happened. I was only a child. You would like that after years of growth and maturing, I could have let it go and helped my family when they needed me. But no, I was SELFISH!

    I got up out of bed and got dressed. I knew what I had to do so I start to haphazardly throw clothes into my suitcase. I pick up my phone and look at the time. Dammit. It’s only 2:30 in the morning. I’m not sure if Eddie will still be up or not. I really didn’t want to go all the way back to Florence own my own after all these years away. I decide to send him a text first to see if he was awake or not. “I really hope I didn’t wake you. I know you always like a good adventure.”

    The response was immediate.” Adventure? Where and when do we leave?”  “Florence and we leave as soon as you get here.” “Be there in 30.” That’s one thing I love about Eddie. He didn’t really question me. I could ask him to just through fire and he would. He’d never admit it, but I knew that he loved me. We could easily be together if I would allow it. That however is a story for later.

    I was finishing up packing when the doorbell rang. Good thing I lived by myself, or else the entire house would have been woken up. I open the door, and there was Eddie. He looked glorious. His mocha skin glistened in the soft moon light. He had his should-length black hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. His shirt was just tight enough that you could see the outline of his muscles. Why or why did I deny myself being with this beautiful specimen of a man? Every time I see him my body erupts with lust.

    “Hello beautiful,” he said. His breath slides over my skin like honey. I snap out of it. “Hi Eddie.” “You ready to go Tori.” “Almost. I just need to throw my toothbrush in my bag then I’m ready.”

     I grab my bag and head out the door with him. We walk to the garage in silence. I was actually a bit surprise that he hasn’t asked why we were going back to my home yet. As we are almost to the New Orleans International Airport, I couldn’t take the silence any longer. “Eddie, why haven’t you asked me why I’m dragging you all the way to Florence at 2 o’clock in the morning?” “Well first of all, it was 2:30 in the morning when you asked. And second, I figured if you wanted me to know you would have told me already.” Typical Eddie. He always waited for me to share whatever information I wanted to share. “Well you know that dream I’ve been having?” “Yes.” “I had it again tonight. When I woke up, I finally made the connection. Maggie had tried to warn me 2 years ago, but I didn’t listen. I let my stupid argument when my parents overtake my duty.” “Vittoria, what connection and are you sure that those letters from Maggie were actually warnings?” “Yes Eddrick. They were warnings. I just know they were. And I ignored them. The connection is that those warnings and my dream are connected. Whatever my parents were gearing up for, and my dream are connected. Do you follow?” By this time we were at the airport. I park in the over night parking. I’ll have someone come pick it up later in the day. By now I’m sure that everyone else I know is asleep. I place the parking pass and $300 dollars in the glove box. I leave the key in my hid-a-key location. We grab our bags and head into the airport. 

   We walked silently into the airport. Thankfully it's not that busy at 3 in the morning. You see human beings don't like to think of mythical creatures as real. They prefer to only think of them as something in movies and books. If they knew we were real, think of the chaos that would create. No one wants that.

    As we walk up to the ticket desk, the sleepy little ticket agent jumps to her feet. "How can I help y'all?" she said in a thick southern accent. "Two tickets to Florence, Italy first class please. And if possible, the quickest flight available." "Yes ma'am. I just need y'alls IDs and passports please." As I get mine out, I look over at Eddie who is nervously looking for his passport in this bag. "Eddie, please tell me you remembered your passport.' "Yes, I just don't remember where I put it. " Well did you look in your inside jacket pocket where you like to keep all your important items?" He hands the agent his passport and turns to me, "You know me too well Tori." We stand in silence as the ticket agent clicks away at her computer. 

My mind begins to wonder to the last time I was home. It was the day before my 16th birthday. Everything was set to celebrate. I was so excited. It would be my biggest part to date. I was up in my room imagining all the present I would have when my mother and father came in. Mama motioned for me to come sit on the bed next to her while Papa paced. Without any discussion beforehand, they told me that not only was tomorrow going to be my birthday celebration, but it was also going to be my engagement party. I couldn't believe it. They had arranged a marriage for me to a person I didn't even know. I knew my entire life that that was how they met, and eventually fell in love, but that wasn't what I wanted. I was already in love. The problem was the person I love didn't have any prospects and my parents never new about it. He was our stable boy, and I knew that my parents would never agree to a marriage for us. Of course, I protested, but the deal had already been made. I decided to leave that night. 

    I forced myself to stay awake. I packed myself a small suitcase and took the money I had been saving out of its hiding place. Once I was certain that everyone was asleep, I eased my way down the stairs. Before I could make it to the door, I heard the familiar sound of Maggie clearing her throat. "And just where do you think you're going Madam?" "I'm sorry Maggie. I'm leaving. I can't marry this man that my parents want me too." "But Miss Vittoria. Where will you go and how will you survive?" "Don't worry about me Maggie. I'll be just fine."  I gave her a quick hug and walked out the door. That was the last time I ever saw my parents and Maggie. 

    Coming back to reality, I realized that the ticket agent had finished up with her clicking. "Here's your tickets, IDs, and passports. I have y'all booked on a flight that leaves in an hour. There's two connection, one in New York and one in France. Y'all should arrive in Florence around 5:30 tomorrow evening. Is that going to be fine?" "That's just fine. Thank you."

    Once again I was thankful for a near empty airport. Getting through security was a breeze. We continued to walk in silence as we located our gate. As we sat waiting for the plane, I could feel myself start to drift away to the past again. The past that I spent years trying to forget.