The Story Of My Life

Chapter 11

After our dinner, we went to the store and got some clothes and stuff for me and Rosa was there too. After our crazy outing, we dropped Rosa and went home. 

That night I brushed and tripped on my new PJs, and climbed in the bed beside Carlos. I didn't have a room yet so I was sleeping with Carlos. 

"Carl?" I whispered in the darkness. 

"Yeah?" He responded.

"D-do you w-want me?" I asked. 

"Yeah, of course not just because of my father but I really want you, when you smiled this afternoon I was full of joy, Just like you were my own son," he said, his voice dropping at the last part. 

"Y-you have s-son b-before?" I asked in a whisper. 

"Yeah, but he died with his mum when he was three In a car accident, I was just 18 then." His voice cracked. I hesitated before hugging him. 

"T-thank you," I whispered before drifting into my nightmare. I ended up screaming and crying, after a while of being asleep. Carlos held me close, shushing me.

"He'll hurt me!" I sobbed, "he won't stop!" I cried in his chest.

"No one will hurt you, I'm here, I'll fight for you. No bastard touches my boy." He said while wrapping his arms around me. I felt safe, I felt warm and loved. I snuggled into the warmth of his chest and drifted to a peaceful sleep.

*********

Carlos and I got along, he taught me lots of things during the past years. Most of them weren't good, don't blame him, what are you expecting from a mafia guy? 

Carlos taught me how to defend myself, he also taught me how to swear and curse. We became best of friends, Rosa taught me something too, how to make some of her spaghetti and red sauce. We were often seen around and people called us a family. Carlos, Rosa and I. I was happy with them, though I was not as happy as when my mum was alive but still I was a little happy. 

Carlos taught me how to shoot a gun, I told him that I'll never use it when he asked why I didn't reply. I was enrolled in another school. My grades were excellent but I had a little issue. I couldn't stop fighting in school. I only throw my fist on those that bullied me, I rarely do that. Each time I was expelled, Carlos would always support me. He would say

"Nah... Leave them they're jerks, you are pretty cool, not like the puppet they are. That's why they don't value you, you're a smart ass." I always smile at his words. They were reassuring. Carlos was not just my best friend, he was a father figure in my life, he was also my mentor and advisor. I wanted to be like him so much that I almost had a tattoo. But he said I was too young for that. I was just 10 then. I promised to have a tattoo when I'll be 15, his tattoo was a heart sailed with a padlock and chains. While mine would be a broken heart. 

Carlos Frederick was not that bad, he prevented me from drinking alcoholic drinks, smoking, or taking drugs. Even if I was surrounded by alcoholic people, drug addicts, smokers..etc

I held onto Carlos's word, I was never gonna disobey him.

My nightmares ceased, just some little tossing at night but I was okay, I became more outspoken and Strong. I learned martial arts and many other self-defenses. I even braid my hair like the karate kid (Jaden Smith). 

I thought everything was over, I thought finally I'd be happy, but everything just had to take a different turn. First, it started with the gunshot at the restaurant. 

I returned from school and Carlos proposed we go to Rosa's restaurant and I gladly accepted. It was always a pleasure to see Rosa. 

We helped her with some customers before the restaurant closed. Billy and Jimmy were on their way to the restaurant, we were having a feast just for the little family we've become. 

"This is a freaking Friday! I climbed on one of the restaurant chairs and screamed.

"No is not," Rosa said in a sassy manner. Did I mention she loved opposing and annoying me?

"Yes it," Carlos said, shouldering me. Damn! I loved that guy.

"See, I told ya," I stuck my tongue out with my brows raised. 

"Whatever," she playfully rolled her eyes. We gathered around the table, ready for what I called family ritual. We do that every Friday, I think.

A candle stood in the middle of the table surrounded by plates and food. I place my hand above the candle in such a way that the heat won't hurt me. Rosa placed her right hand on mine, then Carlos.

"We'll always be best friends and a family, we'll love each other forever and always,'' I was the one that invented the last part, I noticed Rosa and Carlos were staring at each other. I cleared my throat, snapping them out of their thoughts. They stare at me innocently, I've removed my hand, just the both of them, hand on hand. They returned their gazes to their hand and immediately pulled their hand blushing and babbling nonsense. 

"Can we eat?" I asked while rolling my eyes.

"That was rude," Carlos said.

"You taught me," I sassed. We all laughed. Everything was going fine when we heard a loud crash, someone had broken into the store. Carlos silently stood and quenched the candle. We hid behind the chairs while Carlos went to the door waiting to strike. A huge guy wearing black with a mask walked in. Carlos hit his nose with his elbow, making him jerk backward. Carlos pushed the man on the wall hitting his stomach with his knee. We watched silently, I heard Rosa scream pointing at the back door, another guy with a gun walked in. I threw a plate at his face, he yelped dropping his gun. I grabbed a long baton and struck the guy on his arm. He hissed.

"You brat," he snarled. I struck his leg and he screamed, with the force I used the baton broke. 

"Damn! You're f*****g strong!" I said with wide eyes and ran away. He chased me, I jumped over a table, he did the same. He chased me till my back was touching the wall, he threw his clenched fist and I dodged, his blow landed on the wall, and he retrieved in pain. I smirk, sending a kick to his stomach, it did him nothing! He turned me around and grabbed my neck from behind. I grabbed his hand wrapping around my neck, twisted it, and pulled him from behind me, his chest landed on my knee and he grunt in pain. I successfully pressed his face to the floor and pinned his hand on his back. Carlos was still fighting, almost immobilizing the other guy.

"Uh, guys?" Rosa called out nervously. Both of our heads snapped in her direction, another guy was holding a gun to her head. 

"Okay, end of the f*****g party!" He said in a raspy voice. 

I released the other guy, Carlos did the same, I received a hard kick on my side, sending me crashing into the wall at the far corner. 

"Alex!" Both Carlos and Rosa screamed.

"Good for you brat!" He yelled. 

"We are not here for bull s**t! We want the kid!" The guy close to Carlos said. I fought to my feet, holding my side. 

"Dropped that f*****g gun!" Jim screamed, aiming a gun at the guy that was holding Rosa. I heard gunfire. My heart stopped and I traveled back in time. 

I saw myself seated with mama around the table that had my birthday cake, a knock came from the door interrupting our mother-son moment. The small me ran to the door and flipped it open. I tried stopping him but I couldn't. There he stood the king of my nightmare, the man with light brown eyes, the way he grabbed the small me, his voice, mama's voice, they brought tears to my eyes. Then the first gunshot. 

"No! Stop!" I screamed, then the second, "Mama!" Then the third "You're killing her!" Then the fourth, "I'll kill you!" Then the fifth. He laughed fiendishly. I broke down sobbing. 

"Alex? Alex?" I sat up, with tears running down my cheek, the men in black were gone, just Carlos, Rosa, Jim, and Bill. I hugged Carlos tightly. Sobbing in his chest.

"Why crying, you just passed out at the first gunshot, unfortunately, it didn't hit Carlos, then the guys fled. You didn't stop saying no, stop mama, you're killing her, I'll kill you, then you started sobbing." Rosa said.

"Alex, bud, what's wrong?" Carlos asked softly.

"He killed Mama, Carl, he shot her, I was there. It was all my fault, he shot her five times," I sobbed holding Carlos tighter.

After that short drama, we went home and I narrated all my life story to them but didn't tell them I was cutting. Carlos' puzzle of me was finally completed, Rosa ended up sleeping in our house, and I doubt something happened between them.