Living with the Mafia Boss

“Mom…dad no !!” little Tessa screams. The vehicle in which her parents were in blew up in a fiery blast. “Tessa dear!!” Uncle Logan calls out to her. She fixes her gaze on him and her tears pouring out like water from a stream. He pulls her into an embrace to shield her from the horrible scene before them. The sound of the fire truck arriving pulls them apart. Tessa wakes up almost immediately. Beads of sweat all over her face to the neck, soaking her nightwear. Breathing heavily, she gets up from her bed to take a glass of water. She met Logan in the kitchen. “Morning,” she mumbled as she headed towards the refrigerator. “You're still seeing it?” He looks up at her, sipping from his teacup. Tessa nodded, giving him an answer. She takes her glass of water heading back to her room. Halfway through her steps, she assures her uncle “don’t worry I’ll be fine…my therapist is helping." Later that same morning “ Uncle … I’ll be going now. During lunch break I’ll see Mattie, her therapist. I may come back a little late. Elena and I have somewhere to go." Tessa hurriedly ran towards the shelf beside the television to grab the car keys. “You could call her over… I’m not going to make it home tonight anyway,” He smiles at her, grabbing his coat to leave after her. “Take care.” Different vehicles; cars, trucks. All parked in long single line with no hope of moving within the next minute. Within the traffic, a red turtle car with her head out the window. Tessa was so tired of this everyday problem she has to deal with . Pulling her head out to check if she had any hope of leaving the traffic. The traffic was moving. “Oh my…” she tucked her head immediately into her car. The sudden whoosh of wind that followed after the black Hummer truck sped by. “ How can someone be so reckless?” she heaves a sign of relief as she had almost lost her life because of some reckless driver. She had gotten to work on time, no matter the traffic. Lunch break had come quickly like there was no morning . She clocked out as she had worked her shift for the day. Stepping out of the orphanage where she worked, she met Elena just outside the gate. “Lena…” she hugged her long-time best friend. “Tess… how was the weekend? Sorry I couldn’t come over. I was quite occupied,” Elena said, pulling out of the hug to face her friend. “It’s fine…but I’m sure you could make it this evening. My uncle won’t be home and I don’t want to be lonely,” Tessa smiled but frowned and pouted her mouth at the same time. Making a funny face. Both of them laugh walking into their cars, as Elena agreed to Tessa’s ordeal. Reaching home, they stopped in the kitchen for a quick snack before heading for Tessa’s room. In Tessa’s room, a small but not too small space painted white with splashes of pink. On her side table was a mirror rimmed with lights, 3D butterfly stickers arranged round the mirror like they were really flying round the light. The whole room was scattered with glow in the dark stars making it look like space. She has her wardrobe not far from the door and a little television sitting nicely on the wall opposite her bed. “Tess, what movie are we watching?” Lena asked her friend, dropping the popcorn and soda drinks she had in her hands on the table . “We could watch something you want,” she smiled back at Lena, as she was the movie freak and always had her movie suggestions ready. Bouncing on the bed, she looked up to Tessa. “OK…there’s this movie, ANYONE BUT YOU. We should try it out.” “OK,” joining her on the bed and turning on the TV, making a few connections. She brought the popcorn and soda on the bed for an easier reach. Midway in the movie, Lena dropped a question: “When would you get a boyfriend?” drawing Tess’s attention away from the movie. “Uhm… that’s a sudden question and the answer to that is I don’t know yet” …the stare… “How about you?” Elena adjusts herself to be in a comfortable talking position. “Well…I didn’t tell but some guy asked me out and I went on a date with him. That’s why I couldn’t come over to your place during the weekends.” “Whoa! Lena is in love , Lena is in love,” she sang as she danced on the bed teasing her “So when am I seeing this guy? ”Tessa said, smiling and raising her brows. “Well…very soon,” both laugh. Just before they began the movie again, Tessa said in a dull tone, “I’m still going for my therapy sessions and I don’t want to be a burden to anyone…and I believe I haven’t seen the right guy.” Letting out a smirk, she threw popcorn in her mouth. Both leaning on each other and snacking on the popcorn and soda, they finished the movie and slept off in the same position. Just before the movie ended, it began to rain heavily with thunderstorms. The splattering sounds as the rain dropped on the roof made every sound deaf and made the house very eerie and quiet. The two girls lay peaceful beside each other, enjoying the cool evening even in their sleep. Tessa was about to have a nightmare just before the doorbell rang, followed by a big bang on the door downstairs. The loud sound woke the girls almost immediately. Both of them looking at each other determining their next step. Grabbing a flashlight and an umbrella, Tessa leads the way. Elena followed with whatever she could lay her hands on. They made it through the corridor and the stairway. The front door was the next they had to face. Fastening their grip on what they held in her hand, they swung the door open.