The Truth

The night air was cool against Emma Colombo's Mediterranean skin. She paced impatiently at the dark alley of Micasa's street.

She wore a pallid blue short and a free polo shirt accompanied with a pair of loafers sandal. Emma strode back into her car to rest her tired legs a little bit before the person she's awaiting for comes to view.

Emma had requested to see Aldo, just to negotiate, following the instructions of the letter. She was grateful that he accepted to see her. The senders of the letter knew her personal relationship with Aldo. She didn't know what they had against him, but she needed to comply just so her son might be safe.

The headlights of a car approaching from behind reflected into her rear view mirror. She got down immediately knowing it was Aldo and like she knew, he came alone, in the dead of the night, without any of his entourage. After some minutes Aldo came out of his car and walked towards Emma.

"Say what you want" he demanded.

Emma was taken aback by the tone of his voice but she shrugged it off and tossed a document to him. He caught it before it could fall to the ground.

"What's this?" he asked as he reluctantly flipped the page open.

"Go through it then you'll know what it's about".

Emma didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore, if she continues seeing him then she'll only be endangering her son's life. She knew the content of the document, it stated that he signs the contract in there to give his drug cartel to two men named Pedro Mancini and Tomasso Mariono.

Judging by the expression on his face, he wasn't in agreement with it.

"What's this?" he asked in annoyance and threw it at her, she let it fall to the ground and stared down at it for some seconds before replying.

"You've skimmed through it already! so why ask me such?"

"How did it get to you?"

"Hell, like I would know"

"I'm serious!!" he screamed out.

"They traced me okay! I don't know how and I don't know who but all they want from you is your damn cartel" she explained.

"How do they know I have connections with you?" he inquired.

"Why the hell do you keep asking me questions that I've got no answer to?" she complained "Fine, I'll explain to you everything I know. I got a letter containing this document, they threatened me using my son. Please sign this damn contract and get out of my life" she begged "Just get out of me and my son's life".

"I was never involved in your son's life" Aldo stated.

"He's your son also!!" Emma screamed the truth out with tears brewing in her eyes.

Aldo widened his eyes in surprise, for a moment his body system felt numb, he couldn't think neither could he process anything.

"That's not possible" he shook his head in disapproval "I've known you since ten years ago and I'm just finding out about me having a son with you? it's so absurd" disbelief flickered in his eyes.

"Believe it or not. I hid him from you because I never intended to destroy your family. If you don't sign this contract then I'll do what I never intended to do" she threatened.

"What do you intend to do?" he asked angrily.

"Destroy your matrimonial home" she said with all the courage she could muster then walked over to her car "You've got a week to decide and when you do, give me a call".

Emma said that then got into her car and sped off leaving Aldo with jumbled thoughts.

"It's not possible" he muttered to himself and ruffled his hair in frustration.

"Oh what have you gotten yourself into?" he asked himself.

Aldo knew Emma wasn't bluffing, that lady hardly joked about anything, she was as straight as steel. He kicked the tyre of his car continuously until his legs gave away to tiredness. He straightened himself and looked around before his eyes caught the document lying lifeless on the dead street. He walked over to it and picked it up.

Aldo stared at the document in his hand contemplating within himself whether to carry it along or not, he then came to a conclusion that it was best he took it with him. Aldo got into his car and drove away, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel and accelerated into the empty street. If Pedro and Tomasso wanted to start a war with him, then he was ready.

They were only envious that his drug cartel was attracting more buyers and investors than theirs. Since his family was involved, then he was ready to give them the war they were asking for, his family was his life, he loves his wife and kids dearly and he wouldn't let Emma come across his matrimonial home.

He knew Emma told the truth about him having a son with her but he just didn't want to believe it, just not yet. The truth hurts, it was always bitter, and now thinking about family. He needed to spend more time with them, allow Isabella and Leonardo be free hanging out with anybody in school just so he could remove every suspicion growing in their heads.

Aldo now realized that he had been a bad father by not spending time with his children and a bad husband by having an affair with another woman who now claims to have a son for him. He doubled up his speed and made up his mind to apologize to his family for being a bad family man.

The only thing he wouldn't tell them was the truth.