Alfonzo (29 page)

The
girl departed and Alfonzo returned to the
room
but did not sit.

“What did you mean my father
’s watched me, w
hat are you talking about?”

Alberti glanced at his chrome
Patek
Phillipe
watch, ten-thirteen, he must hurry.
“Please we can finish this conversation in route to the hospital
,
por
favore
.”

“Why should I give a damn about a man I never met?”

Alberti stood. At sixty—
ish
he was in excellent physical health.
Good wine and daily walks along the hills of Palermo were credited for this, not to
mention a loving wife and beautiful daughters.
“Because he is your father and it is the honorable thing to
do,” he replied with
confidence and gestured toward the door.

“Hold-up, I’m
not taking your
word
about any of
this.”

Alfonzo called his mom and when she answered he asked,
“
Mami
, hay
un
hombre
aqui
que dice que
papi
no esta
muerto
, es
esto
verdad
?
”

“
Hijo, we need to talk
.
”

“Es
esto
verdad
?
Is it true?”
Alfonzo repeated.

“
Si.”

He hung up and faced Alberti, “What does he want from me?”

“To finally meet his son
.”

Alfonzo suddenly remembered. The FBI questioned him about Luzo
P
alazzo.
They were interested in his affiliation to Luzo.
They must have known he was the son of this man. –But exactly who the hell was this man who produced such interest?

Alberti wasted no time
.
“We must go, he is dying.”

“Why
is
the FBI interested in a dying man?”

“Those questions only he can answer, we must go.”

“I can’t.” Alfonzo replied and walked away, “See yourself out.”

Alberti followed, “Stubborn boy, your life is in danger and that of your lady friend.”

Alfonzo stopped cold in his tracks. What did this man know?
“You sonovabitch, I’m tired of the games
, either
tell me what’s going on or you can
go tell Luzo we’ll meet
in hell!” He said angrily.

Alberti’s patience waned and he came face-to-face with the boy.
“You speak like a thug. You think your street ways and disrespect are
sign
s
of
machismo?
The
y’re
nothing
insolent boy
! Your father protected you all your
life
Crazy Blue
Eyes;
this is your street name isn’t it?
Loco
s
los
ojos
azules
.
C
ome
with
me
or I
will
remove you by force!
”

This man knew
a lot
about him and seem
ed
prepared to carry out the threat.
Influenced by curiosity devoid of fear he accompanied the senior man after informing Selange he was going out. He took a backseat and felt eyes on him. The driver, he looked familiar. He’d seen that face before.

“Hello Alfonzo.”
The driver greeted.

Alfonzo nodded.

“Okay Nico
let’s go,”
Alberti instructed
.

Alfonzo folded his arms
across his chest. T
oday
he
’d finally
learn the truth
about his father
.

***

L
uzo watched the handsome young man approach. Many years of longing dissipated
at the sight of his son in the flesh.
M
y son
–my
blood.
A solitary tear of joy descended over the cracked old face. A powerful, invisible foe
infiltrated the impregnable Palazzo and rendered him impotent.
By the Saints he
wished
he had more
time
with his son but this aspiration
God did not favor. Past deeds sealed his fate,
yet he refused to accept the penance until the scales of destiny were balanced.
The strong, virile
youth
moving with ease was his legacy
and h
is life
was
to be protected until he accepted his inheritance. With his son
,
the
Palazzo gene would
survive; thus the Giacanti’s would live on
.

Alberti’s voice ended the reverie
,
“Luzo, I will leave you two alone.”

Luzo
nodded
his voice feeble to his own ears, “Thank you old friend
and brother,
graci
.
”

The door closed and Luzo motioned Alfonzo to a chair near the bed.

Luzo sighed, “I have loved from afar
too long
. I
am
a foolish man
to allow your mother to walk out of my life with you.”

Alfonzo said nothing. The words removed all blame from his mother.
The private hospital suite held an assortment of lavish bouquets and furnishings found in a fine hotel. Alfonzo surmised Luzo Palazzo was a very important man and powerful man.

“I know of your troubles.”

“And what do you know?”

“I know of treachery which has claimed innocent lives and the one responsible will pay!”

“Who?”

“My wife Gina.
She wishes to have what is not hers at the expense of hurting the innocent.”

Alfonzo’s eyes raged, “Your wife had my Uncle killed?”

“Yes.”

The man spoke calmly as if the lives taken were mere flies.
“You sonovabitch.
Where is she goddammit?”

“Calm yourself, there is a greater threat seeping beneath your door and it is not Gina.
I must tell you things…you must know.” He continued.

Alfonzo could not take his eyes off the man. The blue eyes and strong jaw his inheritance.
He did not interrupt, aware of the d
amned
desire
s
to confess to their sins
,
but he was un
prepared for
the
revelations
.
E
ach abstract
part of his life gained clarity. It took discipline not to leap from his chair and curse
this man
claiming to be
this father.
Years of uncertainty washed away. The ruthless Palazzo gene
and
keen business acumen
were
passed
from father to son.
The inability to love he would not claim!

Luzo coughed, speaking became difficult. He wanted Alfonzo to hear everything, to
understand the past.
“My father’s family lived and died this code. His
father before him
as well
. Despite what you
feel now, you will realize it is inherent.” His eyes searched the young man’s face for
acceptance and found none.

Alfonzo finally spoke, “People have died because of you.”

“People have died because of greed.
O
ur code
is one of
honor, unlike the street punks
of your generation. We do not harm innocent people for personal gain. My wife Gina
is an abomination and will be dealt with.”

“You chose her
over my mother
because she’s like you.”

“I allowed myself to be used and I used in return. Her treachery is about to end.”

“How
will it
change anything
u
nless you can resurrect the
dead?
”

Weary, Luzo shut his eyes. The young man was correct. Vengeance only satisfied the
ego of its wielder.
As a boy he too failed to
u
nderstand th
i
s and avoided his father’s teachings
until….

“I’ve hear enough,
I have to go.” Alfonzo said.

“My parents, uncles, cousins, brother, sisters were all murdered by those who
sought to maintain the old ways. My father believed in a new way, one without
unnecessary violence
or
exploit
ation of
the poor.”

The young man said nothing
, yet he remained to listen
.

“You sell drugs to
the
poor
and
addicted.
You make them weaker, you rape their minds by dulling reality but you found your way and learned there are other avenues to wealth.”

Alfonzo’s mouth was tight. The man knew too much and yet knew nothing.

“
My father’s way
was to acquire wealth through more legitimate means, politics,
government contracts and influence.”

“And
what type of influence was that, huh
?”

“Reason
, a
ll men have a price and a weakness.”

Alfonzo sneered,
“You left out force.”

“Force?”
Luzo was amused, “
Persuasion is a force I have used. Isn’t such motivation required at some point
?”

Alfonzo
found he indeed possessed his father’s gene.
He gripped the railing
and
seethed, “Why did you involve my mother. She’s a good woman, why didn’t you le
ave her alone
?”

The ailing man’s eyes swept him into the sea, “You cannot stop the workings of the heart. Love does not listen to reason.”

“You
say all of this but you
never fought for
her. You never fought for me!”

“And son this will be my biggest regret
,
but on my last breath I fight for you both!”

Alfonzo spoke
. His words
were
of despair
, “You’ve brought nothing but hell into our lives
.”

The
boy’s anger
was
understandable.

Alfonzo added, “I’ll never be like you.”

Luzo’s eyes narrowed, “My father, Sergio Giacanti had three sons,
I
was the eldest.
W
e were separated
when my father’s enemies sought to claim his empire. My father did not tell me this
, yet
my ears listened always.
I
was sent to study business
in France and my brothers
due to their young ages were sent
to a relative‘s
home,” he coughed, “you see my father
suspected
what was to come. He was wise.”

“Why are you telling me ancient tales old man?”

“Silence!”
He said hoarsely as strength waned, “these tales are your legacy.”

Alfonzo twisted in the chair, “Finish your
damn story
if it’ll make you feel better.”

“Don’t be insolent!” Luzo scowled, “history is important in order to understand your
future.”

“Why tell me this now?”

“Because you have obligations whether you want them or not.”
He forced himself upright, this was too important to take to his grave.
He must
divulge
important information to his son, things not known to anyone other than his brother. “
We are by blood
direct descendants
of the most powerful Mafioso in history, Sergio Giacanti
but we cannot claim this name or we will be exposed
. The man you will
come to know as Carlo Dichenzo is my youngest brother, Anthony Giacanti.
My birth name is Salvatore
Pietro
Giacanti. When my father sent us away he believed us safe
but members of a rival family who sought
control of
his position
began to bribe and kill for
it.
No one could be
trusted.
One
summer my parents were killed
along with everyone I knew and loved.”
Blue eyes bore into his son as he recalled that
murderous summer. “My brother
,
three year old
Guiseppe
was killed in his bed
.
Anthony hid in
a
cousin’s barn when the men came
and
I escaped the horrors
simply because I was in France. Anthony lives with these horrors and his blood runs cold with hatred for the men who did this deed.”