CHAPTER 6

DARIO

My name is, Dario Cavera, and I'm 56 years old, well I look nothing like my age. Thanks to the good life I'm living and the liters of red wine I consume every day. 

My doctors said it will help regulate my heart rate and generally, good for my health, at times I wonder if those bunch of lunatics are just chunking down my money while gradually sending me to my early grave. 

I came to Italy at a very young ago in search of greener pastures, just like everyone else who is tired of living the normal life would do."

Well nobody said anything about the surviving part, which I was a novice at, close to no experience at all. My instinct told me so several times to just go into the streets, with or without experience; which I did. 

Just that I came back to my one bedroom thatched roof apartment, which does no good in shielding me from the rain with a swollen face. A design I got from struggling with another street beggar who obviously seemed to have been in the business for a very long time. That would explain why nobody came to help: even when I was the one being robbed and beaten.

The next day I repeated the same over again: Just that this time around I went to the high-end restaurants where big shots only have their meals. And in one of the restaurants; I found my savior; after almost giving up. 

That was where I met Carlos; an underboss in Milan, Italy. The moment I spotted him, I knew my life is set for good. All I needed to do was get his attention, but how? I asked myself without getting any positive reply or a reply at all. 

Just then I noticed a car driving towards him in full speed. I know that I wanted to get his attention but I didn't have to die to that, do I?. 

Well it's either this or a life time of begging which am not even good at. Making up my mind; I jumped, throwing myself at him like a girl, an action I really detested. 

Throwing us to the ground, as I lay on Mr. Carlo Strong body, eyes firmly shot waiting for the impact that never came.

I cannot remember how long we lay in that embarrassing position until I heard Mr. Carlo laughing. Only then was I reminded that i still lay on his body.

"Seems like someone is having a nice time up there, huh"?

With a lightning speed, I detached myself from him, embarrassed at my action. "I'm sorry sir; I didn't mean to do that." I said trying to dust his now rumpled suit.

"Ah! It's ok. I see a lot of this every day, I guess my time isn't come yet." He said. Not even bothered that he almost lost his life a minute ago. Death even his few bodyguards could not detect which leaves me wondering if this man is as strong as his reputation that is being sung all over Rome.

It is said that he caught his wife cheating on him on their matrimonial bed and out of rage he burnt his seven months pregnant wife alive together with her lover tied to a bed post and watched till nothing was left but ashes. And his twelve years old son sent away to a place nobody knows about up until now. The reason is what only Mr. Carlo knows. Well he's dead now. And the dead they say, never talks.

And just like that, we started talking. 

"It seems like the universe is on my side today for this to be happening to me right now." I thought to myself. Here I was thinking of death while the universe is preparing a table before me.

He offered to help when he found out about my living condition, but I turned down his financial help; because that was not where my target lay. Moreover, to entice him more, I told him that I would have done that for anybody else if the scene were to replay itself again. 

Well he seemed to be a man of little words; i noticed. Therefore, I greeted him for the last time and turned to head back to my begging position before his voice rang behind me. 

"Or you could come with us back with us to my Villa; we could fix you up with something. Mr. Carlo suggested, to the dismay of his men who looks from me to him in disbelief. And that was an offer I craved for.

Well it was on a Saturday morning as I sat outside my house at the rooftop where I normally have my breakfast while looking at my property just to reassure myself that all these belongs to me.

You know that kind of feeling you get when you go from having just a roof over your head, not just any roof, but a rackety one, to being the owner of a grapevine not just any grapevine but one to be named among the top ten largest vineyards in the whole of Italy and the world at large. Well I make more than I even know just like that.

Well, here I am eating my breakfast as usual while admiring the beautiful scenery around me. Possession I stole from Carlo the former owner of the vineyard and my boss. 

Well I served him as his capo for a very long time, with the hope that his death is near, but seeing how he refused to die, I grew tired of saying "yes boss" and decided to do something about it. 

Therefore, I set him up, drugged him and challenged him to a duet: a tradition in Italy where the mafia is challenged and his authority question by a fellow who wishes to take over the reins.

 And upon winning the fight, I took over the mafia position and rules also acquiring that which belonged to the former mafia boss.

Well it wasn't easy to kill that old hag even after his death it still wasn't easy to take over his properties owning to the fact that he had lots of powerful mafias backing him and his reputations precedes him I must say.

Nevertheless, to hell with all that because I got what I wanted, thanks to the backing of the Luciano Family; a mortal enemy and rival of Mr. Carlo my old boss, and equally a family to be reckoned and feared. 

So looking up just to find Salvador in my premises irks me, like who doesn't know this mod*f**ker and dickhead? Only his name brings powerful men to their knees, how he does it is fair beyond me. 

All attempts made on his life proved to be futile. At times, I wondered if God brought him to Italy to punish the likes of me. 

However, showing any sign of weakness will not do me any good as I try to uphold my reputation and honor.

Therefore, I forced myself to remain calm, am definitely killing this Castellano bitch if I should survive this visit, from what I've heard a visit from this ends in two ways either with an agreement followed by your death or your death. So either ways…

No no no I will rather not think about it. Why didn't they send the Castellano airhead? that one i can deal with.

He approaches and I tried to lighten the mood by bringing up the funeral of his old man. Whoever told me that was a good joke probably needs to be feed to the lions in the zoo. 

He produces a document from his brief case; well if I say I didn't know where all these are headed I probably would be lying as I have been rejecting this deal for a long time now.

Still I refused to sign it because that was the main reason why I killed Carlos in the first place so why would I give in to this threat of a deal.

As usual I blatantly refused to sign the documents and urged him to leave this country entirely so I could live my life in peace even kill the idiot hair of the Castellano family and take over their territory if need be.