823 Visit An Old Friend
âBossâ¦.â
âWhat now?â Daniel said, sipping his coffee and going through the newspaper.
âI have news, itâs about your son. â He said, cautiously.
âIs that so?â Daniel said nonchalantly. He then lowered the newspaper to look at Haz before turning the page to him saying, âBy chance, does it have to do with this?â
Haz glanced at the paper hesitantly, his eyes widening slightly when he saw the headlights
[Gang War Leaves Container Depot In Ruin.]
When Daniel was sure that he was done reading, he folded the paper into four sides and dropped it on the sofa. He then propped his chin with his hand, saying to his assistant, Haz,
âThis incident happened last night, why am I hearing about it this morning?â He asked him.
Faz swallowed, knowing his head was going to end up on a spike today. Today was the day he would die. He had only been promoted to this position because his predecessor was âpunishedâ. That is if you get what he means.
.....
âWhy wonât you answer and stop staring at me like a dog with no sense of direction!â Daniel barked at him and he was startled into giving him an answer.
Haz fell on his knees at once, âI was distracted, boss, and forgot my duties, but I promise that itâs not going to happen again.â
âItâs not going to happen again, is that so?â Daniel thought over it.
âYes, boss!â He answered hurriedly knowing that his life was on the line here.
Daniel got up to his feet and the poor manâs heart began to pound hard. Even with his head lowered, he could sense Danielâs movement and sweat dripped from his face and onto the ground. Soon he was staring down at Danielâs pink flip-flops and his heart rate accelerated faster than before.
Haz shut his eyes knowing that this was his last time on earth. Had he known, he would have made up with his girlfriend after fighting with her last night, but now it was too late. He knew if God gave him a second chance, he would apologize right away and fix things between them.
âLook at me,â Daniel commanded and he did not hesitate to lift his head, his face coated with sweat. Daniel squatted down before him and he was staring the man right in the face in that position.
âYou seeâ¦.â Daniel started, âI take my sonâs affairs quite seriously. Heâs my only future and if he fails tomorrow, thatâs all on me. Itâs quite fortunate that I like you and am giving you a second chance. Another mishap and Iâm not informed on time, youâre losing your position.â He told him
Haz didnât need to be told what losing his position implied. He was going to work harder from now on.
âThank you, boss!â He said, lowering his head to the ground and appreciating him over and over again.
Daniel ignored him and returned to his seat. He picked up the newspaper and continued reading the book. Thankfully, the police had attributed the incident to a fight between two rival gangs and the Luciano family was not implicated. The bodies belonging to the Luciano family were cleared up before the police arrived.
âWhereâs my son?â Daniel asked him without taking his eyes off the paper.
âHeâs currently at the hospital,â Haz answered, âVictor was injured in the incident and heâs been treated at the hospital.â
Hearing the mention of a hospital, Danielâs brows distorted. Has his son finally lost it? Why would he bring a gunshot victim to the hospital? He was practically putting a target on himself and the family.
âWhat hospital?â
âThe hospital is said to belong to the Draven Familyâs boss lady, Mrs. Natalie, and Ariannaâs mother.â
âInteresting,â Daniel was amused, unbelieving that Natalie would be willing to treat anyone from Lucianoâs family. She hated the whole of them. Unless she knows the truth already.
âSheâs getting weak.â
âWhat?â
âItâs nothing,â Daniel said, continuing with his reading. Or he tried to because he snapped the paper shut in no time.
He stood up and Haz looked at him questioningly.
âWhere do we go, boss?â
âThis oneâs on me,â Daniel said, heading into his room to dress up and go see an old friend.
Meanwhileâ¦.
Carmine was the first person to arrive at the hospital before everyone else. The woman had almost lost her mind when they told her her son nearly died. Out of all of her children, Victor was her favorite and only son out of all her children. No, everyone liked Victor, he had that effect on people since the day he was born.
She knew what getting into the familyâs business entailed and tried to stop him from participating by all means, but the boy was stubborn, not to mention his tight relationship with Marcel. Hence, she lived with her heart in her throat, waiting on the day she would get the bad news. And it seems it finally happened.
Thankfully, Victor was a fighter and did not fall into a coma. He woke up before his mother arrived and it was he and Arianna talking before she came inside.
âVictor!â The woman shouted when she saw her son looking so fragile on the bed with an IV attached to his body, and she was filled with anger.
âMother,â Victor said, surprised to see his mother. Well, he shouldnât be since it was normal for his mother to come to check up on her son, but Mimi had been the one he was expecting.
Unfortunately, his mother saw the disappointed look on his face and she connected the dots.
âWait a minute, you donât want to see me?â
âMam, itâs not like that?â He tried to explain. What was he going to explain?
âYou thought that I was someone else? Is it Mimi?â
Victor swallowed, that was the truth but then, why does it feel like admitting it would be the end of his life?
âYou know I love you, mam,â
âLove, my butt! You unfilial son!â The woman took out the banana from the fruit basket she came with and hurled it at him, and Arianna caught it on time, thankfully.