Blindspot

The Lead

'Mom, please, talk to me," Danzel held her mother's bandaged hand and pleaded with her. Anastasia kept her face turned away from him. 

He was currently in the hospital. Her mom attempted suicide and would have succeeded if not for one of the maids who caught her unconscious on her bathroom floor. 

Danzel rubbed a hand down his face and exhaled a loud sigh.

"What were you trying to achieve by this? You could have died," he reprimanded her in a harsh tone. Anastasia had slit her wrist.

Silence prevailed in the room for a few moments as the woman acted as if she didn't hear him. 

"My boy was afraid of height. On flights, he would cling onto me and wouldn't leave until the plane touched the ground....." tears streamed down her eyes as she reminisced about her dead son with a wistful smile. Danzel stroked her knuckle to soothe her while listening as she talked about Andrei.

".....What do I do with this life without him. I don't want to live anymore. I want my son, Danzel. Bring back your brother. Get him back to me," Anastasia broke down completely as she brought his hand to her face. 

Danzel pressed his eyes tightly to get rid of the water that had invaded his eyes. 

"You have to live, mom..for me..for dad," he leaned and wiped her tears. 

"I want my son, Danzel. Bring him back," his mother held his collar and sobbed against his chest as she pleaded with him. He hugged his mom and stroked her back as she cried and cried in his embrace. His heart was crushing to see his mother like this. 

"And if you can't bring him back then at least get him the justice he deserves," his mother looked up at him, a few minutes later. Her red-rimmed eyes screaming vengeance. 

"Kill that bitch. She deserves death as painful as my boy. She deserves to burn in hell," her voice croaked as more tears washed down her eyes. 

"Mom.."

"What is stopping you, Danzel? Why that murderer is still alive? She killed your brother. Your little brother, son, he always looked up to you for everything. You can't do this to him," the determination in her tone weakened to implore as she cupped his cheek and looked pleadingly in his eyes. 

"Fransisco is the real culprit, mom. We need her to get him on his knees," he explained to her. It was the truth but not the real reason why he was keeping her alive. 

"He will come to his knees on his own when you would kill her," Anastasia insisted.

"Mom..." Danzel turned his face away from her hand. 

"I can't kill her," he clenched his jaw while staring hard at the marble floor. 

His mother couldn't understand why was he so persistent in keeping her alive. Wasn't it is his rule to kill those who betrayed him? And that bitch had betrayed her whole family. She grabbed his chin and made him look at her.

"Why? Why do you want her alive?" his mom gritted out in annoyance. He didn't speak a word, just continued to stare into his mom's eyes. What could he have said that he fancy his brother's killer? That he wants to spend a lifetime with her? That he is crazy about the woman who had ruined his family?    

She looked into her eyes and she caught on the reason his so was hiding from her. Her eyes turned wide friction as the realization hit her. 

"You want her" she murmured in realization, retreating her hand. Danzel clenched his jaw and looked away. He was ashamed of feeling this way. He was ashamed of still wanting her even after what she had put his family through. He was ashamed of longing for his brother's murderer like a dying man longing for another breath. And he was ashamed of not regretting it a bit.