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quatro

quatro: sotto gli alberi di limone

four: under the lemon trees

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'' What are you trying to do, Jisoo? Become a mafioso? ''

Smoke was rising from his cigarette and slowly fading in the air and an ice cube was melting away in the glass of whiskey that he poured himself before he called me in his office. He was sitting down on his chair and massaging his temples. Bad sign. At first, I thought that I was the one responsible for his bad mood, but then I noticed the bills that were stacked on the table in front of him. That was an even worse sign. Worse if it really was just me who ruined his day.

I raised my gaze towards Daniele and began: '' Zio, what else was I supposed to do? It's not like I actually killed anybody. I just delivered a package from the police station in Palermo, to Salvatore's mansion. ''

'' You know very well that it wasn't just a package, '' Danny tiredly hissed and shot a glare in my direction. '' It would be far from 'just a package' if the wrong cop would find you carrying it around. ''

I clenched my fingers in to fists and stubbornly pressed my lips together. '' Why are you getting hung up on something that never happened instead of being happy that everything went okay? ''

'' Because now that they know that they can use you for these kind of things, they are not going to stop! '' Danny hissed and stood up. He cursed when ashes fell from the end of his cigarette and landed on his pants. He angrily dusted them off before he walked back towards the opened window and leaned outside. Two kids who stopped by the youth center that morning, were in the middle of renovating mine and Kyungsoo's old tree house. I almost got angry when I saw them doing that but Danny managed to convince me that there was nothing wrong with passing our old hideout to a new boy and girl. We were too big to even use it anymore anyway. '' Give me your dad's phone number. I'll call him, tell him what's happening and maybe he'll be able to get you to come back to your senses... ''

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of my father. I lowered my head and nervously gulped, while Danny leaned against the window sill and brought his cigarette to his lips. '' I stood by your side when you decided to abandon secondary education, even if I was against it. Your dad never got to go and you were supposed to make him proud. I still remember how he was bragging before he left for Northern Italy. He said that he'll work, so that you'll be able to go to school and make something of yourself. Look at yourself now. ''

'' I respect my father's dream, but so far he wasn't able to make it come true yet, '' I quietly replied and scrunched up my nose. My gaze began darting to the left. '' It's a nice dream, but that's all that it is. A dream. Reality is different. In reality, no one comes to help you. You are the one that has to be the adult and figure out how to save yourself. That's exactly what I was thinking about when I left high school. Perhaps I made a mistake, but I didn't know what else to do. My father was up North and there was no money left. ''

'' Your mother-'' Danny began, but I interrupted him as soon as I heard that word roll off his tongue.

Mother.

'' Is there anything else that you wanted to talk to me about, zio? '' I grabbed one of his cigarettes and placed it between my lips, even if I knew that he didn't like it when I smoked. '' You're still working with Palermo's elementary school, right? Do you need help organizing any early summer festivals? I think that this time I'll manage to do it without accidentally burning something with poorly made paper lanterns. ''