ALLEN WATCHED AS her clasped hands finally relaxed from their stiff prayer position. The woman hadn't moved an inch ever since she knelt on her knees and spoke her words to the Mother above. Her body was completely still other than her mouth forming around whispered words.
The sanctuary had long emptied of its morning traffic, and even after those who lacked prior responsibilities left... this old woman stayed. A long skirt brushed against her simple cloth shoes and her wispy gray hair was fastened into a bum.
Allen had never seen her before; he prioritized speaking to everyone who visited, even if only briefly. Newcomers were scarce and as the highly religious generation continued to age, he was becoming hypersensitive to fresh faces, considering what was happening just below the sanctuary.
She struggled to find her footing as she rose from her kneeling position. Allen was by her side in moments, offering a hand to her as he helped her steady herself.
"Thank you, my knees aren't as good as they used to be."
"Still, they managed to bring you here. For that, I am grateful."
She chuckled, fine lines wrinkling further as she smiled.
"Please, I'm too old to be flirting. I'm just here to soothe my guilt. My husband used to always visit the local sanctuary where our son lives, I never went with him when he was alive. I suppose now I owe it to him to at least try."
"Can I look forward to seeing you more often? I'm sure the other patrons would be thrilled to have a new member to gossip with."
"I'm... not sure. It took me months to just get inside. I don't know if I'm ready yet."
Allen silently guided her to the doors, recognizing the need for silence.
"Should you return or not, it makes no difference. I just hope you remember, oftentimes, we feel much more lonely than we truly are."
"Thank you."
"Enjoy the rest of your day."
Allen turned to the interior with a tired sigh as the front door closed. The place wouldn't see much activity until evening time, which meant it was time to clean and break for lunch. Allen's mind absently wandered over to what the children would eat, then over to Silver, whose sore throat would have a hard time with solid food. He made a mental note to take some soup and ginger-mint tea for him.
He pulled out a key to the lock on the wooden box that read donations, there usually wasn't much, but Allen kept the habit of checking it anyway. Whatever extra he got went toward the children's daily needs and education. Not that they were ever short on funds.
He undid the small, sturdy lock and reached in to pull out a handful of coins and folded dollar bills that passed through the designated slot. He methodically unfolded and smoothed out the money, counting as he went.
He undid a generous fifty dollar bill and tucked inside was a paper folded along with it.
The smoothly typed message was short and precise, as it always was.
MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ASWERED.
THE GODDESS WILL MAKE HER MOVE
WHETHER I LIKE IT OR NOT.
CHANGE IS COMING.
ALL I CAN DO IS PRAY AND PREPARE.
Allen's jaw clenched at the offending piece of paper, still he managed to memorize the phrase before thin bolts of blue lightning wiggled from his fingers and burned the message, leaving nothing but a black smudge of ash in his hands.
They were only becoming bolder as time went on and though Allen didn't like them; when compared to the Colombiano Crime Family, they were the lesser of the two evils. At least, that is what he wholeheartedly wished to believe.
Allen stashed the money in a pocket of his robe after he finished counting.
I really can't keep this up for much longer.
YOUTH WAS A beautiful messy thing.
Or that was at least how Jay thought of it as he lurked around the perimeter of Hawthorne Highschool like some kind of pervert. He never had the luxury of growing as a regular teenager would.
From the moment he learned to take oxygen into his lungs, he became a labourer working for the good of the mafia. It was ingrained into his soul at this point, even if he tired there would be no other way for him to live. He didn't know where the will of the Colombiano Crime Family ended and his own personal ideals began.
And truth be told… he couldn't give less of a shit.
Still, there were times he wondered what life would have been like if his mother snatched him and his brothers away. What would have happened if they got to the police station where the witness protection program was waiting for them?
But the watercolor fantasy somehow always bled into a familiar mix of muddy brown that was reality.
His mother didn't think twice about him or his brothers. The suitcase full of diamonds and shoes was the only thing in her hand when she ran for the hills. And they ended up scattered across the street and covered in her blood after the Family ran her over before she had the chance to flap her loose lips to the cops.
Jay couldn't even imagine it, but that was fine.
Brown was a perfectly decent color.
He finally settled on a position near the back exit of the school, when a shrill bell rang out and the double doors burst open for the pool of hormone induced teens to pour down the steps.
Their loud conversations filled the previously silent air with energy. Jay didn't move, even when he got a few side glances from those who stepped onto the sidewalk.
When the crowds thinned out, he finally saw her walk out of school with slow steady steps; carefully gripping onto the handle support as she descended.
He was surprised when he heard Lucky's daughter was discharged and already back in school. Thinking about going back to school after health issues and the death of her father seemed illogical in more ways than one. She was just begging to have a mental breakdown with her classmates sitting in front row seats to the show.
Now that Jay knew exactly why she was in the hospital, her hasty return to school made perfect sense.
He didn't hide himself when she approached, the streets were mostly empty now and even if they saw, it changed nothing. Jay had no intention of hurting Lucky's kid; he had at least a modicum of respect left lit inside of him, though it flickered every now and then. He just wanted to ask a few questions.
"Elena."
She turned her head to glance at him and for a moment Lucky's pale, lifeless face sprung from its suppressed place in his mind. She looked a bit too much like him, the shape of her jaw and color of her eyes gave it away.
She stayed a safe distance away as she spoke.
"How do you know who I am?"
"I knew your father, I'd like to ask you a few questions is all."
"The cops know everything I know. You'd get more out of speaking to them."
"I've already spoken to your father's partner, if you tell me what I need to know there would be no need for me to visit your house and talk to your mom."
He'd never do that, Lucky's wife knew nothing of his involvement with the mafia and speaking to Elena was a last ditched effort to dig up something substantial.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Jay, a private investigator employed by a very wealthy man who was good friends with your father. Just trying to find the person who murdered Leonard."
She hesitated before coming a few steps closer.
Got her.
"Mind if I smoke?"
She shrugged and fiddled with the excess straps dangling at the end of her backpack.
"It's a free country."
Jay had his favorite brand out in record time. His hand cupping around the small flame of his lighter to burn his cigarette. He tilted his head in contemplation before offering the pack to his unwilling company.
"Want one?"
Her face wrinkled in disgust.
"I don't smoke."
"Never too young to start."
"No."
He shrugged before placing the pack back into his pocket and reaching to his lips to remove the stick and exhale smoke into the air. His tone taking on an air of lax mirth as he spoke.
"Won't smoke a cigarette but willing to land herself in the hospital from dabbling with the hard core shit. Very interesting set of values you prescribe to Elena."
"How do you know about that?"
Her shoulders slouched forward as she whisper yelled, eyes darting anxiously around them to catch any prying ears or eyes.
It took so little to get Lucky's partner to spill everything he knew. Threatening his family really was the right way to go. Jay loved a good family man.
"His daughter! It was his fucking kid. H-he said she got mixed up in some real bad shit that landed her in a hospital, he was stubborn about taking care of it himself. That's it! That's all I know, I swear to God!"
Jay side eyed the fidgeting teen as he took another drag from the cigarette.
"I'm very good at getting information."