A Fork In The Road

By Kadeeja Ruwaidah

The Petroni family was a family of five. A father, a mother, their elder son, the middle daughter, and the youngest daughter who was merely a toddler.

The family was poor, and couldn't afford much comfort, and having a small home was a luxury to them. They lived on borrowed lands, along with a small community of people, who were as poor as them. But they all lived happily like a brotherhood, each hard-working and decent.

Artyom, the father, was a farmer, but he couldn't earn enough to make his family live in comfort. They had to settle for the small bit they could afford and save every penny he and his wife, Alyona, earned; so they could make sure that their babies didn't go hungry every day.

Oranzio was the elder of the three kids, and quite sharp and intelligent. He picked up things very quickly, and he was a fast learner. At the age of 9, he had earned a trustworthy name for himself among the small community of people. He was a bright kid, whom everyone loved, and who had befriended everyone there.

Dinara was the middle kid, who was, as her name suggested, a breath of life for the family. She was so full of life and always smiling. Being near her lifted everyone's spirits, and she was quite a character. She was kind and helpful, and a really sweet kid. Even though she was just 5 years old, she would tag along with the elderly women, and do every small thing she could. She was- just like her brother- a very intelligent and smart kid.

Inna, the smallest baby of the family, was just that, a baby of 2 years old.

Together, they lived as best as they could, along with the other members of the community. But as they say, the storm is always preceded by calm. And as such, chaos and bloodshed struck the community one day.

Shots were heard, bodies were dropped, houses were burnt, maniacal laughter rang out as each person of the community got tortured to their last breath. The screams that filled the night were horrible. The blood permanently sprayed onto the walls of the homes, as limb after limb was cut off mercilessly from the bodies.

Some bodies were burnt alive, and the people who did it took joy in the deed. After all, these wicked and immoral people had no drop of mercy in their blood. They were ruthless and only cared for their own, and in this case, the thing that belonged to them, that was this land.

You see, the small plot of land where the Petroni hut had been standing on belonged to one of the feared and ruthless mafia gangs. The gang allowed these people to live here, on the condition that they pay them monthly commission- including interest- for the land. The people always scraped up the money for it, but recently, they had been wrought with famine, and work conditions had been harsh.

The people barely had money to feed themselves. So as it came down to it, they had no money to pay to the gang. That's why, the Mafia Lord issued the order to seize back the land by force, and if the men wanted to have fun, then so be it.

That night was horrible, a night of nightmares. More so for the Petroni children. When the gunshots and the blood-curdling screams started filling the air, Artyom immediately knew what was going down. He had somehow foreseen it. He immediately pried a floorboard loose and underneath was a small space, he had dug out, for emergencies of the likes of what was happening. But it was only big enough for the children. It was always intended to be like that.

He ushered Dinara and Oranzio down into the small space, but before he could pass Inna down, their front door was kicked open. In a panic, Artyom covered up the floor, but there still were little cracks, through which Oranzio could barely see everything that was happening, but Dinara was shielded by his back.

The men that had burst into the house held knives and cackled loudly, which sent chills through Oranzio's and Dinara's spines.

Oranzio could see his pretty mother, pressing Inna to her chest and crying.

His father had dropped to his knees and begged them to let his wife and baby be. But the men only snickered at him and kicked him aside. One of the men had advanced on his mother, a crazy lustful gleam in his eyes, while the other man held Oranzio's father down, stabbing a knife into his thighs.

Blood seeped through the torn, worn-out material of Artyom's pants and tears rolled down his cheeks in an uncontrollable stream. He was helpless, and could only watch as one of them, took hold of Inna and tossed her away.

Inna had flown in the cold air and smashed her head against the wall before falling to the floor in a heap. The baby's forehead was bleeding intensely, and her shrill wails hit Oranzio's and Dinara's ears.

Oranzio could do nothing but crouch there, frozen with fear and anguish, hidden underneath the floorboard. He could only watch what was happening while holding Dinara in place behind him.

The men paid no attention to the bleeding baby but instead focused on Alyona. The feral look in their eyes, as they advanced on his mother, disgusted and petrified Oranzio. They ripped her clothes away, leaving her bare and bruised. They didn't hesitate to take her in front of her husband, brutally.

Oranzio watched, with each thrust seeming like an arrow to his soul. This had to be a nightmare, it just had to be. He could feel his little sister, quivering from behind him, and he was thankful that she didn't have to see the awful spectacles he did. He felt older than his age.

After having their way with Alyona, the men set her body alight, throwing kerosene over her, and just watched as she burned. Their tackles rang loudly in the night air filled with screams. Artyom was a madman by then. Screaming and kicking senselessly. It was as if his mental state of mind had slipped. The guys just cracked up seeing him like that.

Artyom had wanted to crawl towards his wife's writhing body, as she burned alive. But midway, the cruel men hacked at his legs with an axe, separating them from his body, and he could no longer move but stay there like a dead piece of meat as he saw his wife In front of his eyes. Inna had already stopped moving a while ago. Bleeding out from the head, the baby breathed already had her last breath moments ago.

The men left the small hut, that had once been a safe haven for the Petronis, but now it was reduced to a place of nightmares.

Oranzio slowly crawled out of the hole, Dinara emerging from behind him. His face was frozen and he started with blank eyes. The pain of everything he saw penetrated his soul, making him numb and dead inside. He barely noticed his sister running toward their mother's burning body, as she cried out for her.

"Mommy, mommy, please, mommy, come out of the fire," the little Dinara cried, soot settling on her face as she got nearer to the fire.

"Go Oranzio. Take your sister. Leave, before they catch you", his mother's raspy voice reverberated through the air. Leave? Leave them? But how could he? He glanced around at the nightmare unfolding, understanding that he couldn't do anything in this situation for his parents.

"Please Oranzio, please. Live, survive, take care of your sister for me. You're brave, you'll make it. We'll watch over you from heaven. Now please, escape. GO", his father called out, as blood splurted and dripped down his mouth. Yet his eyes were on his kids. They had to survive. They just had to.

Oranzio merely managed to nod, as his body propelled him forward, his hand reaching out to clutch his little sister's wrist, before the girl could throw herself on the burning body of their mother.

Oranzio had to get his sister out of there before the men came back. He had to keep her safe, at least. His little sister. They were each other's only family now.

He picked her up, his palm going around her eyes, to shield her from the awful sights that they were bound to see.

But, the fire from his mother's body, spread to the walls of the house, and soon the little hut was set alight. The poorly constructed hut started falling apart. a burning log tumbled down from the roof, almost on top of the kids, but Oranzio dropped Dinara out of the way, taking the brunt force of the hit on his shoulder.

The burning log seared his skin raw, as drops of blood oozed out. But he gritted his teeth and held the pain back as his mind focused only on one thing now. To get his little sister and himself to safety.

He found Dinara again and somehow managed to maneuver their way out. But the sight that awaited them outside was horrendous.

Bodies were strewn around, limbs cut off, all the huts burning down. Screams filled the night sky. Screams of pain, suffering, and agony of the men, women, and little children.

Oranzio saw his friends' bodies, lying as if they were mere dolls. He saw everyone he loved, either burned or hacked down. It was too much for him. A switch flipped on his mind. The innocent boy was gone, replaced by a vengeful spirit, fuelled by anger.

Revenge. One day, he would become strong enough to get his revenge. But until then, he would take care of his baby sister, no matter what.

Dinara took in the sight, the smell of the coppery iron blood, filling the little child's nostrils. The red-stained ominous walls, the screaming, the crying, and the body parts strewn around. Dinara sobbed hard, as she felt herself falling, unable to move. Panic took over her, eyes opened wide and her heart twisted in pain.

The baby girl didn't understand why all of this was happening. Why had her mommy been on fire? Why had her daddy been in pieces? And little Inna wasn't breathing. She didn't understand. Why? Was it a cruel game? Why? Why? Why? She was numb from pain as well, but she had a different reaction from Oranzio.

Instead of feeling anger, she felt numb and frightened. The girl started developing hemophobia, the fear of blood. The night forever scarred the little girl's mind and while it turned the boy's mind into one full of hate and spite.

The siblings escaped, from the land they'd always called their home. They ran and ran until their little feet couldn't carry them anymore. Dinara had already given up halfway, but Oranzio wouldn't let her as he carried her on his back, determined to get her to safety no matter what.

From that day on, the kids lived on the streets, begging for alms and food, going from one odd job to another, to earn money. From time to time, when they found no job, they had no choice but to steal food from pantries and such. They learned the ways of the street pretty quickly, both being intelligent children.

Oranzio became more violent and sadistic, as time went by. He got into fights whenever and however he could. Meanwhile, Dinara became quiet, withdrawn, and melancholic. So much different than she used to be as a kid. After all, the sights they'd seen were enough to age the kids beyond their real age.

Dinara started hating violence with a passion, and everything to do with Mafia gangs. While Oranzio was consumed with thoughts of vengeance. He wanted the cruel men who deprived them of their parents and home to suffer and face the same fate they had.

As they grew up, Dinara enrolled in public school, and then high school and completed her education by getting a degree. She managed to get a job as a waitress in a well-known hotel, working her way up to claim the spot of the manager of the staff. She helped her friend to run a small cafe on weekends. Dinara left the incident behind her, as she moved on with life. The only thing reminding her of that night was her intense fear of blood.

Meanwhile, Oranzio didn't give up on his dream to attain revenge. Sweet sweet revenge. He would have it one day. He trained his body day and night. To become stronger and quicker. To make the mafia gang pay. That was his motto and purpose.

He didn't attend school, instead, he did odd jobs to earn money to send his sister to school. He wanted Dinara to study and make a good life for herself, at least. But for him, his purpose was clear.

He constantly kept getting into fights with the local club, and whatnot. He fitted into the street thug life comfortably, all the while protecting his sister from that side of the world.

Oranzio had heard rumors of what happened to his homeland. It was cleared and the mafia boss had built a mansion for himself, on the very soil that he spilled blood of the innocents on. Oranzio vowed to himself that, one day, that mansion would be his. Both the land and the mansion, he would seize.

And true to his vow, when he came of age, Oranzio challenged the mafia Lord to a fight. It was easier than he expected. The men didn't think much of an eighteen-year-old boy, who somehow evaded detection as he made his way to the mansion.

The Boss and his men underestimated him. They didn't even take a minute of their life to think about how such a boy was brazen enough to penetrate the ruthless Mafia Lord's mansion and stand in front of them, unharmed.

Due to the advantage of being misunderstood, Oranzio ended up ruthlessly overpowering the Capo. For once a Capo/Boss accepts a duel, none of his inferiors could interfere. That had been the way of the prideful and nasty mafia known as the Petrovas Familia. And the Petrovas Familia's reign ended the day Oranzio Petroni walked in and challenged the capo.

Neither the Boss nor the men present on the devastating day of Oranzio's life was spared. All of them were granted a one-way ticket to hell, denied the right to have a funeral, and trampled upon. He did was the Law and Justice system wouldn't do. He gave out his own judgment and punishment.

No one had any clue where this beast, Oranzio Petroni, had suddenly appeared from, and no one knew who he was. The mysterious boy took over the position of the Capo of the mafia gang. He claimed the mansion and land, and all of the gang's fortune for himself.

He replaced the men with people who seemed loyal and slowly filled his ranks with strong men, immediately disposing of people he thought were useless. He had truly become heartless, and ruthless. The intelligent little boy had turned into this devil, after that night of nightmares.

Dinara didn't approve of him chasing the path of the mafia. She hated the mafia, she didn't want anything to do with that side of the world. She tried to sway her brother from the oath of revenge he had sworn. She tried to save him, but he was too far gone, consumed with hatred and his burn for revenge.

That's how the two siblings, once close to one another, parted ways pursuing different things in life.

Oranzio was the most feared boss of the mafia, whom no one would dare to cross.

And Dinara was a struggling woman in the cruel outside world, trying to make a living for herself, as she held herself strong and proud.

The traumatizing experience leads the siblings to lead different kinds of lives. The boy who saw too much and became twisted. The girl who was shielded from most of the gruesome sights, yet the aftermath of the bloodbath made her develop a phobia and aversion to violence. One chose to lead the path of revenge, while the other paved a path of her own.

Two ailing hearts healed differently. The same circumstances, yet different sights, experiences, and memories lead to them walking down different roads as they hit a fork. Maybe, one day the siblings will be reunited again, to soothe each other's ailing minds and hearts.

By Kadeeja Ruwaidah

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