A Mob Boss's Territory (Book 4-About Vincenzo)

17. The Church In Harlem

Francesco walked alongside his family inside the church in Harlem where all the crime families from the Harlem meeting were present. This was the church service Sterling Johnson had arranged before the big meeting so it invited all to have some peace. He admired Sterling. He had guts and he had nerve putting all these people in the same room.

Francesco looked around at faces of the attendees of the church. He felt their eyes on his family. Their vision was mostly on Vincenzo. This was a nightmare. A true nightmare. He never meant to bring attention to his son. Somthing was going on. He could tell. He could see the section of Sicilians murmuring to themselves as they looked at his son. He couldn't ignore this. He wanted to walk upto them and give them a piece of his mind but he had to wait until they were out of the church. This was a place for peace.

Adele squeezed his hand as they sat down in one row as a family. He turned to his wife and smiled. When he felt her touch or looked into her eyes he felt nothing but peace. From the first day he had met her, he felt that way. He felt total peace when he was in her presence. He wished he didn't have to leave her side at all. He didn't have that luxury of course. Sometimes he wished he was ordinary so he didn't have to leave his wife behind when he dealt with business. But that was his destiny. He looked at his sons wondering what path they were going to choose. He had no control over their fate. Only they had choices to influence their future.

A song was played and the footsteps of the ministers and the priest was heard in the silent church. Vincenzo looked behind him and felt all the stares on himself. He didnt know what to make of it. He couldnt read minds but something was going on. He looked around and saw Terza with her family sitting with the Irish families. He was happy to see her there but in a way he didn't want her present after feeling all the eyes on himself. There was tension in the air. Something was coming. He felt that a big storm was coming now and he wanted Terza far away from it. He smiled at her and watched the priest walk up the altar.

The priest addressed the people "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

The people said "Amen."

Vincenzo watched the priest speak and he looked beside himself. Viggo was looking forward and not glancing at him. Viggo was not happiest after he had found out Vincenzo had hidden his affair with Clarisa and hadnt trusted him with his secrets. He just did not want to drag him in because then Viggo would have been obliged to tell their father. His father was also not the most impressed. No harm was done to the family so he was safe from his father's wrath. But if anyone got hurt because of his actions, he was sure the reaction would have been different from his father.

Vincenzo looked at the priest. The priest was now saying " May almighty God cleanse us of our sins, and through the eucharist we celebrate make us worthy to sit at his table in his heavenly kingdom.

Like other people, Vincenzo whispered "Amen." He then closed his eyes as memories of the past came to him. He had asked his father what a sin meant when he had gone back home from church. His father had said " A sin means when you do something that is wrong. When you sin, I will tell you. You will know what a sin is when you commit it."

Shortly after he had started to learn what a sin was. If he upset his mother that was a big sin. If he lied to his father that was also a big sin. But a sin had a totally different meaning to some people compared to his father. To the whole world certain actions were sins but to his father those were heroics.

Vincenzo opened his eyes and listened to the priest " Lord, we have sinned against you: Lord, have mercy."

Vincenzo whispered in unison with others "Lord have mercy."

Vincezno had heard many men ask for mercy from his father. His father had lives in his hands. He had power to kill and forgive. He was seen as a great power. Many feared his father and the Lord.