One Thing at a Time

One Thing at a Time
(Alice’s POV)

I ran until my lungs were burning from the air that I was desperately drawing in to keep going. I didn’t know where I was going, I was only trying to get away from that monster and the most hurtful offer I had ever heard. 

When finally I managed to convince my legs I was far enough, I stopped. I was on a back street alley off Fifth-Avenue. For a second all these tall buildings felt like they were closing in on me. I pressed my hands on my knees and tried to breathe normally. What just happened? How come? How come Anton became this shallow and suggested such a disgusting thing? How come he tried to take advantage of my situation? Maybe, I didn’t know him as much as I thought. He was thinking, in his ridiculously rich world, that he could buy anything. But no… not me. 

When I finally started breathing normally, I started walking. I was still not feeling far enough. Maybe mom was right. Since I didn’t have a job after today, and no other option, it could be wise to pack and leave. But, where? There was a distant aunt of mom in Minnesota, maybe we could go there? We could leave at night, and we could make them lose our track. I suspected I didn’t even have a career from this moment on, considering I just told my boss to shove his contract up his ass and he was a grudge holder asshole. So I could find a job in a local place; cashier, bartender, waiter, whatever I could find. Then we could live in secret. But how about Rachel? How could I tell her that she needed to drop from college? I didn’t even tell them what happened to dad. If she knew she would be destroyed. But keeping them alive was my first priority now. 

I should have called Matt. He would understand once I explained the situation, right? Oh Alice! Fuck being thoughtful, I had to destroy his trust if it meant keeping my family safe. I pulled out my phone from my pocket and dialed his number. 

“.... The person you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”

‘Okay don’t panic.’ I said to myself, ‘ Maybe his battery died, you still have tonight and tomorrow, you can reach him. You can ask him. Don’t worry.’ 

I hurried back to my apartment without even recognizing how I got there. I pulled out a backpack from my closet and stuffed some clothes and other vital things in it. Meanwhile I kept calling Matt. He was still unreachable. I left a voicemail;

“Matt, this is Alice. Please call me back when you receive this. This is very important and urgent. I need you more than anytime right now. Please, please call me back…”

I changed into something more comfortable – jeans and a sweatshirt and I put a baseball cap and sunglasses on. In case I need to hide. 

Then I left the apartment without a second glance. My old corporate life and my old tiny miserable apartment could bite my ass. 

During the train ride, I kept calling Matt every time I got reception. Still couldn’t reach him. ‘Don’t panic Alice, he will call back. Don’t panic.’ I tried to calm myself again. I took deep breaths and tried to think of the details of the runaway. We managed to raise some money afterall, we could use it to rent a new place. Then I could find a job, maybe we could even transfer Rachel to somewhere safe. She wouldn’t like the idea but it was still the best solution I had. Bunny had to transfer to a local high school as well. And my dad should stay low profile so he would have to drop the job too. ‘Details, don’t think too much now. Just focus on keeping them alive. One thing at a time.’ 

The ride ended in a blink. With this much on my mind, I guess it made the time fly. I left the train and took a bus to my house. 

When I managed to reach our front yard, I saw three suspicious men lurking around the house. Don Virelli’s men were circling the house as mom told me. I lowered my head and went directly to the front door. I knocked on the door and mom opened the door with a sigh of relief. 

“Welcome honey, quick go in!” She cast a suspicious look outside to the men and shut the door firmly.

“Hello mom.” I said after she locked us in.

“Hello Darling” she hugged me. “I wasn’t expecting to see you on a weekday” then added with a hushed voice "Any news?”

I shook my head slowly. Her eyes widened and her shoulders dropped. 

“I am here to talk about that actually. Where is dad?” 

“He is sleeping. Let’s go to the kitchen.”

We went into the kitchen and she carefully closed its door. Apparently she didn’t want the girls or dad to hear I am at home yet. Not before we talk. 

We sat at the kitchen table and she started looking at me expectantly again. Oh god, what should I do?

“Well, I couldn’t find the money mom. There is only one person left that I am expecting to hear back from but tomorrow is our last day, so I think we should have a back up plan.”

She nodded solemnly. So I continued.

“There was this aunt of yours in Minnesota right? Can she have us for a while? At least until dad gets better? Then we can move somewhere else and cover our tracks. We have raised a little money. We can use that and if the house gets sold, we can negotiate with these guys again and return to Jersey. What do you say?”

“Aunt Marie can accept us but how will we leave the house in the first place? Your dad is really weak now for an escape and these men are watching the house 24/7.”

“Everybody sleeps right? I bet we can find a time when men go home or drift into sleep. Then we can use the back door, which is nearly hidden by the bushes. All we need is to make it back to the street. We can call a cab and it can wait for us there. What do you think?”

“Too dangerous dear, too dangerous.” Her hands started to shake. I took her hands in mine and squeezed them gently. 

“We have to try mom. If the guy that I am waiting for doesn't call us back, we have to try. And we have to tell the truth to the girls. We cannot hide it anymore.” 

Mom sobbed silently and nodded again. So I left the kitchen and headed upstairs to the girls' rooms. When I knocked on Rachel’s door, I heard her kind voice raised inside, “Come in.” 

I opened the door, “hello Riri” she was sitting on her desk probably studying for exams.

“Oh hello Alice! I didn’t know you would come.” She jumped to her feet and hugged me tightly. Can you come down for a second? There is something I want to talk about with you and Bunny. 

She looked at my serious face and her eyebrows knitted together with a silent question but she nodded. Then I turned around and went to Bunny’s room. Her door was open, I stepped inside and she gave the same bright smile as Rachel did a second ago. I hate to be the person who will wipe the smiles off their faces but I had to. I hardly returned the smile.

“Hi Bunny.”

“Hi Alice.” She was lying on her bed when I stepped in, she also jumped to her feet and hugged me. 

“Can you come down for a second honey? There is something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

“Oh-oh, are we in trouble?” 

“No honey, just come down okay?”

“Yeah sure.”

I stepped out from her room, Rachel was already in the staircase going down, I followed her. When she reached the entrance hall, I gestured toward the kitchen direction and she continued, Bunny followed close behind . Mom was already seated at the table. After Bunny entered the kitchen, I closed the door behind us. I didn’t want my father to hear this conversation. Or a probable argument. 

Bunny and Rachel placed themselves at the table too. I couldn’t make myself sit, so I stayed standing.

“You are scaring us Alice, what is it?” Rachel asked. Bunny nodded.

“I am sorry that I scared you girls. But there are some issues that we need to talk about. Both of you are aware there is something unusual going on nowadays, especially after dad’s incident…” I paused, both of them were looking at me unblinking and I was about to break their hearts, but they had to know. “I didn’t want to tell you at first, and protect you from ugly details but you deserve to hear the truth.”

“What truth?” Rachel asked. 

“Dad has not been beaten by unknown guys. We know who did it and why.”

Rachel’s eyes widened. All color drained from Bunny’s face. 

“Dad had some debts from a loan shark, and he sold our dad’s debt to a mafia don…” I stopped and let them digest this new information. Rachel’s face got puzzled, my little dear Bunny didn’t even understand what I was talking about, “What is a loan shark?”

“A kind of a man that lends money to people for big profits.” 

“And why did dad do it?” Rachel asked. Mom’s eyes widened and looked at me for the first time after we entered the kitchen instead of the table. The message was clear. Don’t say. I knew If I brought the issue to her school she would be devastated. So I lied, again… Even though it broke my heart.

“One of his friends asked him to, and then he disappeared.” Rachel turned to mom, and she nodded reluctantly. 

“Oh my!” Rachel said. 

Bunny’s eyes started to tear. 

“After the mafia took over the debt, they asked for a ridiculous raise. And dad couldn’t pay it. So they beat him to frighten him.”

“So was it that you were talking behind closed doors all the time? You thought that we couldn’t handle this?”

“We knew you could handle it, girls. But we thought we could resolve this and tell you afterwards.”

“So you did?” Bunny asked expectantly.

“No honey I am sorry, we couldn’t. And that’s why we have to talk to you. We don’t have any choice left but to run away.”

“Whaaat?” Rachel asked with giant eyes. “Run away? Are you insane?” She turned to mom, “Mom? Is it true?” 

“Unfortunately it is Darling. We have tried everything, tried to reach onyone. But couldn’t gather enough money to get out of this debt.”

“How much is it?” Bunny asked. 

“Dad actually took 200K but the mafia asks for 500K payment in return.”

“But this is not fair!” 

“I know honey, but these are lawless men and you have seen what they did to father to show what they are capable of. We cannot reason with these men.”

Bunny started to cry. But Rachel was furious instead of being sad. 

“How come you never told us! How come you let us believe dad had been beaten by unknown guys and left us in the dark? You thought we are not grown enough aren’t you? You thought that you were the only grownup here!” She pointed at me with a sheer disgust on her face. I couldn't blame her. I would be as furious if someone did the same thing to me. But everything I did, I did to protect her. 

“You have every right to be furious with me. But I have to ask you two to delay this fury and focus on the situation we are experiencing now. I promise you will have plenty of time to hate me. But not now, okay?”

“So what do you want from us? Since you decided to tell us now, there must be something you are expecting from us.” Rachel barked. 

“Yes, I need co-operation. We need to leave here and hide for a while, until we find the money and find a way to bargain with these guys. And for that, we need to leave the house tonight with utmost secrecy.”

“Tonight? Are you insane? I have exams this week. How come I can get lost? Bunny has school too.”

“I know but we have to do it today. The time the mafia has given to us lasts tomorrow. And if we don’t run away, I don’t know what they can do to us. You have seen what they had done to dad.”

Bunny started crying and sobbing, and color has been drained from Rachel’s face. I kneeled down in front of Rachel and held her hands. She reluctantly looked at me in the face. 

“Ri, I know I have failed you from many angles, but I have no one in my life more important than you. I can give my life for my family. But they are not after my life. They are dangerous people and I trust you both enough to say I have failed and I need your help. Will you help me?” I turned to Bunny and extended my other hand to her, she held my hand. “Will you?” I repeated my question to her too. 

Rachel’s eyes narrowed with determination. She stood up and looked down at me where I still knelt. 

“Let’s get this done…”