Chapter 28: Chapter 28

Camilla stood by her car across the street facing the mansion wearing a big sun shade with a big scarf over her head that falls across her shoulders, anyone who knew her would find it difficult to recognize her.

The gate is wide open for anyone to see the activities going on inside the mansion, and only a few men guarded the gate.

She stood there contemplating whether to go into the mansion to attend Antonio’s funeral or not, she did not know the venue would be at Lucio’s mansion, she had thought it would be in Marta’s residence, but for Lucio to hold the funeral at his mansion, confirms her suspicion that he had something to do with his death because she believes Lucio won’t do anything for anybody that doesn’t benefit him or was not because of his doing especially someone as close as Antonio.

She had taken an early flight that day to pay her respect to Antonio and to be there for Marta who had been like a sister to her, even after she divorced Lucio, Marta had been there watching over her kid and giving her information about her daughter, Lora.

“Damn you Lucio.” She cursed inwardly and leaned on the car not sure what to do now since she was at a loss what decision to make now. She stood there peeking into the mansion, she could see so many people dressed in black clothes, some faces she knew very well, some she had seen before but does not know that well and others she doesn’t know at all.

She just stood there feeling frustrated as she could not bring herself to go into Lucio’s compound especially because of the memories she had had in it, she felt even more frustrated when she saw Marta’s pale face looking so down cast and her daughter, Lora’s gloomy face strolling behind her holding Marta’s son julio’s hand.

She felt as if her heart was breaking apart, this is when she could no longer stand still and watch, she needs to be there, right at Marta’s side, she cannot allow her fear for Lucio keep her away from being there for a dear friend, she said inwardly.

“To hell with you, Lucio.” She cursed inwardly again and walked across the street into the mansion and strolled alongside the small crowd that are there for the funeral but made sure that she not to be recognized.

A few minutes later, Camilla stood by Lora and Marta with other members of the family through the funeral procession but none of them recognized who she was, not even Lucio.

She waited patiently for the procession to come to an end so that she could find an opportunity and talk to Marta, if she would allow her, she would love to take her with her back to her home away from here and from Lucio’s dirty deals especially now that her husband, Antonio was no more.

After a few more minutes, the funeral procession came to an end and just as Camilla had want, the little crowd that came for the funeral started leaving one after another, Lucio also have walked out of the area with one of his guests, that is when she decided to reveal herself to Marta who was sitting at the corner with Lora and Alba, Marta’s friend who is holding Marta’s little baby in her hands.

“Hello Marta.” Camilla said amid tears that have been dripping down from her eyes to her cheeks which she wiped continuously with her handkerchief through the funeral possession, she removed the sun shade to reveal her face so that Marta could recognize her.

“Camilla…” Marta cried out on seeing her dear friend, she have been able to speak to any one properly since Antonio’s death and had called out to Camilla whom she knew knows her well, they both hugged each other and Marta started crying uncontrollably again.

“Antonio is gone from me Camilla… he has been taken from me, what am I going to do now?” she asked still hugging Camilla tight, hot streams of tears flowing from her eyes down to her cheeks.

Camilla pressed her body against hers in return not knowing what to say to her that could comfort her a little, tears flowing from her eyes as well as she felt Marta’s pain.

Lora stood pined to the ground where she is standing next to Alba who is watching the Ladies full of tears herself, Lora couldn’t believe her eyes, she is standing face to face with her Mum in this awkward moment, she just stood still, glued to the ground, and when Camilla’s eyes met hers, she seemed like she is the one mourning instead of Marta because of how pale she looked even in the fashionable clothes she had worn or maybe it was because they were black clothes, Lora thought.

In that one moment Lora saw another side of her mum which she never thought she had. Her Mum is crying in front of her and she could see how pained she looked, she did not know whom or why she poured out all those emotions, whether it is for Marta, Antonio or for some other reason because she looked like she was grieving badly to Lora.

“What are you doing here?” Lucio’s voice brawled, startling Lora and the ladies. She turned her gaze immediately to her dad, wondering why he sounded the way he just did.

“I thought I told you, I never want to see your face again.” Lucio asked again, his gaze on Camilla, making Lora realize immediately too that he was talking to her mum. He walked over to her mum and started pulling her by the arm and dragging her away from Marta. Marta felt so terrified by this act and unconsciously went to stand next to her other friend Alba, who was also stunned by Lucio’s attitude towards Camilla, she knew about Lucio and Camilla’s disagreement but did not expect him to act this way towards Camilla especially since it was Antonio’s funeral.

“Let me go Lucio, you are hurting me.” Camilla screamed, trying to get herself free from Lucio’s grip. “Let me go I say, am not here for you, I am here for Marta… you hear me, I came here because of my friend Marta…” Camilla continued as she forcefully pulled herself away from Lucio’s grip.

“If you want to see Marta, you can do that outside this premise.” Lucio retorted back, glaring at her.

“If you did not want unwanted guests coming into your home you should not have held Antonio’s funeral here,” Camilla replied angrily, glaring at him too, her blood boiling with rage for his rude behavior, he should not be acting this way in front of people and especially in front of Marta who was still grieving for her loss.

Lora who had never seen her parents like this before was so disheartened seeing them like this, she could feel the fierce hatred they had for each other, something she had never imagined before.

“How dare you?” Lucio asked furiously, hating what Camilla just said, he was about to speak again when he was suddenly interrupted by his mum, grandma Rosa.

“Enough of this Lucio you are creating a scene here, this is a funeral for God’s sake.” Grandma Rosa’s trembling voice came from behind. She had seen Camilla before from where she was sitting and did nothing, but when she saw the way Lucio walked past her in anger, she knew where he was headed and followed him immediately.

“Tell her to leave Mama, I do not want to see this woman anywhere near my house or my daughter.” Lucio said pointing at Camilla angrily, he hated her so much and was mad that she had to come into his home especially because it would give her the opportunity to see Lora which he never wanted to happen, and this also his reason for putting secret security guards to watch over Lora and to report her every move and who gets to visit her.

“She is my daughter too Lucio… she is my daughter, how long are you going to keep her away from me?” Camilla snapped, holding her hand to her chest, unable to hold back her emotions right now as Lucio talked about it, she have been trying to keep them bottled up since she got here especially after she saw Lora but now that he brought that up, she cannot hold back any longer.

“You lost the right to be her mother when you left this house you see, so go away and do not show your face here anymore.” Lucio shouted back at her.

“And you think you have the right to be her father… are you even being a father to her, Lucio?” Camilla retorted, knowing how Lucio was and the kind of deals he does, which she was sure would never give him the time to be a proper father for Lora, and one look at Lora says all the things she had to endure, she thought, “tell me are you a father to my daughter Lora?” she asked again before Lucio could speak, still glaring at him, her heart tearing up as she thought about it.

They both continued to say hurtful words to each other, the plea of Grandma Rosa begging them to stop could not even stop them.

Lora could not believe her eyes, her both parents fighting over her and she had lived greater part of her life yearning for their love and affection.

Her feet suddenly moved and she ran away from their brawling voices, as she could no longer take in the words that came out of their mouth, she ran into her room and shut the door behind her.

Inside the room she staggered to her window, her eyes blur with tears, there she could still see her parents pointing their fingers angrily at each other, only she couldn’t hear anything they say anymore.

She didn’t know how she landed on her bed, pulled the bed sheets from the bed to cover her body, hot streams of tears still flowing from her eyes, she also can’t tell the particular reason for the tears as it felt like she had been in the dark all these years.