Cora, Book 1, It Begins

Chapter 24, Second Thoughts

Later that evening Guito was sitting in the Mixaha's kitchen at the breakfast bar wondering if it was right to come here. He was the Siciliano's head of security and operations. In effect he was the top thug. His father had fought his way to that same position before him and his father before that. Organized crime was all he knew. He didn't like it much but it was the hand he was dealt. He exemplified an old school gangster. Standing about 6'4" with a lean muscular build. Dark hair and piercing blue eyes. He always looked serious. His professional demeanour didn't change weather he was executing someone or watching a comedy movie. He always dressed professionally as well, dark expensive tailored suits, perfectly pressed. A black fedora tipped slightly forward and highly polished shoes. When he spoke, everyone listened. This was different, he felt rattled for the first time he could remember. To say he was nervous would be an understatement. He felt somewhat like the fly waiting patiently for the spider. The constant pain and curiosity had brought him here. As a second thought from this afternoon, he probably would have come even if Tony hadn't ordered him. Something had drawn him here. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

He had been greeted in the driveway by some crazy little stocky woman yelling at him in Spanish. She had an old shotgun that looked like it came from the US Civil War pointed right at his face. Once he had shown her his arm and said "Marta" a few times she cut him lose, throwing the old relic over shoulder and walking off past the greenhouses cursing something about "Damn Gringo".

Greg had greeted him warmly at the door and had seemed genuinely happy that he had come, apologizing profusely for the damage he had caused. Life's training though, had made him cautious. His pistol handy on his left side this time. He led Guito  through the huge doors into the first greenhouse. Guito was looking around at what seemed like fruit trees and  vegetables growing in some sort of stones. Greg held the second door for him then led him into the second greenhouse, it was much warmer in this one. It had tropical fruit and a huge abundance of vegetables growing in the same stones. There was the sound of bees buzzing, birds chirping and water flowing. It had the scent of a summer day by a lake. A very relaxing feel.

"Do you mind hanging on just a sec?" Greg asked.

Guito just shrugged and followed him over to what looked like two large above ground pools about four feet deep. "The trout feed themselves," he said while tapping on some lever letting food fall into the one tank. "These perch however need to be fed."

Greg opened a large drum that had fish pellets in it and scooped out several scoops tossing it into the tank. The surface of the tank erupted into a frenzy of splashing fish pigging out on everything they could. Guito looked on somewhat amazed "Do you guys eat anything other than fish?" He asked as he watched them feed.

"Well, we share them with out friends and neighbours when they have matured but their main job is to feed out plants. The fish water gives our plants all they need to survive and the plants clean the water so the fish are happy." Greg said.

Looking over at Guito he saw that that was enough information for now. "Come on in, Mom isn't listening to me so I'm going to go and get her."

"Should I come back another time?" Guito asked.

"No, don't be silly, come on in you can wait here. My sisters around somewhere but she's blocking me too. That means she's up to mischief." Greg responded.

Greg grabbed his keys as he apologized profusely leaving Guito. He couldn't figure this one out, last week he had been sent to rough up or kill them and now he was welcome to sit in their home waiting for one of the people he was supposed to rough up to come home and fix his arm. Greg hadn't even frisked him or ask for his gun? He had just about convinced himself to leave when Cora appeared from down the hallway. She was wearing an old grey tracksuit at least 4 times to big for her. Her hair was wrapped in a pink towel On her feet she wore some huge fuzzy pink slippers that looked four sizes to large as well. What caught Guito's attention though was the big eyes, bunny ears and red lips stuck to them. As she entered she saw Guito and gave him a huge hi and a big warm smile. "I heard you out here but sorry, I was in the shower so I couldn't come out and keep you company right away."