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"Angelo"

This Short Story is about a person who always had a tough life from day one but he lived it 1 day at a time with all smiles regardless of his situation. It also depicts our life where most of us run behind our desires and sometimes our desires outrun us.

Feb 21, 2024  |   6 min read

M C

Maxwel Crasta
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It was raining cats and dogs. Lucy was glancing at the door. No sign of Angelo! Where is he? What is taking him so long?Will he be able to make it ! Time is running out. Staring at the leaking roof owing to the monsoon, Lucy was wondering how many more minutes she could hold her breath with anxiety setting in and her inner strength pushing her to the brim.

Not far in Dimapur, Angelo was getting ready to go home after his long day at the railway station. He was the son of a ex-railway employee Late Jacob but failed to secure any job reservations after his demise owing to reasons beyond one's control. Actually Jacob was a habitual offender in terms of irregularities at work owing to his bad company of friends.

Jacob was not at peace with Lucy for he considered Angelo as ill omen - Reason being he was terminated from his services on the day Angelo was born. With great hardships Lucy had brought up Angelo but with deteriorating health(Lately diagnosed with Cancer of the Pancreas) Angelo was left to fend alone. Jacob had deserted the family long time back and was on his own with recent news of his sudden death was made known to the family by a well wisher.

At the mercy of the Railway Employee Union Angelo was able to find a job of a porter in the station.He was not well educated owing to the limitations surrounding him and the job he had taken up was an honest attempt to support him and his mother in the long run. Angelo knew his mother was unwell from quite some time but was not aware(News was not broken to him about the Cancer) that the disease had already gripped his mother so badly that he could loose her any moment ! Regret!

On the other hand Lucy's thoughts were racing back and forth as she was awaiting for Angelo's coming. Alas! She could hear Angelo wiping his feet against the floor to clear of the muck from his soiled shoes. Rains had reduced and she managed to sit upright for a deep and last conversation with her son.

From the look of her eyes Angelo sensed that something was deeply wrong and he had a tough time holding back his tears. He could not see his dear mother suffer. All he knew that she was unwell and at times was throwing up blood which she covered and did not let him suspect over her agony. Lucy's eyes lit up on seeing her son and she told him - 

" Oh ! Angelo! I thought I might not see you again as I'm on the final moments of my earthly life. Son all this life I longed to see you settle down well but unfortunately things were not in favour. As I'm about to leave this earthly abode I wanted to tell you that I'm leaving you empty handed in terms of any inheritance but I want you to do me a favour after I die.

Aneglo's eyes swelled up and he tried hard to avoid a outburst but his emotions caught the better of him and he wept along with his mother as they hugged each other 1 last time. Angelo asked Lucy what was her final wish? She faintly replied " In the trunk on the closet you will find a book which I have preserved my entire life. After you perform my last rites I want you to go through the book which contains information moving forward in your life what you need to do as that is the only was my soul will be in peace knowing that I have done my part in this earthly life.

With those words Lucy left for abode with Angelo speechless and in deep grief. With a heavy heart he rose and managed to inform his neighbours who helped him perform the final rites. Angelo stayed at home in a broody mood over the  loss of his dear mother whom he idiolized so much. He chose to quit his porter job and decided to start a life afresh. But where to begin with? That's the time he remebered his mother's last words.

He pulled up the dusty trunk and he found a safely covered envelope along with a book. He started reading it. The book was penned by his mother which contained all his childhood memories. His achievements and his every little step were recorded in the book with pictures secured in the envelope.

Angelo was convinced with the directive of his Mother which he thought was that the legacy from her Mother was to be preserved just until he move to the last page of the book which contained a note from his mother  " Dear Angelo I hope you have read the whole book and realized it contains all the memories of your childhood but above all I have a truth to share. This truth which I hid from my husband Jacob and you my son " Angelo you are not our own blood. I was a caretaker of your mother who was from a very rich background. She fell in love with a young man who was not accepted by her family and they deserted her. All this a while I was with her and as she realized that she was pregnant she made me take a oath " This child will be in your custody. Take good care of him. I'm torn apart between the love for my family and my husband. Lately I have realized my folly but the man that I'm married to is deceiving me since he realized that I'm no longer valuable for her with no assets in my name. I can't take this child and reunite with my family since they will never accept it ".

Lucy further wrote " I was infertile from a long time & your foster Dad Jacob knew this. The day I put up this drama of faking pregnancy and you came in our life Jacob left me of suspecting infedility. I kept all these secrets close to my heart but now after I'm no more I thought it's time you realize that you have a great future awaiting.

Your biological mother never married again and was able to inherit her wealth from her family recently upon the death of her parents. She wanted me to tell you this long time back but both of us waited for the right time and that time never came. Your Mother's name is Terese and she is longing to see you - Address was furnished.

Angelo was in a fix. He didn't know whether he need to laugh/cry at his situation. Also he started developing mixed thoughts over the whole scenario. Why his foster Mother Lucy never ever capitalized knowing this situation to be rich? Why his biological mother waited for so long - Just to hand over the reins to him? Were they of any worth to him?

He gathered his belongings and started on his journey to meet Terese. It was a mansion like building with sophisticated kind of a environment. Seeing him in rags the security personnel did not let him in - Only for him to reveal that he needed to meet his mother - But how could he convince them? Who would believe him? What was the proof? The Book?

As he decided to move away he thought of a plan. He told the security staff that he was summoned by Terese for some work. He mentioned that he was referred by Lucy. Upon hearing these words from her staff Terese immediately asked Angelo to be allowed to meet her.Terese had not seen her son since his birth and was very glad to meet him But - 

Angelo introduced himself as a distant relative of the family. He narrated the whole chain of events. He conveyed to Terese that Angelo upon knowing the truth had left to a unknown destination and no one was aware of his whereabouts But he had come all the way just to hand over the book of secrets which Lucy treasured all her lifetime.

Terese was deeply moved and saddened over the whole turn out of situations. Angelo returned to his workplace as a porter and started living on his own in a new rented place. Terese was upset that despite her best efforts and sacrifices she lost everything. She had inherited all the money in the world but she didn't have a heir to pass on her belongings.

On the other hand Angelo chose to deprive himself from this vast inheritance over the fact that it was the reason for all the misery in his life. He earned a little but was contented. Without having nothing he had everything and Terese had everything but she had nothing. Lucy on the other hand sacrificed her life for Angelo and Angelo decided that only she will be remembered as his mother for a lifetime.

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M C

Maxwel Crasta

May 8, 2021

This is my 1st pen on this forum. I used to write for weekly newspapers on actual events in our day to day life and I love to write fiction. I have made an honest attempt in here with a very simple story titled Angelo. I hope the readers/critics like my s

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