Asin
Next morning, we comfortably sat inside Oliver's own car, driving through traffic towards my home.
"Listen to this."
I took my eyes away from a pretty girl waiting next to us in her car.
"Hmm?"
Oliver connected his phone to a USB, and soon, a pleasant instrumental summer tune was playing through the speakers. The lyrics were missing—just the pure beat.
"Aha. It's good. Brand new?" I asked.
He nodded proudly.
I tapped his shoulder in appreciation. My boy was a genius when it came to making music. Listening to the Latin undertones, a combination of harmonica and… I had zero idea what the other instrument was. That was just it. I couldn't imagine how he came up with these or how he made them.
"I'm telling you, one day we will listen to your beats playing on the radio, brother. They are just that good." I put on a sunglass, enjoying the beat.
"God willing," he smiled.
I enjoyed the sun and the light breeze. With the music, it was truly one of those special moments when you felt completely at ease.
"I have a bad feeling about this breakfast thing."
Just like that, Oliver's voice pulled me down and back into the real world.
"Tell."
"Your grandfather rarely attends breakfasts, yes? You told me that." He looked at me for confirmation.
"Yes, I remember," I nodded.
He turned back as we slowly drove onto the white bridge of Saintfield—the same bridge I drove through last night.
"Your big brother just got married last summer…"
"Hush. Seriously, shut up." I sat back up as an uncomfortable feeling grabbed me. "God forbid. Go knock on wood."
We both tapped the wooden part of the dashboard three times.
"I'm just trying to think with his mind," he shook his head.
I didn't say anything immediately, trying to think of a reason what it could be... but no, nothing came to mind.
"Maybe it's another fundraising thing," I said, not believing my words.
"Hmm... maybe." He left it to me.
I stared at him for a few seconds as he ignored me, watching the road. It was just like him to ruin a perfectly pleasant morning.
"Welcome home, Sir."
The gates opened and let us through.
"I don't understand how people make this much money legally," said Oli, looking at the estate.
I smiled at his remark, fully knowing how unlikely a thing it was.
We stepped out of the car, left it for the security, and walked down the beautifully built marble stone path leading us up to the main house.
"Maybe we take the yacht out this afternoon?" Oli said, looking at the sea behind the house.
"We'll see. You managed to put the devil in my ear, brother. Now I'm starting to have bad feelings," I said, massaging my stomach.
He took my shoulders and led me. It was meant for encouragement, but it somehow felt like someone was leading me in front of a firing squad.
"Welcome home, young Sir, Mr. Aster." The maid opened the double glass door for us.
"Thanks, Shelly. My parents, Dede?" I asked.
She smiled and pointed outside. "They're having breakfast in the garden."
Phew.
I felt pushed this time.
"Go on. We haven't had breakfast. I'm starving here."
Damn you, Oliver.
Outside, an opulent breakfast was enjoyed by all six of my immediate family.
"Morning," Oliver said after they noticed us.
"Morning, all. Sorry we're late."
I walked around the table to give a few kisses to my mother, aunt, and sister-in-law. I kissed my grandfather's hand.
"Morning, son. Oh, Oliver, thank you for driving my grandson. Although it is nonsense he still needs a driver..."
We shared a quick glance and avoided the upcoming smile, quickly taking our seats.
"Please don't mention it, Uncle Erwing. It's no trouble." he waived it off.
"You still work at your mother's firm, aren't you, Oliver?" my father asked him.
He took some pastry and some tea as he nodded. "Yes, Uncle Yanam. It's going well."
He received some polite smiles, and I caught my brother smiling at me.
"What, brother? Did you finally win a lottery or just see a ghost?" I asked, confused.
Yary, chewing a grape, never let the grin leave his face. "Neither. Just having a great day, little brother. An historic day." My sister-in-law gave me an apologetic smile.
All my appetite flew away. With Oliver's predictions in the car and now my idiot brother having this much fun? Something was clearly wrong.
I cleared my throat and decided to ask.
"Dede, forgive the lack of manners, but I missed the usual email memo. Why the early morning summons?"
My grandfather just kept staring with a certain mad glint in his eyes.
Worse, my own parents started squirming next to me. After my father exchanged a quick look with my mother, he took a deep breath.
"Son, your grandfather feels the weight of the family name, and you've had time to recover, so..."
I closed my eyes, but not before seeing Oliver holding a piece of bread, frozen in anticipation, and my brother gleefully popping a grape in his mouth.
"He's saying you'll be married by autumn. Don't let him fumble the line." My aunt had enough fumbling around and just said it plain and simple.
Meanwhile, I was in the middle of a staring contest with Dede.
"That's not happening." I kept it short.
"It is already done." He kept it equally short.
I broke my gaze away just to see Oliver's reaction. He gave an apologetic shrug, indicating he had nothing to say, at least not here.
"But why the urgency? Yary just secured the dynasty last year. What, do you need two sets of heirs running around by Christmas? Where is the fire?"
I turned to the rest of the table for some support, but they all had more interesting things on their plate—literally, as in playing with their food was more interesting than my loss of freedom.
Dede took back the flow of the conversation. "I know it sounds kinda like we're joking with you here," he started, feigning understanding. "...and for some eighteen-year-old, it's a bit of a shock."
Then he went back to his meal. As in, that's all he had to say.
"Oliver, tell us you're still making music? How's that going?" Yary tried to move on from the conversation as if it were settled.
I got up from the table, trying to storm out.
"Sit down!"
...and sat back down, hearing my mother's irritated voice.
She turned to me, taking my hands. "Remember last year? What did you tell me in the hospital?"
I closed my eyes in desperation because I remembered that embarrassing moment. "I lamented and opened up to you. Saying I can't believe... khmm... I'll never have my own family."
She tapped my hand and returned to her plate, as if something I said drugged up and a single step away from oblivion was a valid argument to get married at eighteen!
"Yary was never pushed..." I brought up my brother.
"Your brother has been with Zerile since high school. We knew more or less they would end up together for years," said my father, smiling at his daughter-in-law.
Yary just turned his glass of orange juice aside and lifted his eyebrow as if asking, Anything else?
I felt the situation slipping from my grasp.
Why would I need to marry just because my family wants me to?
I don't, really.
But if I go down that route, there's a lot of heartbreaks and heated fights, freezing my accounts... but the worst? Even if we drift apart because of this, and I move out or something, they would keep an even closer eye on me just to see how I cope and eventually discover G.O.D. in the process.
This was unacceptable, but I didn't want to get married either.
My prolonged silence was taken as a verbal agreement, and when Dede stood up, the rest followed like good soldiers.
"Good day to you all. Asin..." He stopped by my chair. "...don't forget to eat something, son, you look pale."
"How did this happen to me?" I asked the sea.
"It happened."
We were out on the waters in the yacht, as I needed some time away from my house. My parents were already making plans for the wedding, and my brother's teasing became unbearable.
"We need to find a way out of this!" I proclaimed, turning around.
"Hahaha..."
"I'm being fitted for a straightjacket and you're laughing at the view. Damn you, Oliver." I grabbed the rails and looked out onto the open sea. "I have an idea, Oliver."
"Nope, we can't live out on the sea, little brother."
"..."
My life was so fun... as if I cursed myself!
"This can't end like that," I started walking in circles. "I go back to Germany and hide out with Lismay and the guys."
"Yes, because they would never look for you over there," Oli said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I don't know why you're not more upset!?"
He got up from a chair and handed me a cocktail. "I'm not nervous because I'm a strategist, not a casualty. You're trying to escape; I'm building a diversion." He led me to the sunbeds and guided me down.
"What we need is a professional acquisition: a contract wife."
"A fake w... what do you mean?" I asked, confused.
"Listen. We source a girl—someone your mother will actually approve of. The play is simple: we offer her a deal, a six-month exit clause."
"Go on..."
"Like, you gave her... I don't know... whatever she wants! You sign with her for six months. Live as husband and wife, make your grandfather happy. But after six months, you divorced her. No harm done." he cleaned his hand.
No harm done, huh?
"I don't know, Oli. It sounds like an unbelievable amount of headache."
"Not if you find the right girl. Leave everything to me, brother." He tapped his chest.
"No. No! It sounds insane! She's a walking security breach! Social media? The press? What if she finds out about the crew and the .. everything else?"
Oliver was my best friend, one of the reasons we were able to build our lives. But this was crazy, and it could go wrong so bad, so fast.
"Asin, brother. Look at me. I'm telling you this is the only clean move. Trust the plan. Trust the preservation of the life we built, and all those who depend on us."
Looking at the sunrise, I realized we had been out here for a few hours.
"I trust you, of course, I do. Alright... but how would you go about it?" I asked.
He tapped my shoulder reassuringly. "As I said, leave everything to me. After all, what's the point of having this many people on the payroll if they can't help?"
My head still hurt, but for a second, I imagined his plan actually working. Some nice, quiet girl who keeps to herself and maybe even covers for me. Six months later, I'm free. No one can say from my family that I didn't give it a fair shot, and they would stop pestering me with further marriage nonsense.
"I hope you are right. Let's go."
I stood up, walking towards the captain.
"Where to?" He asked.
"To Old Ivan."
---
Oliver
Ivan Crigmasky was the name.
Old Ivan was a leader. A father and a good man. The people in the 9th Ward respected him more than they feared him.
The area was desolate as always. Buildings left from another century, makeshift ones built by the locals. You could count the bullet holes in some of them, made by AK-47s in the war decades ago.
The rain made everything muddy and spread the dirt, yet its people were still outside. Maybe because some of their houses were in such a state, it didn't make a difference.
"Masks on."
I reminded Asin as we parked the car.
"Pointless," He said, but put it on.
The 9th was a dangerous place, even for us. Even for Asin, the man's successor. But until the moment the elders proclaimed him Leader, I felt better with the mask on. Strength was the only language the 9th residents understood.
I was nervous when we came here. Even after years, that didn't change.
Not Asin, though.
The man felt more at home here than in his own house. Even as I walked cautiously, watching out for jumpers, he was away playing football with the local kids.
I knew he was worried about this marriage situation, but I already had our people out and searching for just the right wife candidate. He left it to me. I will take care of it.
"Oyy, what's up with that silly mask, boy?"
A man as big as a tree named Tolmen stood in front of Asin and the kids, blocking their path.
Oh no, not again. Calm yourself, brother, be polite, and don't...
"The fuck is it to you, Lurch?"
Fuck.
Tolmen shared a few smiles with the man behind him.
"Hahaha. Stone-cold killer as always. Those are some nice shoes. Wonder if they are my size." He laughed.
He was a big mother...
"These shoes, Lurch? They're custom. And if you want new ones, you write to your local government officials at the Council. Or, you know, go rob a store."
At this point, a bunch of others came over, standing around the large man, but that made no difference for Asin. I saw his clenched fist.
I frantically started looking for someone we knew to go and grab Old Ivan.
"The fuck are you all staring at? You want to share these shoes with him? Come take a number." Asin addressed the crowd behind him.
"Boy, I think we're going to take you and your friends' shoes and whatever else you might carry..." the big one stepped forward.
Asin wasn't scared. He stepped closer, standing up to them.
Just as the real shit hit the fan...
"Tolmen. Quiet. These are my people. And you are barking at them like a stray dog. God's won't blink, and if you make me step in, I'll be very disappointed."
The man was dispersed as an elderly man walked slowly towards us. His two trusted bodyguards close behind him.
Tolmen and his people stood aside and kept their heads low.
"Come... and take those silly masks off. No one cares here, son." He pointed at Asin and me.
I wasn't sure, but Asin followed up immediately.
"Hey, old man. I missed you." he smiled.
"Hahaha. Come, come here."
I walked closer as they embraced, and the crowd dispersed back into their homes. The kids kept playing.
"Uncle Ivan." I bowed and kissed his hand.
"Welcome, kids. Let's go. Can't stand the rain."
He led the way.
The old man's house was not much better or bigger than the rest, but it was familiar and felt homey.
We found his wife at the door waiting.
"Ahh, look who came after so long. Son, come here already!"
She stepped out in the rain.
"Auntie," Asin went and picked her up, twirling her around.
He was always happy when we came. Those sincere smiles were always missing at home. He loved his family, and they loved him, but years ago, he found another family, a spiritual one that he now cared for equally.
I kissed her hands as well, and we were led inside. The silent guards stood at the door.
Asin was led inside the kitchen to try some Aunt Krista's cooking, and Old Ivan made me take a seat and offered some tea.
"My boy looked unbalanced... especially after a decisive win. And now that I saw your face riddled with worry... tell me."
He was sharp. There was no point dancing around it.
"Well... Asin is getting married."
Seeing Old Ivan's shocked expression was quite a sight.