Chapter 24 - ARTURO DIES
My father died at eighty-six.
At home.
Heart failure.
No mysterious poisoning.
No final Mafia secret.
No enemies at the gate.
I was beside him.
Marcus arrived the next morning, after.
He stood in the doorway of Arturo’s room and cried without entering until I told him he could.
The gold watch sat in its leather box on the bedside table.
Arturo had not worn it during his final week.
His will was professionally administered.
Money.
Charity.
Family gifts.
No punishment codicils.
No governance instructions.
The watch came to me.
I knew before opening the note.
Still, my hands shook.
The note said:
Your mother bought this because I was always late.
Try not to make it more important than she did.
A.
I laughed and cried at once.
Then another line:
If Marcus wants to borrow it, make him ask.
My father.
Even dead.
I showed Marcus.
He laughed through tears.
“Can I?”
“No.”
He laughed harder.
I wore it to the funeral.
May you like
One day.
Then put it away.
