Mafia Dynasty

Every child is born different, different from the other and different from the rest. She has a heart of gold, he might appear aloof, aren’t they funny? The world is just different…and there wouldn’t be much to learn if we were all the same. There would be lack of wisdom, malicious rivals and we’d be far from peace. Oh dear September, my September, would you be the same season and a little different from the past September every year?

In the world of different human beings, September Lawn is one of them. Seventeen-year-old teenager that is completely different not even one human being that comes across her can deny it. All her life spent at the countryside of West Hook with her father Josh Lawn who is a trash truck driver in the small town of West Hook Side, September is friendless but not by choice, she is shockingly quite and observant at not most but all times. She attends a reputed school in town and almost everyone knew who was paying for her school fees and they thought that person was doing it out of sympathy or to gain popularity and buy kind comments from the public—Mrs. Berry was on her own mission to become West Hook's mayor and to people’s eyes, most of her deeds were to buy votes, convincingly.

“I’ve cooked stew for tonight, I hope you like it” Josh grins at her daughter who was already settled for dinner but like always, she was just sitting still and her eyes were fixed on the floor without blinking, she always looked like a type of human being with their mind miles away. Josh was already used to this type of daughter he had.

“I didn’t see you at school today.” He says as he takes a seat and starts eating, September joins.

“Anything on your mind?” still silence in the room, like he was the only human available in the room.

“Your acting classes-”

September cuts in “We talked about this” her voice was mellow and euphonious.

“And I already told you I would appreciate it if you take part in them” Josh says this calmly

“I don’t want to do acting father, I’ll figure out what I want to do” September had her own accent which was unique and natural, although she is always bullied at school for her accent of “an alien” or “West Hook country accent” the students at school called it.

“Your mother…”

Before he could continue his sentence September was already out of the room to her room and Josh coughed blood and wiped it out from his mouth with a handkerchief before he could go have some water, the man was warn out and aged that he found it hard to do anything more than he was already doing in this life, as a trash truck driver to support his family it wasn’t enough so he took another job as a worked as a part time hostler on weekends at a ranch that wasn’t far from his old and shabby cottage he remained in with his daughter. September used to go with him on weekends to help him with the horses.

When September got to her room, she’d always sink in her bed and stare at the old ticking clock on the crusty wall for longer than one could, her eyes narrowed until she fell asleep and woke up the next morning to prepare for school.

She wore old and donated uniform with worn out school shoes with small holes and she went with her father to school, using a trash truck of course. Students at school didn’t quite look pleased when they saw her getting off the truck by the gate and they’d always gossip about it. She composed herself and acted like she did not care, wherever she passed the students would remain with laughter and gossip, the guys threw papers at her feet and she acted like she didn’t see that then they’d laugh.

In class, September never uttered a word although she was mocked by majority of her classmates and turned her into a joke of the class and the entire school. September just seemed apathetic the whole entire day until the school bell rings and the school was out, she went to the theatre building and sneaked to the door and peeked at the performing students with their drama teacher. She peeked for a long period of time and lost herself in the performance, her hearing senses were dead that she didn’t hear a guy walked passed her from behind and she caught a glimpse of him and swiftly paused with shock, she realized that the guy was one of the guys who were throwing papers at her and laughed at her shoes, she ran out of the building after the guy sees her too and grins, September reached her father’s truck and climbed in pretending to look fine but she was still heavy breathing.

“What’s wrong September?” Josh asked in surprise

“Nothing, father.” She looked through the window

“Did the students do anything to you?”

“No. Can we please go?”

Josh started the truck and he drove out of town to the country, it was indeed a long ride.

Josh had an idea that September was being bullied, in fact he knew about it and he tried to talk to the school headmaster who also failed to solve the matter as many students didn’t want September at the school calling her a creep, even though the matter was dealt with over and over again but to no avail.

That evening was just the same for the Lawn family, the next morning when September woke up she didn’t find her father’s truck near their home then that instant she knew that her father has left without her, her face suddenly turned red and she was berserk that she decided to take a bath and take her old bike for a ride at the woods, she rode out to release her build up anger inside of her and she ran over someone who fell from the accident and she lost control of her ride and turned her head to face who she ran over and she also hit a tree and fell from the bike to the ground along with it, without a sound.

“Damn it” she says under her breath and helps herself up, she rushed to the guy she ran over a moment ago, he was wincing and groaning out of pain and September saw that she has hurt Tyler’s leg pretty badly and he was bleeding.

“Aouhh that hurts so bad” he says out of pain

September helped him to get up and balanced his walk to her home then she seats him on the chair in the kitchen and ran to get water in a bucket with an old handkerchief to wipe away Tyler’s blood and clean his wound, he just stared at her and what she was doing for as long as she was doing but he kept on wincing until she was done with it and she put on a lotion to the wound then she got off her knees and put the bucket on the table.

“Thank you, September” Tyler says with a warm voice.

“Its my fault, you don’t have to thank me” she says but was hesitantly not looking at him, she went outside with the bucket of water.

Tyler got up from the chair and tried to walk himself to the paintings hung on the crusty wall and September came back inside the house.

“These are very beautiful.” He complements, “Done by you?” he asks as he turns to face her.

“Those are just old paintings, they don’t mean anything and neither does it matter who made them” September didn’t sound friendly and she didn’t even bother to look at Tyler.

“Oh. Last question, why don’t you display them to the world? I think the world deserves to see such talent and beauty, these paintings are just so natural and…and…” he pauses as he looks at the paintings on the wall as if someone that was trying to explain an emotion given to them by the painting itself, September gazed at Tyler’s face and reminisced about those pictures, someone very dear painted them:

“How do you usually feel when you pain?” The little September asked out of curiosity,

“What do you think I feel September?” The brunette and beautiful lady asked but she was still not facing the little September right next to her, staring at the moving paint brush in the lady’s hand

“Painting is the most important part of my life dear, I can express myself through painting. It flushes away all my saddening and painful memories, the ones I had since last week and still harbour in my heart, painting makes me feel like I have a righteous soul to guide me, and let me know that…no matter what worst or bad thing happening in the moment, it shall all pass and I should help it to pass. Now, what do you think I feel?” the lady turns and looks at September with a grin

“Alive.” September answered with a smile back to the lady.

“I still can’t get the better words to explain what these paintings do to me”

September suddenly wakes from her long dream of reminiscing and she breaks the gaze from Tyler and then moves from him to the door, when she was opening for Tyler to leave she saw her father by the door and her eyes suddenly widen as she freezes in silence.

Her father walked in with two paperbacks of grocery and he looked amazed upon seeing Tyler.

“Good afternoon, Tyler” he greets him

“Afternoon Mr Lawn”

“Tyler was just leaving, father” September cuts them off and says it out loud that the gentlemen stare at her.

“I wouldn’t mind if Tyler stayed for lunch” Josh says to his daughter and turns to Tyler who seemed interested “Would you mind Tyler?”

Tyler stares at September at first and he saw how frosty she looked then he faked a smile back at Josh

“Definitely wouldn’t mind Mr Lawn, I can even help you in the kitchen, please allow me?”

“No no, spend your time with September, I’ll call you kids to come join me after I’m done”

“Please Mr Lawn, may I help” he insisted and Josh eventually allows him and tells September to join them if she wants to but she rolled her eyes and went out of the house without any word, she went to get her bicycle from the woods, Tyler was helping Josh in the kitchen to make a pie.

“You have the most beautiful paintings I have ever seen” Tyler complements Josh and he grins

“I find them enormously beautiful as well” he says

“September made them?” Tyler asks Josh

“No, September’s mother Roseline used to be a painter, but it was very tragic along the way” Josh explains as he stops mixing the ingredients and starts to reminisce about the time he still had his wife Roseline:

Josh threw a glass on the floor out of anger and it was broken to hundred pieces, September by the corner was in fear and holding on her small teddy whilst in tears and watching her parents go about it.

“I have had enough Rose! Not everything is about you do you know?! I’m getting sick and tired of it!” Josh yells and throws a whole bottle of wine on the floor, the bottle was still full a while ago.

“What do you want me to do Josh?! I love being a painter and I don’t think you’ll ever understand anything about this!” Roseline yells back with a shaky voice, almost as loud as Josh

“Don’t you realize how this damn career of yours is taking everything from you right under your damn nose?! You don’t spend time with me and September anymore you’re always locked up in your room painting, painting and painting is that how you like your life?” he asks with teeth clinched

“Josh—”

Before she could even finish her sentence Josh cuts her in

“Roseline, you don’t realize it but this career is consuming all the time in the world for you and you’re missing out on the crucial stuff here! Your painting fooled you” he says and Roseline tries to walk out of the door but she was halt by Josh’s painful words

“You said it makes you feel like you’re healed and alive, well from where I see it, it’s deceiving you and you’re buying it. You look like someone that is miserable and just as good as dead because you’re losing yourself in this and you not evening noticing it, you don’t pay attention to your child anymore and our marriage is falling apart.”

Josh started hearing a woman’s painful screams all of a sudden and rakes a break from his thoughts, he eventually focuses on Tyler and they both hear the door open and closes, they knew it was September. The three had lunch together and it was only Josh and Tyler having a chit chat while September was just listening and eating without any reaction.

“But I’m not lying Mr Lawn, your wife had such a great hand when it came to painting. Mrs Roseline Lawn, the greatest painter of all times.” Tyler brought up the topic and imagined his sentence coming true then he grins

“It would have son, but sometimes…things aren’t as pretty easy as they appear. I wish she was still here with us today” Josh frowns.

“Mr Lawn, I think I might speak to my parents about these paintings and they’d steal you a deal to sell them then that will get you guys a fortune, those paintings are beautiful and I know they’ll sell.” Suggested Tyler and September was shocked.

“Please my son, I’d appreciate it if you done that for us.”

“Don't worry about it, I’ll bring you the feedback as soon as we’ve discussed it. For now I think I better head home its getting late”

“Of course my son, September will walk you out”

September rolls her eyes and stands from her chair then leads Tyler out so they walked together in silence. Tyler felt awkward himself so he knew September would not even utter a word until they separate ways.

“I saw you by the theatre door yesterday after school, you do know you can always join right?”

“I don’t feel like talking” she says without looking at him

“Okay that’s not really an issue, I’ll do the talking.”

“I don’t wanna listen either” September snaps at him

“Then close your ears, please.”

With that backchat September turned to face Tyler and he stares back.

“Look, I’m not as mean as you think I am okay, I just want to be your friend. Your dad works at my parents ranch and I always come by with them on weekends so…I hope you understand” he explains himself

“I don’t need any friends.”

“Why is that?”

“I don’t need friends Tyler! You’ll only make my life worse than you already did! You first walk in front of my bike and then talk my dad out of those paintings! Those are precious paintings and you wouldn’t understand!” She was worked up that she suddenly went off him and yelled.

“Make me understand September! How was I supposed to know those paintings were special to you? You could’ve said it instead of doing what you always do, stay silent”

“Oh don’t blame me for not being a mean stud like you! I respect people and I most definitely wouldn’t be mean to any other low class kid out there!”

“You think I ever bullied you? That’s where you got it wrong I hang with the guys that bully you I don’t bully you”

“What difference does it make Tyler? You can’t even let them know how wrong it is for them to bully other kids, that makes you a part of who they are! If you know its wrong then why don’t you try and stop it huh?!”

“Look don’t get mad at me! You should stand up for yourself more often, maybe if you raised your voice then they wouldn’t even think of bullying you”

“Wow, so you’re saying that…helping people like me is an issue? Why? Because my father is a trash truck driver? Because I get donations from school of what I want? Because your mother pays for my school fees? Because I’m not as rich as you and I stay in the countryside?!”

“My family has a ranch in the country too!” he yells back

“That doesn’t mean you stay here! I stay here! My whole life is here! This is home and if you and everybody else at school have a problem of where I stay where do you expect me to go?!”

There was a sudden silence between them, Tyler just stared at her and bit his lips, September found herself berserk and looking deeply into Tyler’s eyes.

“I think…I better get going” Tyler broke the silence

“You should”

September folded her arms and looked aside to avoid Tyler who was reluctant to leave but he eventually composed himself and dragged his feet to the main route.

September went back in the house and ran to her room and shut the door, she fell on her bed and cried herself in silence so her father wouldn’t hear her. September realized that she was vulnerable in front of Tyler, one of her bullies and she somehow felt light off weight after letting out some things to Tyler, she never spoke to anyone else about her issues, let alone her father so she found herself surprised when she let out her pain to Tyler.

On the other hand, Tyler walked home in silence and he finally arrived to the ranch, he walked inside and shut the door behind him then he leaned by the door and closed his eyes to take a deep sigh, then he hears footsteps.

“Hey Son” his father greets with a grin.

“Hey pops, how are you” he walks to the couch and sat down to relax.

“How was your walk in the woods? Found anything interesting?”

“Not really, I was just deep in my thoughts the whole time” He answers with lies, he didn’t feel the need for his parent to know what has happened to him with September.

“Where's mom?”

“She is very busy son, she had to drive back to town and prepare for her trip to Los Angeles. Kathy is preparing dinner”

Kathy has been serving the Berrys for long enough now.

“Oh…as always.” Tyler rolls his eyes and seemed annoyed at the fact that his mother decided to leave them, just like always, cut short her family weekend and go back to the town and prepare for some work.

“So when will she be back? Its Amber's graduation ceremony next week”

“She'll be back on weekend next week, I heard she spoke to Amber before she left”

“Right. That’s Tristan Berry for you, all she cares about is her career isn’t it?”

Tyler shrugs and gets up from the couch to go upstairs and check on his sister Amber who was graduating from college next week. He knocked at her door and he didn’t hear her answer so he opened the door slowly and sneaked a peek then he saw her sitting in her bed and holding on a big brown teddy bear her father brought for her two years ago from Paris.

Tyler walked in the room and closes the door, he walks to her and seats next to her in her bed.

“Hey, you okay?”

Amber was just sitting steady and not moving.

“Amber?”

Suddenly she turns to face Tyler.

“Hey.”

“I will come with you to Florida, I want to be present at your graduation” Tyler tells her and she grins.

“You know it would be an honour to have my little brother there Tyler, but you have school to attend to”

“It’ll be weekend and school isn’t in on weekends, so will you take me along?”

“Most definitely, you’ll come with dad. The two of you will find me there”

“I want you to know that I’m very proud of you. And as your family we’ll be there to support you.”

“Thank you, Tyler.”

The siblings embrace each other. Finding comfort in their dearly hug.

The following morning Josh woke up sick and September made him a home remedy for his cough. “Can you drink this father?” She hands the warm cup of home remedy to his father and he drinks it.

“I won’t be long today, I'll try to talk to Mrs Berry so she gives me half of the day for work.” She says

“Relax my dear, father will be okay.”

September nods and grabs a bag then wears it on her back then she used her bike to the Berry Ranch where she got there and found the person she was not hoping to meet today, Tyler was at the horse track with all the horses and September avoided him by all means and she walks inside the house after Tyler tried to wave at her.

“Hi there September” Mr Berry greets her inside the mansion

“Good morning, Mr Berry”

“How is your father today? Is he coming around?”

“No Sir, father didn’t wake up feeling well today, he’s sick” September frowns

“Oh dear, I will go check on him later in fact, I’ll drive you home today.” He grins and walks to his cabin leaving September standing as she has opened wide her mouth trying to utter words but she could not, she felt like she would be abusing the Berrys support to her and her father, they already gave her father work that was not there in the beginning so they just decided to find work for the old man as he needed extra money to look after his family, they are paying for September’s school fees and they do the best they can to try and help them.

September went outside and picked old and rusty overalls to wear above her black dress and she took off her pumps and wore the plastic black boots then she tied her hair a ponytail, while she was doing all of this Tyler was destructed and later his eyes on her the whole entire time. His mouth was dry and wide open with what looked like pleasure and amazed by the beauty of his bullying victim who walks straight to him.

“Hi” she said it in the lowest tone, exactly under her breath and she didn’t even look at him “Look, I’m here now…you can leave the horses I’ll attend to them”

“I have nothing to do so I’ll just help” he says as if someone that is pretending to be mad and calm at the same time, deep down he wished to say something about the event of yesterday but he bit his tongue.

September acted like she did not hear any of his words so she went to bath the other horse next to the one Tyler was bathing.