This is a first chapter of two.
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I grew up with a silver spoon in my mouth. Until the age of 10, I did not know anything about wealth, but, unlike most of my friends, most of my wishes were answered positively. I simply assumed that my parents were better than others...
One day, I returned home angry and went to my room not saying hello to Mom. She knocked on my door and entered without waiting for my answer. She immediately noticed my black eye. "Johnny, what happened?"
"The school bully, Rafael, hit me, and promised to do the same tomorrow too."
Mom cleaned my face, said nothing to me, and waited for Dad to show up from work.
Until that day, Mom was the one I could talk to about any issue I had. I knew Dad was a very busy businessman, and I hardly bothered him. He loved watching me grow, get good grades, and be respectful to other adults but he hardly talked to me.
On holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays, all our relatives and friends were present. My favorite was my uncle, Jimmy. He was a small man about 5'6". He played with me a lot and made me laugh.
That evening, Dad arrived home at 8 pm. I was in my room and heard Mom crying to Dad that a bigger boy hit his son. I couldn't hear my father's response. About 15 minutes later, I came out of my room and Dad asked me to tell him what had happened.
"Rafael, the school bully, came to me and wanted to copy the homework from my notebook. I worked hard on that and refused to give it to him. Without a warning, he punched me in the eye. It's swollen and black but I can see well. My concern is that he promised to do it tomorrow too, if I do not allow him to copy our assignments."
Dad looked at me and blurted, "I was small like you when I was your age. Soon enough, you'll start growing. But it will be good to find you a self-protection course. I'll ask Uncle Jimmy to talk to Rafael's father. I am sure that tomorrow, the bully will be MUCH nicer to you. What do you say?"
I cried, "Dad, I love Jimmy, but he is tiny and the bully will kill him."
Dad seemed unconcerned, "I wanted Jimmy to talk to the guy's father."
"The father is even bigger than his son, and everybody says he is meaner."
Dad gazed at me with love, "Johnny, you are young... Let's compromise. I'll ask Jimmy to come here. If he has concerns about my wish, I'll come up with something else. OK?"
"Fine."
Uncle Jimmy showed up 5 minutes after Dad called him. Dad said, "Jimmy, There is a big bully at school. He hit my son without provocation. I recommended you take care of it, but Johnny here is scared the bully may hurt you. What is your opinion?"
Jimmy and Dad had a big laugh, and then Jimmy turned to me, "Johnny, I love you as my son. If he hit you, I'd have to talk to him and his father about changing his attitude. Tomorrow, this bully will come to you asking for forgiveness and beg you to be your bodyguard from now on."
I laughed, "That'll be the day... and who is going to play with me if you do not return?"
Dad and Jimmy exchanged glances and smiles. Dad said, "Give Jimmy a chance."
The next day, I concentrated on my studies until the second break. Then I saw Rafael coming in my direction. I pretended not to notice, preparing mentally to get hit again. However, he approached me and mumbled, "Johnny, I am sorry. I was a total jerk yesterday. You can punch me 2 times and I won't hit you back."
"I don't want to punch you. But please, don't do it again."
"Johnny, you are a good guy. I'll do better than that. From now on, ANYBODY who makes any move against you, let me know. I'll be your protector in school."
I became curious, "Did Uncle Jimmy talk to you and your father?"
His eyes displayed fear, "Yes, he did..." At school, Rafael became my loyal friend and bodyguard.
It took me 3 more years to realize that my father was the head of the most feared 'society' in town. It explained our fenced and highly guarded large property, why Mom never went shopping by herself, and Jimmy's job as Dad's 'enforcer.'
...
Mom died of cancer when I was 18 years old. Dad and I were devastated. Jimmy tried to cheer us up but to no avail. Soon after, I went to ASU, which was far from our East Coast place of residence. I stayed in Arizona for 4 years, majoring in Business. I then got accepted to Princeton for a graduate degree in Finance. It was much closer to home, and I saw Dad more often.
One time, when I was home, Dad told me he intended to marry a woman he met a year earlier. I was excited for him. The memory of Mom was still painful, but I understood Dad not wanting to live without a woman by his side.
"Dad, I am happy for you. Will I meet her before the wedding?"
"Sure. By the way, her name is Lucy. She has a daughter, Sabrina, who is 21 and studies The Arts in New York."
The following weekend, I met both women. The chemistry between Dad and Lucy was obvious - They kissed frequently, each completing the other one's sentence, and laughed at the same jokes. She was a great cook and looked beautiful.
But I was mesmerized by her daughter. At 5'7", 125 pounds, a long brown hair, and a figure of a European top model, she was breathtaking. I fell in love with her immediately. We found common subjects to talk about - Athletics, geography, Ernest Hemingway's books, The Renaissance. We became good friends and began spending time together.