Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It's quite simple, really: Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn't at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that's where you will find success." --Thomas J. Watson
Chapter 25: Back to the Past #2
23 October 1993 - 09:33
Silva's father voice boomed through his door the morning of his 10th birthday. "Buon Figlio di Mattina." Silva knew in his eyes today was an important day. It was the day Silva's father made Silva a man that belonged to the dark side of the world. (Good morning son)
It was the day Silva becomes a man by joining the mafia clean group. He'll be a part of this until his 15th birthday when his father would train him to shoot and live properly in this life made for Silva not by choice but rather fate.
"Padre," Silva answered getting lazily out of his bed. His father stood like a king at his door in his black and grey suit. His father was never a loving person or even someone that showed emotion.
So you can imagine Silva's surprise to see he had a grin on his face. Silva stood up straight as he walked in. His father looked him up and down before nodded. He nodded to the door. "Fretta, oggi facciamo un uomo (Hurry, today we make a man out of you)"
Silva never wanted this life and he knew that from a young age. As he walked down the stairs to see his 15-year-old brother downstairs grinning at him, like a fool looking happy to see Silva become a man in the eyes of their family.
Nikkei was going to take their father's place in 5 years as Don of their family. Their family had a lot of traditions. Like the first son will take over whatever position you are in the family.
At the age of 10 he would join the cleaning group, at 13 he would join the big group but will always stay in the back and observe, at 15 he will be learned how to fight and use a gun, between 18 and 20 he will become Don if he is the Don's son and at 22 his parents will choice his future wife by arranged marriage.
"Fratello, tu sei emozionato sì?" Nikkei said mockingly while roughing Silva hair with his fist. Silva swatted his hand away. He only nodded and walked into the kitchen where their mother was sitting at the kitchen island. (Brother, you are excited yes?)
She wiped her tears away when she saw Silva walk in the kitchen. Were as his father and brother where Italian and German his mother was Greek. Unfortunately Greek was hard to learn so she talked in English to them.
"My boy... You have grown." Silva looked down at the ground before jogging over to his mother and hugging her. He could imagine it not being easy to let her 10-year-old son go into the world of cruelty and being a part of the clean-up crew that sees dead, bloody people the whole time.
She hugged Silva back squeezing him a bit. His mother mumbled some Greek in his ear that Silva didn't understand but it sounded like loving and kind words.
Slowly after Silva's first day of work, his life changed.
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