TWO
He winced at the lilting music drifting the air, purposely lingering a little longer around the corners. What irritated him more, though, was that the sound--no, the noise--seemed to grow louder, and more vulgar. "Music nowadays," he muttered in a disdainful undertone. "What taste do these youngsters have."
He knew he was close to meeting the person disturbing the environment of Venice and decided to pause behind an alley to let him pass. He shook his head when he looked at the youth's distasteful, gaudy garb. Something almost let out a gasp in him, though—he knew the person accompanying the youth!
He trailed behind, trying to block out the music from his ears, and keeping the anger low all at the same time. When the music stopped, and the youth stopped talking, the duo paused a moment before turning around fearfully.
Four people met outside the ghetto, but five people were involved. Antonio stole a smirk at the upper-hand advantage of concealment he had, as the haggard man in the center threw cold daggers at the three people around him. Though he smirked, fear surfaced in his mind. Who's that man? And why is he with her? His mind questioned, and he tried desperately to stow them away.
The little girl reached out to tug at the youth's hand, and the boy in turn stared at her. Go, she tried to speak through her eyes. I can settle it. The youth's eyes declined it, though, but after a bit more plea from her and a glimpse at the threatening figure, he muttered a hasty 'Sorry', and retreated back to the more populated piazza.
"Jessica," the man in the center started gravely. "He, he's not one of us, you know?"
Jessica bit her lip, but nodded.
"And so why were you with him?"
Jessica still bit her lip, but this time she remained silent, her heart racing wildly.
"Jessica my dear," he lamented, and Antonio could not help wanting to gag. "It's not that i forbid it; I've tried to make friends with them, but none of them ever turned out to know us."
Her lips were still held by her teeth, and her silence continued.
"Alright," the woman said suddenly, and Antonio's attention perked up. "Let's go home."
Antonio's eyes widened in numb shock.
"Lorenzo!" Bassanio gasped. "Why're you here?"
"Am I permitted to ask the same question?"
"Okay," Bassanio replied, his cheeks suddenly flushed. "I was following my father."
"I was bringing Jessica home," Lorenzo replied deflatedly. "And I saw her dad; he was scary."
A scary father seemed to contradict in Bassanio's mind, and he tried hard to grasp the concept.
"Oh well," Lorenzo continued. "I shan't follow you to the direction I came from."
"I understand; won't disturb you then."
Bassanio could not help feeling mirthful despite it all. Hiding behind a pillar, he was there looking at his father, who seemed to be hiding behind the edge of a building. A lone thought crept into his mind but Bassanio decided not to have preconceptions.
He heard murmurs, nothing else. Then, suddenly, he saw his father get out of his hiding place to badger open a wooden door.
"Leah!" was his only word, and Bassanio's eyes widened.
"Why are you so rude?" a voice asked from inside, and a second later, Bassanio saw a man with a slight hunch surface from the depths of the shady house. "Have a shard of kindness to at least knock, would you?"
"I will never knock," Antonio proclaimed, making Bassanio frown at his being out of character. "At a house where the owner is so commanding."
"How i govern my house is not of your business." Bassanio could hear a sour scorn with his last word.
"But in governing the house you dictate a living being!" Antonio bellowed, his voice reverberating the house. "Leah!"
"How do you know her?" the man asked, one eyebrow cocked upwards.
"I am obliged to answer only when you answer the same question posed to me."
"Why, I am not embarrassed to say," the man started. "That he is my wife."
Bassanio's heart palpitated as he grasped the concept of Antonio not actually being his father, or Leah his mother.
Review, please? I know my chapters don't actually seem to join properly, but i'm still recovering from the exams ): I know I'm just creating excuses, but review thank you!
