Vendetta (5 page)

    
“Happy belated-birthday, honey,” he whispered excitedly to her. She mouthed the words “thank you,” as she was led away by her excited friends.

    
Mark smelled the wonderfully sweet fragrance in the air from the flowers again; he really liked that. The candlelight seemed to warm the atmosphere as the twinkling lights gently lit up the dining hall. The ambience was perfect! He couldn’t be more pleased with how it all turned out.

    
Her friends were all seated at the V.I.P table, towards the back of the room especially decorated for the guest of honor. There were ushers escorting late-arriving guests to their designated tables. Lucy knows how to coordinate, that’s for sure. Many of Marks co-workers were there to celebrate also, including Nick and his wife Julie. They were very good friends of his, but Julie was especially close to Allie. They were all seated next to Allies’ table watching her laugh and carry on.

    
Allie and her father would make occasional eye contact and make funny faces at each other. Plenty of wonderful food and drinks were being served promptly to the tables, as all the extra staff was very busy. Mark couldn’t help but critique the manner in which the new helpers worked, but he reminded himself that tonight was a time to relax and have a good time. Not to micromanage from afar.

    
Lucy made a short announcement. “Attention everyone... dinner service is almost finished and then after a short while, we will have cake. THEN we will open presents,” she concluded with a smile.

    
Allie smiled warmly at everyone and enjoyed her meal of lamb chops and hearts of palm salad, her favorite.

    
Mark noticed Julie, who was watching Allie.

    
“Mark, I still can’t believe our little Allie is eighteen already! She looks so grown up in that beautiful dress, too! It‘s a little frightening,” Julie laughed.

    
“Oh, I know,” he agreed. “She joked about the dress on the way here, she said, “Dad I can’t believe for one second, that you picked this out yourself, it doesn’t have long sleeves!” I said, “Yeah, but it goes all the way to the floor, doesn‘t it!” Mark smirked.

    
Julie laughed out loud and touched his arm.

    
With a furrowed brow, she poked her head up above the crowd and looked around at the room.

    
“Is something the matter?” Mark asked, noticing her concern.

    
“No, I’m just trying to see where Nick has gone off to now. He keeps running off. I think that a certain SOMEBODY needs to tell him he’s not working tonight,” Julie said sarcastically. “You know, like his boss?”

    
Mark looked over just in time to see Nick make his way across the room towards their table.

    
“Here he comes now. I’ll remind him,” Mark smiled.

    
“Hey, guys!” Nick looked a little pale, even in the dimly lit room.

    
“Where did you disappear to?” Julie asked.

    
“I went to use the bathroom, is that alright?” Nick snapped.

    
“Are you ok, did you get sick?” Julie asked, noticing his paleness.

    
“No, I feel fine. Why?” He downed another glass of wine.

    
“There’s no need to worry about anything, Nick. Everything is being taken care of. Relax and just enjoy the evening with your wife,” Mark said to him smiling.

    
Nick laughed nervously. “Yeah, I guess it’s just hard to get out of the work mode.”

    
“Try eating some dinner instead of drinking it. Have you had any food yet?” Julie asked.

    
“Jule’s, I’m fine!” Nick said irritated.

    
Julie playfully waved her hand towards him to dismiss his rotten mood.

    
Despite his friends bickering, Mark was really enjoying himself. He was mainly watching Allie having all the fun, but he was also having a good time, his self. It had been quite a while since he’d had a night off.

    
Mark sat back and took in the moment. He thought of his mother in times like this. Mark’s mother and sister would be so proud of Allie. He watched as Allie walked over to embrace a friend to thank her for coming. Her smiling face and animated hand gestures made him laugh. Julie chuckled at the same time. Mark realized that she too, was watching Allie again.

    
“She looks like a graceful little butterfly, fluttering around the room,” Julie grinned.

    
“A social butterfly,” he added.

    
Julie laughed and took a sip of her wine.

    
“Looks like “Papa Dom” is going to grace us with a toast,” Nick said flatly.

    
Dom was at the head of the room, standing next to Allie, dinging his glass. When the room quieted down he began, “Now I realize this speech of mine is terribly unplanned,” he looked in Lucy’s direction and pretended to beg for forgiveness. The guests laughed hysterically at this.

    
“But, I need to say a few things BEFORE we have cake,” Dom explained. Everyone was listening now.

    
“I would like to personally, thank you all for coming to celebrate my god-daughter’s eighteenth birthday! It is part of my family’s tradition to allow the birthday girl her first sip of wine!” Dom placed a wine glass in front of Allie and held out the bottle of wine.

    Mark noticed the bottle was that of the same vintage they had drank earlier, in his office.

    
As he poured her a glass of wine, the waiters quickly refilled everyone’s glasses for the toast. A couple of waitresses were refilling water and soda-pop to those who were not of age. Allie looked at Mark and mouthed the words, “You ok with this?” He nodded and smiled back at her, raising his glass. Dom had asked for Mark’s permission earlier that day.

    
“To friends and family, may you cherish your youth and ensure bright futures. Happy birthday, Princess Allie! You have become a beautiful young woman, and may God continue to bless you in every aspect of your life,” Dom’s misty eyes betrayed his suddenly gruff tone.

    
Applause erupted from all around and Allie’s friends giggled as they watched her take her first drink of wine. In front of other adults, that is.

    
“Now, it’s time for cake!!” Lucy interrupted.

    
Mark got up and walked over to stand next to Allie.

    
The waiters wheeled out the lavishly decorated birthday cake. An acoustic version of “Happy Birthday” began to play in the background. Everyone began to chime in and sing the words. The restaurants staff began to clap in rhythm, and others caught on quickly. The cake glowed with all eighteen candles lit, as Lucy guided Allie towards it to “make her wish.”

    
“Ok, ok, I wish for…” Allie squinted as she silently made her wish…and then blew out all of the candles! (Not in one breathe of course.)

    
While everyone was being served slices of the beautiful cake, Allie was then presented with her very own, miniature version of the cake. That must have been Lucy’s special surprise she had mentioned. Many pictures were being taken as you can imagine, and the flashes of the cameras were beginning to bother Mark’s bad eye. Even with the corrective laser surgery, his vision would sometimes blur, which made it hard for him to focus. The old injury was a morbid reminder of how special today was for him. How poignant.

    
“Happy birthday, Princess, I love you,” he said tenderly. She gave him a long hug and said, “Thank you for this dad, I’ll never forget this night as long as I live!” Allie turned and exclaimed loudly, “I thank every one of you for a wonderful night, thank you for coming and being a part of the best night of my life!” She cried.

    
That was Allie, as gracious as she was beautiful.

    
Mark walked over to the lobby where it was a bit quieter. He stood back and watched as everyone indulged in the delectable cake. He couldn’t help but notice the staff was starting to disperse a little. Probably since the food service was officially over. He also had to remind himself, that HE wasn’t working tonight either.

    
Mark looked for Dom, hoping to have caught up with him at some point this evening. Except for the toast, he hadn’t seen him much tonight.

    
Just then, Mark heard a commotion at the head of the room. Mark turned just in time to see Allie slump over into Jen’s lap. Everyone was panicking and running to her. He heard someone say, “Call 911!” Dom was suddenly at her side.

    
“Allie?” Mark yelled. His heart went up into his throat, and it was pounding so hard he could barely talk. Mark was already moving people out of his way, trying to make it through the crowd to get to her. He could see glimpses of Dom laying her on her back. “Move, please! Excuse me!” he yelled.

    
Too many people were crowding around her, he couldn’t get through the hysterical young girls. He jumped onto the table, and slid off the other side, spilling the floating candles. There she was. Dom was already administering C.P.R. and assured him, that “help was on the way.” Mark smoothed the hair out of her face and kissed her forehead, “You’re going to be ok Allie, you’re going to be just fine,” he whispered in her ear.

    
She started to gag and vomit. “Turn her to the side Marko!!” Dom yelled.

    
Her breathing slowed and became very shallow.

    
“Allie! Can you hear me? Allie cat, open your eyes, come on honey,” Mark tried to shake her to get her to stir. Her skin was clammy, cool and becoming almost translucent.

    
She started to mumble... ”It’s ok dad, my wish, my wish came true…”

    
“What? What was that honey? What did you wish? Tell Daddy! Stay awake,” he stammered.

    
“I wished that Aunt Alice was here with us… and she’s right here,” Allie smiled faintly as her eyes rolled back into her head.

   
“Lily!” Mark shouted, not realizing he had said her REAL name. Dom looked at him strangely for a second. “I mean… Allie! Wake up honey! Allie?” Tears fell freely from his eyes. He was suddenly so afraid of losing her.

    
“Sir, I need you to move, NOW, please! Stand back,” Mark felt a tug on his shoulder.

    
The E.M.T’s were trying to get to her. Mark stood up and backed away… not hearing anything else, but what they were saying. Everyone and everything else seemed muted.

    
“I can’t get a pulse,” said the first man.

    
“Let’s bag her, get her in the bus!” The E.M.T.’s were yelling at each other.

    
“We’ll get her hooked up to fluids inside the ambulance,” said the second man.

    
Everything seemed to happen in fast motion after that, Mark ran beside her as they wheeled her out to the ambulance and he grabbed her cool hand for one last squeeze. Why he felt it would be the last, he wasn’t sure.

    
Dom was right by his side, assuring him that everything would be fine. Dom had a car waiting for them to follow the ambulance. Julie was already running to her car as well.

    
Once at the hospital they were taken to a family waiting room.   Something in the air had changed. Mark insisted that he be at her side, but they gently refused, telling him to please patiently wait for a moment until the Dr. would be able to come in and speak to him. Mark sensed it then. He already knew what they were preparing to tell him.

    
With Dom, Lucy, and Julie in attendance, Mark was told that Allie was pronounced dead in the ambulance. She had died. She was gone.

    
They wouldn’t know the cause of death until an autopsy was performed. The Doctor thought it could have been an allergic reaction to something she may have eaten or drank. Dom was staring at Mark, watching, waiting for some kind of reaction that never came. Lucy seemed almost afraid of what Mark might do, discouraging any eye contact. No one knew how to react. It was so surreal. Julie began to cry and reached out and grabbed Mark’s arm for support. Mark was devoid of any emotion. He just didn’t feel anything at all. It was strangely calming and almost peaceful; not to feel anything. It felt like he was dreaming and simply no longer a part of this painful physical world. The Doctor continued to talk, but Mark didn’t listen to a word. As long as he didn’t believe her death, none of this was real to him.

    
Dom asked a series of questions to the nurse and proceeded to the desk to speak with the staff. He helped Mark, by making all the necessary arrangements. Mark blindly signed whatever was put in front of him. He didn’t care what happened with the paperwork. It wasn’t going to change anything.

    
“Marko, do you want to see her?” Dom asked.