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“I’ll wait here, Miss Bernoulli.” He said when he pulled in front of the villa.
“Call me Pina, please, and come get me immediately if Garon calls you.”
“Will do.”
I stepped out on the sidewalk and opened the iron gates to my home — myoldhome. The yard looked nothing like it used to; without people to look over it, the weeds overgrew and swallowed the beautiful roses our gardener grew for years. Everything was covered with dirt and leaves that fell from the orange trees that were now shedding their leaves. It looked abandoned and it felt the same.
I didn’t know what to do when I made it to the door, so I stood there for a few minutes, until I decided to knock. My mother answered, she looked different too. Her polish was gone and so was the sparkle in her eyes. I guess life on the road didn’t allow for weekly visits to the beauty salon and the usual pampering Mother indulged in. She looked so… ordinary. This woman has worked all her life to be nothing short of a star, from the way she looked to her personality, but it all seemed lost now. I almost felt bad for her.
“Pina.” She whispered my name like I was resurrected from the dead.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Pina, I… we…” When you leave someone to the dogs, seeing them again can’t be comfortable, the expression on her face was the proof of that.
“I need to see Dad. It’s important.”
“He’s in the living room.”
I walked past her, keeping my eyes away from the dust covered furniture and dark rooms. It gave me a bad feeling just being here, no need to dwell.
Martino looked twenty years older than last I’d seen him and for the first time in my life he had an overgrown beard. His reaction to seeing me step into the room was the same as my mom’s—big eyes, opened mouth, and a mix of fear and shame on their face.
“My daughter.” He said and stepped closer to me, but I stretched my arm and stopped him. This wasn’t a reunion. “You look well, Pina.”
“I look better than when you left me.”
“Listen, I know it was hard. Your mother and I had to go and you weren’t happy traveling with us, I could tell.”
“Huh. Are you saying you did it for my benefit?”
“Maybe ours too. Saying goodbye would have broken our hearts.”
“How sweet.” I spat the words sarcastically. “You took a loan, Father. Did you think Balbano wouldn’t come to collect? Because he did.”
His face turned white as a sheet, but he kept his composure.
“You needed a new start and I made my terms very clear to Tony. In return for the money he would give you a job to pay off the loan and he’d keep you protected.”
“He gave me a job as a slutty waitress in one of his establishments. I had to parade around half naked and let men touch me for tips.” He wanted to say something, but I interrupted him. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve left it behind me and we both know it could have been worse.”
“Children are supposed to help their parents and we needed the money. It worked out well for everyone.”
“You didn’t ask for help, Father, you just took it! You sold me to Tony Balbano.”
“Watch yourself, Pina! I am still your father.”
“No, you can’t play that card with me anymore because I have no respect for you.” I pointed at him and mom. “You two made it clear that you only care about one of your children, so as far as I’m concerned, I’m not your daughter anymore.”
“Absurd!” He yelled.
“Don’t yell at me. I’m here to do you a favor.” I said, exasperated with his behavior. “You should leave Palermo and this time stay away. People have been given the green light to beat you with a crowbar.”
Martino’s fury shone through the empathetic face he was struggling to put on.
“No, you’re wrong. Giovani and I talked after Ariana left town. He understands it’s not my fault for what your sister did. I couldn’t control her. Do you think Iwantedmy daughter to be the biggest whore in this city?”
“Martino!” My mother admonished from her corner. “She’s our baby. Don’t talk about her like that.”
