Fire in the Vineyard

by Christa Polkinhorn

  “Well, being frugal and driven has helped me become successful. But I think it’s time to be a little more relaxed … and generous.” Robert paused. “I guess what I learned from the whole debacle of the past year is how important family and friends are. Until now, I’ve always felt that a successful business and making as much money as possible is what I need to do for my family. But I think in the process I missed the most important factors.” He shrugged. “Finding out what people think and feel, being close to them and listening … does this make sense?”

  “It makes perfect sense.” Janice felt tears rise. She was moved by Robert’s generosity and new insights.

  “But first of all.” Robert hugged Janice. “I don’t know how many times I’ve promised to take a real vacation with you, without thinking about the business. Now, we’ll do it. How does a trip to Italy sound?”

  “Wonderful. I’d love that. But we’ll have to wait until after the harvest.”

  “Yes, I want to be around until the harvest is over with, in case Matt needs a hand,” Robert said. “What about early next year? Julietta wants to go back home during the college break. We could go with her and visit her place in Vignaverde. We’ll pay for her trip. She can be our tour guide. In fact, we could invite Adam along, if they’re still together then.”

  “Wow, you’re full of surprises.” Janice chuckled. “I like that idea. Let’s wait until next year. Give us some more time to plan. In the meantime, what’s preventing us spending a couple of weeks somewhere nearby. There are plenty of wonderful vacation spots in the good old USA.”

  “A little love vacation, just the two of us. Sounds very romantic.” Robert hugged and kissed her. It was a slow and intense kiss, interrupted only by the sound of footsteps. Matthew walked in and grinned. “Hey, guys, get a room.”

  “Oh, just the man I need to talk to.” Robert let go of Janice. “What do you think of this plan?” He faced Matthew, then told him about his ideas of donating and selling pieces of land.

  Matthew stared at his father, put his hand on Robert’s forehead. “No fever. What happened? He must have lost the rest of his marbles.”

  Robert slapped his hand away. “Can you be serious for once?”

  Matthew laughed. “I can’t believe it. It’s just … well, so unlike you. I mean you’re thinking of downsizing? Giving away property?”

  “We’ll talk it through once Nadia is here. I don’t want to do it without consulting with you. It’s your future property.”

  “Well, you have my agreement right now. I think it’s wonderful. I’m proud of you.” Matthew slapped his father on the back.

  Chapter 43

  It was a cool but sunny day, the perfect weather for the harvest festival at the Segantino estate. In the early morning, however, Robert, Janice, Julietta, Adam, and Stephen, the architect had a brief get-together to discuss the plans for the newly approved youth center in town. Stephen was a lively tall and slim man in his fifties, with curly reddish hair and green eyes.

  Adam still couldn’t believe his luck. He had the opportunity to work together with a well-known architect on the project. What was even more exciting, his professor had allowed him to use the work for his master’s thesis.

  Only a few weeks before, he had been fired from the estate, accused of collaborating with his criminal uncle. Now, he was part of the team, and Robert was treating him with respect.

  Adam put his arm around Julietta, who was also present at the meeting, and gave her a gentle squeeze. Having her on the team was another lucky draw. It gave them the opportunity to work and spend a lot of time together.

  After the introductions, Stephen told them a little about his former projects, one of them being a youth center for handicapped young people. He wanted to include facilities for handicapped youth and children in this project as well.

  Adam was impressed with Stephen. They had met a few times before, and he had liked him immediately. He would have the opportunity to learn a lot from him. After the architect laid out his plans, he gave Adam and Julietta copies of it. He assigned Adam the task of designing a part of the inside and asked Julietta to come up with some ideas for the garden area. “I’ll send you both the link to the online plans and we can exchange ideas over the Internet as well. But I’d like to schedule another meeting in person, to chat about what you’ve come up with. I think this is enough for the time being.”

  “Well, in that case, why don’t you all join us for the harvest festival,” Robert looked at his watch. “It should be starting about now. There is plenty of food and wine. We also organized taxi services, so you don’t have to drive after enjoying our wine.”

  The group walked over to the underground cellar. Outside, tables laden with all kinds of delicacies, wine, and bottled water were prepared, awaiting the family members as well as the employees. Everybody who had in one way or the other contributed to the work was invited.

  Inside the cellar, Matthew was overseeing the entertainment section. Here, too, were tables with food and wine, from sandwiches, seafood platters, salads, different kinds of breads donated by one of the bakeries in town, as well as bottles of wine, water, sodas, and lemonade. Up on the stage, someone from the jazz band tested out the microphone. Adam smiled as he saw his friend, Jonathan, the saxophone player. It was his band Matthew had hired to play at the harvest celebration.

  He also spotted Ken, his former boss, who stood next to a few of the other employees of the estate. “Ken seems to be by himself. His wife isn’t here?” Adam asked.

  “They’re separated. She left him for another man,” Julietta said.

  “Too bad,” Adam said. “I feel sorry for him. He’s such a nice guy, but when I worked for him I got the feeling there were problems with his wife, you know, from the way they talked on the phone.”

  “Yeah, it’s kind of sad. They have two children. Another broken family.”

  Adam observed her, wondering if she was thinking about her own situation, having lost her father, who had had another wife back in California. “Well, let’s enjoy the festival.” He put his arm around her.

  “Yes, let’s join the family.” Julietta motioned at the long table where the Segantinos were sitting. The grandparents, Robert and Janice, Nicholas, Matthew, Sofia, and a young woman he hadn’t met yet were there. He assumed the girl was Matthew’s and Nicholas’s sister.

  Robert introduced her to Adam. “This is Nadia. She just finished her studies and will be joining our work team soon.”

  Adam and Nadia shook hands. She was a tall, slim girl with blond hair and brown eyes. She resembled Nicholas more than Matthew. From what Julietta had told him, Martin and Maria, the grandparents, came from different European countries. Martin’s mother immigrated from Italy and Maria’s ancestors were of German origin. Robert and Matthew had clearly inherited the Italian features, both as far as their physical appearance and their temperament were concerned. The German influence, on the other hand, was more visible in Nicholas and Nadia.

  “Yes, once Nadia works with us, there will be two of us,” Matthew winked at Robert.

  “You mean, two against one.” Robert chuckled. “Not fair.”

  Matthew harrumphed. “Oh, I’m sure we’ll all agree once in a while.”

  “Nadia will be the peacemaker, won’t you, honey?” Janice put her arm around her daughter.

  Nadia smiled. “Yeah, I’ll try to keep the two hotheads in line.”

  Adam spotted Ken again, halfway across the room. He got up. “Excuse me for a minute, I’d like to say hello to my old boss.”

  “Ah, Ken,” Robert said. “Tell him to come and sit with us.”

  “Okay, I will.” Adam walked over to where Ken stood. They shook hands. Ken smiled. “Looks like you’re no longer persona non grata.”

  “Yeah, things have changed quite a bit. For the better.” Adam smiled. “How are you doing?”

  Ken shrugged. “Okay, under the circumstances.”

  “Sorry to hear about your separation,�
� Adam said. “Julietta told me.”

  “Yeah, it’s hard, but we felt it coming for a while. At least, we came to an agreement about the children.”

  “That’s good. Robert said to come and sit with us.” Adam turned around, just as Robert was approaching.

  “Hey, Ken, come on over.” He put his hand on Ken’s shoulder and guided him to the table. Adam followed.

  When everybody was seated, Robert gave a brief welcome speech, thanking everybody for their hard work.

  “And talk about hard work,” he said. “Thank you to my family for supporting us and, above all, I want to thank Matthew for doing an excellent job as new manager and organizing these festivities and, of course, revamping this old cellar.”

  Loud applause followed, and Matthew’s face flushed.

  Chapter 44

  Not long after the wine festival, the Segantino family gathered in Maria and Martin’s home for another celebration—Thanksgiving. Sofia and Nicholas had gotten up early that day to help their grandparents prepare the turkey spread. This year there would be additional guests. Little Henry was celebrating his first Thanksgiving. For the time being, however, he was deep asleep in the grandparents’ bedroom. Great-uncle Angelo, Miriam, and Sandro, who had still lived in Italy this time last year, were present. And Julietta was also there, of course.

  With that many people, everybody pitched in and brought dishes or drinks. Sofia and Julietta had baked the traditional pumpkin and pecan pies. Janice, happy that Nadia was home for the holiday, smiled brightly as she brought plates of vegetables and sweet potato casseroles the two had made together. Robert and Matthew had provided the wine and sodas. Maria and Martin were busy checking on the turkey in the oven, while Julietta was in charge of whipping the mashed potatoes and stirring the gravy. Nicholas would help Martin slice the bird.

  Miriam, Angelo, and Sandro promised they’d provide the entertainment, meaning Sandro was going to perform his first songs on his new guitar.

  Enticing smells came from the kitchen as Sofia arranged the buffet and added colorful paper napkins to the large dining room table.

  Robert, who’d had to take care of some business in town, joined them just in time for the feast to begin. Before digging into the many delicious dishes, they did their yearly Thanksgiving tradition of each person naming something they were thankful for. It was, after all, a celebration of gratitude for what life had offered them.

  Martin asked Robert to begin. Sofia observed her father-in-law, who had gone through so much upheaval during the year, trying to collect his thoughts. He cleared his throat.

  “You know, this year has been a true eye-opener for me. It’s been tough. I’ve lost a dear friend—I still consider Romero my friend, in spite of everything. In his admittedly crooked way, he made me aware of things. The most important lesson I learned—which I knew all along but had often forgotten …” He paused, looking around the table. “The thing I learned is how much I love my family and my friends and how important you all are to me. And I also learned how fast everything can come to an end, how fast you can lose someone. So, I’m grateful for a successful harvest, but most of all I’m grateful for my loved ones.” His voice trembled a little, but he continued. “Matt and Janice were right. This whole running after rewards was getting ridiculous, and I’m done with it.”

  “Hear, hear!” Matthew lifted a glass of wine. “I, for one thing, am grateful for having a dad like you. Yes, we’ll still be yelling at each other occasionally, but I’m really looking forward to working more closely with you.”

  They all toasted each other. Robert smiled and motioned at Sandro. “This young man here has been glancing at the table with the food. He’s hungry.”

  Sandro blushed and grinned.

  “I’m hungry, too,” Robert continued. “Why don’t we change the tradition a little and start eating. We can tell each other what we’re grateful for while eating. What do you think?”

  “Good idea,” Martin said. “We don’t want to let the turkey get cold.”

  They ate in silence for a while, then talked about what they were grateful for. The grandparents were thankful for their offspring, Matthew for not having to deal with any offspring yet, Nadia for having passed her exams and finishing her last term, Julietta for being able to help with the youth center. Nicholas and Sofia for the gift of their little boy and a successful harvest. When it was Janice’s turn, she said she was grateful for her family and for her first grandchild. At that moment, crying was heard from the bedroom and Sofia got up to get Henry. They each hugged the little boy with the pudgy and flushed face. It didn’t take him long to smile again.

  “Where is Adam by the way?” Janice asked Julietta.

  “He’s having Thanksgiving with his parents, but I’ll see him tomorrow.”

  After dinner, while everybody was drinking coffee and tea, Robert got up and pulled a few envelopes and a small wrapped box out of the briefcase he had brought with him. He cleared his throat.

  “Well, as you know I had to take care of some business before coming here. Just wanted to let you know the piece of land is sold.”

  “Great to hear,” Janice exclaimed. “So, it’s all taken care of?”

  “Yes,” Robert said. “And here is the first payment from Mark Llewellyn. More will follow, of course.” He handed the three envelopes to Nicholas, Matthew, and Nadia.

  Sofia, sitting next to Nicholas while he opened the envelope, gasped when she saw the amount on the check. “Robert,” she said. “I can’t believe it.”

  Robert smiled. “Selling the land is part of trying to downsize a little. And I know that you have some debts you can pay off.”

  Nicholas stared at the check. “Dad, I … I don’t know what to say. This is so generous and such a relief. We’ll finally be able to refinance the house and lower our mortgage. This is a godsend. Thank you so much.”

  “Fifty thousand buckaroos, my God. I can finally get that second car.” Matthew grinned.

  Robert raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

  “Just kidding, Dad. Of course, I’m going to pay off my student loan first. Thank you so much.”

  Nadia stared at the check in her hand as if in a trance. “What am I going to do with all this money? I’ve gotten so used to skimping while I was in college. I don’t think I can handle it.”

  “Sure, you can, honey,” Janice said. “Invest it. When you move back, you may need a down payment for a condo or house one day. Of course, you’re more than welcome to live with us. There is enough room, but it’ll come in handy for the future.”

  “Handy? I don’t think that’s the right expression, Mom,” Nadia said. “This is such a surprise. Thank you, Dad.” She got up and hugged him.

  Robert seemed visibly moved by the expression of gratitude. He cleared his throat again. “Well, I have another small gift just for Matt. He seems to need it the most.” He handed Matthew the small wrapped box.

  “What’s this?” Matthew said. “Another gift? This is more like Christmas than Thanksgiving.” He tore open the wrapping and stared at the box, then burst out laughing, his face deeply flushed. “Dad, you’re utterly impossible.”

  “What is it?” they all asked. Matthew handed Nicholas the box.

  “Condoms. Extra strength.” Nicholas grinned and held up the box. Everybody burst out laughing.

  “What’s that?” Sandro asked.

  “Oh, my God,” Nicholas said. “I forgot to take the tender ears of a nine-year old into consideration. It’s just a joke. Have another piece of pie,” he said, to distract Sandro’s attention.

  Sandro, however, looked at the box, read the label, and grinned. “Oh, I know what these are.”

  “You do?” Maria asked with a shocked voice. “Isn’t he too young?”

  Miriam shrugged. “Kids talk about these things. So we thought it was better to be honest about it when he asked.”

  “Can I have another piece of pie, then?” Sandro asked, obviously no longer interested i
n the delicate matter, to the visible relief of Grandma Maria.

  “There is some left,” she said, got up and went into the kitchen. She brought back a piece of pecan pie, topped with whipped cream. “Here you go, sweetie.”

  Angelo laughed. “He’s a little manipulator.”

  Later, that evening, after the remaining food was cleared away and the kitchen, which had looked like a war zone from all the activity, was clean again, they were sitting in the living room next to the fireplace, sipping espresso and listening to Sandro sing and play guitar. They were all stunned by his beautiful voice and his quite accomplished playing. He played and sang a few Italian folk songs, some American country music, and ended with the first few verses of a song by Leonard Cohen, whom Angelo called his favorite singer and songwriter. Angelo, to the surprise of everyone, joined him with his dark, gravelly voice.

  “Sandro, that was absolutely wonderful,” Sofia said after they finished. “And I didn’t know that Uncle Angelo could sing. I love Leonard Cohen’s songs as well. You sound just like him.”

  “Well, not quite, but thanks for the compliment.” Angelo chuckled.

  “Yes, this is a perfect ending to a beautiful day,” Miriam said. “But it’s time for us to go home. Sandro has to get a few hours of sleep. He has a guitar lesson tomorrow morning.”

  “Well, Sandro, I hope you continue to practice,” Grandpa Martin said. “Finally, we have an artist in our family, rather than just a bunch of winemakers.”

  Chapter 45

  “I can’t believe we’re actually going,” Adam said, all excited. He hugged Julietta. “I kind of feel like a freeloader.”

  It was a pleasant June day the following year as several members of the Segantino family gathered at the airport in San Luis Obispo. Robert, Janice, Julietta, and Adam were flying to Los Angeles and from there to Italy.