by J. D. Griffo
“We’re not people, Serge, we’re your family!” Jinx yelled.
Lisa Marie pressed her hand on Jinx’s shoulder to get her to lean back in her chair and relax instead of looking like she was a tigress ready to strike.
“Honey, I know you’re upset with us right now, but you forced us to take drastic action,” Lisa Marie said. “Why couldn’t you just call us? Tell us where you were? You made us sick with worry.”
“I’m twenty-three-years old, Ma, I’m an adult!” Sergio said, slamming his fist on the table. “I don’t need to explain myself to you or anyone else!”
Tommy leaned over the kitchen table and grabbed his son’s arm before he could take another bite of food. It didn’t look like he was exerting too much pressure, but from the grimace on Sergio’s face it was obvious that Tommy’s hold was not meant to be broken. When Tommy spoke he didn’t raise his voice, but he commanded his son’s attention.
“Don’t you ever talk to your mother like that again,” Tommy said. “Do I make myself clear?”
Sergio could only hold his father’s gaze for a few seconds before staring at his plate. “Yes, sir.”
“What have I always told you?” Tommy said. “Look me in the eye when you answer a question.”
Sergio raised his head and his black eyes, now devoid of defiance, looked directly at his father. “Yes, sir.”
“Finish your lasagna and then we’ll talk,” Tommy instructed.
Although Alberta was in the kitchen with the rest of them, she felt as if she was observing the scene from a greater distance. It had been so long since she had been in a room with her daughter’s entire family that it was unsettling. She felt closer to them than ever before, but on the other hand, she felt like an outsider. She knew these people and yet she didn’t know them. They were a family of strangers.
Over the years she had developed a deep relationship with Jinx, of course, based on mutual respect, but Alberta had never witnessed Jinx interacting with her family. There was only a four-year age difference between Jinx and Sergio and yet she acted more like his mother than his sister. Alberta surmised that it had to do with the fact that Jinx had grown up tremendously while living on her own, while her brother had almost regressed living under his parents’ roof.
What surprised her was how disrespectful he was toward his mother and how angry that made Alberta. She loved her grandson unconditionally, no doubt about that, but because she only had a limited relationship with him, much more superficial than the one she had with Jinx, she could see him as a person and not merely as a grandson. She wasn’t happy with what she had witnessed so far.
However, Alberta was relieved to see that Tommy took his role as father seriously, much more seriously than Sammy ever had. Tommy loved his son but wasn’t afraid to remind him that he was still the parent. Alberta was forced to silently apologize for ever considering Tommy unworthy of her daughter’s love. He had surpassed all her expectations.
Her relationship with Lisa Marie was still so new and raw that she didn’t know what to think. Her daughter was loud, blunt to the point of being crass, but a loving mother. It was unfair to judge her based on the few days they had been back in each other’s company because for all that time she had been worrying about the safety of her son. Now that her prayers had been answered and she was calmer, Alberta hoped the real Lisa Marie would emerge. She honestly didn’t know who that woman would be, but she was curious to find out.
Despite all the friction and all the snippy comments, there was a lightness in her heart. They had come out of this nightmare with many questions, but relatively few scars. And while they waited for those scars to heal and those questions to be answered, at least they had food. Alberta smiled to herself; it really was good to be Italian.
“Did you leave room for dessert?” Alberta asked.
Sergio smiled and said, “I may have to wait a bit, Gram, I kind of scarfed that lasagna down.”
“When you’re ready I have a cherry pie I picked up at the bakery and there’s some leftover tiramisu in the fridge,” Alberta said. “Help yourself.”
“Thanks, Gram, I will,” Sergio said.
She took his plate from the table and couldn’t resist planting a kiss on his forehead. Instead of recoiling from her touch like some grandsons might, thinking they were too old to be on the receiving end of a semipublic display of affection, Sergio closed his eyes and hugged Alberta. Jinx, however, was confused. One minute he’s screaming at her mother, the next he’s hugging his grandmother. Her brother might be grown up, but he was still the good little boy she remembered. Of course, even good little boys had secrets.
“What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into, Serge?” Jinx asked.
Her parents were startled by Jinx’s question, but Alberta had expected it. In fact, she was surprised it took so long for her investigative reporter skills to kick in. As much as Alberta wanted to know the truth about why Sergio ran away, she wanted to protect her grandson. She wasn’t sure she was going to be able to do both.
“I’m not in trouble!” Sergio yelled.
“Then why didn’t you tell anyone where you were going?” Jinx asked.
“I did!” Sergio replied. “I said I was going to New York.”
“Which was a lie because you were found in New Jersey,” Jinx said.
“It’s the same thing,” Sergio spat.
“Tell that to a New Yorker,” Jinx quipped. “Why didn’t you return any of our calls?”
“I told you, I’m an adult! I don’t have to update everybody on my every move!” Sergio said. “Do you keep them posted on your whereabouts twenty-four-seven?”
“I don’t live under their roof,” Jinx replied. “But I do return phone calls. Do you want to know why? Because I’m an adult and that’s what adults do.”
Alberta could see the questioning was starting to derail so, like a good grandma, she swooped in to save her family before the squabbling turned into all-out war. She sat down next to Sergio and placed a hand on his arm. Based on his erratic behavior, she wasn’t sure if he was going to yank it away this time or accept her touch as he had just done. Thankfully, he remained as calm as Alberta sounded.
“Honey, this is about Natalie, isn’t it?” Alberta said.
“No,” he replied immediately. “Well . . . maybe.”
“Sergio,” Alberta said. “You are many things, but you’re not a liar. You’re a good boy and you shouldn’t fight that.”
But he was. Sergio shook his head frantically and got up from the table so quickly his chair teetered back and forth before finally settling. Lola was about to enter the kitchen from the living room, where she had been napping, but when she saw Sergio pacing like a caged animal preparing to battle a gladiator, she turned up her nose and retreated back to the safety of the other room.
“That’s what Natalie always said!” Sergio cried. “You’re a good boy, Serge, stay that way. Talking to me like I was twelve or something!”
“If the shoe fits?” Jinx said.
“Shut up, Jinx!” Sergio cried.
“How are we supposed to treat you like an adult if you can’t even do the adult thing and call your parents back?” Lisa Marie said.
Alberta bit her tongue so hard she thought she tasted blood. She wanted to interject and tell her daughter to stop yelling at Sergio; she wanted to remind them all that despite his actions, he wasn’t a child and they couldn’t keep him chained up, he was free to leave at any time. Just as Lisa Marie was. But this wasn’t her fight, and she didn’t feel comfortable to butt in. Instead, she played the role of the stereotypical grandma.
“I think it is time for that cherry pie,” Alberta announced.
By the time Sergio finished his second slice and washed it down with a large glass of eggnog, the Maldonados had grown tired of talking about the differences between Florida and New Jersey, the inordinate amount of snowfall they’d already had this year, the Mistletoe Ball, even Lola. They wanted more answers and they wa
nted them from Sergio.
“I really think it’s time you told us everything you know about this Natalie,” Lisa Marie said.
Alberta held her breath because she expected a repeat of Sergio’s volatile reactions from earlier. Maybe it was because he had a full stomach, but this time when Lisa Marie asked her son to tell them about this new girl in his life, he complied.
“Natalie is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met,” Sergio said. “If I didn’t follow her to New York, I would’ve lost her forever.”
“What do you mean, you followed her?” Tommy asked. “You said you went with her to New York.”
“I lied,” Sergio said.
Alberta clutched the gold crucifix around her neck because she felt as if Sergio’s confession was more of a warning. Come figlia, come figlio. Like daughter, like son, and both of them liars.
“Natalie broke up with me right before she left for New York,” Sergio explained. “I told her I’d go with her, but she said I’d get in the way.”
“Get in the way of what?” Jinx asked.
“She had some things to take care of, I’m not really sure what they were,” Sergio replied. “I still don’t.”
“How could you not know?” Lisa Marie asked. “You’ve been with her for months.”
“If there’s one thing about Natalie, she knows how to keep a secret,” Sergio said. “I don’t know if you’ll get it, but I don’t care about any of that, all I want is to be with her. That’s why I didn’t tell you I was following her and that’s why I didn’t return any of your calls, because I knew that if I told you the truth you would drag me back to Florida.”
“Is that why you got a burner phone?” Alberta asked.
“You know what a burner phone is, Gram?” Sergio replied.
“Whose idea do you think it was to use a burner phone to lure you out of hiding?” Jinx said. She then quickly realized she had just outed her grandmother. “Sorry, Gram.”
“That was your idea?” Sergio said. “That’s kinda cool. How do you know about J. J.?”
“Your Aunt Joyce and I paid Rudy a visit trying to find you,” Alberta said. “He mentioned Natalie didn’t like his new girlfriend.”
“You went all the way to New York to talk to Rudy?” Sergio said.
“I would’ve gone to Australia if that’s where the clues led,” Alberta said. “We found out that Natalie lived with Rudy for a while on East Tenth Street and we thought he might have some answers for us.”
“Had you gone a few days earlier, we would’ve been there,” Sergio said. “We stayed with him for a bit when we first got to the city.”
“Which means Rudy lied to me, he said he didn’t know you and hadn’t seen Natalie in months,” Alberta said. “Here, I thought he was such a nice boy.”
“Just because people are nice to you, Gram, doesn’t mean they’re, you know, really nice,” Sergio said.
“Where did you go after you left Rudy’s?” Tommy asked.
“We couch surfed with some of Natalie’s friends, and for the last few weeks we’ve been at an extended stay hotel in Newton because she had to meet with some woman who lives there,” Sergio explained.
“I assume you don’t know who this woman is,” Jinx said. “Or if Natalie ever met this woman.”
“I’m not sure who the woman is and I don’t think they ever met,” Sergio replied. “Nat kept getting angrier every time she left her a message. I think the woman was avoiding her.”
“Do you really expect us to believe that after spending months with this girl, you still don’t know where she works or what kind of business she needs to wrap up?” Lisa Marie asked.
“I don’t care what you believe, Ma!” Sergio said. “All you need to know is that Natalie loves me!”
“Will you grow up!” Jinx cried. “Natalie doesn’t love you! She’s using you, Serge, she literally ran as far away from you as she could about two hours ago.”
“Why would you say that?” Sergio asked. “She isn’t using me. She ran away because you all freaked her out.”
“Has this girl who loves you so much as tried to get in touch with you yet?” Jinx asked.
“Shut up!” Sergio yelled.
“Serge, I am not going to tell you again, watch your mouth,” Tommy ordered.
“Answer me, Serge,” Jinx said. “Has Natalie tried to contact you since this afternoon?”
The muscles in Sergio’s face and neck started to twitch and his cheeks reddened. He attempted to answer Jinx’s question, but the only thing that escaped his mouth was an angry breath. He tried again and nothing. On the third try he only managed one word. “No!”
“Of course she didn’t, and she isn’t going to,” Jinx said. “Because that’s what some girls do to good little boys.”
“I swear to God, Jinx, if you say that again, I’ll . . .” Sergio yelled, raising his fist.
Tommy ran around the table and came between Sergio and his sister. “You’ll what?!”
Sergio clenched his fists and jabbed at the air, letting out a sound that was part growl and part cry. Alberta was shocked that he’d raised his hand to his sister. She didn’t want to believe that he would actually hit Jinx, but she had seen the fury in his eyes. She didn’t think he was angry at her, but rather at Natalie and the entire situation, but it didn’t matter, he had not been able to control his emotions and he had almost gotten into a physical altercation with his own flesh and blood. Such action was unconscionable as far as Alberta was concerned. No matter how angry Sammy had gotten at her, the kids, the world, he never struck her or their children and, truth be told, Alberta was never concerned that he would. For all his faults, Sammy was a decent man, and hitting any woman or child was a line he would never cross. She felt her knees buckle slightly because after what she had just witnessed she couldn’t say the same thing about her grandson.
“Are we going to go through this again?” Tommy asked. “I said it before and I’ll say it one last time, this temper of yours is not acceptable, so it ends . . . now.”
“I’m sorry if I’m not perfect like you, Dad!” Sergio yelled. “I’m sorry if I didn’t get married right out of high school like you two did!”
“I don’t understand any of this, Sergio,” Lisa Marie said. “Can’t you see that this Natalie has changed you? You never acted like this before, you were never so selfish and disrespectful.”
“Like you should talk!” Sergio cried. “How much respect did you ever show Grandma? You never even talk about her, it’s like you wished she was dead, and I’m sure the feeling is mutual!”
“Basta!” Alberta cried. “Your mother and I have had our differences, but we are family. Family, Sergio! Do you understand what that means? It means that no matter what happens, no matter what is said, no matter how much you hurt one another, you know in your heart that your family loves you. And you never, ever turn your back on your family when someone needs your help.”
Alberta was shaking and had to grip the back of the chair to steady herself. When she was a little more in control of her body, she turned around and leaned onto the kitchen counter. She stared out the window and took in the view. Memory Lake had been a constant in her life for the past few years; it always looked the same—large, inviting, and mysterious—just like her family.
But her family had just changed before her eyes. The cracks were visible, and they could no longer hide. Alberta took a dish towel and wiped her hands; they weren’t wet, she just needed something to do. When she was done she folded it neatly and placed it on the counter.
“It’s been a long day,” Alberta said, still looking out the window. “I’m going to go up and take a nap.”
She left the room without saying another word, leaving her family behind in silence. Jinx could tell that her brother looked ashamed and regretted the things he said, but she didn’t care. They had been worried sick about him for weeks and this was how he repaid them, with insults and outbursts and hurting one of the people on this earth who was c
losest to him. It had been a few years since she had lived with Sergio, but she knew he wasn’t the same boy she grew up with, she knew that he had changed. The reason she was frightened was because she knew it was not a change for the better.
CHAPTER 12
Come il cacio sui maccheroni.
Jinx woke up and couldn’t get the tune out of her head. “What Child Is This?”—the Vikki Carr version, which was her grandmother’s favorite—had been playing on a loop inside her brain since the moment she opened her eyes. She would have liked to attribute the nonstop recording to the fact that Christmas was a few weeks away, but she knew that wasn’t the reason. It was because she didn’t know who her brother was. The childlike teenager she remembered before she left home was not the same young man who’d raised his fist to her last night. What had this child become?
Maybe an early morning jog would cleanse her mind of such unmerry thoughts? Nope. What about taking in the Christmas decorations on all the stores, or the plastic, life-size, Victorian-era carolers on the front lawn of the library? Definitely not. Could the giant gingerbread house that was the visual denouement of the Winter Wonderland being created in Tranquility Park do the trick? Not a chance. No amount of holiday magic could erase the uneasy thoughts that were squatting in Jinx’s brain. She might as well get to work.
Today, work didn’t mean going into the office at The Herald, it meant going to St. Clare’s to interview the hospital administrator, Bambi DeBenedetto. While her mother still couldn’t get over the fact that a grown woman chose to be called the same name as an anthropomorphic Disney character, Jinx was in no position to judge because she had disregarded her Christian name, Gina, in favor of the moniker she received moments after her birth. An elderly woman playing the slots at the casino when Jinx was born had said that she’d had nothing but bad luck ever since Lisa Marie had gone into labor and considered the newborn babe a jinx. Gina was history.
In the elevator on the way up to the third floor of St. Clare’s, Jinx could still her hear brother’s voice raging at her. He had never screamed at her with such anger. She knew his outburst was a reaction to his frustration over this Natalie person more than at what Jinx had said, but still, it greatly bothered her. She’d seen a side of her brother that she couldn’t reconcile.
