by Jim Sano
Chapter 52
On Wednesday, David received a phone call from the law office working on his father’s appeal for a medical release. They were ready to present the full medical records for justification and a number of character witnesses to vouch for Gianni’s character. Angelo had helped to identify nineteen other prisoners who were now out of prison and would provide often remarkable accounts of their change in life after being part of Gianni’s men’s faith group. After their release, men who were hardened criminals, drug addicts, murderers, and lost souls had started businesses, gone back to reconcile with their wives and families, and all seemed to be immersed in giving back to the community and their faith. Their testimonies were emailed to David, and his heart was deeply moved by the written accounts of the impact his father had on each of their lives, including Angelo.
Tears welled, and a sense of pride and love for his father enveloped him. It was as if he was finally beginning to know his father as a man and how it took nothing but Gianni’s faith, truth, and love to impact these men, their families, and society in a way that David could never match with all his success and achievements. Finally, the lawyers were able to get written testimony from Gino Cappelletti stating that Gianni Fidele was indeed innocent of all charges. Gino was putting himself in danger by his testimony, but he had lived with the weight of this lie for too long, and the lawyers sealed the deal with him when they explained the circumstances.
David paced all day in his office waiting for the news from the hearing in Richmond. By six o’clock he had heard nothing from the lawyers. Concerned, he called the office only to hear the team hadn’t yet returned from the hearing and there was no news. David couldn't wait at the office any longer and needed to get out. He went over to see Angelo to thank him for all he’d done to help with the supporting arguments and for the letter he’d personally written.
When he reached St. Anthony’s at seven o’clock, Angelo wasn’t in his tiny quarters, but David could see the lights on in the church. He quietly opened the large entrance door and saw the church full of parishioners. When he saw Izzie with ashes on her forehead in the morning, it should’ve dawned on him that it was Ash Wednesday. David hesitated to go in but saw a familiar large man with a bald head at the end of the aisle close to the back—Ben Harris, who had slowly turned his head to see what the sound was from the back. He smiled broadly when he saw David and waved him to come and sit with him. David walked quietly to the pew and stepped in as Ben squeezed closer to the person on his right. Ben shook hands with David and then continued singing the entrance song to the Mass, which had just begun. For the first time, both of them actually knew what was happening and why, and now the Mass took on a different quality of beauty than they had ever known before.
After the examination of conscience and prayer of confession, the parishioners started filing out of each pew and walking towards the altar to receive the Sign of the Cross on their forehead with ashes. When David and Ben reached the front, where Tom was administering the ashes, Tom smiled broadly and made a Sign of the Cross on David’s forehead saying, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”
As David walked back up the aisle, he remembered walking back to the pew with his father as a boy and reaching up to touch the ashes on his forehead to know what they felt like. He almost felt the same urge as he reached the pew to touch the ashes and see the residue on his thumb, but he resisted this time. As they sat down, he could feel his phone buzzing in his pocket, but he knew he couldn’t pick it up during Mass.
When the time for Communion came around, David and Ben walked back down the aisle and folded their hands across their chests as Tom had instructed, since they weren’t receiving the Body of Christ this night. David finally understood that this wasn’t meant as a denial or a punishment but out of recognition that this was indeed the real presence of Christ to be received in full communion with the Church body, which now felt right to him. Once he had thought the people looked like mindless cattle filing down the aisle, but now, with an understanding of what was actually happening, there was a beauty and peace to the procession of the congregation to become one in Christ.
After Communion, the Mass ended fairly quickly, and the last song was sung. The altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, lector, and lastly Father Tom left the now empty altar and walked towards the back. Tom winked at David and Ben as he walked by and went to the back entrance to shake hands and say goodbye to the parishioners as they left.
Not being able to wait any longer to find out who called, David slowly slipped his Blackberry out of his jacket pocket. He glanced down, as his thumb clicked on the display button and read a text from the law office which simply said, “HE IS COMING HOME!” By the time David got to Tom, he could hardly hide his joy. “David, what happened? I feel like something’s going on.”
David felt frozen and couldn’t respond for a second. Then he blurted out, “My father. They’re going to let him come home.”
Tom made no hesitation to put his arms around David. “That’s such great news! When did you find out?”
“Just a second ago. I was waiting all day, and after hearing nothing, I came here to see Angelo. When I poked my head in the church, Ben saw me and pulled me in by the collar.” Ben came up to David and Tom just in time to catch the end of their laughter and asked what was happening. David explained the long story to him in the rectory with Tom.
David got home and found himself actually saying a prayer of thanks to God for the news, leaving him with only a good feeling about seeing his father.
Chapter 53
David called his father the next morning to share the good news. Gianni was happy, but he also knew he was dying and was at peace with whatever happened for the remaining days or months of his life. David had set up his own bedroom for his father because it was the room filled with morning sunshine. He moved his clothes and things into one of the guest bedrooms and didn’t tell his father he had moved. David flew down to Richmond and Gianni was feeling good for the flight back to Boston. This was the first time he had been on a plane since his military service in the Korean conflict. Gianni couldn’t believe he was back in his hometown and would be able to see his good friend Angelo again. He also couldn’t believe the size and impressiveness of David’s Beacon Street apartment. When David showed his father his bedroom, Gianni felt the same kind of discomfort Angelo had experienced and had asked David if there was anything smaller. David said, “Pop, let’s just try this for now, and we can change if it doesn’t work out.” Gianni smiled weakly and gave in.
David had ordered food from his father’s favorite restaurant in the North End to be delivered and had asked Angelo to come in with the delivery man acting as if he was a restaurant employee. When Gianni finally realized what was going on, he stood up and gave his old friend Angelo a teary hug. They ate, talked, and laughed until Gianni was feeling worn and was ready to sleep in a real bed.
Angelo said, “I had to sleep on the floor for the first several weeks before I could be comfortable in a bed, but you’ve been pampered in the hospital for some time now, so you should be okay, Gianni.”
Gianni smiled and nodded as he walked to his room more slowly than Angelo may have remembered. Angelo helped him change and gave him a kiss on the forehead as he left the bedroom. He thanked David for having him to dinner to see Gianni and said he could be available anytime to come over and help out or be with Gianni while David was at work or traveling. David knew Angelo was making a sincere offer and that he’d probably need his help. After Angelo left, David sat by Gianni’s bed and talked with him for a while about being home, about the changes in Boston, and about things Gianni would like to do. Gianni said he’d like to attend Mass in the morning, and David nodded, understanding how important this was to his father.
Gianni was up earlier than David, and David found him sitting on his bed, dressed and ready for Mass when he got up. When they entered the church, Gianni blessed himself from the baptismal font, and th
en went as far as he could to genuflect towards the altar.
During the Mass, David watched his father and realized how much this meant to him. He was living his life for Christ and here he was with Him in the Word and in the breaking of the Bread. He saw a tear come down his father’s cheek as Tom held the consecrated Eucharist in his hands and raised it high above his head. After the Mass, Gianni wanted to stay seated in the pew for a while, which gave Tom the opportunity to come back in to meet Gianni. “Father Tom, it’s always good to meet a good friend of my son. I’ve heard a lot about you over the past several months.”
Tom laughed while still shaking Gianni’s hand. “We’ll have to compare notes because I may have heard more about you from your son and Angelo. I’ve been trying to teach him how to play basketball, but I think it may be a hopeless cause. I’m very honored to finally meet you and have you come to St. Anthony’s for Mass.”
Gianni smiled, and they walked towards the back of the church. “This is quite a beautiful church. It must’ve been built by—”
Tom interrupted, “Yes, it was built in large part by those generous, talented, and faithful Italians. They certainly have an eye for and a commitment to aesthetics and beauty.”
Gianni smiled. “And the Irish have a commitment to the faith itself.”
David realized it would be a lot for his father to travel down to Hingham, but he wanted him to meet Kathleen and his grandchildren. He had called Kathleen the evening before and asked if she minded coming to the apartment to meet Gianni.
There was no hesitation in Kathleen’s response.
Even though he and Kathleen had been separated for over six years, only Amy and James had actually ever been to David’s apartment. When David and Gianni got home, David put a roast in the oven for a Sunday dinner for the family. Lucy had brought back Trooper from his overnight, and he was predictably agitated to find a stranger in the apartment. He barked loudly until David calmed him down and assured him that his father was one of the good guys. While Gianni was lying down for a short nap, David set the table and prepared dinner.
Early in the afternoon, Kathleen arrived with the kids. David worried about Trooper waking his father but to his surprise, Trooper went right up to Kathleen, who squatted down in her blue dress and rubbed her hands through the fur on both sides of Trooper’s neck. “That’s a good boy. Aren’t you a good boy, Topper? Yes, you are.”
David took their coats and then checked on his dad and found him sitting on the end of his bed with his eyes closed. “Pop, Kathleen and the kids are here.”
Gianni stood up and walked out to the living room. Kathleen shot up. “Dad,” she said and gave him a long and teary hug.
“Beautiful outside is no question,” Gianni said, “and David has let me know how beautiful a person you are on the inside and what a wonderful mother you are to these two beautiful children. But what am I saying? They are almost grown up now. I think I can guess which one is Amy and which one is James.” Gianni opened his arms, and with that, both Amy and James walked comfortably into his embrace.
Kathleen helped David with the meal while Gianni talked and played with his granddaughter and grandson for the very first time. At one point, Gianni pulled out two coins from his pocket and gave one to each of them. “These are very old coins my grandfather had given to me when I was a boy. Tell me, did you go to Mass this morning?”
James nodded.
“Do you remember the Gospel reading at all?”
James shook his head, while Amy said, “It was something about Caesar.”
“Very good. The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes that would get him in trouble if he answered ‘Yes’ or ‘No,’ but he was too smart for them. What did he do?”
Amy said, “He asked for a coin and then asked whose image was on it.”
“That’s excellent. Whose image was on it?”
“Caesar. I remember what Jesus said. It was something like, give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.”
“Right. So, we give to Caesar the things that bear his image. Can you guess what bears the image of God?”
Amy and James were silent as they thought of any coins that had God on them.
“I’ll give you a clue. The answer is in this room.”
They looked around their father’s apartment and then again at the coins he gave them. “I don’t know, Grandpa.”
“Okay, I don’t want to keep you from dinner. It’s you. And me. We are made in the image of God and we belong to God. Instead of falling into the trap, Jesus always teaches a bigger lesson that will make us happy. If we give ourselves completely to him, we will be happy because we belong to him. He made both of you and loves you very much.”
David and Kathleen smiled as they heard the end of the conversation.
At dinner, David loved watching how comfortable the conversation flowed between Kathleen, Gianni, and the kids. It was almost as if he were watching them in slow motion with no sound as he took in each moment. He couldn’t help watching Kathleen’s smile and loving blue eyes as she laughed and talked.
He almost felt like a boy in grade school who had become infatuated with the girl who sat several rows over from him in his English class, then it finally hit him like a ton of bricks. When David had left the family to live on his own, he found Trooper outside his door with no owner in sight. Trooper only had a medallion on his collar with his name on it written in script, “Topper.” He tried to find the owner to no avail and decided to take him in as his roommate, so he changed his name to “Trooper.” When Kathleen entered his apartment today, Trooper greeted her as an old friend instead of his normally instinctive barking at a stranger.
Here David was abandoning Kathleen with a ten-year-old and a one-year-old, while she was worried about his being alone. Kathleen knew David was okay conquering the world on his own, but she also knew, deep down inside, he was afraid of being truly alone. His heart and mind were both racing as he scrambled to ask himself what the other possible options were when everyone stopped talking and Kathleen asked, “David, are you having your own private conversation?”
That brought David back to the moment. “No. No. I was just thinking about something. Hey, is everyone ready for some cannoli for dessert?”
After Kathleen left with Amy and James, David sat with his father in the den, reminiscing about some happy times. David finally managed to bring up his thoughts about Kathleen and Trooper. Gianni smiled, unsurprised. “Son, can you not see the love in that girl’s eyes, in her actions, and in her heart? It sounds like you believe love is a conditional thing—if I feel good, I love you; if I’m upset with you, I don’t love you. I’m sure Kathleen was very hurt, if not devastated, by being left, much like you must’ve felt all those years ago. But love is much more than how we feel. It’s wanting the absolute best for the other person no matter how imperfect their love is at the moment. Think about how we treat God every day, and how he never gives up on us, loving us and being ready to hold us again. I think Kathleen is a very special woman and has that kind of love for you and the kids more than you realize. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if your theory about her was right on the mark, not surprised at all.”
David told Gianni that he needed to step out briefly to take care of something. Gianni had a good idea of what David was taking care of as David drove down to Hingham and knocked on the door on a cool, star-filled evening.
Kathleen stared open-mouthed at him. “Is something—?
“I just had a question for you.”
Kathleen grabbed her warm coat and a white knitted hat and stepped outside to listen to David’s mystery question.
David shoved his hands into his pockets. “Kat, you’ve never been in the apartment before today, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Have you ever been on the front stoop of the apartment before?”
Kathleen hesitated.
“Have you?”
“It’s possible.”
“Why are you asking?”
“Today wasn’t the first time you met Trooper, was it? Trooper has been a great companion and a fierce defender of the homestead. When you came to the door, he acted like you were an old friend, and then, when you called him Topper, it took me a bit, but the lights finally came on.”
“Okay, I won’t tell you I was happy when you walked out on your commitment to me and your own children, but I knew you were probably struggling internally. I didn’t think it would be good for you to be alone, so I stopped in at the animal rescue, and when I saw Topper, something just told me to take him. The rescue people said he’d been a good companion for someone in the West End before a break-in robbery to his house that left the owner dead and Topper wounded. That may be why Topper, I mean Trooper, tends to be overprotective with strangers.”
David gazed deeply into Kathleen’s eyes and deeper into her soul. This act of selfless love on Kathleen’s part seemed far beyond anything he thought he deserved. How had he missed this? The humbling answer came to him: he had never cared enough to know her that deeply before. David thanked Kathleen for being honest and for being so kind, but on the way home, he felt strangely disoriented about the world of relationships he thought he had finally figured out.
Chapter 54
Before David knew it, it was the last Monday meeting of the RCIA group before Holy Week, and he was about to become a full member of the Church that he had long misunderstood and condemned. The more the group covered the many questions each candidate had struggled with, the more they all felt energized and at home with their new faith. As a group, they went out into the community by helping the poor, sick, and those in prison, to make their faith one of service to others. David had become good friends with everyone in the group, now seeing them with a new sense of depth and appreciation, but he became closest to Ben, who would sometimes come out with David and Tom for a beer at Dempsey’s after class.
