Anton's Strength

by R. M. Healy

  Sitting on the blue sofa, Esther waited for her younger sister to speak.

  "I have a boyfriend. His name is Joe, and he lives at number six," Jessica said as a matter of factly.

  Esther had met Joe before and liked him. He was a few years older than Jessica but a kind man. He had Down Syndrome like her sister and worked on the farm.

  "Since when?" Esther asked, smiling.

  "He asked me yesterday, and I said yes. Do you think mom and dad will get mad if I tell them?" Jessica asked, obviously concerned, and Esther knew why. Their dad would probably get angry about Jessica having a boyfriend.

  "You know how dad gets. How about I talk to him first?" Esther knew her sister had dreamt about having a boyfriend since she saw Esther marry Micheal. The last thing she needed was for her father to ruin it for her.

  "Please. I don't want him to break us up. I've wanted to date Joe for a long time," Jessica seemed worried, and Esther hated that their father could potentially destroy this for her sister.

  "Don't worry about a thing. I will deal with dad. So, when's the wedding?" Esther joked.

  "Esther! Do not jinx it. What about you? Have you got a boyfriend?"

  The first thing that came to mind was Anton Romano. Esther shook her head in anger. There was no reason to associate him with the word 'boyfriend.'

  “Do you think you will marry Micheal again?” Jessica asked, hopeful.

  Thankfully, her parents chose that moment to show up, and Esther didn’t have to tell her sister again that she and Micheal would never get back together.

  Esther waited until they’d finished dinner, and her mother and Jessica were out of earshot before telling her father about Jessica’s boyfriend.

  "No. Absolutely not. Do these care people not get paid to stop this happening!" Esther's father shouted.

  Jessica was outside, showing their mother her greenhouse, and wasn't there to overhear their father's rant.

  "She is an adult now, not a child! You know how much she wanted to fall in love and get married, and now she might be able to do that. Jessica and Joe are both innocent people who just want to be loved. You better not get involved!"

  Her father shook his head and pointed his finger at her. Unlike her mother and Jessica, Esther was almost the same height as her father. His attempts at intimidation didn't work on her anymore.

  At 50 years old, her father was not the strong, able man he used to be, and it was apparent by the thin grey hair on his head and the deep wrinkles that marred his once handsome face.

  The smoking habit he'd had since a teenager was now taking its toll on his body, and his heart condition was incurable.

  Regardless of all of that, his mind was still as sharp as it always had been, and he was just as stubborn as he had been Esther's whole life.

  "You listen to me! Jessica is not capable of being in a relationship, and she never will be. And you are the last person who should be talking about love and marriage!"

  Esther would usually back down with her father when it concerned her. She didn't want his last year alive to be spent rowing with her. Yet when it came to Jessica, she would not give in.

  "How about you listen to me for a change! You forget that you signed over any legal right to control my sister when I found this place. She's not an idiot, and it's up to her to decide if she wants to date someone. There are enough people here who can keep an eye on her should she need it. This isn’t some seedy relationship. They have supervised visits and enjoy each other's company."

  As she stopped speaking, she could see the sheer anger on her father's face. He loved Jessica, but he would never treat her like the adult she now was or give her any freedom.

  Esther's mother treated Jessica like an adult but would never dare disagree with anything their father said. In her eyes, he could do no wrong.

  "You are the last person who should give advice on this. Look at the situation you are in. When this all blows up, remember it was all your fault, and you can deal with your sister."

  And with that, her father sat down and raised his head in the air looking away from her. She'd been dismissed.

  Instead of letting him have another chance to throw a few more nasty comments her way, she went out the back door to her mother and sister. Although it was midday, the air was bitter, and the grass was crunchy from the frost.

  Esther could hear her sister laughing along with their mother in the greenhouse. It was a miracle to find such a place where her sister could live almost independently and do a job she would love working on a farm.

  "I hope you've been getting my herbs ready Jessica, I need a restock," Esther joked as she walked down the narrow space between the large variety of herbs, salad leaves, and other plants Jessica was growing.

  "Mom got them ready in the bag for you," Jessica handed Esther the bag of goodies.

  "Thanks. I thought I could come here and cook Friday night? And with you and dad too?" Esther looked down at her mother, who was busy cutting her own leaves.

  When she turned, Esther saw the frown on her face. Esther's mother was still just as beautiful as she had always been and barely aged over the years. She didn't smoke, nor did she drink alcohol like Esther's father.

  "I will have to ask your father. He might not be up for it, you know? He is finding it harder to get out these days."

  Esther did know. Her father was finding it increasingly difficult to do anything. The only thing that he consistently did was visit Jessica once a week. Esther worried about what her mother would do without her father, but they would have to cross the bridge when it came to it.

  "How about this time next week? If you come later, then it will be dinner time?" Esther really wanted her to say yes. She missed when they all sat down as a family, and she knew how much it would benefit them all if they did.

  "Can I bring Joe?" Jessica asked before their mother responded.

  "I would like that, sweetie," Esther's mother said, surprising her. "Perhaps your sister can bring someone too?"

  "Micheal?" Jessica asked. No matter how many times Esther told Jessica that she'd divorced Micheal, she still spoke about him as if they were together. She suspected that was why her mother had suggested Esther bring a plus one. Her mom hoped that Esther would get back with Micheal.

  "No. This night is about you and Joe. I've got a list of questions I need to ask him to make sure he's allowed to be with my sister."

  "NO! Don’t do that, please?" Jessica said, her gloved hands on her hips.

  "I’m kidding! It's going to be a great night. I'll go and tell dad on my way out of here. Now both of you give me a hug," Esther said, holding her arms out.

  "I love you both," Jessica said as the three of them embraced.

  "I love you too," Esther said, smiling.

  "See you in a few days." Esther took the bag of herbs and walked back up the garden when her phone started ringing from a landline number.

  "Hello?" She hesitantly said.

  "Hello Esther, It's Rosa."

  "Oh, hey Rosa, how are you? How is Anton?" She said, surprised that Rosa had called so soon after what had happened to her son.

  "He is...ok. That's part of the reason I called. You aren’t working Thursday, are you?" Rosa asked.

  "Yeah, that's right, I am off. I can go in if you need me to?"

  "Actually, I wanted to invite you here for dinner at our house. Anthony is cooking, and I have a few members of our family around to show Anton that we are all here for him. You've been so good to us, and it wouldn't be right if you weren't here."

  Esther didn't know how she felt about seeing Anton after he'd been so rude last night, but she did really care for Rosa and knew to say no would hurt her feelings.

  "Ok, I will be there, Rosa. Text me what time or if you need anything in the meantime, ok?"

  "Thank you so much! And again, I am so sorry about Anton speaking to you like that last night. He’s going through a lot.”

  “It’s ok, it's not your fault,” Esther repli
ed.

  “I know. Well, goodbye, see you there."

  As she put down the phone, Esther immediately regretted agreeing to go.

  "I can't believe you got him to agree to it. When I mentioned it before I left, he stormed out of the room and shut the door in my face," Esther said to her mother over the phone as she ironed her dress.

  "It took me a couple of days, but he finally saw my point in the end. All he wants is for you and your sister to be happy. He loves you both, but he's stressed at the moment."

  It was evident from Esther's mother's tone of voice that she was trying to make Esther feel guilty for her relationship with her father at such a time in his life. Esther knew it wasn't her fault that the relationship was so volatile. Her father should recognize her accomplishments, not her mistakes. But again, she would keep her mouth shut and not talk about that with either of them.

  "Well, perhaps this dinner will be good for you and him. It's been a long time since we ate together, and even though he denies it, I know that he loves my cooking more than his own," Esther said. She knew it was the truth.

  "Oh, I do hope so. He has to visit the doctor on Monday morning. Hopefully, the news will be good," her mother said optimistically.

  "Maybe."

  Esther did not want to say what she really thought. Since finding out about his heart disease, her father refused treatment and still continued smoking. What good news could they possibly expect?

  Perhaps if the news was really that bad, her father might kick his ass into gear and quit smoking and attempt to prolong what little time he had left.

  "Anyway, mom, Rosa, invited me around for food at their house. I forgot to mention it, but her son had a terrible accident a few days ago. So she is having a get-together to cheer him up."

  There was a brief pause, and Esther wondered if the phone had somehow disconnected for a moment.

  "The handsome one? Was he in the papers for being a fire?" Her mother said in an unusually high pitch.

  "Yes, he was, and I guess you could say he is handsome."

  Again her mother paused.

  "I've not heard you talk much about Romano's son before...are you dating him?" The excitement was evident in her mother's voice, and it annoyed Esther.

  "Absolutely not!" She said quickly.

  Esther was almost sure she heard the woman chuckle.

  "Ok. Well, I hope you have a great night and tell Rosa and her husband that your father and I hope her son is ok. In fact, I will send them some flowers. Please text me the address. Love you."

  "That's a kind thing for you to do, mother. Thank you, and I love you too."

  She hoped her mother wouldn't get the wrong idea about her going around to the Romanos, but she had a pretty strong feeling she already did. So it would be her mother's own fault when she felt disappointed that Esther was, in fact, still single and had been all along.

  Holding up her black dress, she was relieved to see she'd successfully got out all of the creases. It was cold outside, so she picked the dress because it was past her knees and long-sleeved.

  Pairing it with small red heels and her red mac coat, she hoped it wouldn't look suitable. She had no idea how many people would be at Rosa's and what they would be wearing.

  After applying her red lipstick, she threw it in her clutch and checked herself over in the mirror.

  The outfit looked good, but despite that, she would still feel massively uncomfortable around Anton. She always had felt on edge around him, and after seeing him at the hospital bed, those feelings had intensified.

  Regardless of all that, she was going to go there, put on a smile, and if he did speak to her like that again, she would tell him exactly what she thought. If not, she would enjoy sitting down with the Romanos and be grateful for the invitation.

  The Romanos didn't live far from the farm Jessica lived on. There was probably only a couple of acres of fields between them. However, the Romanos had a lot of land with many outhouses, and in the center of it all sat a beautiful home.

  Esther had no idea why Anton would want to move away from such a spectacular place and live alone. It wasn't as if his parents were hard to get along with either.

  She drove down the long track that was shadowed by large frosted trees. In the summer, they looked beautiful, all different shades of green magnified as the sun shone above them.

  Now the leaves had long since fallen, and the branches were covered in a light dusting of snow.

  The white wooden house, however, still looked as spectacular as ever. It stood at the end of the track, four floors high with 12 windows and a bright yellow door. Although it was November, the frosty grass and trees made it seem as if it was almost Christmas.

  As Esther reached the end of the track, she saw the giant stone fountain, which had a statue of a little girl holding a flower. Surrounding the fountain were several flashy cars.

  She knew the black G-wagon belonged to Anton, and the red and white Chevrolet Corvette belonged to her boss, Anthony.

  The small smart car belonged to Rosa, but as for the other two vehicles, she had no idea who they belonged to. At least now she knew there were other people there besides herself.

  Turning her engine off, she looked at the house. It was now or never, and the longer she sat in her car, the more nervous she would get.

  She picked up her handbag and the large white box off the passenger seat.

  As she tried to get out of the car and take the key out, she caught her handbag on the steering wheel and almost dropped the box on the floor.

  Sighing at herself, she put the box on the roof of the car and bent in the car to get her bag and coat out. As she did, she felt as if someone was watching her.

  Turning, she looked up at the house.

  She wasn't sure if her eyes were deceiving her, but she could have sworn a curtain on the top floor moved.

  Feeling the bitter cold on her skin, she put her coat on, put her bag over her shoulder, and took the box off the roof of the car. Her heels clicked loudly on the beige tiled driveway to the door, and she took a deep breath when she reached the large yellow door.

  She was greeted by a petite brunette woman that she had never met before.

  "Hey, can I help you?" The woman said with an awkward smile. Judging by her pale skin and hazel eyes, Esther thought it was unlikely she was related to the Romanos.

  Looking down at the woman, Esther smiled her most confident smile, "I am Esther. Rosa invited me?"

  "Oh, sorry, come in. I am Lucy. Rosa is just in the kitchen, so I thought I'd get the door. Do you want me to grab the box for you while you hang up your coat?"

  "That would be wonderful, thanks."

  Esther entered the house and passed the woman her box as she took off her coat. She remembered the cloakroom was under the large wooden staircase to the left of her but didn't want to be rude and leave the woman standing there as she walked off.

  "Coats go under the stairs," Lucy said, nodding in the direction.

  Esther hung her coat up before taking the box back from her.

  "So, how do you know, Rosa and her husband?" She asked Lucy as she followed her down the corridor to the kitchen.

  "I am Anthony's nephew's wife. This is my first time here, actually. I knew Anton through my ex. I used to date his best friend. Long story. What about you?"

  "I have worked for them for over ten years."

  Esther followed Lucy into the kitchen, where Rosa stood in front of the green old-fashioned four-door oven. The air smelt delicious, and Esther knew the food was going to taste excellent. Rosa didn't turn around as she stood, one hand on her hip and the other stirring the large pot on the stove.

  "Hello Rosa," Esther said, walking to the table that had already been set and put the box down between the plates beside the lit candles.

  "Esther! Sorry, I didn't hear you come in," Rosa put the spoon down and walked over, her arms open to embrace her, "thank you for coming. Oh, and what’s in the box?"

  G
rinning, Esther opened the lid and saw Rosa's face light up.

  "My favorite. Lucy, you must try these. I have tried to make this Yaksik myself, but Esther seems to be able to add that special touch I can't."

  “As long as you keep cooking me Italian food, then I am happy to bring you Korean deserts!” Esther said, grinning at Rosa.

  “I will try one after dinner if there’s any room left,” Lucy replied, sitting on the sofa next to the table. Esther spotted the pram beside the chair.

  "Aw, who is this?" Esther said, walking over to the sofa, smiling. Sitting on the chair with a book on his lap was the most adorable little boy.

  His black wavy hair fell over his face, and his big dark eye’s looked up at her framed by thick lashes.

  "Say hello, Theo," Lucy said as the boy watched Esther.

  "Elo," the boy said, a cheeky smile on his face, "Pig!"

  "Theo!" Lucy shouted, shocked he'd say such a thing.

  Laughing, Esther saw he was looking at a book of farm animals and pointing at the pig on the page.

  "Aw, yes, a pig. Aren't you a smart little boy!" Esther was now bending down in front of him, and he showed his partially toothed grin.

  "When is Esther going to have babies, eh?" Rosa asked, pointing the spoon at her as she stood back by the stove.

  Awkwardly, Esther coughed and stood back up. She was asked that question every day by her parents when she was married to Micheal and never had an answer. Having a child with him just didn't seem right.

  "I have to meet the right man first, Rosa," she attempted to joke.

  Behind her, she heard the heavy footsteps coming from the corridor and turned.

  She was disappointed when it wasn't Anton. Instead, it was his father and cousin, Luca, and a third man. Where was Anton?

  The third man, Esther, didn't recognize him. However, the fact he was the exact same height as the two other men and looked incredibly similar to Anthony, she assumed it had to be his brother.

  "Esther, how wonderful to see you! I know you've met Luca. This is his father and my brother, Tomasso."

  Although Anthony was smiling, it was clear to see from his tired eyes, he hadn't been sleeping well.