Mean Little People

by Dearth, Paige

  As if noticing Kate for the first time, Teresa hurried over to her. “Kate, nice to meet ya, hon. Sorry it’s under such bad conditions.” Teresa turned back to Tony. “Ya grew a lot since I seen ya last. When was that?”

  “When I turned fourteen, almost four years ago.”

  Teresa gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Sweet baby Jesus, I forgot you’re gonna be eighteen soon.”

  “Yeah. That’s why we came over. Kate and me are getting’ married. I need my birth certificate so I can get a license.”

  Teresa covered her face with her hands and wept.

  “What’s wrong wit’ ya?”

  “Oh, Tony. I ain’t done right by ya. I put ya out when ya was just a boy. Your father…your father…he wouldn’t let me help ya. Ya know?” she begged.

  Tony went to his mother and put his arms around her. Teresa’s body melted into him.

  “I know, Ma. Ya did the best that ya could. I fuckin’ hate that bastard. He’s gonna rot in hell someday.”

  Teresa gently pulled away from Tony. “I shoulda been stronger. I shoulda told him ya weren’t leavin’. I see that now, but back then…Macie was younger, and I didn’t know where we would go. I’m sorry.”

  Tony patted his mother on the back. “It’s all right, Ma. Hey, listen—I got some good news.”

  Tony walked over to Kate and put his arm over her shoulder. “Me and Kate here are gonna have a baby. You’re gonna be a grandma,” he said, trying to cheer her up.

  “Wait. What? I’m gonna be a grandma? Oh, thank you, little baby Jesus. I’ve been prayin’ that you’d be safe. Now here ya are, gettin’ married and havin’ a baby.”

  Teresa walked across the kitchen and stood next to Kate. “Can I touch your belly?”

  “Sure.”

  “We’re gonna be family now,” Teresa said to Kate, tearfully.

  Kate looked back to the front door when she heard Carmen stir. Her stomach felt like grasshoppers were inside. She was worried about Tony and his father having another fight. Tony followed the moaning sound coming from his father. Tony wanted to get Kate out of his parents’ house quickly, before another fight broke out and he ended up killing his father.

  Chapter One Hundred Four

  “Ma, can ya go get my birth certificate? We gotta get goin’ before I have to kill that no-good asshole,” he said, pointing at his father.

  Once Carmen’s head cleared, he pushed himself off of the floor and rose to his feet slowly. He shuffled to his reclining chair in front of the television.

  “Teresa!” Carmen yelled. “Bring me a fuckin’ beer.”

  Teresa wrapped ice in a clean towel, grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, and rushed into the living room. She handed the items to Carmen and quickly rushed toward the stairs for Tony’s birth certificate. When Teresa was gone, Tony and Kate walked into the living room.

  “You’re nothin’ but street trash,” Carmen said. “Ya might fool that stupid bitch, but ya don’t fool me.” He lifted the beer can to his lips.

  “Don’t ever call my mother a bitch. Ya know, you’re a real fuckin’ loser. Ya always told me I was the pansy, the pixie, the pussy, but that’s you. Ya don’t give a shit about anybody but yourself. Why do ya bother stayin’ around here? Why don’t cha just slither off into some shithole bar where ya belong?” Tony said.

  Carmen stood, and Tony stepped into his father’s challenging stance. The two faced off, chest to puffy chest. Tony was a couple of inches bigger than Carmen now and had youth on his side. They stared each other down, each waiting for the other to make a move. Finally, Carmen turned away and walked back to his recliner.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Tony said quietly.

  Carmen looked away from the television to address Kate. He took a good long look at the girl. She was tall and slender. Her blond hair hung just below her shoulders in soft, silky ringlets. Her blue eyes sparkled with youth. Her plump, pink lips parted to reveal a dazzling smile as she nervously looked back at him.

  “You’re not Italian,” Carmen stated.

  “No, no, I’m not. That doesn’t matter, though. Tony and I love each other, and we treat each other well,” she answered sharply.

  Carmen glared at Tony. “Ha! You got yourself a real winner here, ya stupid asshole. This girl ain’t gonna be wit’ ya long…she’s too good for ya.”

  Kate was visibly rattled. Her lips puckered as she gave Carmen a hateful stare.

  Tony let out a sharp laugh. “Ignore ’im, Kate. He’s just a miserable old man. Ain’t never did nothin’ good wit’ his life and is jealous of anyone who does. You should go find yourself a bottle of booze to drown in.”

  Tony’s body was rigid, and his eyes were narrow as he waited for his father to respond.

  “Tony, please stop it right now,” Teresa interrupted. “I don’t need any more shit.” They all turned to look at Teresa, who was nervously twisting her hands together.

  Kate put her hand on Tony’s upper arm, and he flinched at the touch. When he looked over, Kate was smiling at him with adoration, which brought him out of his hate trance.

  “Yeah, we gotta go anyway.” Tony turned his attention to his mother. “Ma, I’ll be back. I better not see a fuckin’ mark on your body when I see ya again,” he said and looked over at Carmen, who smirked at him.

  “Don’t cha worry; I’ll be fine. Ya just make sure ya come back and see me,” Teresa murmured.

  “Who do ya think ya are, woman? Ya don’t invite people into my house wit’out my permission.”

  Teresa flinched.

  Kate felt the heat rise up in her chest. “Stop it, Mr. Bruno. You’re so mean. Just stop picking on her.”

  “Listen, darlin’,” Carmen replied, “don’t go thinkin’ you’re a big shot ’cause your little boyfriend over there is a low-life mobster.”

  “Tony is not a lowlife—he is respected…”

  “That’s right. Tony only gets people to respect ’im ’cause they got to. He’s a fuckin’ mobster. Ya either respect ’im or he’ll whack ya. Ain’t that right, Tony?” Carmen slurred his words, making sloppy, drunk gestures.

  Tony turned to Kate as her anger grew. Her beautiful ivory skin was splotched with red patches.

  “We oughta go now,” Tony said to Kate.

  Kate remained motionless. Her brain was telling her legs to move, but her feet seemed glued to the floor. It took a few moments before she composed herself.

  “We’ll see ya soon?” Teresa asked them both hopefully.

  “Sure,” Kate said, noncommittally.

  Tony’s stomach was churning, and the bile burned at the lining of his belly. The visit had not gone as he had expected. For whatever reason, he’d built up a happy reunion in his mind. Tony gave his mother a quick hug and shot an agitated look at his father. As soon as the couple was outside, Tony turned to Kate.

  “I’m sorry. Do ya still love me even though my father is a fuckin’ dipshit, wife-beating, drunk, no-good piece of smelly garbage?”

  Kate nuzzled against his chest. “I can care less about your father. He’s not worth a pint of piss. Your mother is a very nice lady. We need to make sure to stay in touch with her. I’m afraid for her, Tony.”

  “Yeah, I know. He’s gotten worse over the years, and my mother seems to be a lot weaker than she used to be.”

  “We need to help her,” Kate said.

  “Ya mean like she helped me when she let my father throw me outta the house five years ago? I was thirteen fuckin’ years old, Kate. I didn’t know how to survive on my own,” he ranted.

  “But you figured it out. You’re stronger than anyone I know. Your mother is an empty woman. There’s nothing in her eyes except sorrow and pain,” she argued.

  “So ya don’t care that she threw me out?”

  “Yes, I care. But I also believe in forgiveness—it’s way more powerful than hate.”

  “See, there’s another reason I love ya. Ya gotta real good heart.”

  Kate gigg
led. “Between the two of us, our baby is going to have the biggest heart of anyone who ever lived. We’re gonna have the best kid ever.”

  Tony beamed with pride. He knew Kate was right. Their baby would be perfect.

  Chapter One Hundred Five

  Tony and Kate were married a month later in a small church. There were less than a dozen people present, including Teresa and Tony’s sister, Macie. The couple had written their own vows.

  The priest turned to Tony. “You can now say the wedding vows you wrote for Kate.”

  Tony pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket. He took Kate’s hand in his own and looked into her eyes. “Kate, I promise to love ya more than I love anythin’. My life was real fucked up, and then I met ya. Ya made everything better and happier for me. I swear to take care of ya and our baby real good too. From this day forward, I will make sure I clean up my own dishes and make ya dinner once in a while. I will always be wit’ cha, even after we have a fight ’cause I pissed ya off about stupid shit that ain’t even worth fightin’ about. You’ll always be my best friend and my girl. I’ll love ya till the end.”

  The couple looked at the priest, whose face was scrunched up for a second before he turned to Kate. “You can say your wedding vows to Tony now.”

  “Tony, you saved me from being alone in this world. You have given me joy and came through on all of your promises. I want to spend the rest of my life being by your side, taking trips to the ocean and walking hand in hand on the beach. You’re my best friend, my only love, and my soul mate. I will always be there for you, when things are great and not so great. You mean the world to me, and I’m honored that you picked me to be your wife and mother of your child. Till the end.”

  The couple looked at the priest again. He looked down at the small mound hidden beneath the white dress she was wearing, and his eyes opened wide. “I see,” he said.

  After the ceremony they all went back to the bakery, where Donata was hosting the small group for the celebration. Salvatore and Vincent had paid for a buffet of hot pork sandwiches, roasted potatoes, and salad. Donata had made them a beautiful wedding cake that stood in the middle of the bakery floor. It was an intimate affair, exactly the way Tony and Kate had envisioned it.

  The small group had brought the couple gifts. Even Teresa had managed to squirrel away fifty dollars to give to them. Tony was content. He’d never imagined finding a woman who would want to spend the rest of her life with him. Now he had two people, his wife and child.

  After the small celebration, Tony drove Kate to Atlantic City in Salvatore’s car. He and Kate were staying overnight in a small motel a few blocks from the ocean. The couple had made several day trips back to the sea whenever they could get away. It was their special place where they had peace and love in their hearts. Tony had saved just enough money for one night at the motel and a nice dinner at a beef-and-beer restaurant that Vincent recommended.

  That night, after they made love in the candlelight of their motel room, Tony ran his fingers gently through Kate’s hair.

  “We’re married,” he said.

  Kate giggled. “Yes, I know. I was there.”

  Tony sighed. “I really love ya. I mean, there ain’t too many women who would sign up to be wit’ someone like me. Havin’ to wake me up from nightmares and all. Not to mention workin’ wit’ me so we can make love like normal people do.”

  Kate turned to him. “You saved me from my real-life nightmare. When my mom got sick and I knew she would die, I was so scared that I would be all alone. It was the worst feeling in the world. But you stayed with me and made sure that I was all right even when you were living with the Slayers.”

  Tony ran his index finger between her breasts. “That’s different. You gotta put up wit’ me yelling and cryin’ in my sleep like a scared kid. Makes me feel bad sometimes. Ya know?”

  Kate kissed the tip of his nose. “Well, you’re forgetting that it happens less and less. So every day your head is getting better. That’s how you have to look at it.”

  “That’s the thing about cha. Ya see things all happy and shit. Ya always see the good.”

  Kate laid her head on Tony’s bare chest. “What’s the point of seeing the bad in things? I mean, it only makes us feel crummy. And you know what? Things aren’t always as bad as they seem. At first, when shit goes wrong, it seems like the end of the world. When my mom died, I thought I would never be happy again. But over time, I realized that being unhappy is just a toxic feeling that latches on and never lets go of you—makes it so hard to live, to feel alive.”

  “You’re right.”

  “I always am,” she said, giggling.

  “Good night, Mrs. Bruno.”

  “Good night, Mr. Bruno.”

  Tony fell asleep peacefully, grateful that he had Kate to love.

  Chapter One Hundred Six

  Kate was three months pregnant. She was in the apartment lying on the bed with her legs straight in front of her. She groaned and held on to the small ball in her belly. She was trying to focus on the television, hoping that her morning sickness would subside. Tony was sitting on the chair next to her when he heard a knock at the apartment door.

  Tony pulled the door open for Salvatore and Vincent. “Wassup?” he said, his eyes squinted and nose wrinkled, surprised to see them.

  “We got some business to take care of in New York. One of the families wants to have a sit-down. Families all the way down in Florida are coming up for this one. It’s going to be big,” Salvatore said.

  “Kate isn’t feeling too good. She’s gotta go to work in a couple of hours. She’s lying on the bed. Can it wait?”

  Vincent pushed his way into the kitchen. “Kate’s sick ’cause she’s carrying your kid,” he joked.

  “Yeah, she’s got some morning sickness thing. Except it always hits her in the afternoon, so I don’t know why she calls it morning sickness,” Tony explained.

  “She’ll feel better in a couple of hours, just like she always does,” Salvatore reminded him.

  “I know. I just hate to leave her when she ain’t feelin’ good. How long will we be gone?”

  “Just a day or two,” Salvatore assured him.

  On his way into the bedroom, Tony contemplated what to tell Kate about going to New York.

  He entered the room with Salvatore and Vincent following.

  Kate looked at all of them with a slight scowl on her face. “What is it?”

  “Nothin’, Kate.” Tony sat on the edge of the bed next to her. “Somethin’s come up. I gotta go to New York wit’ the boys.”

  Kate thought about protesting, even begging him to stay with her, but she knew that Tony was doing his best to make a living. She was already three months pregnant and could only work for four or five more months before she’d have to take off. Still, Kate pouted and hung her head.

  “Come on, Kate. It’ll be all right. I’m gonna go to New York for a day or two, and then I’ll come right back. I want ya to have Billy walk ya home tonight after work ’cause I ain’t gonna be there to come and get cha.”

  Kate stared into space, not so much because Tony had to leave, but because another wave of nausea had crept up on her.

  Tony gently slid his index finger under her chin and lifted her head toward him. He kissed her softly on the lips.

  “I wish you didn’t have to go,” Kate muttered.

  Tony made the sign of an X over his chest. “I swear, cross my fuckin’ heart, hope to die that I’ll be back before you even notice I’m gone.”

  “He’s right, Kate,” Salvatore offered. “If we get done quicker, we’ll bring him right back.”

  “OK. But the sooner you come back, the better,” she said to all of them.

  Tony wrapped his muscular arms around her. Then he loosened his grip, leaned back, and rubbed the tiny bulge of her belly. “I’m gonna miss ya too, little baby.”

  “Good, then that means you’ll rush home faster because you’ll miss us so much.” Kate smiled whe
n she spoke, but there was an icy edge to her voice.

  “You got it. Till the end, Kate.”

  Kate always lit up when Tony said that to her. “Till the end,” she said.

  Kate looked at Salvatore and then Vincent. “You two owe me…big time.”

  Salvatore bent down and kissed Kate on the forehead. “Don’t be upset, Kate. We wouldn’t have come for Tony if it wasn’t important.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Salvatore’s face lit up with an insanely sexy smile. “You’re the best. I hope someday I find a woman just like you.”

  Kate blushed. “Thanks, Salvatore.”

  Salvatore nodded.

  “See ya later, Kate,” Vincent said, pushing Salvatore out of the way as he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  “OK, Vincent. The same goes for you. Take care of my husband, do whatever you have to do in New York, and get him back here fast.”

  Once in the car, Tony squirmed in his seat; he was feeling fidgety leaving Kate alone. He wanted to experience her entire pregnancy. “What’s so important in New York anyway?” he finally asked.

  “These six families can be the start of new business partnerships for our family. The three of us need to be there in case it’s a setup and any of them try to do something stupid to my father. It’s our job to protect him.”

  Kate had walked over to the kitchen window to watch as Tony and his friends drove off. As the car vanished from view, she asked God to bring Tony home safely.

  Chapter One Hundred Seven

  At the restaurant that night, Kate was still fighting bouts of nausea. She was relieved at midnight when the last customer was gone and she was finishing her shift. Just as Tony had instructed, Billy, one of the cooks at the restaurant, would walk Kate home.

  “Billy, I’m going to run the trash out, and then we can leave,” Kate said.

  “Sounds good. I’m gonna finish prepping for tomorra,” Billy said, looking up from the vegetables he was cutting. “Hey, ya feelin’ all right? Ya look a little green.”