Cyprian the Fair

by C. L. Cattano

  Rafe reached down, took the drawing pad back, and tore another page out to add it to the flames. “Do you remember what we did to Brettito’s notebook,” she said softly as she watched the page burn.

  “Yes,” whispered Gabri. The page she was burning had a drawing on it that Rafe had done of several people. There was a dancing zingari girl and also Brettito, who looked so young but exactly how Gabri remembered him. He recognized a sketch of Eden, and there were other people he did not know. He thought they may be people from the museums or in the square where Rafe went to draw. “We burned it,” he said softly.

  “We burned it.” Rafe nodded then turned her haunted eyes toward Gabri. “If you found out I did something horrible, would you still be my friend?”

  “I will always be your friend, no matter what,” said Gabri. “I will always love you.”

  “I hope so,” she said as she let go of the paper so it could burn the rest of the way on its own.

  “What did you do? Did you do something to Eden?” he asked, worried about what had happened between them. “Is it why you’re burning drawings of her?”

  “No, I didn’t do anything to Eden,” she said and got the lighter out to refresh the flame on the paper.

  “What did she do to you?” he asked hating to see her this way. “I knew I should have stopped her from coming.”

  “It’s okay,” she said with a sigh. “Maybe it was good we talked.” She thought about their conversation for a moment. “Well, maybe I did do something to her.” Her eyes met Gabri’s again. “I betrayed her.”

  “No,” Gabri said and shook his head, hating she was repeating this. “Why are you saying this?”

  Rafe avoided his eyes shrugged. “I didn’t tell her,” she said as she tore out another page, “so don’t you think it’s true?”

  Gabri turned his face up toward the darkening sky then looked back at Rafe. He knew what she was talking about and it upset him. “You still believe you’re the betrayer because you didn’t tell her about,” he hesitated, “about the things that happened with your mother and Brettito and about being sick.”

  Rafe nodded and tore out another page to burn. “I am,” she whispered as the images on the paper blackened.

  “No,” said Gabri desperate to make her think differently. “No. I think you were just hopeful. You were hopeful you were well, and there was no need to worry her about anything.”

  “False hope.” Rafe chuckled at the absurdity of ever having hope in any form. “Hope I could outrun my past, but I can’t. There is not one person in my life I haven’t betrayed in some way, including you.”

  “Eroina, please,” Gabri begged. “Don’t think this way.”

  “Don’t worry, Gabri,” said Rafe as seeing the concern on his face. “I’m still here. I’m just saying what’s true.” She tore out another page and used the lighter to make a new flame.

  “You haven’t betrayed me, Eroina,” Gabri insisted. “Please, stop burning your work.”

  Rafe gave Gabri a sad smile. She knew he had always loved her and believed the best of her. He had followed her everywhere, even when he knew they would get in trouble if they were caught or there was a possibility of their adventures ending badly. She thought he was a much better friend to her than she was to him. She reached out and touched his face then put her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’m fine,” she said and gave him a small smile.

  “I’ll talk with Eden,” said Gabri wanting to help Rafe. “Nora says she should know everything so she understands what happened.”

  “I already told her most of it,” she said softly, “but it was too late. It probably doesn’t matter anymore.” She tore out another page and added it to the fire. “Everyone is telling her my secrets and other things about me. Letty is telling her things. Julia and Abby tell her things. I guess you can tell her too. I have no control over anything anymore.”

  “You have control,” said Gabri. “No matter what they tell her, only you can tell her if it’s the truth.”

  Rafe shook her head at Gabri sadly. “Maybe I don’t know what the truth is anymore. What else happened I can’t remember, or I remember wrong? I just need to be alone to think,” she said softly closing the drawing pad. She had burned all the pages she needed to burn.

  “Eden and the baby are still here,” said Gabri hoping the news would help her. “Do you want to come and spend time with them before they have to go?”

  “No,” said Rafe. “I’m going to take a walk and think.” She got up, opened the door to the cottage and set the drawing pad inside. After closing the door, she started toward the garden path then turned back. “I’ll help you put the house back together tomorrow,” she called giving a small wave as she continued toward the path.

  Gabri stood, and with concern and frustration, he watched Rafe walk away. He wanted to believe Rafe when she said she was okay, but sometimes, it was hard to tell if she really was or if she was just saying she was so he wouldn’t worry. All he could do was watch closely and do his best to get Rafe help to fight the demons she faced alone.

  25

  IN THE LARGE industrial kitchen, Eden Kingsley had done her best to open up to Nora and answer her questions while Bronte enjoyed her chocolate gelato. Nora could tell it was hard for Eden. At times, it seemed like she was asking for help, but Nora wasn’t sure exactly how much help they could actually be for her. They would not force Rafe to see Eden if she didn’t want to see her.

  As Gabri walked into the kitchen, Nora could see he was agitated. “Is Rafe okay?” she asked.

  Eden looked up at Gabri hoping that he had good news.

  “She says she is,” said Gabri clearly not believing it.

  “Is she coming to have gelato with us?” Eden asked hopefully.

  “No,” said Gabri and saw Eden’s disappointment.

  Gabri knew he would have to tell her about Rafaella. He did feel it was right she knew because of the baby. He also knew Rafaella’s reasons for not saying anything at all about her childhood were not the best, though he understood her.

  He would never know why Rafaella’s father chose not to tell Eden anything. Rafaella had been well for so long, maybe Ettore thought she was finally happy and would never have any more problems. But she has issues now, and Rafaella hadn’t told him that he couldn’t tell Eden what happened to her when she was young.

  Gabri sighed because Nora was right again. He decided he would have to do what Rafaella’s father did not do and tell Eden everything. Maybe then it would make her understand why she should go home and let Rafaella heal. “I need to talk to Eden,” he said firmly. He could see Nora understood what he was going to talk with her about.

  “I can watch Bronte,” said Nora and looked at Eden. “We’ll be fine down here for a while.”

  Eden looked at Gabri nervously and wondered if something was wrong. “Okay,” she said softly.

  “Come,” said Gabri. “We must go to my office.”

  26

  TRUDGING HEAVILY UP the stairs, Gabri De Angelis led Eden to his office. As they walked inside, he motioned for her to sit down. He made his way to the small bar where he made himself a drink, hoping it would help him get through what he had to relive. The memory of Rafe burning her drawings and talking about being the betrayer again was fresh in his mind and had him on edge. It was painful to see the face of Brettito burning as they discussed the burning of his notebook. It was also hard thinking about all the reasons behind what they had done. Rafe had been convinced it was evidence against her and was sure the police would come after her for Brettito’s death. Gabri couldn’t convince her they didn’t need to burn the notebook. So that night, they burned every page in the pizza oven behind Rafe’s house. Now Gabri had to think about it all again and talk about it because of this woman.

  “Would you like a drink?” he offered Eden.

  “No thank you,” she said nervously.

  He took his drink back to his desk and sat down. He took a sip of his drink w
hile looking at Eden in silence trying to figure out where to start. He sat his glass down then got up and started toward a cabinet.

  “I am going to tell you everything about what happened to Rafaella,” he said as he unlocked the cabinet.

  He took out a large file and some papers and then carried them to the desk. He took out a form from a drawer in his desk and filled it in then signed it and looked up at Eden.

  “This is a confidentiality agreement,” he said and handed Eden the form. “I want you to sign it before I give what could be sensitive information to you. I would like you to sign the agreement so I have assurances the information won’t be repeated. This means you will not repeat what I tell you, and you won’t talk to anyone about it except me and only when appropriate. You won’t even speak to Nora or Rafe about this.” He watched Eden look over the form. “If you put your name next to mine, then sign at the bottom, everything will be in order.”

  Eden looked up at Gabri for a moment then back at the form. Gabri was taking all this very seriously, and it was unnerving. “I don’t understand why we need this,” she said softly.

  “As I said, it is for our confidentiality of this conversation,” said Gabri and handed her a pen.

  Eden took the pen nervously. “Okay,” she said softly and began to read the agreement.

  Gabri watched her look over the form. “You may not know this, but Rafaella and I sometimes call you the golden mother,” his mouth twitched into a small smile. “It is a compliment to you and how much she loved you.”

  “I love her too, Gabri,” said Eden nervously noting the past tense in his comment. “I love her with all my heart.”

  “Good.” Gabri nodded wondering if she was truthful or if she was saying what she thought he wanted to hear. “Because of Bronte, and so you will understand why I’m so protective, I’ve decided you will now know things even Rafaella doesn’t know.”

  Eden just stared, not understanding what was happening. “What things?” she asked softly.

  “You will not discuss those things listed in the confidentiality agreement with Rafaella or anyone other than me,” he repeated to reinforce his words. “Rafaella is better off not knowing,” Gabri said sternly. “Knowing will cause her more pain and affect her health. Do you understand and agree for Rafaella’s sake? You won’t cause her pain or threaten her health by telling her some of the things I will tell you? Will you sign and agree?”

  “I don’t want to cause her pain or hurt her,” said Eden not knowing what else to say and knowing she was making another promise that may tie her hands. “I won’t tell anything for Rafe’s sake. I promise. I’ll sign the agreement.” She took the pen given to her and filled in her name then signed the document and handed it back to Gabri.

  27

  TAKING THE FORM from Eden’s hand, Gabri De Angelis looked it over and nodded. He put it into the large file on his desk and prepared himself to relive some of the most terrible times in his and Rafe’s life. With what was published about Rafe in the American papers, and how it affected Rafe, Gabri felt much better having the agreement in place. If Eden repeated anything he told her about Rafe’s childhood or medical history, then he would be able to take her to court and separate her entirely from Rafe if necessary.

  “I will tell you about Rafaella and all the things she knows as well as things she does not know. This is an act of trust, and I hope you are worthy of my trust.” He paused and regarded Eden for a moment, hoping he was doing the right thing.

  “Everything started when Rafaella was very young,” Gabri began. “You know Rafaella’s mother died when she was twelve,” he asked, and Eden nodded. “Well,” he hesitated, “Rafaella was on the back of the bicycle when it was struck. She was not hurt badly,” he quickly assured her. “Physically, she had a mild head injury, bruises, and scrapes. She was on the back and was thrown into people on the sidewalk but ended up in the street. She, to this day, thinks she rode her own bicycle to school that day, and she has no real memory of what really happened.”

  Gabri waited a moment to allow Eden to take in his words. “Rafaella was talking to her mother in the street as she died. When help came, she had to be dragged away from her mother by three teachers. No one really knows what her mother told her. Rafaella has a false memory of her mother taking her to the door of the school. They never made it there. The doctor said it was a coping mechanism her mind did for her. It was her true injury. Has she told you about going to the hospital and meeting her father?”

  Eden wasn’t sure if she should tell him she knew or not because it was another secret she was supposed to keep. “What happened?” she asked, deciding to play it safe, thinking he may be testing her.

  Gabri sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair. “Rafaella tells a story about how she hugged her father in the hospital,” said Gabri working to control his emotions. “The man she hugged was not her father. She ran out of the exam room, and the doctor thought she had seen a vision. She hugged an old man who was in the hospital crying over his dead wife, but not over her mother. The nurse realized Rafe was in a trance and thought the old man was her father. When she told the old man why Rafe was hugging him and begging to see her mother, he cried harder for the tears she shed. He is the one who told Rafe her mother was dead, and the old man told her his wife was dead too.”

  Gabri paused as the memory of Ettore telling him what happened ran through his mind. “Rafaella’s father came, and he pulled her away from the man as gently as he could,” he said softly. “Ettore Salvaggio was a great man.” He wiped a tear from his eye and continued. “He paid for the old man’s wife’s headstone, and her flowers, for taking care of Rafaella. You see, what you called ‘emotional blackouts’ have happened to her before.”

  Gabri paused a moment remembering the past and all the things Rafe did after her mother died. “Rafaella ran away several times,” he continued, “but she only remembers doing it one time. It seemed like Ettore had all of Florence on the lookout for her. Everyone we knew made sure to make a note when they saw her. See, we handle these matters differently here. When she ran away, and she knocked on a familiar door, she was welcomed in and kept, until either her father or her au pair or a friend could get her home. She slowly got better, and her mind came back to us with the help of her doctor, but she still has gaps and false memory, so we don’t talk about it in front of her.”

  Eden was stunned at what she was hearing. “If she never talks about it, how can she resolve her problems and fears?”

  Gabri nodded at the question. “As long as her memory is not challenged, everything is fine. If it is challenged, well, those were the times when she had problems,” Gabri revealed. “The doctor said there is no harm with letting her mind protect her until the memory comes back naturally. Then she can get help with it again. She has always accepted the story she tells, and it has not changed even today. I have talked to her about it since she has come home,” said Gabri with a sigh. “Her memory is very broken about things that happened back then, and she doesn’t like to talk about it. She remembers some things right, and other things not at all. But even with all she’s been through, she is one of the most intelligent and loving people you will ever know. I’m sure you will agree with me.”

  Eden nodded and wiped away a tear for Rafe. “Yes, she is brilliant and loving.” She was still trying to take in everything Gabri was telling her. The things Rafe went through it seemed were much more severe than she knew. She could not imagine coping with such a significant loss and actually being in the accident and watching her mother die at twelve.

  “Did she tell you about Brettito, our friend?” Gabri asked breaking the silence.

  “No,” said Eden softly, “but Letty told me what she heard Rafe’s father tell her parents. She said Rafe fell into the street and into his blood and was covered in it. She said he told them Rafe was inconsolable for a long time.”

  Gabri leaned back in his chair and sighed. He took a moment to collect himself because it wa
s still hard even for him sometimes to think about what had happened. “Rafaella tells the story fine until she comes to what happened to Brettito. We were all enthralled with the zingari and wanted to learn their magic. It was a game, and Brettito wanted to win and impress Rafaella because we were in love with her.” He smiled sadly. “So he made friends with the zingari boys.

  “One day, we skipped school to go to a festival and, the way Rafaella tells it, she and I were looking for Brettito and heard four gunshots. We ran and saw Brettito taken away in an ambulance, and she realized she was standing in his blood, and she lost control and was inconsolable. It’s the story we all tell, but it’s not the truth.”

  Gabri wiped his hand over his face sadly, took a breath, then continued. “What actually happened was we were looking for Brettito, and we caught him near a shop, a tabacchi. He was talking to some zingari boys. We called him over to tell him not to run with the zingari boys, to stay with us. As we stood there talking to him, some zingari boys rushed toward us in a group, as they do, and someone shouted out an alarm. It was from one of the jewelry stores, and the guards shot at the zingari. You have to understand, the jewelry stores were well guarded. Some were even owned by the Mafia. The other things you have to understand is the guards had machine guns, and there were not just four shots. There were close to maybe four hundred or even more it seemed because four guards were shooting into and around the crowd. It was like we were in a war with the loud machine guns and people screaming.”

  Gabri closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head at the memory. “The group of boys ran between us. I was still close to the shop and jumped inside. It seemed everything slowed and took so long to stop, but really, it was seconds. Rafaella and Brettito were on the street, and Brettito,” Gabri hesitated, “he stepped in front of Rafaella. He was hit six times and,” Gabri said huskily feeling the pain of losing his friend. “Several bullets ripped all the way through him. Rafaella was only grazed because Brettito’s body flew back into her and knocked her to the ground saving her. But she was petite, and Brettito had grown faster than both of us, so when he fell on her, he broke her arm. When she was forced to the ground, she hit her head on the street was knocked unconscious for a time.”