“Well,” Luke explained, “my grandmother was Italian. The phrase is, ‘Passeggiata con l’amore del cielo.’ It means, ‘Walk with heaven’s love’.”
Luke held Anna, noticing her tears running faster down her face. Holding back with great effort her strong emotion, Anna says, “I love you so much Lucas. You have made me the happiest person. I don’t ever want to spend a day without you by my side.”
The next day, the couple crawled out of the large bed at around 10 a.m. and began packing their bags and heading out of the room. They took the elevator down to the first floor and through the wide marble floored foyer, making their way to the front desk. They patiently waited as the concierge completed his phone call.
Several minutes later, Luke and Anna heard the phone being placed on the desk. They heard the man behind the counter acknowledge their presence.
“How can I help you today?”
“We are just checking out.”
Luke handed the man his room key card and identification. He turned towards Anna when he heard the concierge ask, “Was your stay satisfactory?”
Luke and Anna began giggling as the attendant returns the credentials. A moment of silence rested between Luke and Anna before Luke finally acknowledged, “Let’s just say that… this is one trip we will never forget.”
The concierge smiled as the couple make their way out the front entrance.
Chapter 10
May had arrived and brought warmer weather and clearer skies. For the majority of Hattiesburg, MS, it meant the end of a term and the start of freedom. The energy around campus was vivid and addicting. Students studied for months to finally progress to the next level of their college careers.
Thus was true for Lucas Cardellini. He had received good marks from his professors all throughout the semester. He sensed a change in his behavior since transferring to USM. He took on every day with grace and pleasure. He enjoyed the life of college and the love of a woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
Anna had brought more joy to his life and increased motivation to be a better person in every way possible. He knew his change was radical and extreme and wouldn’t be existent if not for the way she loved him back. Every moment and every breath was another chance to live to a higher expectation. His bar was set and his goals were clear. All he had against him was time.
It was a warm and dark night. Luke and Anna were sound asleep in Luke’s bed when they were awakened by a gripping repetitive tone. Luke, startled and still adjusting to the pitch black that filled the room, noticed the screeching sound coming from the side of his bed. He crawled over to see his phone flashing.
Luke lifted the phone to realize it was Enzo calling him. Concerned, Luke quickly answered, “Hello?’
A brief silence emitted from the other side. Luke could hear as Enzo took in a deep breath and responded, “Luke, hey man. Sorry for calling so late. I really didn’t know who else to call. Eric is out of town with his parents, and I didn’t want to alarm my folks by calling this late. I just need someone to talk to right now.”
“It’s okay, man. What’s wrong?”
Luke could hear Enzo takes another deep breath before replying, “Heather and I… just, uh… just broke up. She said that it was because I wasn’t ‘emotionally there’ in the relationship. Fuck, dude… she even brought up the whole Valentine’s Day thing. I was like, ‘You said not to worry about it.’ I should have known that that was a test. I’m smarter than that, man - I’m way smarter than that. Now I’m just sitting in my living room, drinking a few beers and getting ready to crack open something a little stronger. It’s going to be a long night, my friend.”
Luke rushed to his bedroom door and turned the lights on. He dugs through his closet and found a pair of shorts and t-shirt. He changed from his night clothes and while holding his cellular phone between his shoulder and head, he told Enzo, “Just stay there, bud. I’ll be there shortly.”
Luke hung up the phone and gently threw it on the end of his bed. He changed and began walking out of the room as Anna lifted herself up and asked, “Where are you going?”
Luke turns around; with a determined look upon his face, he responds, “Enzo and Heather just broke up. The man is alone at his apartment and he is drunk and depressed. I’m going over there to talk with him.”
A confused and angry look came over Anna’s face. She threw the comforter off of her and said as she climbed out of the bed, “Okay, then, I guess I’m just going to go back to my house. If you are not going to be here, then there is no reason I should be.”
Anna walked towards her overnight bag placed under the single pane window and began pulling out clothing when Luke quickly walked to her side and said, “What? Why? I’m sorry, baby, but that is kind of shitty. I mean, he is my cousin and he needs someone to talk to. He was there for me when I was going through all of that with Marion and it’s not like I will be there the rest of the night. I’ll go there and talk with him. He is drunk, so it’s just a matter of time before he falls asleep. I’ll just stay with him until he passes out. I just want to make sure he is okay. It’s just tough going through that alone.”
Anna dug deeper in her bag making it evident that her frustration was climbing. She removed her keys from Luke’s desk. She grabbed her bag and walked towards the bedroom door and said as she passes Luke, “I admire your dedication to your family. But, the way I see this scenario playing out, I see you going there tonight, tomorrow night, the next night, and so forth. Enzo is a big boy and he can take care of himself. I don’t want our relationship becoming a casualty to his personal life.”
“But, it’s not!’ Luke exclaimed. ‘You are the one making it that way by leaving angry and making this scene. I mean, how am I supposed to take this? Am I just to allow you to leave and say, ‘Okay, babe, text me when you get home?’ This is bullshit, Anna, bullshit!”
Anna dropped her bag on the floor. She pulled her hair from in front of her face and said, “This scenario is fucked up and you know that. It’s a lose-lose situation for me and I don’t appreciate being dragged into it! The way I see it, you have two options. Either you stay and I stay or you go and I leave.”
Luke walked past Anna and sat on the edge of his bed. He placed his hands on the side of his face and began shaking his head. He looked up at Anna and stated, “You know that either way, I lose. You are making me choose between you and my family, and I don’t like the feeling. I would never ask you to make a decision like this and I honestly can’t believe that you are making me choose.”
Anna waited impatiently as Luke rubs his forehead and said, “I’m going to text Enzo and tell him that I will see him in the morning.”
Anna placed her keys back on the desk and her bag under the window before climbing into the bed. As she got comfortable under the sheets, she demanded, “Turn off the light. I’m sure you can manage to text him in the dark.”
It wasn’t until the following afternoon when Luke decided to call Enzo to see if he was progressing.
“Hey, Enzo, this is Luke. I just wanted to see if you were feeling any better.”
“Yeah,” Enzo replied, “I, uh, I got a bad headache but I’m feeling a little bit better. Maybe it’s because my body can’t feel anything at all.”
Luke laughed as he walked past the liberal arts building. He rested on one of the four iron benches outside the four story building. Feeling much better about Enzo’s status, he says,
“Well, look, man, you want to have lunch? I don’t work today and Anna is in class till two. I figure it could just be the two of us and you can get some stuff off your chest.”
Enzo accepted the invitation and agreed to meet Luke at a local favorite burger restaurant.
Twelve minutes later, Luke pulled into the loose gravel of the establishment and proceeds to walk into the building. He sees Enzo resting inside one of the many booths. Luke notices his cousin’s attention was focused on his cellular telephone, and instantly remembered when he was playing t
hat same scenario.
Luke sat across from Enzo and reached for a menu. While attempting to make small talk, Luke said, “I think I’m going to have a burger, maybe even with a slice or two of pepper jack and some jalapeños. I’m craving something spicy today. What are you having, bud?”
Enzo took another look at the menu. His face continued placid as he quickly directed his attention to his glass of cola and took a sip through the solid white straw. While staring blankly at the dual sided mini book of options, he answered, “I don’t know man - a beer and a shot of something really, really strong.”
Luke chuckled as the waitress arrived to take their order.
It wasn’t until Enzo got halfway through his chicken salad before he decided to break the silence.
“Why didn’t you come last night? I needed you, man. I needed you bad. It was probably the worst night of my life and I really wanted my cousin to talk to. I mean, fuck, dude, I was there for you, so why couldn’t you be a better person and be there for me?”
Knowing not to take offense to what his cousin was saying, Luke continued listening as Enzo vented. As his cousin bashed him and danced around the idea that he wasn’t a good friend, he began thinking more about the night before, how Anna’s selfish act put him in this current situation with Enzo. Feeling like he had made the wrong choice, Luke decided to speak.
“I know, man. Trust me, I know. I got up and got dressed and was leaving when Anna gave me shit about it. We had a little fight and I just got exhausted and decided to just fall asleep. Man, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you more upset with all of this.”
“No,” Enzo countered. “I know you, Luke. I think you chose Anna over me. I’m just letting you know that is a dangerous road you are heading down. If you put your complete trust into a woman, you will get burned, I promise. Open your eyes, Luke, open your eyes.”
Luke shook his head and finished his meal. He continued to sit with Enzo until they both were ready to leave.
That afternoon Luke entered his apartment, determined to set things straight with Anna. He had taken the rest of the afternoon to think more about the previous night and discovered that he made the wrong choice. Thinking of ways to let Anna know that he was still upset about her behavior, he decided to sit her down and talk it out once more.
Luke places his keys on the dining room table as he passes by. He descended the hallway and approached his closed bedroom door. The various sounds of musical instruments as they were broadcast through tiny speakers let Luke know that Anna was inside. He took a deep breath and turns the knob.
He walked in to see Anna sitting on the edge of the bed, her face covered in tears. Confused, he calmly sat next to her and said, “What’s wrong, baby girl?”
Anna looked up at Luke, wiping the tears from the peak of her chin. Her mouth quivering, she answered, “Mom called me. My grandpa died this morning.”
Luke took a moment and allowed Anna to continue her instinctual release. He pulled her close to him and softly asked, “How did it happen?”
“He, uh…’ Anna stumbled through, ‘it was a house fire. He fell asleep with a cigarette in his hand and it must have fallen and set the… set the room on fire. Mom wants to go to his wake this weekend in Memphis. But she can’t because Dad has to work some festival in Bay St. Louis and he doesn’t want me, Becca, or her to go alone.”
Luke thought for a moment and while holding back his eagerness said, “I’ll tell you what. I’ll call work now, and I’ll tell them that I won’t be there this weekend. When they ask why, I’ll tell them that I’m taking an emergency trip to Memphis. I’m sure when I explain, they won’t give me a guilt trip.”
Anna sat in silence watching Luke dial his phone. She heard him use a stern tone in telling them that he would not be coming to work on Saturday. She saw his facial expression change rapidly as he gave his reason why. With a cool breeze that shuttered down her spine, Anna made a call to her mother.
Two days later, Luke waited in his parking lot for Anna, Dana, and Becca to arrive to pick him up and take him to Memphis with them. Luke checked his bag once more to be sure that he has brought enough supplies. A suit hung on the end of his index finger. He spotted the old SUV pull into a spot next to his vehicle.
Luke lifted his overnight bag and walked towards the solid white vehicle. He threw his bag in the back seat next to Becca and continued to the driver’s side. Dana rolled the window down as Luke said, “Let me drive, Dana. I’m sure you have a lot on your mind.”
Dana looked at him and without speaking got out of the vehicle and sat in the seat opposite of Becca.
The group made their way through Jackson before Luke decided to break the silence that filled the vehicle.
“I’m sorry for your loss, guys. I know that that is cliché to say and all, but I know what it feels like to lose someone so close to you. I can only hope that you guys will allow me to be a crutch at this time. Anything you guys need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
The ladies nodded their heads.
The SUV remained silent once again until they reached the Tennessee state line. Luke looked out and observed the beautiful scenery as it poised next to the busy interstate road. With the urge to speak, but with the respect to remain quite, Luke once again spoke up.
“So… Dana, I thought you guys were from Oxford.”
“We are,” Anna interjected, ‘but Mom grew up in Memphis and moved to Mississippi when she went to school at ‘Ole Miss.’ Of course, that is where she met dad and had us and all.”
Luke looked to his left side as he attempted to pass a slow green car with a Tennessee tag that read “KNGLIVS.” He steered right after successfully passing them up. He directed his attention back to Anna and said, “You see? That is when you know you are getting closer to Memphis. People here live for music.”
They turned off of I-55, landing in an area next to the Mississippi River. The subdivision seemed to play as its own town. It settled across from the Arkansas state line and had a wonderful view. The area was complete with its own shopping area and parks for children. Every house was built with either Old Chicago or St. Louis style brick with a minimum of three steps that took them to a large open front porch.
Luke turned right from Island Drive to the area that was affectionately named Wolf River Lagoon. He followed Dana’s instructions as he navigated through the complex road curves that led to an old house covered in oak trees. The landscape was nothing short of perfect. The house was complete with a balcony that wrapped around the front and ended behind the cast iron barrier.
Luke placed the SUV in park and immediately got out for a better look. Struck with awe for the beautiful establishment, he turned to Anna and her family and exclaimed, “My goodness, this is beautiful!”
“Yeah,” Anna explained, “this was my grandpa’s house. He lived here since the late sixties. Isn’t it gorgeous?”
Luke took another look at the brick that formed under the wooden deck, realizing that it was a drunken style. Amazed, he directed his attention back to Anna and agreed, “This has got to be the most magnificent house I have ever seen. But wait,” Luke lowered his voice as he took a step closer to Anna, “I thought you said that your grandpa died in a house fire?”
“He did,’ Anna said with a much louder tone. “It was his girlfriend’s house. He and my grandmother had been having marital problems, so she gave him an ultimatum: ‘Get rid of the whore, or I’m gone for good.’ Let’s just say she got tired of waiting and moved out. I guess you can say karma was at work in burning down his girlfriend’s house.”
Luke agreed as he is handed the key to the front door. He unlocked it and allowed the women to walk in first. He entered and closed the door behind him. Continuing in his impression of the house, he was introduced to the home’s family room.
It was complete with matching dark brown leather couches that sat around an extremely large area rug. In the middle of the floral piece was a large coffee table. Luke peered around the r
oom as it connected to the dining nook with just a small piece of wooden barrier separating the two.
He continued walking until he arrived in the kitchen. Modernly set, with a hint of a country theme, the cooking area was complimented with the rich appeal of wine placed on racks with each cork visible to all guests. Underneath the built in microwave, was a gas stove that held four different size ceramic tops.
Anna took Luke’s hand and guided him up the stairs. She stopped at the first room to the left and said, “This was my grandpa’s room. Mom wanted me and Becca to sleep in here.” Anna continued walking past the study and to the next door on the right. “Here is where my mother will sleep. It was her room when she was a child. As you can see, my grandparents left it just as it was.” Finally, Anna led Luke to the last room at the end of the hallway and politely said, “This is your room. It has its own bathroom and a view of the neighborhood.”
Luke dropped his bag at the entrance to superb quarters. He took a look outside the window and could see as far as the Mississippi River. He looked back at Anna as she began to cry. He took her hand and pulled her body close to his. He embraced Anna for the better part of ten minutes before hearing Becca call for the two.
Anna and Luke descended down the spiral staircase and entered the family room. They saw Becca as she stood between the dining room and the kitchen. She looked at them and said, “Mom wants to know what you guys want for dinner. She said she will cook as long as it is something light.” Becca then symbolized a beverage in her hand and motions to drink, “Yeah, then she will cook it.”
Luke and Anna stood for a moment to consider easy options. Luke looked back at Becca and stated. “It doesn’t matter to me. If she wants, I can pick something up and cook it.”
“Well,’ Becca explained, “she says that she wants to cook because it will give her a chance to keep her mind off of things.”
Anna took the opportunity to speak up and make a suggestion. “How about some tacos? It’s easy and I saw most of the ingredients in the cupboards. I checked the meat and it’s still good. We will just have to do without lettuce and sour cream. Tell mother that that is what we want.”
Adaptation of the Chameleon Page 13
