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Little Jonny sat in the middle of the living room at the
Palmero family home, clumsily picking up and throwing his cushioned blocks. He
was growing up fast; in a couple more months he would start chattering small
words, standing and walking. He had big green eyes like his father and thick
dark hair like his mother. His constant smile belied the circumstances of his
life, but it was that smile that kept Sophia going each day.
“I just need to make another phone call, and then you can
go,” Catherine called out to Sophia from the kitchen.
“Mum, if you’re too busy, I can just skip work today.”
“Nonsense,” Catherine replied, coming into the living
room and stepping over Jonny like he was there every day, which he very nearly
was, “you can’t just not to go work. You have a very important job, and I’m
not about to let you lose it. Have you seen my address book anywhere?”
Sophia reached over and grabbed the address book off the
coffee table. “Here. Look, I’ve been thinking about putting him in a day
care centre, so he can hang out with other kids and stuff …”
“No, absolutely not! No grandson of mine is going to be
looked after by strangers. And do you know how much those places cost?”
“I can cover it, Mum, that’s no problem.”
“And they ring you the moment something goes wrong, so
you’re forever picking them up before you’re supposed to …”
“You ring me a dozen times a day too.”
“Yes well, I don’t want to overstep my bounds, that’s
why. You should be grateful. Your cousin Carmella has a terrible time with her
mother, she just takes over with little Chloe, and Carmella can’t get a word in
edgewise …”
“I know how she feels.”
“Oh stop it. Look, why don’t you get going? It’s nearly
nine o’clock. Jonny will be a good boy for me while I’m on the phone,
won’t you pumpkin? Yes you will …”
“Okay, I’m gone!” Sophia gave her smiling baby boy a
kiss on the top of the head and left him with her mother as she headed out the
door to work.
“Fifteen percent is the highest we’re willing to go.”
Sophia sat with her poker face on and her hands clasped in front of her at an
old wooden table in the rear office of a mechanic’s shop. Benny sat beside
her, and two members of the Belucci Family sat on the other side of the table.
“Twenty percent,” came the reply from one of the Belucci
men.
“Look,” Sophia said, her expression remaining the same,
“we appreciate the assistance your Family has given us with this project, but
we have overheads. As much as we’d like to, we can’t give you a cut of the
profits any bigger than fifteen percent. That’s our final offer, and that
comes straight from Palmero. I suggest you take it. It’s more than reasonable,
and more than the original deal.”
The two Belucci men conferred with each other quietly for a
moment, then looked back at her. “We’ll have to think about it,” said the
larger of the two.
“If you need to, but …” Sophia was interrupted by the
sound of her mobile phone. She looked down at it and saw the same number that
she had seen at least five times a day for the past six months. She looked up at
Benny, and he knew at once from her irritated expression that he would have to
take over the meeting for the next few minutes. “Excuse me, gentlemen,”
Sophia smiled and walked outside.
“He’s a little hot. I’ve taken his singlet off and
given him some water …”
“Is he crying?”
“Oh no, he’s still very cheery. He’s not liking this
heat though.”
“Look Mum,” Sophia lit a cigarette and tried to sound
like she wasn’t as put out as she actually was, “I was in the middle of an
important meeting. Remember what I said: if he’s in a good mood and still
playing happily then there can’t be anything seriously wrong with him.
That’s what the nurses said.”
“I know, dear. But I just thought you should know.”
“Okay, thank you. I’ll give you a call when I get out of
the meeting. If he starts getting grumpy or anything in the meantime, just call
the number of the clinic I left on the fridge.”
Sophia finished her cigarette and went back into the meeting,
expecting the worst for her rude behavior, but was greeted by the sight of
Benny shaking hands contentedly with the two men. As they went passed her to
leave, they both shook Sophia’s hand and thanked her.
“How on earth did you get them to agree to the fifteen?”
Sophia asked Benny as they walked to his car.
“I just reminded them that you were the one who wasted
Paolo Salvatore and that you weren’t to be taken lightly.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep,” Benny smiled at her from behind his sunglasses as
he slipped into the car.
“I don’t think that’s all you said.”
“Well no, but you don’t need to know the rest, except
that it worked.” Sophia gave him a glare. “It was just a little more along
those lines, that’s all. The last thing these guys want to have happen to them
is to get killed by a woman, so if I make you out to be a lunatic it’s all for
the best.”
Sophia laughed, then immediately called her mother. Once she
ascertained that the drama of a few moments ago was nothing more, she settled
back into her seat and let herself be lulled by the car’s motion.
“You look tired, kid,” Benny observed.
“Yeah, I am. I think Jonny’s got some teeth coming
through, so he’s not sleeping so well.”
“Maybe you should have taken today off.”
“I didn’t want to miss that meeting. Plus there’s
another load coming in this afternoon, I gotta be there for that,” she shot a
glance over at Benny, who said nothing, “Don’t give me any of that ‘a
mother’s place is at home’ garbage.”
“No, I wasn’t going to. No doubt at all that you make a
difference around here. Who knows how that meeting would have went if I didn’t
have you to back me up. It’s just …”
“Just what?” Sophia closed her eyes again and waited for
it.
“Don’t you worry something might happen to you? That
Jonny might be left alone?”
“Have you ever worried about that with your kids?”
“My kids have grown up now. But if anything did happen to
me, they would have still had their mother.”
“I see your point. I have thought about it a little, but I
generally try not to.”
Benny shook his head and smiled. “And I still can’t
believe that your mother has no idea you work with us. Those must be some
beautiful stories you tell her.”
“What can I say? I’m a master.”
“Yeah,” Benny agreed, then was quiet for a moment. “But
you’re not immortal.”
“No one is,” Sophia knew only too well, “no one
is.”
© Cynthia M. Piromalli
©2004 StoriesByEmail.com
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