scoffed. “Parents take care of their children
when they are young and children take care of their parents when they are old.”
“Who you calling old?” Aldo chuckled. “Thanks sweetheart,”
and he disappeared through the back door and up the stairs.
*****
At eight forty-five, Ben exited the high-rise that housed
MEL Holdings and started the four block walk home. He was tired after a long
week and looked forward to a weekend at home…alone…doing nothing. Of course
Ben’s idea of doing nothing was working out at the gym, including swimming some
laps and then spending hours on his couch or at the dining table working with a
ball game on. Football, baseball, basketball…he wasn’t fussy. He’d order in
dinner on Saturday and eat the leftovers on Sunday, after church and dinner
with his parents and family. So doing nothing wasn’t really nothing at
all.
By the time he’d walked three blocks he was craving
something sweet; chocolate, ice cream, cookies. He didn’t care what, he just
needed some sugar. My blood sugar must be low , he thought grinning. That
was his father’s excuse every time him mother caught him with a treat. She’d
just frown, shake her head and mutter, “Blood sugar? Your blood sugar hasn’t
been low the entire time I’ve known you.”
Aldo’s market was still open so he opened the door and
headed straight for the snack aisle. Twinkies, Kit Kats, M & M’s stood
before him so he picked up all three before looking for ice cream. Vanilla ice
cream and a Kit Kat had been a childhood favorite that he’d never outgrown.
Instead of going for the quart container, Ben pulled the half gallon from the
freezer and headed for the cash register. He didn’t see Sophia until he’d
dumped his sugar binge on the counter.
“PMS?”
“Huh?” he asked.
“It looks like you’re shopping for someone with PMS,” she
explained.
“Huh?” he said again, obviously confused.
“Never mind,” she chuckled. “Twelve fifty-eight.”
Ben pulled his wallet from his rear trouser pocket and
looked around. “Where’s Alex?”
“Moping upstairs.”
“Why?”
“I made him take off the Yankee jersey to wash it,” she
laughed.
Ben laughed with her. “If he’s not here, I can use cash, and get to keep the change.”
“Huh?” It was her turn to look confused.
“Never mind,” he grinned.
Sophia bagged up his groceries in a white plastic sack but
before handing it to him said, “I want to thank you for taking Alex last week.
He had such a good time.”
“Oh, my pleasure. In fact, if he wants to go again I’d be
happy to take him.”
“Really?”
“For sure. Have him pick out a game, or two, and I’ll make
it work.”
Sophia smiled, a real smile that almost took Ben’s breath
away. “I’ll do that.”
Ben took the bag and left…quickly.
*****
Luca sat at the table and wrote his weekly letter to Ben.
School was starting the next day and he was happy to be going. At least that’s
what he wrote to Ben. The truth was he wasn’t really excited about the school
part. Well, that wasn’t entirely true either. He liked school, he just didn’t
like a couple of the boys that always seemed to find him on the playground or
in the bathroom. They hadn’t hurt him…yet. They just called him names and said
mean things about his mother. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t have a dad. He
tried to explain that he lived in America but they didn’t want to listen.
Sometimes he’d speak to them in English so they knew he was smarter than them
but that just made them madder.
One day when he’d come home and asked Maria what a whore
was, she’d dropped the glass she’d been holding and it smashed all over the
floor. She never did answer his question. Luca guessed it must be a bad word
that meant something not very nice so he didn’t ask her again.
He finished up his letter to Ben informing him that he did
indeed now have a passport and that his mom was hoping to have enough money to
bring
when they are young and children take care of their parents when they are old.”
“Who you calling old?” Aldo chuckled. “Thanks sweetheart,”
and he disappeared through the back door and up the stairs.
*****
At eight forty-five, Ben exited the high-rise that housed
MEL Holdings and started the four block walk home. He was tired after a long
week and looked forward to a weekend at home…alone…doing nothing. Of course
Ben’s idea of doing nothing was working out at the gym, including swimming some
laps and then spending hours on his couch or at the dining table working with a
ball game on. Football, baseball, basketball…he wasn’t fussy. He’d order in
dinner on Saturday and eat the leftovers on Sunday, after church and dinner
with his parents and family. So doing nothing wasn’t really nothing at
all.
By the time he’d walked three blocks he was craving
something sweet; chocolate, ice cream, cookies. He didn’t care what, he just
needed some sugar. My blood sugar must be low , he thought grinning. That
was his father’s excuse every time him mother caught him with a treat. She’d
just frown, shake her head and mutter, “Blood sugar? Your blood sugar hasn’t
been low the entire time I’ve known you.”
Aldo’s market was still open so he opened the door and
headed straight for the snack aisle. Twinkies, Kit Kats, M & M’s stood
before him so he picked up all three before looking for ice cream. Vanilla ice
cream and a Kit Kat had been a childhood favorite that he’d never outgrown.
Instead of going for the quart container, Ben pulled the half gallon from the
freezer and headed for the cash register. He didn’t see Sophia until he’d
dumped his sugar binge on the counter.
“PMS?”
“Huh?” he asked.
“It looks like you’re shopping for someone with PMS,” she
explained.
“Huh?” he said again, obviously confused.
“Never mind,” she chuckled. “Twelve fifty-eight.”
Ben pulled his wallet from his rear trouser pocket and
looked around. “Where’s Alex?”
“Moping upstairs.”
“Why?”
“I made him take off the Yankee jersey to wash it,” she
laughed.
Ben laughed with her. “If he’s not here, I can use cash, and get to keep the change.”
“Huh?” It was her turn to look confused.
“Never mind,” he grinned.
Sophia bagged up his groceries in a white plastic sack but
before handing it to him said, “I want to thank you for taking Alex last week.
He had such a good time.”
“Oh, my pleasure. In fact, if he wants to go again I’d be
happy to take him.”
“Really?”
“For sure. Have him pick out a game, or two, and I’ll make
it work.”
Sophia smiled, a real smile that almost took Ben’s breath
away. “I’ll do that.”
Ben took the bag and left…quickly.
*****
Luca sat at the table and wrote his weekly letter to Ben.
School was starting the next day and he was happy to be going. At least that’s
what he wrote to Ben. The truth was he wasn’t really excited about the school
part. Well, that wasn’t entirely true either. He liked school, he just didn’t
like a couple of the boys that always seemed to find him on the playground or
in the bathroom. They hadn’t hurt him…yet. They just called him names and said
mean things about his mother. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t have a dad. He
tried to explain that he lived in America but they didn’t want to listen.
Sometimes he’d speak to them in English so they knew he was smarter than them
but that just made them madder.
One day when he’d come home and asked Maria what a whore
was, she’d dropped the glass she’d been holding and it smashed all over the
floor. She never did answer his question. Luca guessed it must be a bad word
that meant something not very nice so he didn’t ask her again.
He finished up his letter to Ben informing him that he did
indeed now have a passport and that his mom was hoping to have enough money to
bring
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