by Sienna Mynx
He stood and she went into his arms. He hugged her. He squeezed her to him. He whispered to her the things that Abedi taught him about freeing himself from demons. The lessons he learned too late. Arielle cried, but soon let go her grip on him. He was taking a risk letting her know that he lived. She knew he took this risk for her. That somehow he believed he owed Adara this debt. He would not abandon Arielle without giving her the same freedom that Giovanni had given him.
“Will I ever see you again?” she asked.
“No.” He kissed her cheek. She walked him to the door.
“You’re fooling yourself, Carlo if you think you can change. Be a different man in America. We are Camorra. Not even the ocean can divide us. I will see you again.”
He winked and pulled on his cap and raised his collar to shield his identity as he dashed out of the door into the rain and a waiting car. In the end she was left as she always was. Alone.
CARLO GOT INSIDE THE car and slammed the door. Rolando looked at him concerned. “Where do we go now, Boss?”
“To Rome. Domi has someone waiting for me there. We’ll go to Istanbul first, and then make our way to Spain.”
Rolando nodded. The kid pulled away from Arielle’s house. Carlo looked into his rearview mirror to see her watching. She was tough and she was loyal. She would protect his secret, but he knew that this probably would not be the last he saw of her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
The Sacrifice
Six Months Later — Verona, November 1995
“ Signora Battaglia, benevenuto , please we have been waiting.”
Mirabella nodded her greeting to the gentlemen in the room. She and Catalina were given a seat at the table. It all felt very clinical and formal. It was nothing even close to that for her. This meeting had been on her heart and mind for months.
“How was your trip?”
“Bene, grazie ,” she said.
Catalina reached under the table and touched Mirabella’s hand. She gave it a reassuring squeeze. When she glanced to her sister in-law she felt her support recharge her. She could do this. She had to do this. For the sake of Lorenza she would not be turned away.
“How is she?” Catalina asked.
“Let’s begin,” the man at the center of the five gathered cut in on the pleasantries. “I’m Dr. Luigi Galvani, I’m the Sovrintendente here at Our Lady Blessington and this is my team. Your sister arrived here four months ago suffering from depression.”
“But she wasn’t supposed to be brought here. We left her in the care of St. Christopher’s Families Health facility. And then suddenly she disappeared. We’ve been looking for her. Why was she moved, and why weren’t we informed?”
“We will get to that. As I was stating her depression worsened after a staff member mentioned her husband in conversation. Her reaction, the accusations, and violence toward the staff required that she and her child be monitored very closely.”
“Lorenza? Was she hurt?”
“No, but we had our concerns. Your sister doesn’t allow anyone near the child in her presence. She prefers solitude. The girl doesn’t interact with the other children without her watchful presence.”
“So there are children here?” Mirabella asked.
“We deal with many family issues that overwhelm St. Christopher’s, but we focus on mental health here.”
“She wasn’t supposed to be at St. Christopher’s two months or this long. You moved her without my permission. She’s my sister. I’m here today to have her released. I know you’ve heard from my attorneys. She’s going to America and—”
“I’m afraid she will not be released to you, Signora Battaglia .”
Mirabella frowned. “What is going on here?”
“We have gone to the repubblica and taken guardianship over your sister.”
“What!” Catalina exclaimed.
“Why did you do that? My husband arranged for her to get some rest and to reconnect with her daughter. St. Christopher was never a long term plan for her. I’m here to demand my sister be turned over to me!”
The Superintendent opened a folder and removed a signed document. He pushed it over to Mirabella. Catalina scooted in closer to read the document as well.
“Three weeks after she arrived from St. Christopher she entered group therapy. Your husband indicated she dealt with grief over the loss of a loved one. And some delusions.”
“Delusions?” Catalina repeated.
“In therapy she told a wild story of kidnappings to Africa, living in a house made of lemons, and swimming with sharks in Greece. Her delusions got darker. She talked of death, the mafia burning her husband on a boat after shooting up his body. The diagnosis from her doctor is here. We became even more concern after she arrived and then tried to escape with Lorenza. So we put her on medication. She hasn’t responded well. She’s gone from catatonic to full on hysterical. She thinks she is communication with your mother. She talks to her often. We’ve now had to separate her from the child as the only way to gain control of her mental stability and calm her. But she is very violent.”
The doctor removed another document and slid it over.
“Last week she stabbed a nurse in the eye with a plastic fork she’d sharpened. And the week before she threw her hot coffee into the face of a director here at the facility. He suffered second degree burns. I have to share with you that things have gone beyond our control.”
Mirabella looked over at Catalina. They were both horrified by the news. With Eve’s recovery and the drama in the family occurring right at the time of Marietta’s disappearance from St. Christopher she had not fought hard to find her. She’d driven Marietta mad. Just as her grand-aunt had gone mad.
“We paid St. Christopher to take care of her. You’ve made it worse.”
“Please read the prognosis. She has rage issues and she suffers from PTSD. We are unable to discern what is truth over what is not.” The doctor narrowed his eyes on Mirabella. “Let me be clear, Signora Battaglia . This is Verona, not Napoli. We don’t care about your husband’s criminal ties. We care about patients. That is why we did not contact you. We know that this trauma started with the Battaglias.”
“Release her to me,” Mirabella demanded.
“I will not do that.”
“You have no choice!” Catalina said.
“I do, your husband signed her care over to St. Christopher and they have signed her care over to me. So we’ve made a decision. A medical one. You can take the child, but Marietta Battaglia will be sent to Maddalena .”
Catalina gasped. “You can’t do that.”
“What is Maddalena ?” Mirabella asked.
“A mental institution in Naples. A big one, it’s for the really insane. She can’t go there, Mirabella. It’ll kill what left of her.”
“I’m not committing my sister doctor.”
“There will be a hearing if you contest. And we will share with the authorities all of the stories that your sister has shared with us. You can stand in front of the repubblica and explain fact from fiction, but the transfer is final.”
“How much?” Catalina asked. “Don’t pretend this place runs on good intention. How much to release her to us?”
“This meeting is over, ladies.” The doctor said with disgust.
“Wait! Please. A lot has happened to my family. We have been struggling to deal with extreme loss and like you said, trauma. It’s the only reason why I lost contact with my sister. I need to see her. Can I have that much?”
The doctor stared at her, and then Catalina.
“I think it would be good for you to see for yourself what has become of her. Maybe you will realize how deeply troubled she is, and work with us to get her adequate help. Dr. Brassavola will take you to the child while Dr. Stampi will arrange for you to see your sister.”
“When will she be moved to Naples?”
“We will move her at the end of the week.”
Catalina spoke through clenched teeth. “You�
�re not going to get away with this! I know what this is? My brother will—”
“That’s enough, Catalina. Thank you gentlemen.” Mirabella stood. She and Catalina were escorted out into a hall. Though they both wanted to speak, neither dared do so. Together they went downstairs to a hall that was filled with children’s laughter. The last time Mirabella saw Lorenza she was three months old. She would be nearly ten months old now.
A woman greeted them. They were introduced. And then taken to another room where they had Lorenza waiting. Mirabella and Catalina could not believe her beauty when they first saw her. Lorenza was walking. She waddled over to a toy chest holding her doll. She had jet-black curly hair that reached past her shoulders and skin the same tone of mocha brown that Eve had at her age. She retrieved something from the chest and then turned and looked up at them. Mirabella smiled. She was certain that Catalina did as well. Lorenza walked over to her play area with her doll under one arm and a ball in her hand.
“Oh my God, she’s so beautiful,” Catalina whispered.
“We will have her things brought down to you,” the woman advised and left. Dr. Brassavola remained. Catalina walked over to Lorenza and got down on her knees. The little girl stepped back and observed Catalina curiously. After a moment she handed Catalina her doll. When Catalina accepted it Lorenza put her pacifier that was pinned to her dress back in her mouth and began to focus on the ball. It was all Mirabella could stand. Tears slipped down her cheeks. Lorenza looked up at her curiously. They were strangers.
“I’m your Zia Catalina. Can I hold you?” she asked.
Lorenza didn’t respond. Catalina picked her up and brought her close. She kissed Lorenza on the brow. “You are so sweet, such a beautiful little girl. I see mama and papa in you. Do you know that? You have them both.”
Lorenza pushed Catalina’s face away and wiggled to be free. She didn’t appear to like to be held. The baby girl picked up and threw her ball. It rolled over to Mirabella who picked it up. She stooped and held it out to Lorenza. Her niece looked at her and the ball. Mirabella tried to encourage her to come to her to play. Lorenza blinked twice and then turned and went back to the toy chest instead. The rejection felt like another nail in her heart.
“Signora Battaglia . She is ready,” Dr. Stampi said.
Catalina approached Mirabella who struggled with collecting herself and wiping her tears. She handed her the bag they brought with them. “Go. I’ll take care of Lorenza.”
“Shouldn’t I take her with me?” Mirabella looked to Lorenza. The little girl had now started to climb in the toy chest. She laughed through her heartache.
“Let’s not scare her, she doesn’t need to see Marietta if she’s upset. We’ll wait here.”
“Okay, I’ll send for you if Marietta is up to it.”
The doctor gave her a patient nod to follow. Mirabella left Catalina and Lorenza behind.
OUR LADY BLESSINGTON was not a mental institution. It dealt with health and wellness for mothers and children displaced because of trauma. When Mirabella first came up with her plan to save her sister, she proposed St. Christopher as the place Marietta and Lorenza could heal before transitioning them out of their life. It was supposed to be temporary. Then the tragedy with Eve and the fire nearly destroyed her and Giovanni. In the mix of it all Marietta was left forgotten.
Mirabella had no idea what state she would find her sister in. The resident hall she was taken to didn’t have women strapped in suicide chairs and strait jackets. Everyone moved freely and seemed to be pleasant. To keep her nervousness down, Mirabella heaved her bag on her shoulder and fiddled with her hands as she followed the doctor down another corridor before she arrived in a room that had to be her sister’s.
“She’s here. There,” the doctor said. He pointed to a closed door. “It’s the room she shared with her daughter. She spends most of her time there now. I’ve met with her. She’s expecting you.”
Mirabella accepted the explanation and braced herself for the confrontation of her life as she approached the closed door. She opened it slowly. Marietta was inside seated in a chair by the bed. And she didn’t look as Mirabella expected. She’d brushed her curly locs into a smooth ponytail. Though she wore no makeup her face was youthful, blemish free. She looked younger and healthier than she was when Mirabella last saw her. Marietta wore a plain yellow dress and white sweater. She was indeed waiting.
“Hi,” Mirabella said. She put the bag on the bed.
Marietta didn’t speak.
Mirabella was so nervous she struggled with saying anything more. Marietta was unwilling to make the situation or her sister comfortable. She glared openly.
In the bag Mirabella bought a photo album. She removed it. On the front of it she had quilted the cover with mementoes from Lorenza’s first few months with them. Inside were the daily photos she took of her during their separation. She handed it to Marietta. Her sister accepted the album and opened the book. She turned each photo page slowly after staring at the image of he daughter.
“I saw her. She’s gotten so big. And she’s gorgeous. When did she start walking? She’s only ten months.”
“She looks like her father,” Marietta quipped.
Mirabella pressed her lips together to keep from offering an excuse. They were past apologies.
Marietta glanced up at her and then lowered her gaze back to the images. “Why did you do this? Take these pictures?”
“The moment I had her with me I knew she only wanted to be with you. I didn’t want you to miss those months. I wanted to preserve her for you.”
“Because you felt guilty?”
“Because I love you, and Lorenza,” Mirabella said.
“Just not Lorenzo?” Marietta asked and tossed the photo album aside. “Right?”
“What do you want me to say?” Mirabella sighed. “You were there for all of it. We’ve had this discussion.”
“Nothing. I don’t want an apology tour through all the things that you didn’t do to save my husband’s life.”
“The doctors told me you tried to hurt yourself—”
“Bullshit! Bullshit! I did not!” Marietta stood. “I tried to hurt them.” She pointed at the door. And they took my baby from me. Now they justify it by saying I’m insane. I’m very sane Mira. And I got a story to tell.”
“Are you threatening me?”
Marietta crossed her arms. “No. I’m not stupid. I could never threaten the Donna Nera of la Camorra. Never,” she said with a mocking smile. “I’m just telling you facts. I have nothing to lose now. Not anymore.”
“I’m going to get you out of here.”
Marietta scoffed. “No you’re not. You came to take my baby. Right?”
“I—”
“I called you. I called you several times. But your King wouldn’t let me speak to you.”
“I didn’t know.”
“If you had been woman enough to return my call I would have told you to come sooner to take her.”
“You want me to have Lorenza?”
“Lola. She answers to Lola. And yes. I want you to have her. I don’t want my fucking daughter locked up in some looney bin with me. Why would I want that?”
“She’s your baby and this was temporary.”
Marietta tossed a bitter laugh.
Mirabella tried a different approach. “They are sending you to Maddalena . It’s an insane asylum. We can’t let that happen to you or Lorenza. I am going to work with Gio to get you released and we intend to send you back to America. It... it was what Lorenzo wanted.”
Marietta laughed. She laughed until she teared. “You aren’t sending me any damn where. I don’t belong to you. And you sure as hell can’t tell me what to do anymore.”
“Do you understand what I’m saying? They think you are crazy. They are taking you away from us to lock you up in some place where we can’t help you.”
“No. No. No. No. They are taking me away from you. Giovanni can’t control me in Maddalena . I’m e
scaping. And when I’m free, I’m taking back what you took from me.”
“You know these people don’t want to help you.”
Marietta shrugged. “I will never trust you again. Ever. I wanted to see you to your face when I tell you that I will give her up, for now. I wanted to see your face when I tell you that I will go into hell for now. Because I will pay any price to get my revenge against you,” she said in a sweet, almost soft whisper. “Any price.”
“So this is all an act? You putting Lorenza through this as an act?”
“I love my baby!”
“She needs you now. If you let them commit you to an insane asylum in this country, you will lose your sanity. Do you understand? This is not the way. We can get you out of here and back in America. Help you start over.”
“I don’t trust you to help me! And even if I did it’s too late!” Marietta shouted at her. She clenched her fists. “You destroyed my life. All of it. You think that photo album makes up for it? You think I will ever forget what you did to him? You are dead to me. You are not my sister. Do you understand? Dead!”
“Then why give Lorenza to me?”
Marietta smirked. She crossed her arms to the front of her and gave nothing but a smug look of satisfaction. Mirabella shook her head in sadness. Maybe the doctors were right and she had gone insane. She glanced over to the bag she left and then to Marietta. “I brought it all. I brought mama’s journal and record. Read it. See what her sacrifice really looks like. And maybe you’ll understand.”
“You hear that mama?” Marietta said to no one in the room. “She’s trying to manipulate me through you. What? Oh, don’t worry mama, she doesn’t fool me. Not one bit.”
“Who are you talking too?”
“Get out! Take Lola to your palace and stay the fuck away from me!”
“I did what I could for you. I will still try.”
“Fuck you and your lies,” Marietta said and sat back down.
“What do I tell your daughter?”
“Tell her you killed her father and destroyed her mother. Tell her the truth.”