Page 58 of La Dolce Vita

"And the pink woman... Shae?"

"Strawberry, not pink. She doesn't fucking like pink."

"Okay strawberry," Renaldo shrugged.

"We're done. It's fucking over," Carlo said. "No more strawberry pussy for me."

"C'mon, Carlo, she was more than pussy. Wasn't she?" Renaldo asked.

Carlo didn't answer.

Renaldo returned his gaze to the road. It seemed to him that out of all of them Carlo took the most hits. Yet he was still standing, and surviving. Renaldo respected him. Even if he'd witnessed some of the crazy darkness Carlo carried inside. Shae (the pink lady) was the first woman he saw him soften for.

"Speak to Lo?" Renaldo asked, shifting gears in the conversation.

"Not yet. Why?"

"I heard a rumor. Wondering if it's true."

"What rumor?" Carlo yawned.

"The word is, the boss plans to go public. He will tell everyone about the Donna and Marietta being Mancinis."

"Who told you this rumor?" Carlo asked.

"Umberto. He's up in Chianti now. Guess that's why we are summoned. The word is we go to war with the Mafiosi. Giovanni is expanding territory."

"It's fucking suicide. We don't have the men... the reach... fuck it, whatever, I don't give a fuck. Let's go to war. We have to die sometime." Carlo dropped his seat lower and closed his eyes. That meant the conversation was over. Renaldo found a radio station and settled into the drive. He missed Kyra. She was pregnant. His thoughts drifted to their last conversation. She cried on the phone over a burnt dinner and a broken dish. He knew his little hurricane was out of sorts with him gone. He needed her chaos in his life, and she needed his stability. They fit like a lock and a key. The phantom pain surfaced in his chest once more, and he grimaced. He saw a petrol station from the roadway and turned in.

Carlo sat up a bit and frowned. "I told you I don't want to eat!"

"Need to make a phone call," Renaldo said.

Carlo mumbled something and dropped back down. Renaldo didn't bother to ask what he said. He figured it wasn't meant for him. He dug in his pockets and found enough coins to use at the pay phone. He dropped them in and dialed home.

"Pronto?"a weary voice answered.

"Ciao, Madre,it's me," he said.

"Renaldo,aye!I was hoping you would call," his mother said.

"What's wrong?" he asked and felt his heart beat faster.

"Kyra... she's had a bad day. She's upstairs.Aye,the tears. She needs you to come home. When can you be here?" his mother asked.

"Can I speak to her?"

"I don't know... I just got her to rest."

"Let me speak to her.Per favore," Renaldo said.

He glanced to the road and the cars zipped by. He had no idea what Giovanni wanted or would expect of him. But he doubted it would afford him time to return home and take care of his wife.

"Hello?" came a soft voice.

"Mi manchi cara," Renaldo said softly.

Kyra began to cry for him. It destroyed him to hear her weep with such strain and sorrow.

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