Page 68 of La Dolce Vita

"Yes?" she answered.

"I do like your hair," he smiled.

She touched her bangs. He turned and walked away. Her heart was wrapped so tightly around her love for this man that she almost ran after him to reward him with kisses for the compliment. If anything were ever to happen to him, she wasn't sure if even the love for their children could keep her alive.Was that how his mother felt when the bullet in his father stole him away, and she died six months later?Instead of dwelling on her fears, and there were plenty, she decided to trust him. He knew what he was doing. She had to have faith. Mirabella turned and started back to the villa. She glanced back twice to see he had traveled further down the hill. She glanced at the clear blue sky after feeling the shadow of several birds circling, soaring. Vultures. Their wings were spread out wide as they soared and circled the Battaglia land under the sun.

Italy was beautiful no matter where they visited. But with beauty and serenity, death often followed.

***

Rosetta paced. She was so nervous she felt ill. Everything had to go as planned. If anyone discovered her scheme, she wasn't sure what the punishment would be. Francesca looked up from her sewing machine. Her cousin didn't ask many questions. But Rosetta caught her stares from time to time. She knew she was being watched, and by everyone.

"What time is Catalina supposed to arrive?" Rosetta checked her watch.

"Now. She must be on her way," Francesca said. She kept working at the sewing machine.

"What are you doing?" Rosetta asked.

"What does it look like?" Francesca mumbled.

"It looks like a dress, a pretty one," Rosetta forced a smile. She rubbed her hands down her sides and struggled with her words.

"Grazie,"Rosetta said.

Francesca glanced up once more from her work with a curious frown.

"For... giving me another chance to stay with you. I know you heard that I lied to Mama about living here. To uhm..."

"See Don Mancini?" Francesca spat as if the words tasted bad.

"I should have never gone to visit him. I just... I guess I was desperate, foolish."

Francesca stopped sewing. She stared at Rosetta for a brief pause and then shook her head. "You know what you are doing. You play innocent, but you know."

"I can explain," Rosetta said.

"Explain? To me? Why? You've already explained to the Donna, and she believes your lies. Why bother with me?"

"Whoa! Slow down. Lies? I confessed my sins, all of them," Rosetta said.

Francesca chuckled.

"I'm serious. I made a mistake. Can we move past it?"

"Confessed. A confession is just an admission of guilt; it doesn't mean you made a mistake. That's for the Donna to decide. And like I said, you convinced her."

"But I haven't convinced you?" Rosetta asked.

"That man is dangerous. He hates this family. You know the history between him and Gio. We live here under his thumb in Palermo. He only tolerates us. He makes my husband’s life miserable. He does whatever he can to flex his power against our family."

"Mirabella is his sister. The family has accepted it. Armando has accepted it. I hear that he helped save the Donna. All of us are changing since Gio married her," Rosetta reasoned.

"Listen to me, girl. Mirabella may be Mancini's daughter, but no one in Sicily outside of the family knows that. And when they do find out, no one in the Mafiosi will accept it. That is a fact. Stay away from Armando Mancini. You do better. Or suffer the consequences."

Rosetta nodded her obedience. She waited and waited with Francesca in silence until the phone rang. Rosetta checked the time on her watch. Francesca answered and spoke softly to her husband. She then ended the call.

"Something wrong?" Rosetta asked with mock concern.

Francesca looked a bit panicked. She fiddled with the material under the sewing machine and then shot up in her chair, putting both hands to her head. "That was Jabari. There was an accident down at the shipping docks. He needs me to come pick him up."

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