Page 204 of Vita Mia

“Marietta, let’s get you out of here,” Sera said. The officials in the room all stood in silence. None of them objected or tried to detain her. Marietta was helped to stand while she balanced Lorenza in her arms. Her daughter became frightened when she was able to look around the room and see that Mirabella was gone.

“It’s okay baby girl. I promise this time. I promise. Mama has you now.”

Sera, under the armed escort of the Carabinieri led Marietta out of the back of the building to a waiting car. By the time she was seated with Lorenza in her lap her little girl was in full distress. Marietta did the best she could to calm her, but she was out of practice.

“Here,” Sera said and handed her the teddy bear. Marietta gave it to a crying Lorenza. Her girl kept sniffing but stared at the bear with curiosity. “This is yours. From Papa and mama.”

“Il mio?”Lorenza said and took the bear.

Marietta burst into laughter. “She talks!”

The doctor glanced over to her and the little girl. “She’s a sweet kid. I’m sure it’s all confusing for her right now. It will all be over soon, after tomorrow.”

“It’s over now,” Marietta sighed and kissed the top of Lorenza’s head. She dropped her own head back and closed her eyes. “I put everything before her before. My feelings, Lorenzo, everything came before my baby. Not anymore.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I will do what you asked, but after that I’m done with this life. I’m done with Italy. I’m done with the Battaglias. I don’t need revenge anymore. I just need to be free with my family. That’s all I ever really needed,” Marietta said.

The doctor nodded in agreement.

“Sounds like you’re getting better.”

“Not better, stronger,” Marietta agreed. “I’m ready. For the rest of it.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Testimony

Rome, Italy

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THE SECOND TO THE LASTday of the pre-trial proceedings brought forth people from all parts of his past. There were former business partners that claimed to have been forced out of the Campania due to Giovanni’s tyranny. And a few disgruntled employees brave enough to level claims at their former boss as being the head of the Camorra. Giovanni sat through the parade of liars and thieves unfazed. In Sun Tzu’s ‘art of war’, he said:The greatest victories are those won without fighting. Nothing presented by the prosecutors rose to the level of an indictment of guilt. No substantiating evidence was given other than an accusers word. Throughout his career as the Don of the Campania, he made sure that there would and could never be a paper trail. He’d grown up under the tutelage of men that always reminded him that either a bullet or this day would come.

Court had adjourned at dusk. He could see the remnants of the day fade away from the grated windows of the transport van that took him back to his jail quarters. He was once again escorted to his cell. Alone on his bunk, he stared up at the ceiling thinking of his wife. The aftershock of seeing her, hearing her voice, looking into her sad eyes felt like the worse hangover he’d ever had. And every day he suffered from the memory. He sat up. He couldn’t remain still. Not since he saw his baby girl take her first steps from behind the prison wall had he suffered such anxiety.

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