Page 85 of Vita Mia

“Lola can sing because she has our real great grandmother’s soul.” MiaBella continued. “I hope you talk about that Ryder. The fact that we are family, a good family. I don’t Google my name because of all of the lies.”

“Wait a sec. You have two great grandmothers’? One is fake and one is real?”

“They were twins. Like my mother and her sister. But the legend says—“

“Legend?” Ryder laughed.

“It’s true, don’t laugh. It’s a story Eve told me. Like a legend. I should tell it to you. I don’t think mum will.”

“Tell me,” he said.

“Well, see, my fake grandmother was the good twin. And she married a minister. My real grandmother was the bad ass twin who used to drink, smoke, cuss out white people in racist America, and sing blues with a gun in her purse. This was years ago when things weren’t like they are in America now. Any ways, the legend says that the evil twin seduced the preacher husband of the good twin and had a child. But she felt so guilty she gave the child to the good twin to raise. Who is my grandmother, Lisa. I’m named after her but my parents spelled the name wrong,” MiaBella chuckled. “Eve is named after my father’s mother, so my mum is the good twin and Lola’s mum is the bad twin. And they don’t like each other. It’s because of the legend. A curse on them, I think,” MiaBella said. “My Papa used to worry that the curse would be on his sons. The curse of Romulus and Remus. That’s what Eve said.”

“That’s a helluva story. Do you think it’s all real?” he asked.

MiaBella shrugged. “I can’t tell with my family. There are so many stories. I don’t know what’s real. Mum is telling the story of her sister the bad twin to you now. I just hope she doesn’t say anything to offend Lola. Lola thinks my mother doesn’t like her.”

“Why would she think that?” Ryder asked.

“Her mother doesn’t like me. Her mother doesn’t like any of us, and she says bad things to Lola about us. So, Lola had to learn about us from documentaries and the internet. She found me on her own, on Facebook. My brothers were shocked when I told them we were like pen-pals. And when I went to school in New York she came to visit. I remember the first time I saw her. It was like meeting my other self. We became best friends like that!” MiaBella snapped her fingers. MiaBella sat silent for a minute. “The next time she visited she brought Jewel with her. Another cousin of mine I never met. Then it was the three of us.”

“Interesting,” Ryder said.

“Eve came to New York to check on me. My brothers always had someone to watch over me. They really were concerned about me taking up a boyfriend or being at parties that I could be taken advantage of. But they never visited. Eve did. And when I introduced her to Lola and Jewel she was angry.”

“Why?”

“She sat me down and told me that we were to never be friends. She couldn’t believe that we found each other on our own. And she was terrified at what our parents would think. She called Gino. I cried all night. I didn’t have friends, and to have Jewel and Lola were like everything to me. Gino came to see me. I cried and pleaded for him not to send me to Europe to school to be closer to Eve. I begged him and pleaded. But I didn’t have too.” MiaBella smiled. “Gino fixed it. I don’t know how he did but he made it so we could be friends and he could protect all three of us. Gianni told me that he went to Texas on his own and met with Uncle Lorenzo and Uncle Carlo. What he said, what they agreed too, I don’t know.”

“Protect you from what?”

She shrugged. “You know who my family is. There are still people that don’t like us. Like your aunt.”

Ryder’s eyes stretched. “She has a different history with your family. She grew up when your father was Don of the Campania.”

“I understand. My family is private and no matter what our issues are they want to stay that way. That’s how Gianni was able to help Lola with her singing career. Gianni and Lola are really close. Jewel has a secret crush on Gino, but he doesn’t notice her. We’re just a mixed up bunch.”

“Your mother said others were coming.”

“After the interview, my mother wants a meeting with all the kids. There are a bunch of us. Gino is still trying to arrange it. Lola mother won’t let her and Rocco come. Armando is supposed to bring his baby sister and brother. If Lola doesn’t come then I know Shae won’t. So I doubt anyone shows up.”

“Lola wants to come? Right? She has never met your mother?”

“You heard the story. My mother has met Lola, when she was a baby. My mother doesn’t talk a lot about the past Ryder. This is the most I’ve ever heard her speak on it.”

“What about your sister Eve? Doesn’t she know the past?” Ryder asked.

“She does, but she only talks to mum. Eve is very protective of family secrets, it’s just her way.”

“I read about your father’s trial.”

Mia gave an exasperated sigh. “Do we have to talk about his trial now?”

“I’m curious about his time in prison. There was documentation that alleged he was tortured. He had to be moved to Rome.”

“Tortured? It said that?” MiaBella asked.

“Yes. And the Warden went missing soon after he was moved. You didn’t know?”

---