[GIOSEFFO]
I heard stories from other people. When we were born, something bad happened that led to our separation from Mommy. We, siblings, ended up with Dad, and Mommy suddenly disappeared. There were also times when Dad took care of us, but it was very rare. You could count on one hand how many times we were with him because he was always too busy.
We met Aleeza, the daughter of Dad’s friend. She quickly became easy to get along with. When we weren’t at Aleeza’s house, we stayed with our aunt and uncle, perhaps to be with other cousins. This was the setup whenever Dad went out.
Gianna rarely talked to anyone and often just sat quietly in a corner. When this happened, I made an effort to set aside my own enjoyment to keep her company.
“Gio! Let’s go to the playroom,” Raffaele once said when we’re at his house, looking at Gianna and waiting to see if she’d join our cousins, but she remained silent. I shrugged to our cousins, indicating that I didn’t plan to play.
“You don’t want to play, Gia?” I asked my sister.
“I don’t like attaching myself to anyone,” she replied.
“But they are family-”
“Mommy is family too, but she isn’t here. I don’t want to feel attached to them, knowing that someday, they will leave, they will be gone and disappear,” Gianna said, looking at me. Her cold and dark eyes stared into mine, reflecting the same emotions I felt, but hers were even colder than mine. “I don’t want to go through mental anguish just because someone important to me disappears, just like Mommy. That’s why, as early as now, I want to be distant.”
I approached my sister, held her hand, and we both sat in silence.
One night, I couldn’t sleep. I left my room, planning to sneak into my father’s room, but I found it empty. Disappointed, I was about to leave.
I was about to exit the bedroom when I noticed a picture of a beautiful woman. I approached it, and even in the dim light, I could see it clearly.
I took the picture frame and examined it. The woman in the photo was my mother. She was smiling charmingly.
I don’t know what came over me, but I decided to take the picture frame with me to my room. I carried it with me to my bed and stared at it.
“I wonder what happened to you? I want to meet you, Mom,” I whispered to myself as I looked at the picture. I closed my eyes and hugged the picture frame.
From that night on, I made it a habit to embrace the picture frame of my mother every night. My sleep improved, and I felt lighter. I even saw her in my dreams sometimes and woke up disappointed when I realized she wasn’t here.
Sometimes, our maids and guards would see me carrying the picture frame, but I never let it go. Dad noticed it too, but he never reprimanded me, so I suppose it was okay.
~*~
Gianna and I went out with our guards and caretakers to the park. We weren’t particularly fond of leaving the house, but we did it sometimes to get some sunlight as siblings.
I spotted some children running towards an ice cream vendor, and it piqued my curiosity. I decided to approach without the guards noticing. If I grabbed an ice cream, I would get one for Gia as well.
The vendor was friendly and gave me two free ice creams. I handed one to Gia, and we both savored them. The guards got worried when they noticed us eating. I assured them that other kids were also enjoying the ice cream, so it was safe.
For the first time, I found myself genuinely enjoying someone’s company. For the first time, I opened my heart to someone who wasn’t part of our family.
I got to know Tonyo, the ice cream vendor. He consistently gave Gia and me free ice cream. We could have paid, but he chose to give it to us for free. He seemed nice. Furthermore, he had many life stories that captured not only my attention but Gianna’s as well. There were times when we sneaked away from our guards just to talk to him. We knew the guards wouldn’t allow us to interact with other people, but they claimed it was for our safety.
“I want to see my child and my grandchildren. I heard my only child has a family, but they won’t show them to me, the family of my child’s partner,” he said.
“Why?”
“They hate me. They say I’m a bad person even though it’s not true. They make it seem like I’m the villain, even when I’m not. I hope I get a chance to see my grandchildren.”
“We hope for that too,” I replied to him. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him to some extent. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt pity for someone else.
“By the way, this is a picture of my child. Her name is Cosima. She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Tonyo handed us a photo, and we both stared at it, suddenly realizing who she was.
“This is… our mom,” Gianna and I said simultaneously, our eyes widening as we recognized her.
“Does that mean you’re our grandfather?”
We grew closer to Tonyo, or better put, Grandpa Antonio, once we found out who he was. We trusted him, even Gianna, thinking he was family. Little did we know that this is where the turmoil in our lives would begin.
Dad was out of the country, saying he had to pick something up and would return soon. Gianna and I were the only ones left at home with the guards. There was no one else to leave us with because our relatives were busy.
“Grandpa said he’d come to get us and take us to the amusement park. We’ve never been to an amusement park,” Gianna said.
I noticed that ever since we met Grandpa Antonio, my sister had become more vibrant. I was happy to see her this way.
“We can’t leave here; we’ll be noticed immediately if we both go. Security is tight now because Dad’s not here,” I said.
I came up with a solution to our problem and quickly shared it with Gianna. “You go with Grandpa first. Tell him I’ll follow later. If the guards ask, I’ll handle it.”
Gianna and I agreed on this plan. I distracted the guards to let Gianna go and be with our grandpa, who was waiting outside the tall gate of the house.