Chapter Six
Calogero arrived at the Grazia household dead on six holding a bottle of wine he had snagged from the liquor store. Dirty Danny, the resident drunk, would buy anything you wanted for a dollar and so Calogero had sent him in for a bottle of Italian Red.
"Eh- where on earth did you get this from?" Mrs Grazia said, after she had hugged him hello at the door of the apartment.
"My mother sent it," Calogero lied, following her into the living area.
Dante was already seated at the table and he gave Calogero a grin when he saw him.
"How's it going, C?"
But even though Dante shook his hand warmly and made conversation, Calogero couldn't help but notice that he was distracted, his smile a little vacant.
Mr Grazia had died when Slick was ten and Dante was twelve, a heart attack in his old chair beside the door. The boys had run wild after that, particularly Slick, and Mrs Grazia could never see the menace in either of them.
"How is your father, Calogero? I see him pass on the bus sometimes but he is always so busy. Work, work, work."
"Yeah, he's doing okay, thanks, Mrs G." Calogero forced a smile and raised his glass when Dante offered him the wine.
"Just a small one, please, Dante," Mrs Grazia said disapprovingly. "I don't want to send Calogero home to his mother drunk."
Calogero and Dante exchanged a secret smile as Mrs Grazia walked around the table laying cutlery. It would take more than a glass of wine to get him drunk but he enjoyed the fact she thought he was an innocent. Mrs Grazia would never think badly of any of them.
"We expecting somebody?" Calogero asked as she laid out a fourth place setting.
There was an awkward silence at the table before Mrs Grazia finally looked up at him with a pained smile on her face.
"I lay it for Slick. I like to think, he can come for dinner any time he wants. His room- still the same- his clothes, still here. His place at the table. Always his. I know it's a little, unusual."
"It's fucking crazy is what it is, Ma," Dante blurted out suddenly.
C looked at him, a little shocked. Mrs Grazia looked like she was about to burst into tears. She walked out of the room to fetch the dinner plates and C gave Dante a questioning look.
"Sorry, man. She just pisses me off sometimes. He's gone, ya know?"
Calogero did know. And he could see that Dante was upset. But he also knew how hard it was to accept that none of his boys were coming back. And neither was Sonny.
"She just misses him, Dante."
"I know." Dante threw back his wine in one gulp. "She aint the only one."
Calogero patted Dante's arm and stood up.
"Excuse me for a second."
Calogero knocked on the kitchen door before he entered and found Mrs Grazia leaning up against the sink with her own glass of wine.
"Is this a private party?" He joked, flashing her a grin. She half laughed, half sobbed as he made his way into the small kitchen area. "Hey, come on, Mrs G. Dante dont mean nothing by it."
"But he's right, Calogero, it is crazy! It is crazy and I am crazy!"
Calogero eased the kitchen door closed and leaned back on it.
"You're not crazy. It's been tough for you and Dante both but you're his Mom, you know. I don't think my Mom would manage so well if I was gone. If setting Slick a place at the table helps you to deal, then set it."
Mrs Grazia sipped at her wine.
"You don't think it's crazy?"
"Mrs G…you're talking to a guy who wont even use the restroom at Chez Bippy anymore. Just because I dont want to walk in and see the place without him there."
"Sonny…" Mrs Grazia nodded her understanding. "You are a good boy, Calogero."
"I'm also a hungry boy. " He nodded at the dinner plates laden with Mrs Grazia's meatball speciality dish. "Shall we get those plates in before they get cold?"
The rest of the dinner was fairly pleasant. Dante and Calogero talked about old times and Mrs Grazia was very happy to listen to their stories, laughing along particularly loudly when Slick's antics were mentioned.
They were halfway through dessert when there was a loud knock on the apartment door and Dante looked edgy. He was out of his seat immediately.
"I'll get it."
"Whoever it is, tell them we're eating dinner, Dante. It is not a good time, we have a guest."
There were muttered voices at the door before Dante sheepishly followed a figure into the room.
"Hey, Mrs Grazia. C…what a nice surprise…"
Calogero glanced up in surprise to see Manny Helnaz, a Spanish kid from Hell's Kitchen, stride arrogantly into the room. Everybody knew Manny. He had been pedalling dope since anybody could remember although he knew not to sell a thing on this side of the Bronx unless he expected a bullet in his head from Carmine and his crew.
Manny was bad news. And Calogero had never liked him.
"Manny…what are you doing here?" Calogero said this pointedly to Dante who had the grace to look ashamed.
"Just passing through. Mind if I sit down?"
Manny was sitting in Slick's seat before anybody could answer and helping himself to the Italian red on the table. Mrs Grazia watched in dismay as Manny drank from the glass intended for Slick.
"C's here for a catch up," Dante stammered. "We haven't seen him in a while…"
"So where you been hiding, Annello? How comes nobody's seen you?" Manny grinned wolfishly at Calogero who didn't smile back.
"That seat's taken," Calogero said levelly. "And like Dante said, we're having dinner. A private dinner."
He felt Mrs Grazia give him a grateful look.
Manny wasn't scared of him, Calogero knew that much, but Manny was scared of his connections. He would have walked right back out if Sonny was still alive. But Sonny wasn't. Although it was unclear to everybody what kind of relationship Calogero still had with the guys at the Chez Bippy. For that reason, Manny was still cautious.
"Well, I don't wanna intrude. I just assumed I'd always be welcome at Dante's. Right, Dante?"
Dante was acting like he had no backbone at all, dropping his head and half shrugging. Dante wasn't a tough guy, and he wasn't on Manny's level but Calogero knew Dante was a stand up guy. He wouldn't ordinarily let somebody walk into his house and disrespect him like this.
"Manny." Calogero got to his feet now. "It's time for you to leave now. Thank Mrs Grazia for the wine."
Manny sized Calogero up for a few seconds before slowly rising from his chair.
"Little Calogero, huh? All grown up now…"
"Manny…"Dante said, somewhat desperately.
"You shut up!" Manny snapped. And at this comment, it was Mrs Grazia who rose from her chair.
"You get out, you foul mouthed little hoodlum! How dare you come into my house and speak to my son this way! Get out!"
Manny finally slid out of his seat and came face to face with Calogero.
He opened his mouth to say something and then he pointed at Dante instead.
"This ain't over, Grazia. You hear me?"
"Out." Calogero was stepping closer. He was ready to frogmarch Manny out of he had to which could easily turn into a fist fight, but fortunately Manny moved away from the table.
"And you, Annello, you ain't a boss' little project anymore. You wanna keep your business to yourself, little guy."
Calogero continued to face Manny off as he moved towards the door. Little guy, the fucking balls of this mutt. Calogero stood at least three inches above Manny these days and he wasn't done growing yet.
Nobody said very much as Manny slammed out of the apartment. The only reaction to him leaving was Calogero and Mrs Grazia reseating themselves, and then Mrs Grazia squeezing Calogero's hand over the table.
At the end of the evening, Mrs Grazia accepted his thanks for dinner graciously.
"You come again, you hear me, Calogero? Next time it'll be quieter."
Calogero gave Slick's Mom a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"You know me, Mrs G. I was never one for the quiet."
She laughed at his joke as he pulled on his jacket.
"Hey, Dante. Walk me out?" He asked his friend.
Dante nodded absently at him and went to fetch his own jacket. In less than a minute, the two of them were on the street sharing a cigarette.
"Dante, man. What was all of that about?"
Dante shrugged and took an urgent pull of his cigarette.
"You know what Manny's like…"
"Yeah, I do. Which is exactly the reason I stay the fuck away from him. Why's he showing up at your house like that?"
Dante shook his head vigourously.
"It's complicated. It'll figure itself out, stop worrying."
Calogero used his hand to stop Dante walking and looked at his friend head on.
"I am worried, man. Because you're my friend and because I care about your mother. You cant let that punk walk into your house like that, man. What's the deal?"
"Look, C! You dont know shit about my problems, okay? That when Slick went all the hustling money he made went too. I lost my job at the grocery store, my mother's working all hours. I gotta make some bills somewhere, okay?"
"Please tell me you're not working for Manny Helnaz." Calogero gripped the edge of Dante's coat and Dante gave him a despairing look.
"It was just supposed to be one job."
"Jesus Christ, Dante, are you an idiot?" Calogero bellowed, shaking him a little. "You think your mom deserves to lose another son?"
"Nobody asked for your help, Annello. This is my house and my family."
Calogero snatched his cigarette back, trying to cool down and think a way around the problem.
"I'll go to Carmine," he said finally. "He'll tell Manny to back the hell off and leave you alone."
"Are you insane?" Dante snapped. "You know what Carmine does to guys from this neighbourhood who work for Manny?"
"He's gonna find out soon enough if Manny shows up at your place again anyway," Calogero snapped.
"Look." Dante took a breath and gripped his friend's arm. "If Manny found out I ratted him out to Carmine, I'll be in trouble with Carmine and trouble with him. Just let me do it my way. I just have to do this last job and then it finishes. That's the deal."
Calogero wanted to ask him how long that had been the deal and how many other deals had turned into 'one last job'. But Dante looked stressed and the whole thing was giving Calogero a headache.
He stared solemnly at Dante for a few seconds before he nodded slowly.
"Then do your thing. But you know where I am if you need me."
Dante nodded and they shook hands before Calogero left him on the corner.
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The last person Calogero expected to see outside of school the following day was his mother.
"Mom, what are you doing here?" He wrapped her up in a tight hug, not giving a shit who was watching. She felt fragile in his arms and he could see the strain of worry on her face.
"I wanted to see you. I didn't know where else to look." She peered up at him. "Are you okay, Calogero? Listen, please come home. Your father didn't mean any of it."
Calogero walked a few paces away from the school with her, ignoring the stares of passing students.
"If thats the case, where he is?"
His mother looked uncomfortable.
"He's working, you know that. And he's stubborn. Just like you. But somebody has to make the first move."
Calogero shifted his books in his arms and then shook his head.
"Not me, Mom. If he wants me to come home, he'll have to apologise."
"Calogero-"
"Mom, please let's not do this now. I'm meeting Jane any second." He threw a look back at the school but he couldn't see her amongst the throng of teenagers coming out of the gates.
"Jane? Now?" His mother used a hand to flatten back her hair. "Can I meet her?"
It wasn't how he had planned it. He had always pictured bringing Jane home for a plate of macaroni. That she would charm his father and compliment his mother. But that wasn't happening any time soon.
He felt bad for springing it on Jane without any warning but…here she came now. Short of telling his mother to go away, what choice did he have?
"Hey." He smiled at Jane over his mother's head and she smiled back a little curiously as his mom turned around.
"Jane, I want you to meet my mother, Rosita. Mom, this is Jane."
Jane beamed and put out a hand politely. Rosita took it and shook her hand warmly.
"It's so great to finally meet you," Jane said. "Calogero talks about you all the time."
"All good things, I hope." His mother was clearly impressed by Jane's good manners and Calogero felt frustrated that his father wouldn't give her the same chance.
"Of course," Jane said. "I'm really glad to put a face to your name."
Rosita didn't let go of Jane's hand as she beamed at Calogero.
"She's such a pretty girl," she said to him excitedly.
"Mom!" Calogero groaned.
Jane laughed and Rosita joined in.
"Calogero, if you have plans with your Mom we can catch up later," Jane said. "I can get the bus home with my brother."
"No, I'm just going to my friend's house a block away," his Mom answered. "I just thought I'd pass by and say hi."
Jane looked at him and he nodded in reassurance.
"I can still walk you home," he said. "Could you just give us a minute?"
"Sure. It was very nice to meet you, Mrs Annello." Jane gave his Mom another thousand watt smile and his Mom repeated the sentiment back before Jane walked away to give them some space. Calogero watched her sit down on a bench and pull out a book before he turned back to his mother.
"She's very nice, Calogero."
"Yeah, she is," he agreed. "Why won't Dad see that?"
His mom sighed and ran her hands through her hair.
"It's not about Jane personally, you know that. Your father just worries for you. He doesnt want you to get into any kind of trouble. He doesnt want you to be in danger from the kind of people who dont like the idea of…" his mother paused. "Interracial couples."
"Interracial couples?" Calogero started to laugh. "Mom, we're just a couple. Like anybody else."
"Calogero, where are you staying? Please come home."
"Mom, I have somewhere to stay. My own room there. Don't worry about me, okay?"
"You have your own room at home!" His mother cried. "Please end this thing with your father. I miss you and I want you to come home."
"Mom." He took her in his arms and held her tight. "I'm safe, okay? If Dad wants to find me, he will."
She was brushing away tears when he released her.
"You remember theres always a place for you at home," she said.
"I will, Mom. You take care."
And then he kissed her cheek and they parted ways.
"Hey…" Jane put away her book as he approached and he pulled her into a standing position and gave her a big hug. "Are you okay, Calogero?"
"Yeah." He leaned back to look at her and smiled.
"Your mother's very nice," Jane said.
"That's what she said about you."
Jane smiled more widely, pleased.
"So, does that mean you're going home?"
He took her hand in his as he started to walk her home.
"Look, if my dad wanted me home, he would have come himself."
She looked kind of downcast when he said that so he stopped walking and pulled her towards him.
"Come on, it'll all be okay." He touched her cheek and then he kissed her on the mouth. She kissed him back before they heard the usual jeering and shouting of:
"Traitor!"
He felt Jane start to pull away but instinctively pulled her back towards him, kissing her harder and more passionately while raising his hand with the middle finger raised in the direction the insult had come from. He felt her smile against his lips and kiss him back just as hard.
Black or white, he didn't care who the voice belonged to. Anyone who had a problem with them could go fuck themselves as far as he was concerned.
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