Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True
Chapter Eighteen
The morning arose with a dewy lightness. The sun's rays wafted through the balcony window and danced above Jaime, warming her face.
Morning already? She stretched her body beneath the white down comforter. Oh, I'm sore!
Jaime slid off the large comfy bed and headed straight for the shower. The heat of the water fell on her sleep-laden face. As the water pounded against her body, she smiled. Jaime welcomed the pressure of the water against her sore aching muscles. She had overdone it with Jason again.
As Jaime wrapped the huge soft white towel around her, she heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Jaime called.
"Donnie signorina!" the older man replied.
"Come in!" Jaime called as she quickly dried herself off and put on a pair of jeans and a hot pink tank top.
Donnie walked in and greeted a cheery wet-haired Jaime as she poked her head around the door smiled. As she brought herself back into the bathroom facing the mirror, Jaime continued to dry her hair with a towel. "What is it Donnie?"
"Um, Jaime, your Father is in Italy." Donnie shifted his weight from foot to foot. He knew she wouldn't enjoy this revelation.
"What do you mean he's in Italy?" Jaime asked confused.
"He's in Rome, Italy with Christian." Donnie looked straight in her eyes confirming what he said was true.
"How can he be in Italy? He's supposed to be in Korea. He and my brother had a business deal there a couple of weeks ago? Dad's not supposed to be in Italy." Jaime's face paled at the news. "How did you find out?"
Donnie seemed to hesitate in his answer. "He phoned this morning Miss." His face was scrunched into a frown. He knew how much she did not want to hear this news.
"Why did he call here? There's no one here. Is he coming to Venice? If he is I should pack and tell Elizabeth and Jason we're leaving. I don't want to be here when he comes. I don't want him to know I was here." Jaime raced around the room, gather what few clothes she had unpacked from her suitcases. She never unpacked. Jaime knew that unexpected things happen and she needed to be prepared for a quick escape. She hoped Elizabeth hadn't unpacked all of her things. "Donnie tell Marina to help Elizabeth pack. We're leaving this afternoon. Also inform Jason, and no details Donnie!"
Donnie reached out to grab her hand, which was stuffing a t-shirt into her suitcase. "Jaime. He knows you are here. He called to tell you to meet him in Rome."
Jaime's already pale face faded to an ashen grey. "But…but how?"
"He must have had you tracked. You know he always knows where you are."
"No. I was very careful." Jaime sat down on the unmade bed, her hair dripping ever so slightly upon her shoulders.
"Jaime. You know your father." Donnie looked at her sympathetically.
They both knew that no one understood the watchful eye of her father more than Donnie. His life had been a simple one until Lee Yun Nam had hired Donnie as a driver. He had been desperate to feed his starving family and Mr. Nam had been ever so generous in his wages to Donnie. But little did Donnie understand what it was to be the driver of the infamous Nam family. Donnie had been taught to watch, and forget. He had been taught to do and not think. And once when Donnie had the audacity to accidentally let something slip. Donnie had paid the consequences. Or should Jaime say, his family did.
Jaime knew every sordid detail of her father's activity. She had made it a mission to know. When she was a child, Jaime had always adored the strong loving father who'd protected her from anything and anyone. But then came the day when visiting Donnie's little baby girl at his garden cottage there was a knock at the door. Jaime watched as her father's "bodyguards" dragged Donnie and his wife towards the House. They hadn't seen Jaime because she knew to hide if anyone were to come into the cottage. Jaime had been forbidden to consort with the help.
She had been curious why Lien and Kamei would drag Donnie and his wife to the house. Donnie was never allowed in the House. Jaime sneaked passed the robotic guards and ran into the house and up the stairs to the rafters where her favorite hiding spot was. She could see into the study without her father seeing her. Jaime really never had any use to sit there. She was always way too restless to sit and listen to her father's boring conversations with strange men. But she had too much interest in why Donnie and his wife were "called".
That was the day where she learned what her father was capable of. Jaime watched her father interrogate Donnie about some information that had leaked out into the village. It was a small mistake. Donnie had accidentally let it slip about a certain package being relayed from Italy to Hong Kong to a villager. Jaime watched as her father's controlled anger, which she was somewhat familiar with but never experienced. He had never directed at anyone in his family or close to him. She watched as her father gave an order, Jaime couldn't exactly hear what it was and Kamei dragged Mrs. Bartolli to her father.
Mrs. Bartolli or Natie, as Jaime would always call her, was like a second mother. Her own mother had taken ill when she was about 12 and died when she turned just 15. Jaime always knew that her mother would have approved of the relationship she had built with Donnie and his wife. She was kind and loving. The one thing Jaime remembered the about her mother was the fact that she would always have time to talk to her and to hug her, even when she didn't need it. Her mother wouldn't have wanted her to be alone.
So Jaime watched, as her father seemed to sneer at Donnie as his hand caressed Natie's face. Then he struck her. Jaime had never seen her father hit a person in her life. She knew him to be a loving father. Yes, overprotective at times, but never violent. Jaime heard him mumble something and the next thing she knew Jaime watched as Lien twisted Natie's arm behind her as she screamed in pain, begging for Lien to stop.
Jaime cringed as she continued to watch Lien twist her arm further back and watch Donnie's face as he cried out in anguish. He tried to stop him, but her father struck him in the face. And at that moment, Donnie's eye had caught a light movement from the rafters. As he looked up, Jaime knew she had been spotted. She moved quickly out of the rafters and ran to her room.
And that was the day, she found out what kind of man he was. That was the day Jaime hated her Father.
"Donnie," Jaime spoke as if waking from a dream, "I'm not going."
Donnie sat beside her and put his arm around her. It was as if he knew what she was thinking about. "Mia, you must go."
Jaime stiffened and stood facing the sitting man who'd become her father. "Fine," she stated detached from emotion. "I'll pack my things and go to Rome," she spat, "Tell Marina that Jason and Elizabeth are remaining here until my return. Donnie, book me a flight to Rome leaving this afternoon and returning three days from now. That should be long enough to satisfy my father."
She turned around and walked to the bathroom. She had to dry her matted hair. "Donnie," she whispered, on the verge of tears, "I'm sorry." And with that Jaime ran into the bathroom and closed the door leaving Donnie standing in the middle of the room with tears in his eye.
"Lei non sono l'un che ha bisogno di esere perdonato, bella." You are not the one who needs to be forgiven, beautiful.
***
Elizabeth had barely had time to shower and put her makeup on before Jaime came strolling into her room with a maid. She could tell something was wrong with Jaime. She wasn't smiling and she looked worried, no, angry. "What's the matter Jaime?" she asked.
Jaime was talking to the maid in Italian at a rapid pace; it took a minute before she realized Elizabeth had asked a question. "Huh? Oh! Sorry Elizabeth. No. Nothing's wrong. But there is a change of plans. I have to go back to Rome for a couple of days. Actually three days." She turned around and continued on in her barrage of Italian instructions to Marina, Elizabeth tried to recall the maid's name. "Why?"
"Something unexpected came up in Rome, and I have to talk to someone there," she replied hesitantly.
She was being eerily vague. Elizabeth didn't know what to make of it. "Well, what's happening with our trip then?" Elizabeth felt a little perturbed at the unexpected and unexplained trip.
"Elizabeth, I'm sorry I can't explain why I have to go to Rome, but I just can't."
Jaime seemed much more upset than Elizabeth realized.
"Look, it'll only be a few days. Then we can resume our Italian tour!" she attempted to smile, but Elizabeth thought it looked more like a grimace.
"Why don't I just go with you?" Elizabeth suggested.
"No!" Jaime stated very firmly. "Jason's still here and I've talked to him about everything. He's going to show you around Venice and even take you to a little glassblower's stand in the Market Square. He said he'd promised you that he'd show it to you one day."
Elizabeth thought about that day; about the piece of red glass, which he'd given her. She didn't feel right taking such a memory from him. And then Jason called it a "hunk of glass". Elizabeth shivered at the memory. He'd tried to show her how it just shone like a stained glass window in the right lighting, but they'd been stuck in the studio. Jason had tried to apologize. Elizabeth wouldn't let him. The moment was perfect, thought Elizabeth. "Yeah. I remember." Elizabeth nodded, shaking herself out of her reverie.
"Good. 'Cuz I have to leave in an hour." Jaime had given a short explanation to Elizabeth about how she had run of the house. She could ask Marina for anything and Donnie would drive her and Jason anywhere. "Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it!" she laughed, this time a genuine smile appeared on her face.
"Are you sure you're all right?" Elizabeth asked as she hugged Jaime goodbye.
"Hey, I'm the one whose got copyright on that question remember?" Jaime laughed.
"Hey, I'm serious. Are you all right? And honestly."
Jaime looked her in the eye. "I'll be fine." Jaime's eyes wavered from Elizabeth's for a second.
She's lying. Elizabeth was worried.
Chapter Eighteen
The morning arose with a dewy lightness. The sun's rays wafted through the balcony window and danced above Jaime, warming her face.
Morning already? She stretched her body beneath the white down comforter. Oh, I'm sore!
Jaime slid off the large comfy bed and headed straight for the shower. The heat of the water fell on her sleep-laden face. As the water pounded against her body, she smiled. Jaime welcomed the pressure of the water against her sore aching muscles. She had overdone it with Jason again.
As Jaime wrapped the huge soft white towel around her, she heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Jaime called.
"Donnie signorina!" the older man replied.
"Come in!" Jaime called as she quickly dried herself off and put on a pair of jeans and a hot pink tank top.
Donnie walked in and greeted a cheery wet-haired Jaime as she poked her head around the door smiled. As she brought herself back into the bathroom facing the mirror, Jaime continued to dry her hair with a towel. "What is it Donnie?"
"Um, Jaime, your Father is in Italy." Donnie shifted his weight from foot to foot. He knew she wouldn't enjoy this revelation.
"What do you mean he's in Italy?" Jaime asked confused.
"He's in Rome, Italy with Christian." Donnie looked straight in her eyes confirming what he said was true.
"How can he be in Italy? He's supposed to be in Korea. He and my brother had a business deal there a couple of weeks ago? Dad's not supposed to be in Italy." Jaime's face paled at the news. "How did you find out?"
Donnie seemed to hesitate in his answer. "He phoned this morning Miss." His face was scrunched into a frown. He knew how much she did not want to hear this news.
"Why did he call here? There's no one here. Is he coming to Venice? If he is I should pack and tell Elizabeth and Jason we're leaving. I don't want to be here when he comes. I don't want him to know I was here." Jaime raced around the room, gather what few clothes she had unpacked from her suitcases. She never unpacked. Jaime knew that unexpected things happen and she needed to be prepared for a quick escape. She hoped Elizabeth hadn't unpacked all of her things. "Donnie tell Marina to help Elizabeth pack. We're leaving this afternoon. Also inform Jason, and no details Donnie!"
Donnie reached out to grab her hand, which was stuffing a t-shirt into her suitcase. "Jaime. He knows you are here. He called to tell you to meet him in Rome."
Jaime's already pale face faded to an ashen grey. "But…but how?"
"He must have had you tracked. You know he always knows where you are."
"No. I was very careful." Jaime sat down on the unmade bed, her hair dripping ever so slightly upon her shoulders.
"Jaime. You know your father." Donnie looked at her sympathetically.
They both knew that no one understood the watchful eye of her father more than Donnie. His life had been a simple one until Lee Yun Nam had hired Donnie as a driver. He had been desperate to feed his starving family and Mr. Nam had been ever so generous in his wages to Donnie. But little did Donnie understand what it was to be the driver of the infamous Nam family. Donnie had been taught to watch, and forget. He had been taught to do and not think. And once when Donnie had the audacity to accidentally let something slip. Donnie had paid the consequences. Or should Jaime say, his family did.
Jaime knew every sordid detail of her father's activity. She had made it a mission to know. When she was a child, Jaime had always adored the strong loving father who'd protected her from anything and anyone. But then came the day when visiting Donnie's little baby girl at his garden cottage there was a knock at the door. Jaime watched as her father's "bodyguards" dragged Donnie and his wife towards the House. They hadn't seen Jaime because she knew to hide if anyone were to come into the cottage. Jaime had been forbidden to consort with the help.
She had been curious why Lien and Kamei would drag Donnie and his wife to the house. Donnie was never allowed in the House. Jaime sneaked passed the robotic guards and ran into the house and up the stairs to the rafters where her favorite hiding spot was. She could see into the study without her father seeing her. Jaime really never had any use to sit there. She was always way too restless to sit and listen to her father's boring conversations with strange men. But she had too much interest in why Donnie and his wife were "called".
That was the day where she learned what her father was capable of. Jaime watched her father interrogate Donnie about some information that had leaked out into the village. It was a small mistake. Donnie had accidentally let it slip about a certain package being relayed from Italy to Hong Kong to a villager. Jaime watched as her father's controlled anger, which she was somewhat familiar with but never experienced. He had never directed at anyone in his family or close to him. She watched as her father gave an order, Jaime couldn't exactly hear what it was and Kamei dragged Mrs. Bartolli to her father.
Mrs. Bartolli or Natie, as Jaime would always call her, was like a second mother. Her own mother had taken ill when she was about 12 and died when she turned just 15. Jaime always knew that her mother would have approved of the relationship she had built with Donnie and his wife. She was kind and loving. The one thing Jaime remembered the about her mother was the fact that she would always have time to talk to her and to hug her, even when she didn't need it. Her mother wouldn't have wanted her to be alone.
So Jaime watched, as her father seemed to sneer at Donnie as his hand caressed Natie's face. Then he struck her. Jaime had never seen her father hit a person in her life. She knew him to be a loving father. Yes, overprotective at times, but never violent. Jaime heard him mumble something and the next thing she knew Jaime watched as Lien twisted Natie's arm behind her as she screamed in pain, begging for Lien to stop.
Jaime cringed as she continued to watch Lien twist her arm further back and watch Donnie's face as he cried out in anguish. He tried to stop him, but her father struck him in the face. And at that moment, Donnie's eye had caught a light movement from the rafters. As he looked up, Jaime knew she had been spotted. She moved quickly out of the rafters and ran to her room.
And that was the day, she found out what kind of man he was. That was the day Jaime hated her Father.
"Donnie," Jaime spoke as if waking from a dream, "I'm not going."
Donnie sat beside her and put his arm around her. It was as if he knew what she was thinking about. "Mia, you must go."
Jaime stiffened and stood facing the sitting man who'd become her father. "Fine," she stated detached from emotion. "I'll pack my things and go to Rome," she spat, "Tell Marina that Jason and Elizabeth are remaining here until my return. Donnie, book me a flight to Rome leaving this afternoon and returning three days from now. That should be long enough to satisfy my father."
She turned around and walked to the bathroom. She had to dry her matted hair. "Donnie," she whispered, on the verge of tears, "I'm sorry." And with that Jaime ran into the bathroom and closed the door leaving Donnie standing in the middle of the room with tears in his eye.
"Lei non sono l'un che ha bisogno di esere perdonato, bella." You are not the one who needs to be forgiven, beautiful.
***
Elizabeth had barely had time to shower and put her makeup on before Jaime came strolling into her room with a maid. She could tell something was wrong with Jaime. She wasn't smiling and she looked worried, no, angry. "What's the matter Jaime?" she asked.
Jaime was talking to the maid in Italian at a rapid pace; it took a minute before she realized Elizabeth had asked a question. "Huh? Oh! Sorry Elizabeth. No. Nothing's wrong. But there is a change of plans. I have to go back to Rome for a couple of days. Actually three days." She turned around and continued on in her barrage of Italian instructions to Marina, Elizabeth tried to recall the maid's name. "Why?"
"Something unexpected came up in Rome, and I have to talk to someone there," she replied hesitantly.
She was being eerily vague. Elizabeth didn't know what to make of it. "Well, what's happening with our trip then?" Elizabeth felt a little perturbed at the unexpected and unexplained trip.
"Elizabeth, I'm sorry I can't explain why I have to go to Rome, but I just can't."
Jaime seemed much more upset than Elizabeth realized.
"Look, it'll only be a few days. Then we can resume our Italian tour!" she attempted to smile, but Elizabeth thought it looked more like a grimace.
"Why don't I just go with you?" Elizabeth suggested.
"No!" Jaime stated very firmly. "Jason's still here and I've talked to him about everything. He's going to show you around Venice and even take you to a little glassblower's stand in the Market Square. He said he'd promised you that he'd show it to you one day."
Elizabeth thought about that day; about the piece of red glass, which he'd given her. She didn't feel right taking such a memory from him. And then Jason called it a "hunk of glass". Elizabeth shivered at the memory. He'd tried to show her how it just shone like a stained glass window in the right lighting, but they'd been stuck in the studio. Jason had tried to apologize. Elizabeth wouldn't let him. The moment was perfect, thought Elizabeth. "Yeah. I remember." Elizabeth nodded, shaking herself out of her reverie.
"Good. 'Cuz I have to leave in an hour." Jaime had given a short explanation to Elizabeth about how she had run of the house. She could ask Marina for anything and Donnie would drive her and Jason anywhere. "Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it!" she laughed, this time a genuine smile appeared on her face.
"Are you sure you're all right?" Elizabeth asked as she hugged Jaime goodbye.
"Hey, I'm the one whose got copyright on that question remember?" Jaime laughed.
"Hey, I'm serious. Are you all right? And honestly."
Jaime looked her in the eye. "I'll be fine." Jaime's eyes wavered from Elizabeth's for a second.
She's lying. Elizabeth was worried.