In my ma's bar, there are three pictures right behind the middle of the counter.
"Who are those people, Bosco?"
"The one on top is me, the middle one is Mikey, and the one on the bottom is my sister, Melody."
"You have a sister?"
"Yep. She's 20. 2 years younger than Mikey and 4 years younger than me."
"Damn! Was she a model or somethin' cause she is damn fine!"
"No she wasn't a model. She is just naturaly beautiful. You might want to watch your step. Her
fiance' is in the military, really big and strong, and really doesn't like anyone messing with
his fiance'."
I walked into Ma's club. I had a pair of khakis on with a blue turtleneck. I also had a black
coat on over it. My blonde hair was blown over my shoulders with snowflakes laying all over me.
"Mel!"
"Hey Big Mo."
"Come 'ere. I have some people I want you to meet."
"Okay. Hold on a second. I have to go say hi to ma."
I hung my coat and purse on the coat rack and walked over to Ma.
"Hey Melody, sweetheart."
"Hi Ma."
I walked over to Maurice.
"Guys, my sister, Melody Boscorelli. Mel, this is Ty Davis, John"Sully"Sullivan, Faith Yokas,
Jimmy Doherty, Derek (DK)Kelley, Bobby Walsh, Joe Lombardo, Kim Zambrano, Bobby Caffrey, Doc Parker
and Carlos Niento."
"Hi guys."
"Hey Mel."
"Melody, there is someone here to see you."
I walked up to the door. It was someone in full military uniform.
"Are you a Ms.Melody Boscorelli?"
"Yes I am. You are?"
"I'm Colonel John Raab and I have some questions to ask you about your fiance'."
"Okay. Why don't we sit down over here?"
"Sure."
We sat down. I wasn't sure if I should be nervous or anything so I decided not to jump to
conclusions.
"What is your fiances' name? Please state it for the record."
"Nicholas Lee Bartello, private first class."
"Have you noticed anything weird about Nick lately?"
"He's been really quiet lately but I just thought that maybe he was coming down with the flu or
something."
"Do you want the total truth?"
"Absolute truth."
"Nick just got back from overseas about 2 weeks ago, correct?"
"I believe so, yes."
"Nick pulled his crew out of danger."
"So?"
"They were all dead and he wasn't.Nick tried to say that because his crew died, that he should've
died with them."
"Oh my God."
Nick walked in.
"I'll talk with you later, Miss Boscorelli."
We stood up and I shook his hand. He left and Nick walked up to me.
"What was that all about?"
"Why didn't you tell me about your crew?"
"Why didn't you tell me that you were going to talk to Raab?"
"I didn't know until just know, Nick, so don't yell at me!"
He pushed me up against a wall.
"DON'T YOU EVER TAKE THAT TONE WITH ME EVER AGAIN MELODY ANNE BOSCORELLI!"
I wasn't a little kid anymore, he wasn't my father, and I wasn't going to take it anymore.
"FUCK YOU NICHOLAS LEE BARTELLO!"
He smacked me. I flew across the bar. Mo beat the shit out of him and threw him out.
I was sitting on a barstool by the bar. Maurice went behind the counter, into a first aid kit under the counter, grabbed an ice pack, activated it, and put it on my face.
"Hold that there, Mel."
We sat in complete silence for a few minutes. Ma was trying to stop herself from crying. All of Maurice's friends(cops from 55, paramedics&Firemen from company 212 across from the precinct) were just sitting in silence;amazed that Maurice could be gentle and amazed that someone like me could take a hit that hard and not be crying.
"How many times has he hit you?"
"Never."
"You don't have to lie, Melody. It's just me. It's just big Mo."
I looked down at the floor. I felt a cry coming on but I wanted to stay strong for Ma and Mo but most of all, I wanted to stay strong for myself. I did feel a few tears slide down my face.
"3 times."
"3 times? Jesus, Melody. Why didn't you just come get me?"
"Because I just wanted it to get over. I just wanted to be able to close my eyes and wish it all away. Because, I just wanted to be strong for you."
"Melody, you never have to put on a show for me! I love you and I always will no matter what happens. You can always talk to me. No matter, what time of the day or night. No matter, what things happen. I will always love you. I will always be there for you to talk to. I will always be Big Mo. I will always be your big, bad, Officer Boscorelli, brother."
"Mo?"
"Yeah Mel?"
"Thank You."
I threw my arms around his neck like I would do when mom and dad were fighting. He returned the hug.
"Anytime, Little girl. Anytime."
I pulled away.
"Little girl, eh Old Man?"
"Old Man? What in the HELL are you saying?"
"You are turnin' 25 this year!"
"And you're turnin 21."
"Listen, Mo. I gotta go, 'cause my apartment is a mess. I need to clean it. But Mo?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you so much."
"I love you too Melody."
I put my coat on, grabbed my purse and left. I got home and threw away all of the pictures of Nick and I. My phone rung.
"Hello?"
"Who are those people, Bosco?"
"The one on top is me, the middle one is Mikey, and the one on the bottom is my sister, Melody."
"You have a sister?"
"Yep. She's 20. 2 years younger than Mikey and 4 years younger than me."
"Damn! Was she a model or somethin' cause she is damn fine!"
"No she wasn't a model. She is just naturaly beautiful. You might want to watch your step. Her
fiance' is in the military, really big and strong, and really doesn't like anyone messing with
his fiance'."
I walked into Ma's club. I had a pair of khakis on with a blue turtleneck. I also had a black
coat on over it. My blonde hair was blown over my shoulders with snowflakes laying all over me.
"Mel!"
"Hey Big Mo."
"Come 'ere. I have some people I want you to meet."
"Okay. Hold on a second. I have to go say hi to ma."
I hung my coat and purse on the coat rack and walked over to Ma.
"Hey Melody, sweetheart."
"Hi Ma."
I walked over to Maurice.
"Guys, my sister, Melody Boscorelli. Mel, this is Ty Davis, John"Sully"Sullivan, Faith Yokas,
Jimmy Doherty, Derek (DK)Kelley, Bobby Walsh, Joe Lombardo, Kim Zambrano, Bobby Caffrey, Doc Parker
and Carlos Niento."
"Hi guys."
"Hey Mel."
"Melody, there is someone here to see you."
I walked up to the door. It was someone in full military uniform.
"Are you a Ms.Melody Boscorelli?"
"Yes I am. You are?"
"I'm Colonel John Raab and I have some questions to ask you about your fiance'."
"Okay. Why don't we sit down over here?"
"Sure."
We sat down. I wasn't sure if I should be nervous or anything so I decided not to jump to
conclusions.
"What is your fiances' name? Please state it for the record."
"Nicholas Lee Bartello, private first class."
"Have you noticed anything weird about Nick lately?"
"He's been really quiet lately but I just thought that maybe he was coming down with the flu or
something."
"Do you want the total truth?"
"Absolute truth."
"Nick just got back from overseas about 2 weeks ago, correct?"
"I believe so, yes."
"Nick pulled his crew out of danger."
"So?"
"They were all dead and he wasn't.Nick tried to say that because his crew died, that he should've
died with them."
"Oh my God."
Nick walked in.
"I'll talk with you later, Miss Boscorelli."
We stood up and I shook his hand. He left and Nick walked up to me.
"What was that all about?"
"Why didn't you tell me about your crew?"
"Why didn't you tell me that you were going to talk to Raab?"
"I didn't know until just know, Nick, so don't yell at me!"
He pushed me up against a wall.
"DON'T YOU EVER TAKE THAT TONE WITH ME EVER AGAIN MELODY ANNE BOSCORELLI!"
I wasn't a little kid anymore, he wasn't my father, and I wasn't going to take it anymore.
"FUCK YOU NICHOLAS LEE BARTELLO!"
He smacked me. I flew across the bar. Mo beat the shit out of him and threw him out.
I was sitting on a barstool by the bar. Maurice went behind the counter, into a first aid kit under the counter, grabbed an ice pack, activated it, and put it on my face.
"Hold that there, Mel."
We sat in complete silence for a few minutes. Ma was trying to stop herself from crying. All of Maurice's friends(cops from 55, paramedics&Firemen from company 212 across from the precinct) were just sitting in silence;amazed that Maurice could be gentle and amazed that someone like me could take a hit that hard and not be crying.
"How many times has he hit you?"
"Never."
"You don't have to lie, Melody. It's just me. It's just big Mo."
I looked down at the floor. I felt a cry coming on but I wanted to stay strong for Ma and Mo but most of all, I wanted to stay strong for myself. I did feel a few tears slide down my face.
"3 times."
"3 times? Jesus, Melody. Why didn't you just come get me?"
"Because I just wanted it to get over. I just wanted to be able to close my eyes and wish it all away. Because, I just wanted to be strong for you."
"Melody, you never have to put on a show for me! I love you and I always will no matter what happens. You can always talk to me. No matter, what time of the day or night. No matter, what things happen. I will always love you. I will always be there for you to talk to. I will always be Big Mo. I will always be your big, bad, Officer Boscorelli, brother."
"Mo?"
"Yeah Mel?"
"Thank You."
I threw my arms around his neck like I would do when mom and dad were fighting. He returned the hug.
"Anytime, Little girl. Anytime."
I pulled away.
"Little girl, eh Old Man?"
"Old Man? What in the HELL are you saying?"
"You are turnin' 25 this year!"
"And you're turnin 21."
"Listen, Mo. I gotta go, 'cause my apartment is a mess. I need to clean it. But Mo?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you so much."
"I love you too Melody."
I put my coat on, grabbed my purse and left. I got home and threw away all of the pictures of Nick and I. My phone rung.
"Hello?"