Chapter 12: A Very Italian Christmas. A Very American New Years.
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The Polanccos males arrive at their former parents estate to prepare the house for a very merry Polancco family Christmas. There they bring gifts and a large tree to decorate. Johan gets his driver to bring him and Romeo to town. While he is out two more Mercedes pull up to the driveway and four young girls with automatic weapons run out into the building.
Christmas cheer is replaced with panicked yells of horror and gunfire. It only last for a few minutes. After the yelling stops, four men walk out of the cars and into the house, examining the carnage inside. They realize that though the brothers and their female escorts were killed, Johan and Romeo were missing.
A call is made on a cellphone, and a couple of vans pull up to the house, men dressed like police officers walks about the area as the men and the girls get into their Mercedes leave. The police mill about taking pictures and sprinkling fingerprint powder on everything.
Johan and Romeo arrive to a scene of police officers and carnage. Both had to be held back from entering the scene as a morgue truck arrives to remove the bodies.
Pictures of the massacre make it to the tabloids. While Tammy searches for more information on her sister, she runs into a tabloid headline of a second Polancco murder. Pictures of the bodies with inserts of them in better days, showing who were killed, and state possible motives of political assassinations, Padnania Power Struggles and Mafia Rub Outs. But no names were given as possible suspects. Though Tammy was elated with the news of the massacre, she was also horrified by it.
"Serves them right. Evil only gets evil. But It is not nice to think like that, no one deserves to be murdered.", Tammy says to herself. An email arrives on her hotmail account from the ambassador. She double clicks on it to open it.
"Dear Miss. Squirrel,
I hope you are not in Milan. We just received news of another massacre of the Polancco family. Whoever is going this, I hope they do not find and involve you. Beware out there, somebody is killing off Polanccos and you are related to them by marriage.
How is your search of your sister? I wish you the very best.
Merry Christmas,
Ambassador J. Miers."
"Damn." Tammy says to herself, "Maybe its that jerk Johan killing everyone so he does not have to share the inheritance."
Days come and go with no new clues. She manages to get a couple more pictures from around Italy of who she thinks is Bink with that male mouse. One picture manages to have Bink with another girl, a blonde mouse just a little taller than she is with another adult male mouse with matching facial features of the one with Bink. Only thing that catches her eye is a high end Mercedes, in station wagon* form.
Tammy thinks of how rare they must be, anyone owning a Mercedes would get the sedan or coupe but not the station. Even the Polancco's all have Mercedes; none of them were a station wagon.
Christmas was celebrated with a special dinner and exchange of gifts. Though there were hugs and smiles, there was nothing really to celebrate about for Tammy. New Years was no better. She felt empty.
With some of the money she took from Johan's credit card, she buys a heavy jacket, a winter coat and a pair of Uggs boots for herself. The Italian winter, though not fierce but a constant cold, unlike a New York City Winter which has cold days with warm days.
Much of her time is spent at home, since there was too much snow outside, and she thinks who ever Bink is with would not be going out during the winter. January goes by faster than any of the other months passed as she goes into a slight hibernation mode and sleep away a few days during each week.
With the start of a new semester, a couple of the students receive their degrees and move out while new student joins the group – one who is another female squirrel from America like Tammy. She registered to attend the University of Milan to study art, culture and fashion. Being the only squirrels in the house, she wants to be friends with Tammy. Tammy does not want to be bothered.
A knock on the door makes Tammy get up from her bed. She answers the door thinking it's either one of the elderly couple. Instead it is another American red female squirrel like her.
"Uhm... How can I help you?", Tammy asks.
"Hiyee...", the other squirrel says in a hyper tone, waving a hand as if it was on fire. "My name is Glenda!"
Tammy glances over to her bed and back at Glenda. "Yes... Can I do anything for you?, Tammy asks.
"Yes... the old couple told me that there is another American red female squirrel like me and I had to meet her!", Glenda answers, "And Its You!"
"Uhm... No disrespect, but give me a minute please?", Tammy asks. All Glenda did was smile as she nods at her. Tammy closes the door momentarily to go over to the bed and clean up her papers and puts them in a folding file she bought weeks ago. Wrapping the folder with its tie string, Tammy shoves the whole thing between the bed and the wall. She then pushes her open backpack across the floor to the other wall by the bed. She slowly walks to the door and opens it.
"Hiyee...", Glenda repeats her self, still waving a hand as if it was on fire.
Tammy releases a pent up sigh as she turns away while keeping the door open. "Come in.", Tammy says as she slowly releases the door. She head to the bed and sits down as Glenda walks in.
Glenda walks in looking around, still hyper. "So this is your room?", she asks, and goes to the window and looks out. "Wow! You got the street view!" Tammy releases another pent up sigh. Glenda turns around to face her, "Would you want to trade rooms?"
"No I would not.", Tammy answers.
"I'm pay both our rents if you trade.", Glenda says in almost a high pitch squeal.
"No, but thank you.", Tammy replies.
Glenda looks around and sees a folding bike at the other corner opposite the bed by the dresser, but no TV or radio. "You bike ride a lot?", Glenda asks.
"Depends.", Tammy answers, watching Glenda walk by her and sits on the bed, facing her.
"Are you a size five? You look like a size five, just like me.", Glenda begins, "Maybe we can barrow each other's clothes. Do you party? I love parties! Guys getting me free drinks, and dancing and loud music, and..."
Tammy puts up her hand to her face, making her stop. "Look. Glenda? I'm not here to party or borrow your clothes or those things you do as a college kid. I'm here to find my family and I got a lot of work to do. But if you have a problem and think I can help, you can ask."
"Oh. I'm sorry.", Glenda replies.
"Don't be. Its not your fault that I am looking for my family.", Tammy tells her. Watching Glenda bite on her lower lip makes her think that she has to do something. "Look. Go put on something comfortable and warm, so we can do movie and talk after over coffee or something. But understand that I will not talk about my family. OK?", Tammy says and asks.
Glenda gives her a funny look, "Are you one of those girls that likes other girls?"
"I'm not a lesbian if you want to know. I do have a boyfriend.", Tammy answers.
"Oh. Well, I like both. One got too if they are going into the fashion industry.", Glenda tells her.
"Whoa! Don't sell yourself short, girl.", Tammy tells her. "God made you a female for a reason, and it's not sleep your way to advance yourself!"
"But it's the only way you can get to the top...", Glenda replies.
"No its not. You design something that the world likes and that will be your mark. There is no way I will sleep with anyone for gain and advancement for it cheapens my work when its already cheap because I'm willing to do that and not my own work!", Tammy tells her.
"You really think so?", Glenda asks.
"I know so.", Tammy tells her.
"Can I ask how?", Glenda asks.
Tammy gets up and looks into her backpack. She pulls out her Rescue Rangers cap and tosses it on Glenda's lap. She then goes back to sit on her bed.
"Look. I am a rescue ranger, and went through a lot of training. If I cheated on that training, if I went to bed with my instructor for a higher grade, I would not be able to do rescues because I would not be properly trained and prepared. The same with you. Besides, how many fashion designers got famous by sleeping with others to get to the top? Coco Chanel didn't. Esteé Lauder didn't. Helena Rubenstein didn't. Tommy Hilfiger didn't. Neither should you.", Tammy tells her.
Glenda just looks at her as if her brain had frozen.
"Look. If your stuff is good enough for the world to like it, then they will buy it.", Tammy tells her.
"You think so?", Glenda asks.
"I know so.", Tammy answers.
Glenda literally pounces her holding her tightly and shaking her from side to side, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
Tammy manages to push her off, "You mind? I'm not that kind of girl!"
"I'm just saying thank you. No one has been so nice to me or tell me to be myself in my work.", Glenda tells her.
"Look, you can do your on thing, or get used and have others steal your things for themselves. That is you have to decide on and then take action to get there.", Tammy explains.
"Thank you...", Glenda replies, "I will."
"Look. Its not like I'm throwing you out, but I got things to do. See you around dinner?", Tammy says and asks.
"When is dinner?", Glenda asks.
"Around 6:00 in the evening. Old Mrs. Marino will call us. She makes excellent meals. I don't know about you or the others, but last semester I helped out in cleaning after dinner so to give her some rest. She does so much. And get so little in return.", Tammy explains.
"I have too much to do to help out.", Glenda lets out.
"That's not a problem. You go get that A in your classes. Only then can you set your mark on this Earth.", Tammy tells her, "Now get out. I got things to do."
"Alright, I'm leaving.", Glenda replies, "I'll see you later?"
"Around dinner time.", Tammy answers.
Glenda nods, and then says, "Thanks." She slowly gets up and leaves the room as if not wanting to leave but eventually does. When the door closes behind her, Tammy lets out a sigh.
She gets up and checks the lock on the door. Finding it locked, Tammy goes back to the bed and takes out the folder from between the edge of the bed and the wall. She opens the folder and resumes her data mining for information.
Dinner went well with a large roast of meat, vegetables, pasta and rice as a choice of starches. Gravy and tomato sauce compliments the meal along with juice, wine or soda. Mr. Marino complains that no one drinks wine anymore. As everyone retires to their room, Tammy stays behind to clean the table, cutlery, glasses and dishes. It is only this time can she relax her mind by taking it off the stress of the search to something more mundane and simple a task.
As Tammy puts away the last plate, Glenda comes downstairs dresses in a LBD as if she was going to a party. Tammy notices what she is wearing or little of it.
"We're just going to the movies, nothing more.", Tammy tells her.
"You got to look good no matter where you are going.", Glenda replies.
"Go change into jeans and boots. It's snowing outside to say the least. Want your tail to freeze off?", Tammy explains to her.
"Alright.", Glenda replies before leaving.
Tammy follows her up the stairs and heads into her room. She puts on her Uggs Boots, and her heavy coat. She puts her money, credit cards, identification cards, and passport into her small carry all which fits into the large pockets of the coat. Once dressed for the weather, she goes down stairs to call for a cab on her cellphone. Glenda comes downstairs a minute later.
Note: For non-American readers, a station wagon is American for an estate car