Chapter 13: A Night At The Movies. A Day In Between.
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With what is left of the Polancco Clan recovering their losses and in hiding, finding them out in their usual party and disco bar outing will be difficult. It is rumored that they were not in Milan or even Italy. For a cold January night, the partying does not stop to those willing to go seek it.
Tammy and Glenda step out of the cab in the downtown district where several movie theaters were located.
"So what will it be?", Tammy asks.
"I don't know. I came out to be with you.", Glenda answers.
"Figures.", Tammy says to herself.
"How about we go this way?", Glenda asks.
"Not there. The side streets here have various forms of adult entertainment.", Tammy answers, denying her request.
"You mean, porn?", Glenda asks.
"What else would be 'Adult Entertainment'?", Tammy answers. "And no, we're not going there."
"Alright. Maybe another day.", Glenda says.
"Maybe never.", Tammy replies, "I'm not into that sort of thing. It pollutes the mind."
"So... What movie?", Glenda asks.
"There's Star Wars Prequel III, Titanic II, Friday the 13th Never Ends, The Postman, many others though they will be in Italian. Just pick and choose.", Tammy asks.
"I have most of them on my laptop's hard drive in English. And what I don't have I can download from LimeWire and BearShare.", Glenda complains.
"I see.", Tammy says to herself. "Well, I don't have a laptop. Its at home in New York."
"You live in New York?", Glenda asks.
"All my life, until recently. That's where the Rescue Rangers are based.", Tammy answers.
"I lived in Boston all my live until I went to New York to attend college at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) for a year and they told me to go to Milan to study art, culture and fashion to do the things I want to do.", Glenda tells her.
"Doesn't FIT teaches all that?", Tammy asks.
"They do, but not in the way it would make me famous. Tommy Hilfiger did the same thing. If I follow in his footsteps I should be famous too.", Glenda explains.
"Think of how many people did that before you, and even before him. Only he got famous? It only shows the hard word he did, not that he was given chances to get there. It's all hard work. Hard work you need to invest on yourself and your work.", Tammy tells her.
"I sorta figured much of that already. I just have to get it done.", Glenda replies.
"So get it done.", Tammy tells her. Glenda just sighs. "Lets go in here before we freeze to death.", Tammy adds.
Together they go into restaurant style café and take the seats at one of their tables. Tammy orders coffee and pastries for the both of them.
"You got a lot to do and so do I. I will do what I can to help around the house but I do not want to be bothered. If you need help, ask. I'll see what I can do. But I am not going to help you with your schoolwork or give opinion of your fashion designs. That's for you to do.", Tammy tells her.
"I see.". Glenda replies.
"I hope you do. There is nothing better than being interviewed and being able to say that it is all your work, that you done it all yourself.", Tammy says. Glenda just smiles a bit. "I'll give you this much. For me, make a rescue ensemble that is not uncomfortable or binding that one can have all the equipment they need in a rescue and lets see what you come up with. It has to be warm for cold days and waterproof for snowy and rainy days and for possible sea rescues."
"That sounds like a good idea.", Glenda replies.
"Good.", Tammy responds. "Its too late for a movie. Want to go home?"
"I want to see the night life that Milan is famous for.", Glenda answers.
"Believe me, its better during the spring and summer times, when you can wear that little black dress all you want. And more men are available too, not hibernating during the winter.", Tammy replies.
"Alright. Home it is. Might as well start studying too.", Glenda throws in.
"You got homework and did not tell me? We got to get you home right away.", Tammy tells her. Glenda just sighs. Tammy signals for the waiter and asks for the bill. Though it was just a few Euros, she hands him a Twenty Euro Bill and tells him to keep the change. Glenda finds it unbelievable that somebody would give more than a Five Euro tip and Tammy's actions almost that triples that.
Soon they were outside on the main street trying to hail a cab. They get one within a couple of minutes and it takes them home in under five minutes. They enter the house and into their rooms, quietly. Though it was around 9PM, Tammy prepares herself to go to sleep.
A Western Storm enters Milan from the Mediterranean Sea during the night and covers the city in a couple of feet of snow. Radio and TV announcements that morning tells the public of government facilities, schools, libraries and universities are closed for the next couple of days as the city clears out the snow. Looking out the window, Tammy is not happy with what she sees, and decides to hibernate the next couple of days away, only coming out for food and bathroom needs. The male students of the house were told to help out shovel snow off the steps, walkways and roof of the house. But something about opening the front door and finding four feet of snow blocking your path can be rather discouraging. Mr. Marino goes to the basement and gathers a few stored logs and places them in the fireplace. After cleaning out the chimney on the roof, a nice warm roaring fire burns in the fireplace. He has enough logs in the basement for the rest of the winter if it were to get this bad. In the past he had too, especially during WWII, when there was not fuel to burn to warm the house and wood was scarce; but he did managed to acquire enough scrap wood and paper to burn during those cold hard winters.
One would think that three bathrooms would be enough for a three-story family home with eight bedrooms, seven that are rented to college students: three males and four females. But when Tammy wakes up to use the facilities, they were all in use. She goes back to her room and waits for one of them to empty. It takes another half hour before she can use any of the facilities for herself. As is she does not like winter in Milan even though she has been in cold weather situations in New York. At least in New York she can take a chance and walk to the café and hang out with friends, everyone here is a stranger to her.
During hibernation she does not eat much, thus she misses out dinner. Strangely enough in her absence, Glenda and the other two female mouse students help out cleaning up the dining and kitchen areas after dinner. But in the middle of the night Tammy wakes up and heads to the kitchen for a bite to eat. She fixes something small from the leftovers and has a quiet meal by herself. She cleans up and puts away the dish and utensils she used.
The following day she was a bit more active and able to help around the house. Both the TV and Radio stations were mentioning of another impending storm with a foot of snow or more heading to Milan. Though they had enough food for the next few days, Mrs. Marino thought it was wise to stock up on food. Tammy decides to take Glenda with her to the supermarket as Mrs. Marino went to another supermarket with the female mice. Mr. Marino has the guys preparing for the long haul of the winter storms. They clear out the snow from the back yard and the front of the house.
In a couple of hours they all return with food from the supermarkets. Canned goods, cereals, bread, milk, eggs, assorted meats, pasta, rice, vegetables, and powdered goods like flour, were stuffed into the many bags that were brought in and placed on the table. With some help, Mrs. Marino was able to put away all the food in the cabinets and refrigerator.
With the library closed, there was nothing for Tammy to do but look at the printed materials that she has. But she has seen these papers again and again everyday since she generated them. It is to a point where she was getting tired of seeing them. It is times like this that she has thought of rather being at the café than where she is now. This is one of the few times where she locks her room and lets out her frustration and emotions into the pillow as to not be heard by the others.
In a half hour she collects herself and cleans herself up as to not let the others know of what she was doing. She props herself from the bed and looks out the window. It is snowing again, and snowing heavy. There were at least a couple of inches to cover everything that was shoveled away. She looks around and finds some children out there with sleds sliding around on the snow covered street. She thinks of a happier time of when she and her sister used too play in the snow.
As she looks the window there was a knock on the door. She does not want to answer but has too. She slowly gets up from the bed, as there was a second knock on the door. She takes the doorknob and opens the door. She finds Glenda on the other side about to knock on the door again.
"Yes, Glenda? What do you want?", Tammy asks, keeping her foot against the door to limit its travel.
"I'm just checking on you. You've been in your room almost two days.", Glenda answers.
"I was hibernating.", Tammy explains.
"You should not be hibernating! You got things to do.", Glenda tells her.
"I have nothing to do. There's too much snow outside.", Tammy replies.
"Don't be giving up because you can't go outside. You still have things to do. ", Glenda repeats herself.
"Yeah, like what?", Tammy asks.
"Like helping around the house.", Glenda answers.
"Mrs. Marino knows that I won't be able to help her everyday. I help out when I can.", Tammy tells her.
"But, if you spend all your time in your hibernating the winter away, you are going to be depressed and tired. Your energy is going to crash if you keep hibernating...", Glenda almost pleads.
Tammy opens the door fully to let her in before going to sit on her bed. Glenda follows and sits with, allowing the door close behind her.
"Look.", Glenda begins, "No one has treated me, had said things to me or about me like you. I consider you as a friend, and if I don't see you at least once in a day to see how you are doing, I worry."
"I'll be fine. It just I can't go to the library to do the research or do a search the city on my bike, there is nothing for me to do. But I'll be fine. I promise you, I'll be there to kick your ass when you need an ass kicking.", Tammy tells her.
"So come downstairs, please?", Glenda asks.
"I'll be down for dinner.", Tammy replies.
"You sure you do not want to come down now?", Glenda asks.
"No. Not now. But definitely later.", Tammy tells her.
"You sure?", Glenda asks.
"Yes, I'm sure.", Tammy answers.
"Alright then.", Glenda says in defeated a tone. She takes a glance out Tammy's window. "It's snowing again."
"I know.", Tammy replies. She looks around to the clock on the dresser. "Its only 2:30?"
"And it's cold too.", Glenda adds, "Mr. Marino has logs burning in the fireplace to keep the house from getting too cold because the boiler might give out when the oil runs out.
"When will that happen?", Tammy asks.
"Another day he thinks if we conserve the heat and keep the thermostat at 18C Degrees we should be fine. Usually he would get an oil delivery today, but the oil trucks are not able to go through the snow in this weather.", Glenda answers.
"I see. I think there is a second blanket in the dresser. I have to check.", Tammy says almost to herself.
"Would you mind if I sleep with you when the oil runs out?", Glenda asks.
"This is a tiny bed, we may not fit on it. I barely fit on it.", Tammy explains, "You sound like a younger sister trying to get something from her older... sister..." Tammy stops as she remembers Bink used to go into her bed when things got too cold or too scary for her.
"I am the youngest but I had two brothers and they were too busy making my day bad so I always went to daddy.", Glenda replies.
Tammy sighs, "I had mother and sister. Just the three of us."
"Well, since we don't have anyone now, how about each other?", Glenda asks.
"What do you mean by that?", Tammy asks.
"I mean, don't get me wrong. But if things get bad, I want you there for me. And I will be there for you.", Glenda tries to explain with half a smile.
"I'm going back to hibernate for a while and I will be downstairs for dinner.", Tammy tells her.
"I'll be here to wake you up if you forget.". Glenda tells her.
"I wont forget.", Tammy tells her.
"Alright. I'll see you later then.", Glenda says. She then gets up and heads to the door.
As she opens the door, she presses a button on the lock's door jam plate, unlocking it. Then she steps out and closes the door behind her. As she holds the door against the frame, she twists the knob slowly, making sure it is unlocked.
Not noticing this was going on, Tammy lies there on the bed and tries to go to sleep. Though she does not sleep, she thinks about planning some purchases: a small TV, radio, laptop and a maybe another Sony PSP with a few games. She thinks that with these things that she could take better actions in finding Bink.