The Proverbial Mr. Universe (8 page)

Nick shook his head. “Please don’t bring Mom into this.”

“He regrets what he did and wants to make things right with us.”

“Well, he’s a little too late for that now. You want him in your life, that’s your fuckin’ business, but don’t expect me to do the same.”

“Alright, let’s not talk about it anymore.” Dan was afraid of upsetting him any further. His brother tried to avoid confrontation at all costs. Nick had noticed it after he got out of the hospital.

“Yeah, let’s not.”

Nick didn’t push it because Dan was the only person he had left. They didn’t speak to each other for the rest of the night.

W
hen Dario announced himself at Olivia’s front door, wanting to collect more of his belongings, Olivia scrambled for her phone. She was relieved to see things were finally moving along with their break-up, but the thought of spending the entire day at home with him in the other room repulsed her.

“I miss this,” Nina said as they sat in a crowded breakfast place, a few small blocks down from her condo.

Olivia glanced up. “What’s that?”

“Finally having you all to myself,” Nina began. “You without Dario.”

“We’ve gone out before, only us …” Olivia scanned her menu.

“Not recently.”

“Sure, the time we went shopping downtown, and you bought those tacky curtains for your living room.”

“No, the last time I was pregnant with Anthony. That was three years ago.” She paused. “Hey, those curtains are not tacky, by the way!”

“Sure, if you like Grandma’s rose garden kind of thing,” Olivia smirked, looking up from her menu, trying to recall more of the day in question. “It wasn’t that long ago?”

“I guess I’m not considered cool enough for you or your friends.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You always like to hang with around cool people.”

“I don’t think I’m cool.”

“I said your friends.”

Her sister, her rock, the one that helped her pick up the pieces, could pass judgement all at the same time. Olivia had surrounded herself with Dario’s friends and their self-indulgent significant others. They spent a substantial amount of time together, many vacations and dinner dates. Olivia wondered how she strived to belong to a group that required a Chanel bag.

She remembered one outing, in particular: the girls in the group compared their diamond rings as if they were one of the wonders of the world.

“I’ve got the biggest ring! Mine is 4.5 karats and Suzie is 2.5.” Nancy had held out her hand out to everyone to see.

At that moment something crossed her mind; she wondered if these supposed friends ever thought about more important issues, bigger problems in the world, like starving children.

No, she guessed they didn’t.

When her turn came, and Dario presented her with a wonder of her own, she couldn’t help but feel like such a hypocrite. Olivia acted the part, but the truth was she couldn’t be less comfortable in her skin.

She hadn’t intentionally left out her sister. Not for the reason Nina thought.

“I thought with the baby and all, you wouldn’t be interested in hanging around Dario’s superficial friends.” She glanced up at her sister and Olivia’s stomach twisted. Perhaps her behavior wasn’t appropriate, especially for the people she loved most.

“Honestly, if it bothered you that much, why didn’t you say something?”

“I didn’t want you to think I was jealous.”

Olivia glanced up at her sister. “Listen, I’m sorry for being such a jerk … for not realizing sooner.” She reached out to touch Nina’s hand.

“All I’m saying is, it would have been nice to be invited from time to time.”

Olivia placed her menu on the table. “Do you think I’ve changed?”

“What?”

“Do you think I’m superficial?”

Nina observed her for a long moment, and the silence confirmed what Olivia suspected.

“Oh geez, thanks.” Olivia gave her a funny grin.

Nina laughed. “You want the honest truth? Dario had some hold on you. Like the time when he decided to go vegetarian and forced you to do the same.”

“He didn’t force me. I thought it was a healthier choice.”

Nina gave her the ‘I know you better’ face.

“Which reminds me, which combo has the most bacon and breakfast sausage?” Olivia glossed over her menu again.

“I don’t understand why you even put yourself through that. For God’s sake, Olivia, you’re Italian.”

“So is Dario.”

“No, Dario is a reptile.”

“Aren’t reptiles meat eaters?”

“Whatever, I don’t care. The point is I didn’t think you could live off seeds and tofu forever.”

“I didn’t only eat tofu … and where did you get seeds from?”

“Okay, you got my point. Shit, do you even know what you put Mom through? Or us on Sunday dinners? She thought you were starving yourself.”

“Yeah, she always thinks I’m starving myself.”

Olivia never talked to anyone about her relationship, how much shit Dario put her through, how he manipulated her into becoming this person she didn’t recognize anymore.

After some time, Nina said, “Mostly, what I saw was a repressed, empty shell of the Olivia I use to know. You just seemed so unhappy.”

Olivia sighed. “I was … unhappy … I mean, I am. There’s nothing to be happy about these days. Dario’s finding every excuse not to sell the condo and Dad … well, Dad is not doing well.” Olivia rubbed her eyes, wiping the tears away.

“I know, Olivia. I’m worried too, but they’re not going to put him in jail if he has Alzheimer’s.”

“They’re not going to put him in jail, Nina. Because he’s not guilty of anything.” She paused. “Why, do you think he’s guilty?”

“No.”

“Then why would you say something like that?”

Nina let out a long breath. “Well, if they are accusing him of something … that means they have some proof.”

Olivia’s shoulders dropped, and she slid further into her chair while her stomach tightened even more. As if things couldn’t get any worse, ever since she broke the news to her parents of her broken-off engagement, it resulted in a falling out with her father.

“Don’t get mad at me … Dad’s joining us this morning.”

“Oh, I’m not sure if I’m ready to face him,” Olivia grumbled.

Olivia had been avoiding going to her parents’ home for the past week, only because she couldn’t handle looking at her father’s disapproving eyes.

“Dad caught me leaving this morning. What did you want me to say? Don’t come because your daughter is pig headed … like you.”

Olivia gave her sister a cheesy grin. “You could have lied.”

“I’m not a good liar like some people,” Nina said.

“What are you implying? I’m not a liar.”

“Oh get over yourself, Liv.” Nina snapped her menu shut. “You can’t play the victim in all this. I knew something wasn’t right with you, but you deliberately pretended that everything was just peachy. Oh, life is just grand!” She threw her hands up in the air. “We all suspected you’ve been fraying at the seams,” Nina said more softly.

“Who’s we?”

“Me, Peter … Paul, almost everybody except for Dad. We knew Dario was a complete asshole … especially toward you.”

“If only you were straight with me … if you told me exactly what was going on I could have helped you.”

“What could you have done for me that I should have done for myself?”

Even as children Nina could never let anything go. One time when Olivia kept getting her shoes stolen at school by Alice Donald, a girl in her third-grade class who looked for any reason to make Olivia’s life miserable. It was Nina who took matters into her own hands. One morning Nina cornered Alice, pulled her by her school uniform and shook her like a rag doll.

“If you bother my sister one more time, touch any more of her stuff … I’m going to make you hurt.”
Nobody bothered Olivia after that day.

Thank God for big sisters.

Olivia sunk into her chair. “I’m not ready to see Dad.”

“How long are you going to give him the silent treatment?”

“He’s the one who’s not talking to me,” Olivia blurred out.

“And whose fault is that?”

“Not mine.” Olivia shook her head. “I shouldn’t have to take the blame for Dario being a dirty cheat.”

“No, you’re right, but it’s your fault because you weren’t completely straight with Dad.” Nina paused to add more milk to her coffee. “Listen, Olivia, if you’re not willing to tell Dad the whole story, how the hell do you expect him to react? Whose side do you expect him to take?”

“But I’m his daughter.”

“Tell him the truth about that reptile or let this one go. Let’s not forget the amount of shit Dad’s going through.” Nina’s eyes softened. “Just let it go, Olivia.”

Olivia bit her lip but felt compelled to clarify. “The only reason why I didn’t tell him the whole story is because I didn’t want to give him any more trouble. I figured it would be better for me to take the blame. It was easier for him to think I was the one who wanted out. It’s the only way Dario and Dad would be able to continue to work together.”

“I don’t understand. You’re still protecting Dario.”

“No, I’m protecting Dad from the truth.”

“Did you Google Dad’s name yet?” Nina spat out.

“No?”

“Go ahead, Google his name on your phone. Go ahead and see what they are saying about him.”

Olivia glanced up and spotted their father walking toward the table. She allowed Nina to greet him first while she remained seated, leaving it up to him to make the first move. As Olivia predicted, her father leaned over and kissed the top of her head. It sent a warm tingle through her.
All is good
. She knew he couldn’t be mad at her forever.

Olivia caught sight of her father’s smile, a smile that reminded her of a time when things were good. A time before all his troubles at work. A time before his diagnosis three months ago.

Isn’t it right about memory
, Mr. Universe wrote.
You just need a little glimmer of an image or a scent to ignite it, shifting you to a precise point in the past. Once you begin to remember, images and moments dash through your mind, running their course in all directions. The sweet montage, caught on the move, moves like silk, so fragile and dissolves with the light, never getting back its essence. Time is constant, time doesn’t get old or fade away… but it’s tragic that we do.

She hated to admit it. Her father had changed over the years. Physically, at first, his once brown chocolate hair turned to a light shade of gray, the lines around his hazel eyes had become profound, heavier now.

It was a year ago when her mother first expressed her concerns about him. She must have seen it before, but like Olivia, she brushes it off as nothing until it could no longer be ignored.

“Mom, he’s sixty-five. It’s normal to start forgetting things.” Olivia didn’t want to believe it at first, but then one Sunday morning at her parents’ house, she caught him standing in the hallway, looking lost and gazing around like he wasn’t sure of his surroundings.

“Dad?”

His eyes blankly caught hers. For a brief moment, the words eluded him as if he forgot how to speak.

“Dad, are you okay?”

“Yeah, sure. I was just looking for … well, I forgot what I was looking for … those things … you know. I can’t read this damn paper.” He squinted his eyes, holding the documents away from him.

“You mean your glasses? They’re on top of your head, Daddy.”

“Damn old age… la Vecchiaia è brutto … old age is ugly, love.”

Looking at him now, seeing how much he’d aged since then, Olivia wondered if her father could get any older. He had once been a vibrant man.

“How are you, love?” He picked up the menu in front of him.

“Good, Daddy.”

“What have you been up to?”

“I recently signed a contract with a realtor,” Olivia said.

He frowned. “Which agent?”

“Joanne Gadbois, from Montreal Relators.”

“Oh, Olivia, please not her! She’s an idiot. You should have talked to me first. I would have recommended someone else.”

She would have … if they were talking.

“Where’s Paul? That kid is always late.”

“Dad, I already told you this morning … Paul is not able to make it.” Nina shot Olivia a knowing look.