Avarice (9 page)

Watery eyes grew wide. “I fell in love with you Nico. In spite of everything you told me, I did. Not because you helped me but because I saw a man with so much love who believed his destiny was to remain loveless.”  

“I lost my soul a long time ago Ari, you haven’t.”

Dainty palms turned crimson as her hands balled into small fists. Violent and impotent she shook them in his face. “Don’t say that to me…me…because I know different. I have my skeletons just like you. You’ve relapsed with this addiction because you don’t believe in your worth. Take my soul Nico because I’m not letting go. We’ve made a family and I know you love us…that does why you have to fight your afflictions…for once in your damn life…choose your wife and kids!”

Nico groaned, his chest heaved and the brute of a man who endured unspeakable abuse as a child seized his wife in a tight embrace. “I’ll fight love…I’ll fight…I choose you sweetheart I do!” he said putting his chin on her hair. He closed his eyes, steeling himself. He had this last job to do. He needed a female to carry it out and Bianca was the only person he trusted to help get it done. The sexual relationship was over he decided days ago before Ari’s ultimatum. There was too much dark in his life and it was time to claim the light. He released Ari to retrieve an early Christmas gift from a corner far back in the closet. He emerged with a large canvass covered with muslin. Slowly he removed the cloth and Ari gasped. “I planned to give you this on Christmas day, but I want you to have it now.”

Ari covered her mouth. She was taken aback by the beauty of the artwork. In mixed was a depiction of their life and turmoil. At the base of the painting a dark man stood in a sea of black and red swirls. When the eye settled, she noticed the delicate lines were actually bodies. Dark horror is what the figure represented but his outstretched hand reaching upward was his plea to be pulled out. The blinding light above the figure’s head is what caused tears to flow from a wife’s eyes. A woman clutched an infant with one hand to her breast, attached like wings were identical boys at her back. The unoccupied hand of this woman of light and nurturer reached downward to the black figure. Their fingers touched, hers were slightly curled as if she had great might to hoist him out.

Ari strolled closer, amazed at Nico’s talent, shaken by the love it took to craft such a masterpiece. Like the beautiful paintings of the great masters, Nico’s artwork elicited awe. “It’s…it’s magnificent Nico.”

“You’re magnificent Ari. Thank you for loving me and giving me a beautiful life.”

CHAPTER TEN

Selange watched as Angelina and Vincent were huddled together in the colorful plastic chairs flipping through picture books. She noticed they were having quite the conversation about the stories, pointing at a page and speaking in full sentences. They’d grown so fast and those wobbly first steps taken seemed very long ago. If they attended school, they’d enter pre-K; unfortunately she couldn’t risk leaving them in a stranger’s care, even if they attended a private school. They were still too young and after what happened in Africa, she’d become more concerned about the safety of her children. She looked through the observation wall to the dance studio at the line of students holding the fixed barre practicing r
etiré devants and pliés. This was a beginner’s ballet class at Tiffany’s studio in Brooklyn that Allie agreed to attend. But judging by the constant redirection of the instructor, it appeared Allie lacked discipline. Maybe, she’d prefer the modern dance Tiffany taught in the mornings, but this was the afternoon.

Selange sighed, all was not lost. A phase is what children underwent; a rebellion is often how children assert their independence. A mother hoped the stage ended soon because Allie had become the wildest of the bunch. The girl’s temperament rivaled her Uncle’s and Selange swore if that girl said one more inappropriate remark she’d resort to corporal punishment which she abhorred. When Allie put her hands on her hips and did that pouty face at Tiffany, it took unholy strength for Selange not to walk in that room and snatch the girl out. But, as Tony said, it looked like Allie had met her match in Tiffany. Clad in leotard and stockings, demure and petite, Tiffany kneeled to Allie’s height. Whatever she said caused the puckered lips to smile, hands dropped from her waist and a child’s hand gripped that barre. Back in line went the wayward hellcat, plié and extended arms in sync with the others...

Alfonzo suddenly appeared in the doorway and a relieved wife sighed again. Angelina and Vincent squealed their delight and ran to hug his knees. He walked forward as they hung on, laughing. “Whoa, I wasn’t gone that long was I?” He had them up in his arms like lightweights and took a seat beside Selange. With a child balanced on each knee, legs spread and rocked inward and out. They were delighted and held on to his arms. “How’s our girl been doing in my absence?” he asked his wife.

Selange rolled her eyes. “Allie’s being Allie.”

“Showing her ass, huh?”

“What’s new?”

Alfonzo chuckled as the kids scampered down and ran off. They didn’t go far, back to the kiddie table and books. Like their mom, they’d inherited the reading bug. Allie on the other-hand was a work in progress. “She’ll find her calling. We’ll probably go through piano lessons, soccer and a whole lot more for that one.”

“Sure looks like it.” Selange replied. The instructor’s assistant bent down to talk to Allie who’d decided she wanted to free-style and not the ballet after the children was brought to the center of the
floor. Selange shook her head. “There she goes again. That’s your side of the family.”

Alfonzo’s eyes were on the girl. “I think I turned out all right, she will too.”

“You turned out better than all right.” Selange smiled.

“We just have to go old school with that one.” Alfonzo leaned back wearily before taking a quick glance at his watch. Thirty more minutes and the class was over and they could fly home. He lifted his head only to observe Allie running off at the damn mouth to the assistant. He was officially fed up!

Before Tiffany intervened, Alfonzo exited the waiting room, marched swiftly across the wood floor of the studio right up to his trouble-maker princess. He crouched, arms resting on his leg; he was at eye level with the girl. “Waste anymore of the teacher’s time, mine or your mom’s niña and I’ll spank your ass!” he said in Spanish.

Allie went straight as a pole, gave him the wide-eye doe look. Embarrassed, she tried to save face. “Okay daddy.”

“Bien. Love you,” he said as he went vertical and then turned to the instructors and apologized for interrupting. When he returned to the waiting area, Selange asked, “Honey what did you say?”

“I told her I love her very much and I expect her to behave.”

“Yeah right. Honey I know you and that is not what you said.”

He shrugged. “Niña better be glad I didn’t say mas.” He hunched forward in tension. A squiggly vein protruded from his forehead in anger. He wasn’t upset only with Allie, but also Domingo. He hoped the hard-headed sonovabitch heeded the advice. The last thing he needed was bullshit coming from all sides.

Selange placed her hand on his thigh. “Everything all right with Domingo?”

Damn woman could read his mind. Intuitive is an understatement; they were souls in sync. That’s what happens when you know someone inside out, he supposed. Oftentimes he refrained from speaking about business unless it concerned blood, this was both. “I do not like his latest venture.”

“I’m sure you told him.”

“I did.”

“Then that’s all you can do, right?”

“Sí,” he said and left it at that. If she knew Domingo was going back into the drug trade, she’d implore he do something but he couldn’t use force on his cousin nor could he utilize his connections to intervene. To do so would open the door to a place he didn’t want to go. The churning of his gut was always a bad sign. In fact he was feeling sick as hell.

Alfonzo’s eyes traveled to the twins. They were done with their books and entertained themselves with the toys spread out on a colorful rug in the corner of the room. Damn they’d grown. He noticed they played well together. They mirrored each other. They didn’t seem to need friends and judging by their laughter they were very close. Studies on twins have shown they have a special connection. Data suggests they’re in tune with the other’s emotions, even experience physical pain when one gets hurt. Remarkable, if true.

Vincent hugged his sister around the neck, their foreheads touched and Vincent told her a secret. Damn he missed the boy’s namesake, and Alberti, too. How nice it is to have a friend that’s family to share a confidence. Those two had it. With Selange he did as well, but there are things he will not reveal because Selange
will react. She’d try to fix what isn’t her right. There are times when a person has to stand back and let people live their own life.

Alfonzo watched Angelina’s rosy cheeks dimple as she smiled. What had Vincent said to his sister to elicit that joy?

Both children resembled him except they had their mother’s sweet temperament. Illness of the heart at what occurred when he recalled the night Selange confessed she considered aborting these darlings. They’d reconciled at the time, were lying in bed and he guessed she wanted to cleanse her conscience when she said it. But, he felt such guilt because he’d treated her like a leper every time he saw her pregnant belly thinking she carried another man’s child.  Morally, she could not do it, she had whispered in the silence. She refused to cover her sin by choosing death on innocents. He’d loved her more, believe it or not. Any person who could stand with dignity in preservation of life when being pelted with stones had a warrior’s heart. He looked down at his shoes, utterly humbled that he learned he was capable of forgiveness. He could look back on that lesson without pain because what he gained was an even greater love and these children. He rubbed his goatee, as he leaned over his knees in abject humility. Family is everything.

Selange’s hand squeezed his thigh. “You okay honey?”

He nodded. Although, he wasn’t. The disagreement with Domingo had socked him harder than he thought. The dude wanted to go backwards. He didn’t understand what compelled his cousin to want to return to the drug game when he had children and a life free of the danger. What is it about that world which kept men like Domingo captive and Alfonzo desirous to escape? 

Uncle Al was Alfonzo’s role model, unfortunately Domingo didn’t think of Uncle in that way. The sonovabitch pissed on the man’s memory. The disrespectful sonovabitch had the audacity to sit under Uncle’s portrait and talk shit!

Selange rubbed Alfonzo’s knee. “I’m here you know if there’s something on your mind you need to talk about.”

He covered her hand and leaned back again. “Yo sé…I know babe.”

Selange noticed his face flush. A matter of fact, she realized his eyes weren’t as lustrous and he fidgeted uncomfortably. She touched his forehead. It was warm. “Honey you’re coming down with something.”

Alfonzo pulled a Sal face. “No shit.” He was exhausted. Stress and the beginnings of a cold. “One of the employees had the flu; I guess I breathed the germ.”

Selange stroked his arm. “When we get home you’re going to bed and no kissing the kids.”

“Yes mami,” he teased.

“Seriously, you don’t look well.”

“I’m good,” he lied. Although, emotionally drained.

Selange frowned. Alfonzo was rarely ill. The times he had been were the result of minor food poisoning. Her nose wrinkled at the thought. She had to fumigate with strong disinfectant on those occasions due to the horrible stench. Ew!

Suddenly Allie burst through the door with hair as wild as her spirit. Selange grimaced because there wasn’t any sign of Allie’s ribbon. Hadn’t she pulled the girl’s locks back earlier and tightened those unruly curls, she wondered? The little hooligan must’ve removed the thin silk.

Alfonzo released an exasperated breath as Allie marched in their direction like she had a lot to say. “This one’s working my patience.”

Selange chuckled. “Isn’t that the truth, let’s give her to your brother for a week.”

“Hell no, he’ll make her worse.”

The outspoken child stood in front of her dad, put her hands on her hips and said
,
“I behaved daddy, satisfied?”

Alfonzo scratched his chin. “One day you’re going to learn Allie, the way you behave is how you’re treated. Smart people know when to act like they have damn sense. You thought you were being funny but the truth is you weren’t. This wasn’t the venue for the comedic act. If you’re aspirations are to become a comedienne then you have to learn when and where to put on a show. So you tell me niña, are you satisfied with the performance where you made an ass of yourself?”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“I can’t believe you’re not finished Christmas shopping,” Selange said to her friend as she went into another yoga pose. An early morning meant beating the children awake to get in some relaxation in the form of exercise. The beautiful palm trees helped. Heck, the scenery was a post card.