Summer With Em - Chapter 47

By JulieDCole

What a relief. Gabriella may not ever know how much her nastiness had fired me up. It had helped me to overcome the fear of telling dad what I’d been scared to admit to him and he’d just accepted it.

Well at least I hoped so as he escorted me back into the dining room.

I turned to Frankie and smiled. I whispered to her. ‘Do you realize what just happened?’

‘Yes your dad agreed to you marrying me and you told him you are living as a young woman.’

‘More than that. You asked him and he said yes.’

‘Yes, but does it count you may have to ask him again.’

‘Why ever not? He seemed fine.’

‘Well you came into the men’s bathroom and that’s illegal. So he might renage.’

‘Ha ha very funny. You had me there for a minute. I agree though that it’s not the ideal venue. I don’t know how you’ve put up with those places all these years. They smell of urine.’

‘I think that is so women don’t enter so I hope you don’t make a habit of it. I don’t want you becoming addicted. I admit the Domo side would have been much more pleasant. I’ve got used to it and it did feel a bit weird. I notice that you didn’t even flinch.’

‘Well I saw Gabriella in your face and she seemed to be threatening you. I saw you were upset and you tried to get away from her. Your dad was quicker off the mark than me. She soon moved away when I arrived.What did she say?’

‘She called me a creep and a pervert but it was worse than that it was the way she said it. She snarled. Then she suggested I was only here to make a grab for any inheritance from dad and his parents. She said to get back to England because otherwise they’ll make trouble for me. She said everything is due to pass to her and Carlos.’

‘Stupid woman. Anyway your dad is fit and well as far as I can see. He has no illness has he?’

‘Not that I know of, but she said there was an agreement. I suppose they worry because mum and dad are still legally married in the UK and never got divorced. I don’t know if the law in Italy is the same. Anyway even if there was a divorce in the UK I’m not sure if it’s recognized here.’

‘But they are still your fathers kids aren’t they even if they were born out of wedlock to his fancy woman.’

‘She said they have helped to build the business with their mum and her family support so neither mum or I have any entitlement.’

‘Maybe but even if she is your step sister and there is a blood link we don’t need to associate with them or chase after any inheritance.’

‘Don’t say she is blood related. As far as her being my step sister she ought to have been called Drizella like the evil step sister in Cinderella.’

‘That’s a better name for her. Anyway we aren’t interested in this business or any inheritance. I already have a good job with great prospects and if and when you finish college you will find a good job too. Especially around Manchester. There are lots of jobs about. Anyway, you can always work for me if stick came to lift.’

‘Yes I know but it would be nice to visit and have a good relationship with dad and Nonna Mia and Nonno Rossi. In some respects I wish mum hadn’t rushed into changing my name to her family name. It’s disrespectful to them. Mum and dad are still legally married.’

‘I understand your mum given what happened to her. I might have reacted the same way. Things were different back then anyway. Now you can choose to take my name. I thought we’d agreed.’

‘We did agree. But I hope dad will be present and that mum will be kind to him. I think there is a chance.’

‘Yes if you ask my opinion he doesn’t seem all that happy with Elana and if it wasn’t that his parents are here things might be different.’

‘They do seem nice and so does dads cousin and his wife.’

‘Remember that whatever more is said we didn’t come here looking for gifts or charity. Any way let them all run the business with your dad. Looking at your dad and your grandparents they might outlive us. It seems a relaxed and healthy life here in Italy. All the nice wine and the olives and wall to wall sunshine.’

‘Well I’m not going to give her the satisfaction of knowing we aren’t after their money or the business. Let her lose sleep I won’t lose any.’

‘Good. That’s my feeling too.’

‘But Frankie, I’d like to visit him from time to time and especially whilst Nonna Mia and Nonno Rossi are fit and well.’

‘Of course we should come and were it not for Drizella I might even consider coming here for our wedding. Then your whole family could attend. By the way did you look inside the bag that Nonna Mia gave you before you passed it to me?’

‘No. I was asked to keep it secret, especially from Drizella and Elana.’

‘What do you think it is? It feels like some sort of necklace or bracelet to me. It’s chunky. Shall we take a look?’

‘That’s just what I thought. Maybe let’s go inside the Donna bathroom. We can take a look now before we sit down.’

Frankie held the door whilst I nervously entered even though I’d been in the ladies bathrooms many times recently. ‘Here then you take it and open the bag. It’s yours.’

There was a second velvet bag inside and I loosened the tie and tipped out the contents into Frankies cupped hands. We were right. It was a beautiful long chain gold necklace with a large clasp and on it was a locket. Frankie took it and felt the weight and looked closely at the locket.

‘Kim this is real gold and it’s old. Look it’s marked. I’d like to bet this is a family heirloom. I’m no expert but I bet this is worth several thousand pounds. It is engraved on the back of the locket but it’s in Italian. Can you understand what it says?’

Nonna Mia had told me that it was passed down to her and I knew from mum that all my great grandparents on dads side were from Sicily. I took the necklace and on the rear of the locket it said
‘Per celebrare il giorno del nostro matrimonio’
It said to celebrate our wedding day.

I opened the locket and inside were black and white images of who must have been the bride and groom. Perhaps my ancestors.

‘I wonder if they are the parents of your grandmother. Maybe if you remove the photos the locket is engraved on the inside with their names.’

‘I don’t want to damage the photos trying to remove them. I’d rather ask Nonna Mia later.’

‘So she wants you to have it? Will your dad agree?’

‘I think so since he has no sisters or female cousins that I know of.’

‘Maybe Nonna Mia knows something we don’t know about your mum and dad splitting up and about your condition when you were young. Did you mention to him about your consultation and the possibility of corrective surgery and then perhaps even living full time as a woman?’

‘No but he knows there was a problem and that I should have had surgery when I was at first school. I know that mum has discussed it with him and I’m sure that he knew there was a problem that needed sorting before he left London.’

‘Well you should ask him directly and not beat about the bush. He might even have discussed it with Nonna Mia. It’s possible because she would know he had a son, yet she seems to be accepting of you as you are.’

‘Maybe and maybe not. She doesn’t seem to have much respect for Elana, Drizella and Carlos and no sign of Elanas family around here.’

‘What about your dad? Does he know you are happier living as a young woman?’

‘Sort of. I think he might have guessed by my appearance, but rather than chat here tonight we are going to have a proper chat tomorrow. I think it might be an easier talk than I expected.’

‘Let’s hope so. Do you want to do that on your own or have me with you?’

‘Alone is better I think, if you don’t mind.’

‘Not at all. I have a few calls to make and e-mails to check. Just fix a time to suit your dad. We have nothing planned and that’s why we came.’

We were looking more closely when the door opened so Frankie quickly took hold of the necklace and put it back in the bag. It was a customer from the restaurant who looked us both up and down before focusing on Frankie.

‘Questo è un bagno. Dovresti saperlo meglio che comportarti così qui dentro.’

I didn’t need to translate for Frankie and she clearly I assumed we were both female so we hurried past her giggling.

‘Am I right? Did she think we were at it? What did she think we were doing?’

‘Probably thought you were coming on a bit too strong to me and we should leave it for the bedroom.’

‘I’ll take that. Who cares she can only complain to your dad or Nonno Rossi. They are not likely to call the police. Really, I think she thought we were stupid British Girls who are trying hide our love for each other. I guess we’ve been outed.’

‘I suppose they don’t approve of women fraternizing around here. We are close to Vatican City.’

‘But we are not two women and we did nothing wrong. End of. She is just a customer like us.’

The rest of the evening was pretty calm. We finished dinner without any further incidents and around 10-30pm Nonna Mia and Nonno Rossi decided it was time to retire. Nonno Mia asked me to walk with her to her apartment that was across the road from the restaurant. Nonno Rossi was sampling some Grappa with dad and Alberto. Frankie said she would take the opportunity to approach Drizella that made me nervous, so I felt I ought to hurry back to avoid any escalation.

Nonna Mia chatted as we walked and confirmed that she was happy to finally meet me after all these years and regretted that dad had to come home without me. I told her that I understood that it was because he’d fallen out of love with mum and that he’d met Elana who worked for them. But he was under financial pressure with his restaurant. She shook her head and whispered something that I think I heard correctly.

‘Mio figlio che è solo una parte di esso. Devi chiedere a tuo padre mentre sei qui.’
It seemed that there was more to it and I should ask my dad. I pressed her as politely as I could to explain what she meant and the most I could extract from her was that dad was put in an impossible position and threats were made. She told me it was pressure from contacts in London associated with Sicilian families with whom Elena’s father was connected but that was all I could find out.

So I produced the bag with the necklace and decided to ask Nonna Mia about it. She said that it had been given to her grandmother on her wedding day and had been passed to her on her 21st birthday, as the eldest daughter, as it had been passed to her mother on her 21st birthday. So the photos were of her grandparents. The wedding date was inscribed behind the photos that I chose not to remove.

‘Christian, Kim questo dovrebbe essere tuo per diritto di nascita.’ It was to be mine by birthright rather than it passing to Drizella/Gabriella.

I tried to explain it wasn’t for me. ‘Nonna Mia questo è per la figlia maggiore non per me.’

Her reply left me stumbling for a response.

‘Figlia mia, sei più mia nipote di quanto non lo sarà mai.’

In her opinion I was more of a granddaughter than Drizella would ever be.

I managed to say thankyou and said I would treasure it always and then she surprised me again.

‘Spero che un giorno tu e la tua ragazza sarete benedetti con una bambina. Pregherò per un miracolo domani in chiesa.’ She hoped Frankie and I would be blessed with a daughter one day and she would pray for a miracle the following day at church.

Did she see me as more female than male? I hadn’t hidden my femininity since my arrival but at the same time I’d tried to behave as dads son. It was difficult to revert back after spending the summer with Em. Had she information I didn’t know about.

Nonna Mia kissed me goodnight and before I went back to the others she said she’d take breakfast at 8am if I wanted to join her and attend church for the 10am service. I nodded agreement even though I’d not attended church since dad left us. I seemed to be quickly becoming the apple of her eye and I’d have to let dad know so I could fix a time with him that didn’t conflict.