They Never Die Quietly by D.M. Annechino

Author:D.M. Annechino [Annechino, D.M.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: AmazonEncore
Published: 2010-02-16T05:00:00+00:00

THIRTEEN

Not wanting to disturb Angelina, peacefully sleeping past her usual wakeup time on this cloudy Monday morning, Sami telephoned her mother.

“Would you mind driving over here, Ma?”

“Something wrong with your car?”

“I need to get to the precinct early and Angelina’s still sleeping.” Normally, Sami would drive Angelina to her mother’s house at eight a.m. and choke down a quick cup of coffee, so Josephine would not accuse her of being too busy to spend a few minutes with “her only mother.” Then she’d fight her way through the snarled freeway traffic, and if she did not encounter gridlock, arrive at the precinct by nine.

This morning, after a surprisingly restful night’s sleep, Sami felt remarkably energetic. Considering the recent events, her good spirits seemed like a minor miracle. She had no illusions regarding the much-needed sleep, and attributed her windfall to fatigue and mental exhaustion.

Josephine Rizzo protested. “You know how much I hate rush-hour traffic.”

“It’s not like you’re on the other side of the county. It’s a ten-minute ride.”

“I haven’t had my breakfast yet.”

“Eat breakfast here.”

“What, Pop-Tarts?”

Why didn’t I just wake Angelina? “Forget it, Ma. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Sometimes I think you take advantage of me, Sami.”

“And sometimes I think about moving to Tahiti.”

“You’re in a mood.”

“Why does everything have to be a fight with you?”

Silence.

“Are you there, Ma?”

“I don’t know what a mother’s supposed to do anymore. I try to help and all you do is yell at me.”

Josephine Rizzo could make the Pope feel guilty about the way he said Mass. “I’m sorry, Ma. It’s not you. It’s me. I guess I’m having a hard time dealing with Tommy’s murder. There’s a lot of shit going on at work and I’m taking it out on you.” Sami couldn’t believe that she apologized. “I’ll drop her off in a little while.”

Josephine’s voice rang in triumph. “I’ll be waiting.”

Sami tiptoed into Angelina’s bedroom and sat on the bed. Rather than abruptly wake her, she gently stroked her hair. What a beautiful child.

Her rather flowery explanation of Tommy’s death had not adversely affected Angelina. Or at least it appeared that way. When Sami had delicately made the announcement, the two-year-old chewed on her lower lip and rubbed her watery eyes but did not shed a tear. That her dad now lived in heaven with God hadn’t upset the child. In her mind, he had embarked upon an exciting journey, and although she could no longer see him or hear his voice, she could speak to him often and know that he would hear her words.

The lightheartedness of childhood can often be merciful, Sami thought. But an adult mind cannot find solace in the same safe harbor as a child’s heart. In due time, Angelina would come to grips with troubling questions. Losing her father at such an early age represented only a small portion of the issues that Angelina would face. The real tragedy lay in Angelina’s dim memory of an obscure man who did not participate in his daughter’s life, a father who would tragically fade to oblivion.

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