13. Hades
Hades
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Present
I listen attentively to every word she says, and I'm not sure if Kennedy is being detailed on purpose or if she's so immersed in her memories that she doesn't realize how much of herself she's showing me. The narrative flows smoothly but indifferently, as if she were merely a spectator and not the protagonist of a story that resembles a horror movie.
She's not telling me about her life or inviting me to join a conversation, to make comments while uncovering part of her past. Kennedy is revealing it to herself. Recalling the details of the torment she endured.
An orphaned child with no father or mother who ended up in the clutches of a wretch who, instead of taking care of her as she should have, beat her, mistreated her, slandered her, and humiliated her. A girl who from an early age, instead of playing, investing in her studies, did housecleaning for families, studying only long-distance, to help support the house and her guardian, that despicable unhappy woman.
Did Vina know about it? And if so, why did she never tell me? I covered all of Pam's needs and could have done the same for Kennedy.
No, she certainly didn't know or she would have done something about it.
At this moment, I wish I could resurrect Riny Marcotte just to have the pleasure of seeing her die again.
Ernest said he hoped she was in hell, but that’s too minor for someone who caused so much destruction in a child's life.
King whines as if he's in the middle of a dream, and without hesitation, I walk to the crib.I'm used to children. I have nieces. I look at the little boy sleeping on his stomach, all twisted, just as I often do.
I place both hands on the sides of the crib. You're mine, King, I say only in my mind, and when I hear something like a grunt behind me, I know it's from Kennedy.
When I look back, her expression is one of agony, and I quickly understand it's because she doesn't want me near her son.
I pick him up carefully, but instead of taking him directly to her, I am lost for several minutes watching the boy whom—even though I still have no idea how he was conceived—I know deep inside me is mine.
When I finally approach Kennedy with him, she seems impatient, as if she's not sure I won't take him away.
She reaches out to take him, and only when she has her son against her body does she seem to breathe again.
“You can calm down. I'm not going to steal him.”
“You won't need to steal him. If your plans to throw me into prison forever work out, Hades, soon I won't have access to him anymore.”
I feel my jaw clench knowing she's right, and without anything to say, I leave the room.
In the hallway, I lean against the wall and drown myself in memories of the trip to New Orleans, which ended up resulting in my first encounter with Kennedy.
Past
NEW YORK
"Are you planning to go back to studying?" my brother Dionysus asks from behind me without even pretending he's not reading the brochures I have on the table.
About fifteen minutes ago, I arrived at our bank headquarters for a meeting with my three brothers: Zeus, Dionysus, and Ares.
"It's for Pam. She's undecided about which university to choose."
"Can she choose?" Ares scoffs, entering the room, followed by Zeus.
"Her grades aren't that bad."
Pam has been a disappointment academically since she entered high school. For a previously focused girl, she seems currently unmotivated.
"Don't intervene to get her into a good university, Hades," my older brother, Zeus, advises. "It's no use putting her in a place of excellence if she's not up to it because that can turn into something much worse: making her feel inferior. The girl has some ghosts from the past to deal with; maybe she just needs some time."
We all know Pam's early life story backwards and forwards because when she came to live with her grandmother, we met with Vina and she told us about the difficult childhood her granddaughter had had. The youngest son of my grandfather's former housekeeper died, leaving Pam at the mercy of her mother, who was irresponsible. Besides being deprived of food, Vina said Pam was also abused in other ways.
It was at that moment I swore that no one would hurt her again.
Zeus is not a compassionate man or the type to pat someone on the head and say it'll be all right. The advice he just gave me is because, even though on a much smaller scale than me, he considers Pam his responsibility too.
None of us are sympathetic or the type to feel sorry for someone. The main male influence in our lives was my paternal grandfather, especially for me.
We are protective of each other and of those who are important to us, but contradictorily, we don't understand the concept of forgiveness, second chances, or pity.
Resentment, anger, and especially revenge—that's what prevails in the Kostanidis family.
"I don't cheat. I would never give Pam privileges through illegal means. The universities I'm considering are compatible with her performance. Besides, they have already accepted her."
"Why do you care?" Ares asks.
He, for some reason I don't understand, has always been the least fond of Pam. He might even feel animosity towards her.
"You know why. Pam is like a little sister. She went through hell when she was a child and survived. Whatever I can do to make her life easier, I will do."
"She's not a child anymore, Hades," Dionysus says. "She's almost eighteen, and the way she looks at you . . .”
He doesn't finish the sentence, and he doesn’t need to. I'm not a fool. I know that some time ago, Pam stopped seeing me as just a protector, and that's why my connection with her has turned into phone calls. Only on her birthday do I take her out for lunch, and even then, with Vina alongside us.
"She will never be more than a ward to me. I don't see her as a woman. Even if I were attracted to her, which is not the case, I would feel like a pedophile because I saw her grow up, go through all the stages of childhood and adolescence."
"I know you're not attracted to her. I know you, Hades. If you wanted her, your attention to Pam would be different. And I agree with the part that seeing her grow up practically makes her a relative for us," Zeus speaks now. "We're just thinking a few steps ahead, making sure you can see that too."
"What I see ahead is Pam graduating from a good university. In the future, she will find a husband who will love her and value her, they will build their own family, and somehow, she will overcome the past."
"That’s a good speech, but you know life doesn't work that way, brother," Ares says. "The path for all of us is usually full of stumbles.”
“When she was a child, I promised I would protect her forever. It doesn't matter if she becomes old one day; it will always be my duty to keep my word.”
“It’s not just a matter of keeping your word; you truly consider her as a sister.”
“I’m not denying that. Blood is important, but it's not everything. Pam has always been the perfect child. Something must be happening to make her feel lost and stray from her path, but I think things will get better when she goes to college."
None of the three say anything, simply because they know it wouldn't help. We are as stubborn as mules, and we would rather die than break a promise.
Past
NEW ORLEANS
"Hades?" the voice of my grandfather's housekeeper sounds tearful when I answer.
I'm in the car, on my way to a meeting. "Vina? What's wrong?"
"My daughter . . .she's dead."
"What?"
"She hurt her back, and now I’ve just received news that she's dead."
Damn it!
I know her eldest daughter lives here in New Orleans, although now, thinking back, I've only heard her talk about the woman a handful of times at most.
"How did she die so suddenly?"
"I don't know exactly. I'm going with Pam to the funeral. It seems she overdosed on pain medication. I'm on my way to Louisiana. Actually, I'm at the airport, but I wanted to know if you could arrange for someone to handle the paperwork for Riny's house, my son. I don't know how to deal with these things, and . . .” She stops talking and starts crying.
I try to think of what to do. By a twist of fate, I came to New Orleans as soon as the meeting with my brothers ended because yesterday, I received a proposal to acquire some casinos that are being put on the market. "Today, there's nothing to be done, but I'll leave a message for a lawyer to contact you. He can help you."
"Grandma, I want to talk to him," I hear Pam say in the background.
"Hades doesn't have time for idle chatter, girl."
"I’ll be quick," Pam insists. "Hades."
"What do you want, kid?"
"Don't call me that. I feel like I'm three years old."
"Aren’t you exactly that?" I tease.
"I'm suffering. How can you be so insensitive?"
"You never lived with her, Pam. How can you be suffering?" Actually, I'm not even sure if the two ever saw each other.
"Riny was my aunt."
"I'm about to go into a meeting. What do you want?"
"I have a request. My aunt was raising a young woman, and?—”
"Pam, no! Juliet is trouble. I don't want her with us."
"Who is Juliet?" I ask.
I notice Vina is still grumbling, but now not as close, so Pam must have moved away from her grandmother.
"Make your request, Pam."
"I want Juliet to come live with us. Grandma doesn't even want to hear about it because we heard she's a bit . . .”
"A bit what?"
"Rebellious, but I talked to her on the phone yesterday, and the girl was so nice to me! I asked my grandmother, and she said no, but think about it: how can we leave Juliet alone in the city? She's only eighteen."
"Let me talk to your grandmother."
"She will persuade you not to allow it. Please, Hades. My aunt raised her as if she were her own daughter. How can we leave her alone now?"
"Pam, let me talk to your grandmother."
"Not before you promise me you'll let her stay with us."
"I don't make promises I'm not sure I can keep. Now, give the phone to Vina."
"Hi, son. I'm sorry about this," the housekeeper says, picking up the phone again.
"What's the problem with the girl?"
"Juliet is an orphan. My daughter raised her as a favor, but she won't be any good when she grows up if everything Riny told me is true."
"Why?"
"There are many . . .stories about her."
"Drug use?"
"No, thefts. That's why I don't think I should take her in."
"If the girl is only eighteen?—”
"She's about to turn nineteen," she says, then adds, "I'm sorry for interrupting you. Please, continue."
"Eighteen or nineteen, it doesn't matter. The fact is she's almost Pam's age, still very young. If your daughter took care of her, it's because she loved her. Take her to New York with you."
"But I don't think . . .” she starts, however Pam's sobbing can be heard in the background, and then I hear an irritated sigh from the housekeeper. "All right, if it's not a problem for you to have one more person living in your grandfather's house, I'll invite her to come with us to Manhattan."
"Give the phone back to Pam."
"You're the best," the dramatic little girl says when she takes the phone.
"The rule is as follows: if there's anything involving drugs or promiscuity, she's out."
"Are you saying there can't be promiscuity because you're jealous of me?" she asks quietly, and I think it's so her grandmother won't hear.
"No, Pam. I'm not jealous of you. In fact, I think you should start dating. I'm sure there must be good candidates around."
"You wouldn't mind?"
"If he's a good guy and you like him, you'll have my blessing. Now, I have to go."