Chapter 22 #2
He wanted to rub his hands desperately but settled for his son’s back instead. “You want to meet her, then we’ll go. It’s an hour from here.”
I turned and left the library and went to my bedroom to call Kora. She answered after the third ring. “When did we start keeping secrets from each other?”
“Our life is one big secret. What is this about, Zoya, I have virtual court in a bit,” she replied.
“Our mother’s mom.”
“Yes. Constance has a mother… how else you think she was born in the first place.” She was trying to fish and see what I knew.
“Kora, he told me already and he’s taking me to meet her.”
“Why do you want to meet her, Zoya? What missing piece is that going to fix for you? She’s an old woman that doesn’t even know us.”
“Have you visited her?”
“No. Only Maverick goes and visits whenever he’s in Aspen. He has one of mom’s old childhood friends check in on her at the retirement home she’s in. Come to town and let’s go to the spa and have an early dinner.”
She was trying to convince me not to go.
Sometimes Kora called our mother by her name because it seemed less personal. That feeling we all hated didn’t sting as much if she called her Constance, instead of mom. I never questioned the ways my siblings decided to handle grief.
While I tried to ignore them and act like they never existed, she walked around talking about them with their real names.
To each his own.
“I’m going, Kora.”
“Fuck, Zoya. Why do you always have to be so hard headed? You didn’t know this woman existed before today. Why is it so important for you to go?”
“I’m going.”
“Fuck,” she muttered. “I’ll meet you both there… I’ll push this court appearance.” The fact that she was willing to push a virtual court appearance to come, scared me.
I ended the call with my sister and called the one person I wanted to hear from. “Not mad at me anymore, huh?”
I smiled slightly. “Hey, Goo.”
“What’s wrong, Baby?”
Even after the way I ended the call on him the last time we spoke, he still cared that something was wrong with me. “I don’t know yet.”
“What you mean? Speak to me, Boobie.”
I took a deep breath. “Something doesn’t feel right. I can’t explain right now, but I just know something isn’t good.”
“Zoya, you can’t call me and expect me not to worry. I know physically, you’re safe because you’re with your brother. Baby, I’m worried about mentally… tell me what’s wrong before I catch a flight to you.”
“Mr. Caselli is ready for you, Ms. Caselli.” I heard the announcement through the intercom.
“Can you?”
“Yeah, I’ll come to you… you gonna tell me when I come?”
I realized how silly I sounded. “Not necessary, Goo. Can I call you later?”
“If you don’t call me, Boobie… we gonna have a problem.”
I giggled. “I will call you.”
I slowly walked downstairs, bypassing the kitchen where Stevie was unpacking the groceries with Duke. “Hey Zoy. Tonight, we’re having homemade pizzas. Mavie even agreed to have plain cheese pizza with no sauce.”
She slowly put the dough down when she saw how sad I looked. “Sounds good, Stevie.”
“Are you alright?” Stevie came closer and pulled me into a hug.
It was something we all had to get used to because she loved to hug. Just like Menace, she slowly rubbed my back as I smelled her warmed pistachio scent.
Honestly, I understood why she brought my brother so much comfort. As chaotic as she was at times, she also had this soothing and soft spirit about her.
“I don’t know, Stevie… I really don’t know if I’m alright.”
She pulled me back toward her and gave me a tight squeeze. “Mavie says you’re going to visit your grandmother. I know that’s not easy but breathe and I promise it will be fine.”
Stevie didn’t know.
Whatever they had been hiding from me, she had no clue what was going on. I hugged her back, which was unlike me, but I needed something.
“I can send the jet… you said my jet fucking stink? You know they got bedbugs on commercial flights, right? Ight.” I heard the tail end of Menace’s conversation.
Stevie gave me one more squeeze before she finally released me. She went back to the kitchen, as Menace stared at me. He wanted me to go anywhere, but there.
“Wonder, he’s asleep in our bedroom.” He slipped the baby monitor onto the counter beside her, and she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“You okay, Mavie?”
“Yeah.”
“Lie to me again.” She used his words against him, rubbing his face, as he looked into her eyes.
While he struggled to give us eye contact, Stevie, he had no problem with. “Love you.”
“I love you too. Drive safe, and I’ll either have pizza or Dr. Hill when you return… which one, Mavie?” she whispered, wanting to know what was going on.
“Pizza.”
“Talk tonight?”
He kissed her lips. “Yeah.”
We exited the front door where a Bentley continental GT speed had the doors opened and waiting for us. Menace took the keys from one of the workers, as Duke stood by and closed the door behind me.
The truck was waiting behind the car to follow close behind us.
It had been a while since I had been anywhere with my brother.
I often forgot how freeing it felt to just get up and go places.
Not having to go through full security clearance to go from place to place.
I understood why all of this had to happen, but at the same time, I could see where it was exhausting too.
He put the car in drive, and quickly sped toward the gates, and waited for them to open. The chalet I remembered as a kid didn’t have gates that opened. He had put a lot of money and work into making it more secure than I remembered as a child.
Menace was silent as he sped down the two-way narrow roads. One hand on the clutch, and the other on the wheel while he pretended I wasn’t in the car. I usually welcome his silence because that meant I didn’t have to hear his mouth.
The further we drove away from the city, the more nature you saw on the drive. I saw the sign that told us we were leaving Aspen, and I looked behind me as more and more greenery appeared.
“Are you going to remain quiet the entire ride?”
“Is there something to talk about?”
“Yes. You hiding that we actually have family.”
He looked over at me briefly and then turned his attention back to the road. “We don’t have family. One relative… the Caselli name fucking died with our mother.”
Constance Caselli was an only child. I always wondered if we had any cousins, or people that shared the same name as us.
“She must mean something for you to take care of her all these years… you don’t do that for anyone.”
“She’s blood.”
“Have you learned nothing from hiding things from us?”
He snorted. “We back on that?”
“No, but do you see how much hiding things can fuck with the family?”
Again, he laughed. “You already hate me and wished I died… how much more fucked can this get?”
“Are you never going to get over that?”
The car ride was silent.
“No.” I heard him lowly mutter.
Menace sped the entire ride until we entered a small town. It was a cute town with a main street, and then neighborhoods that surrounded the main street. There were bars, bridal shops, restaurants, and beauty salons. It was a one-stop shot for whatever you needed.
It made me grateful to live in a bigger city. Not even Ashbourne felt this small. He drove through the small city center until we came across a residential neighborhood and then continued to drive further out.
Scotsman supported living residence
Menace sped past the sign and up the winding road toward the facility. When we got to the gates, a security guard came to the car.
“Maverick Caselli,” he told them.
He nodded to the other guard, and they allowed us to pull through. We had to drive a bit more before we ended up in the parking lot, where Kora was already waiting.
She was dressed down in a sweatsuit, and her hair was pulled back like she had quickly showered and slicked it to the back. Menace killed the engine, and we climbed out the car.
Every movement felt like it was slowed down.
“Hey, Maverick.” Kora kissed his cheek, and he looked at her, then at me before walking ahead.
“What is he not telling me?”
Kora sighed. “We’re here now. Why waste breath when you’ll find out.”
Soon as we entered the facility, it smelled like hospital. Stale air, and old cafeteria food. It was a smell I hated, even when I visited people in the hospital. Every hospital had the same smell, and I begged someone to prove me different.
“Hi, Mr. Caselli… oh guests today. Let me get you all signed in, and then you can find Dawn down the hall, she’s in the sunroom today.”
“Thanks.” He quickly signed us all in, and we headed down the hall.
Kora walked slowly behind us, but I was right on my brother’s ass because the suspense was killing me. I felt like I was about to find a hidden treasure, meet a piece of my mother.
He made a right, and I was behind him as we came up to a sunroom. Menace slowed his pace, and he walked into the room with his hands in his pockets. Kora remained at the door.
“Dawn,” he called her name.
She slowly turned around, and I looked at her face.
“You have skin like your grandmother and great-grandmother… beautiful smooth chocolate skin.”
I could hear my mother’s words echoing through my head. The woman that sat before me didn’t share skin like my own. Her complexion matched both Kora and Menace’s skin color.
She stared at us with a big toothless smile, clapping her hands together while tossing her head back. Her hair was pulled back in four large braids with barrettes on them. In her lap, she held a brownskin baby doll.
She continued clapping her hands then flapped them while yelling “yay.” I mean, she was yelling it continuously and I was becoming overstimulated, but I was also so confused.
“Mentally, she’s four. She was involved in a ski accident when mom was seventeen.” Menace explained and walked over to grab a device that was hooked behind her chair. “She can communicate with this... she knows words, but she doesn’t really communicate that much.”