Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Giovanna
‘ S o, open it.’ Romeo insisted, as he sat down on the step beside me.
‘But what if it doesn’t say what I want it to say?’
‘You’ve been studying for years, and you’ve achieved the highest grades. You’ve just graduated to teach. What school of music wouldn’t want you, Sorellina?’
I moved quickly and sat my trembling body down on the step next to him. Taking a sharp intake of breath, I began to create a small opening in the manila envelope with my thumbnail. Before losing my nerve entirely and thrusting it in front of his face.
‘What does it say?’
‘Oh no!’ he laughed, batting away my arm gently with his hand.‘You’re no coward, Gi. Open your eyes and read the letter.’
‘Just tell me.’
‘No way.’
‘What if I do get it? How will I tell Salvatore?’
‘You won’t tell Salvatore anything, Gi. But you can ask him.’ A much deeper, more masculine voice found me, followed by children laughing and Serafina’s softer tones explaining to their older two boys where they were allowed to play and where they weren’t.
‘Ciao.’ Greeting them both with the one word and a small smile, I placed the envelope on Romeo’s lap and held out my arms to take Serafina’s one-year-old sleeping daughter, my namesake Giovanna, from her arms. On receipt, I cuddled her close to me, and as normal fought down my ever-present maternal hormones, before I breathed in her baby scent and committed it to memory, as I had done with all four of her brothers before her. Slowly, I looked up at the two of them.
I watched as Salvatore slipped an arm around his once again pregnant wife’s waist and pulled her to him, while holding the hand of their third son, Luca. And there they stood awaiting an answer.
‘Well, I might have applied to volunteer to help to teach music to partially deaf students in Rome—at St. Cecilia Conservatory, and their various outreach departments.’ I squinted as I looked at him, wanting to gauge his reaction, but at the same time wary of it.
‘Rome?’ Salvatore repeated, as he spoke in that dismissive way of his, disregarding all the other information I’d just imparted and only repeating what was most relevant to him.
‘Oh, Gi. I think that would be an amazing thing to do. You are one of the most caring people I’ve ever had the pleasure to love. In fact, you would have made a fantastic nurse. Finding an opportunity like this, one where you can use all the things closest to you - piano, teaching, and helping others, especially those who need extra help - is brilliant…’
‘Serafina.’ Salvatore interrupted her flow and looked quickly down at her.
‘I’m just saying how I see it,’ Serafina retorted.
‘Enough,’ he demanded, and Serafina knowing, after all the years they had spent together, how to placate her husband, stopped. Secretly, though, she looked at me and waggling her eyebrows she grinned in conspiracy.
‘I thought as things were stable, and I had the qualifications needed, you would be happy and proud to let me teach music to deaf students, Salvatore?’ I looked at the smiling little boy stood holding his papa’s hand. Luca was five and partially deaf, but the apple of his papa’s eye. ‘You know how much Luca loves to listen to and play music.’ I had absolutely no guilt in using my trump card.
‘Why didn’t you say anything about it, Gi?’
I knew exactly why, but I wasn’t about to let him know the finer details about the appointment just yet. I was doing something for me. It had taken me seven years to find this sort of courage. But I knew I had questions to answer about myself. Ones that I needed the answers to, before I moved forward with my life.
‘What about your engagement, Gi?’ Salvatore questioned.
‘He will wait a while. If I’m lucky enough to be accepted, I’m only asking for a year. If he loves me like he says he does, he will surely wait a short time.’
‘I wouldn’t have waited.’
‘You are you, Salvatore.’ Serafina spoke again and folded herself closer to him and placed her hand on his chest.
‘He has already waited.’
‘It’s just a year, Salvatore.’ I lowered my voice as the baby I was holding in my arms eyelids began to flutter.
‘She hasn’t even read it yet, Jnr.’ Romeo teased our older brother as he spoke. He lifted the envelope and waved the manila paper in the air to grab everyone’s attention.
‘Read it to me please, Romeo.’
‘Drum roll please.’ Although his humour wasn’t received well by our older brother, Serafina and I smiled at him as we tried in vain to lighten the atmosphere. Romeo ripped open the envelope with gusto and pulled out the paper inside.
‘Dear Giovanna… blah, blah, blah. We are delighted to offer you the position…’ He stopped and looked between me and Salvatore.
‘Congratulations, Gi!’ Serafina practically squealed, without releasing her hold on Salvatore, having worked out many years before that she was the one who anchored him and stopped him from losing control.
‘What do you think, Salvatore?’ I whispered, as I ran a fingertip down baby Giovanna’s soft, pink cheek.
A cacophony of noise suddenly erupted from outside, and an untethered, three-year-old Matteo ran from his mama’s side to join in with whatever trouble his older brothers were creating. Salvatore handed Luca’s hand to Serafina and began to make a move back outside to sort out his sons and the unholy row young Salvatore and Alessandro were making. As he crossed the threshold he turned and looked back.
‘Congratulations, Gi. I’m very proud of you, like always. I will firstly need to check the security arrangements we would need for you in Rome, and you must check with your fiancé. If both things are found to be suitable, then and only then can you accept the position.’
‘Thank you.’ I smiled at him.
‘But, even if it’s all satisfactory, by this time next year, you will be married. Do I have your agreement on that?’
‘I want to be married, so that’s an easy promise to make.’
But first, I needed to check that I wasn’t still married.