Loving DeMarco

chapter 4

As everyone swarmed me with congratulations, I just stood frozen in time, like a statue. So much was happening so fast, my head was spinning. “Hello!? Hey! Are you listening?” Nerina shouted at me. “Huh? Oh, I’m sorry, what did you say?” I replied hazily. “I said how come you never told us you were seeing someone?!” I must have zoned out again, because Serafina took one look at me and knew I needed to get out of there, quick. “Guys, we need to get her home. She doesn’t look too good.”

I don’t even remember walking to the car, just gazing out the window on the drive home with my sisters conversing and speculating in the background. The car ride home was excruciatingly unpleasant. My mother barely looked at my father, and everyone felt the tension. When we arrived home, mama took Matteo and went straight upstairs. Papi went to his den, probably to pour a drink. I was doing the best that I could to make my way to my room with Serafina holding my arm, when my father called out to me. Serafina and I looked at each other in suspicion. I and walked into his den, and suddenly everything I was feeling just poured out. “I am sorry Papi if embarrassed you. I didn’t mean to, everything just happened so quickly, and I was surprised by everything...” I felt myself rambling on.

“Mia cara piccolo, Gaia,” papi interrupted me. “You could never embarrass me. Sei pura perfezione,” he said to me as he moved from behind the bar and motioned for us to sit on the sofa. “I want to explain to you everything about my business and the truth about our family, and why you must marry DeMarco DeLuca.” What did he mean “the truth?” Has he been hiding something all these years? I guess I was about to find out…

He goes on to say how our families, the DeLucas and CostaDellamarinas, are a part of two of the largest and longest running mafia families there are in Italy, and even some parts of Europe and America. He then continued to explain to me how our family, the CostaDellamarinas, owns all the ports throughout all of southern Italy, how he oversees what comes in and out the country. I feel like I know nothing and my whole life has been one big lie. “Does Mama know?” I ask angrily. He dropped his head, as if he felt ashamed by his own deception. “I only just told her tonight, a few hours before we met with you.” “I can’t believe this papi, how could you not tell mama or any of us? How could you keep this a secret!” I yelled, trying not to wake the whole house. “I only wanted to give you all a normal life, the life I never got.” He put his head in his hands; his voice was full of sadness.

I had never seen my father get emotional like this before. I could see the hurt behind his eyes as a few tears escaped. He quickly wiped them away. My father never let us see him cry, he was too proud. I rushed over and hugged him as tightly as I could, though my arms couldn’t fully wrap around his large frame. “Ti amo, papi,” I whispered in his ear. “Ti amo anch'io, Gaia.” I now felt like I understood my father a little more. “We should head to bed,” he said as we turn to leave his den. I paused a moment. “Papi, I really don’t think I can do this…I’m scared.” My father grabbed my hands gently and held them tight. “Bella mia, non hai niente di cui aver paura. DeMarco comes from a good family, the very best. And I’ve known his father since we were piccoli ragazzi. I trust him with my life. Plus, I’ve known DeMarco and his brother since they were babies. I wouldn’t give him one of my most prized possessions if I didn’t.” He smiled assuringly. “Now, off to bed my darling Gaia. Remember, you can always trust your papa.” That has always been true my whole life; he has always gone above and beyond for us. It just seemed different now. As soon as I reached my room, stripped out of the dress I had been wearing all day, and headed straight to bed and fell asleep instantly.

The next day I woke up feeling like a ton of bricks, and I wasn’t even hungover. No, I knew the reason. News that heavy would do that to anyone I’m sure. What time was it? I reached over to check my phone; it was 1:37pm. Damn, I didn’t realize how late I had slept. I was mentally exhausted in my defense. I threw on an old T-shirt that fit me more like a dress and walked down the hall to Serafina’s room. I knocked on the door softly. “Come in,” she said. When I opened the door, she was in front of the mirror putting her hair up and down in various hairdos. This was odd behavior for her, but I brushed it off mostly because I really wanted to talk about my problems instead. I plopped myself straight on her bed and sighed as if the world was ending. Well, technically I wasn’t far off, MY world was ending. “It’s about time you woke up.” She said smirking. “Why didn’t anyone wake me?” “Mama said to let you rest and not to overload you with questions about last night. So, I decided to only follow one of those rules.” We both laughed because we knew at any moment the questions were going to fly like bombs from all directions, especially once the others found out I was finally awake.

Just then, there was another knock at the door; probably Nerina waiting to get the details. It opens slowly and it was mama, surprisingly. She had a solemn look on her face, instead of her cheerful self. She looked at me and said with a stern voice, “Gaia, you and your father and I are having breakfast with the DeLucas next weekend. I’m telling you now so you’ll have plenty of time to prepare.” She stood there momentarily cold, then closed the door and walked away as if what she said was totally normal. I fell back on Serafina’s bed. She sat down beside me, and then the door flew open and in came Cosmia, Nerina and Ondina. They all ran and jumped on the bed talking all at once.

“Gaia! Will you PLEASE tell us everything finally!” Nerina said as she was shaking me out of my daze. “Yeah, what the hell is going on? Are you seriously getting married?” Cosmia asked. “Guys, I’m as lost as you are, ok? All I know is that papi is setting me up with some kind of arranged marriage to one of his friend’s sons. I don’t know why exactly. I literally just found out last night when I met the guy for the first time…well sorta the first time…I don’t know.” Ondina sat back, “Wow, I can’t believe this is actually happening to you; I’m so sorry. This is crazy. Why would mama and papi do this?” Serafina started pacing the floor. “They wouldn’t do this for nothing. There’s something they aren’t telling us. It must be really important,” she said. Playfully Nerina started bouncing on the bed, “well you said you met the guy, was he hot at least? What does he look like? It would be so terrible to have to marry an ugly stranger!” Laughter filled the room instantly. Of course that would be Nerina’s biggest concern. “Well, I can honestly say he’s actually pretty sexy,” I replied. “But I’m still not ok with this whole thing.” Nerina grabbed my arm, “Well, I for one LOVE weddings. I can’t wait to plan yours, Gaia!” She squealed with childish excitement. I looked at her with devilish eyes and said, “There’s not going to be a wedding, because I’m not getting married to a stranger.”