The Gangsters Wife

Ben's Help

“Ben you have to help me!” Mirella pleaded with Ben and grabbed his arm frantically. “Of course I will help you, let me call Arthur Anderro and let him know I would like to mediate a meeting,” Ben said patting Mirella’s arm. Ben went into the other room and called Arthur Anderro regarding setting up a meeting. After Ben returned from the other room he sat down next to Mirella. “Okay so here is the deal, I can accompany you to the meeting to get your son, but Arthur wants you to move out of his territory in Brooklyn. He said he would discuss the boundaries with you,” Ben said.

“Okay whatever he wants I just want my baby back,” Mirella cried and Tony hugged her. “Don't worry we will get him back,” Tony said assuredly. “Yes don't worry,” Ben said. Mirella and Ben put their bags in the car while Big Tony paced back and forth. “I don't like this one bit,” Big Tony said to Mirella. “I know but Ben will keep me safe he is like a brother to me,” Mirella said. Big Tony rolled his eyes skeptical and balled up his firsts. “If anything happens to her or little Joe Joe I will hunt you down,” Big Tony said glaring down at Ben. Immediately putting his hands in the air Ben said, “Woah nothing is gonna happen.”

Ben drove as Mirella sat in the passenger seat worrying about her little boy. She imagined him scared wanting his mommy and crying. She had not been away from Joey Junior since he was born other than a few hours at a time. “Do you think he is okay?” Mirella asked Ben as she kept having a feeling of dread that came over her. “Yes Arthur would never hurt a child,” Ben said. “How do you know? How long have you been working for them?” Mirella asked. “Well off and on for the last 5 years,” Ben said glancing at Mirella who was clasping and unclasping her hands a habit she did when she was nervous or upset. Ben wondered if she still twirled her hair as well when she was concentrating. As they rode towards the Adirondacks and the cabin Mirella tried to focus on the beautiful scenery and ignore the overwhelming anxiety that threatened to crush her under its weight.

Around lunch time Ben and Mirella stopped to get a bite to eat and use the bathroom. “Do you want to get it to go?” Ben asked as Mirella quickly got out of the car. “Yes of course, I want to get to my baby as soon as possible,” Mirella said. “Okay I will get gas if you want to get the food. I’ll take anything,” Ben said walking towards the store of the gas station to pay. Mirella went inside and picked out a few items that she thought Ben would enjoy and grabbed herself a salad from the refrigerated case inside the store. While paying for the items she looked out the glass windows that ran the length of the front of the store and saw Ben talking to a larger burly gentleman.

Mirella wondered who it was that Ben was talking to by the car. By the time she paid and walked out the door with her bags in hand the man had left. “You won’t believe who I just saw,” Ben said as Mirella put the bags in the car. “Who?” Mirella asked looking skeptical. “One of Arthur Anderros men, he said he just left the cabin and Joey Junior is all right,” Ben said. “Oh thank God,” Mirella said overcome with joy she ran around the other side of the car and hugged Ben tightly and then kissed his cheek.

Mirella and Ben ate the food that Mirella had bought and talked about life in Brooklyn where they had both grown up. Remembering all the good times they had as kids together. Playing on the street corner, riding bikes together, and running after the ice cream truck in the summer. Ben laughed remembering how they chased the ice cream truck three blocks so that Mirella could get an orange push pop. “You always liked those orange push pops,” Ben said. “Yeah and you always had to help me push it up,” Mirella said with a laugh. Ben smiled at the memory.

After another hour and a half they arrived at the entrance to the driveway to the cabin. It was set way back in the woods and Mirella looked around there wasn’t another cabin in sight. “Well this is it,” Ben said as he began to pull down the driveway.