Stolen Identity

6: Despicable Man

I shook Miss Menendez’s hands and smiled, “You have a very lovely and smart boy Mrs. Scarpa” she said warmly and I grimaced on the inside by the title she addressed me. She crouched and patted the child that was gripping my pant leg tightly. She smiled at me for the last time before taking her leave with Aldo, who is the one escorting her way out. When she was out of the door I exhaled deeply massaging my temple.

“Mamma is the lady out now?” Eliseo asks underneath me.

“She is darling, don’t worry, isn't she nice?” I asked him.

“I don’t like her mamma she’s going to take me away” he answers me.

“What do you mean?” I asked him, dropping to my knees so I can be at the same level as his face. His adorable face is scrunched up and a frown on his lips, this is the first time I saw him frown. He's always been laughing and giggles, smiling is like his permanent asset.

“Nanny says that I have to be good and always be with Mamma and Papà and some people will take me away from Mamma and Papà” he answers obediently.

“I don’t want to be taken away, I just met the both of you, I was very excited that I am with you both now” he said smiling and tackling me to a hug.

My heart somehow had a cracked expression from his sentence, I wrapped my arms around him and caressed his hair. Whoever cruel persons who did this is not going to be happy for a lifetime. How can they deceive someone—a child of all people?! My conscience is bubbling abnormally because even though I didn’t start this and I don’t have anything to do with this I just got dragged into this situation on some grounds not telling Eliseo that I’m not really his biological mother is deceiving him also. Keeping my mouth shut is also a way of deceiving him.

“Are you hungry?” I asked him, he nodded his head and carried him in my hip while we made our way to the kitchen.

The maids all scurried away from their stations and lined up neatly on the side when I arrived there, they were odd. I tried talking to them but they don’t respond back unless I'm asking where the condiments or how to work something I feel so alienated in here.

“Do you want a fruit bowl?” I asked Eliseo to perch on his seat a little worried that he may fall, they don’t have a high-chair yet. I mean not that he really needs one but because the stools are just really high up and he may fall any time even by accident.

All the fruits were presented immediately on the counter by the maids and faced Eliseo asking him which ones he liked.

“Mamma no strawberries eek yuck” Eliseo turned to me before giving the strawberries a disgusted look I chuckled at him, looks like we have one thing in common.

“We don’t like strawberries huh?” I commented on reaching for the chopping board with a cutting knife. The maids cleared out the other ones that were not needed.

I am munching on some green apples, which Eliseo likes too. He’s telling me about a movie he watched before about a robot that wants to be human, sort of familiar but I don’t remember it very well. I’m amused and content enough just to listen to Eliseo’s childish voice while he talks about something more of a grown up affair. He is too smart for his age. I won't be surprised if he is above normal in intellectual grounds I haven’t seen even a shadow of Mr. Scarpa, Salvatore. It’s been 2 days since I last saw him, I’m thankful enough that I have enough alibi to tell at home that can last for a while seeing my parents trust me, my guilt consuming me again I groaned mentally closing my eyes.

“Papà!” I heard Eliseo but I didn’t open my eyes yet.

“So you had sorted with the Social Worker?” someone asked, I opened my eyes as quickly as possible.

And I saw Salvatore standing regally and firm at the entrance doors of the kitchen looking at me sharply. I felt a shiver in my spine when I felt his gaze. Eliseo is beaming at him but it annoyed me when he didn’t even take a glance in his son’s direction? What in the heck is up with this guy?

“Papa! The lady is gone, she said I was good!” Eliseo reported happily.

Salvatore stared at Eliseo, eyes cold and harsh? He walked towards us uncuffing his cufflinks before turning to Eliseo,

“How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not your father” he said sharply, making me gasp. Eliseo widened his eyes, redness appearing from his gorgeous eyes. I rounded the corner separating Eliseo and I. I took him in my arms and covered his ears. He wrapped his arms around me, starting to sniff and little whimpers coming from him.

I glared at Salvatore, who was still unfazed, “How could you?” I snapped at him.

He raised his eyebrow at me, “It’s true, that bastard is not mine” he stated, a sob is heard underneath me, Salvatore shook his head at us before turning his back and walking away.

What a horrible person! I called Aldo and instructed to accompany Eliseo to his room.

“Mamma, no” Eliseo fought, gripping me tightly as Aldo tried to pry him from me.

“It’s okay, darling I’ll go to you after I talk to your Papa” I assured kissing his flustered and tear soaked face. My heart broke at the expression of his face.

After trying to resist Eliseo’s pitiful look I marched down to Salvatore’s office and I guessed where he could be. I slammed his doors and sure there he was pouring an alcoholic beverage again on a glass. He didn’t even turn to look up to me.

“How could you?! You are horrible! How can you say that in front of Eliseo!” I asked him, my hands curling into fists.

He hummed and looked at me unfazed, I never wanted to hurt somebody this much before. Eliseo is a great kid, how can he be that cruel?

“It’s true, why would I lie?” he told me sitting on his desk casually with a drink in his hand and looked at me expressionlessly.

“I know you’re not his biological father Aldo admitted that, but in the documents you are! Can you atleast be considerate with that?! He is a child! He doesn’t know that he just got dragged into this messed up situation!” I noticed my tone was raised.

He swirled the glass in his hand making the ice cubes clinked to each other and hummed looking at me.

“How did it go with the social worker?” he casually asks, I scoffed at his changing topics ability.

“It went well, they have to do it twice more,” I said calmly now, my breath turning back to its normal pace.

“We have a long overdue talk, I’ll talk to you in the evening and go tend to the bastardo I can hear his cries even from here. It's irritating” Salvatore said dismissing me. I huffed at him stomping away from that despicable man.