Chapter 12


    Melody


    Melody couldn’t remember thest time she feltpletely rxed since she found out she was


    expecting a child. She didn’t understand how she had fallen into epting lunch with Timothy, she was


    getting sick just thinking about having to find something to wear to see him. Well, she did understand,


    she realized that she had no money, nor was the best circumstance to be expecting a child. She must


    have been aware that she found a way, although not quite easy, it was a valid way. She did not stop to


    think about the pros and cons of the situation thaty ahead. She could handle anything.


    He had been right to warn her to be careful to dress appropriately. Melody didn’t know how being


    proper meant in Timothy’s world, much less for circling fancy ces, like the ones she was sure he was


    used to.


    She pulled out all her clothes thinking she could find something, but was unsessful, she shook her


    head in distress, all she had brought from her parents’ house were clothes she wore day to day or were


    already faded, nothing fancy, nothing attractive let alone seductive.


    She dismissed that idea quickly.


    She didn’t want to seduce Timothy Giannato, she needed to remember that.


    She was crazy. There was no logical application for what was happening she simply must be out of her


    mind. Pregnancy affected some brain cell or maybe she wasn’t fit to be in college, she wasn’t


    supposed to be a veterinarian and she was dumber than a boiled potato in its skin. It was true what her


    father used to say: just because you have an above-average IQ doesn’t mean you are smart and will


    make the best decisions.


    At that moment she realized that she was smart about some things, but not about others, like, for


    example, agreeing to have lunch with Timothy and considering his marriage proposal.


    She had a little room; one she asked Lucy for so she wouldn’t have to sleep on the couch in the living


    room. What was supposed to be something for a couple of days was turning into a week and was


    looking to be something more.


    The room she slept in, Lucy used to store empty boxes full of books and pamphlets she no longer


    needed to use. When Melody moved in with her in the studio apartment, she relinquished the space to


    her by removing the boxes and cing them in her own room.


    The only bathroom in the studio apartment was inside the room that was meant to be the main and only


    one, so Lucy’s room had to be entered to go to the bathroom every morning when she went to vomit or


    generally to relieve herself.


    Her phone rang at that instant, just as she was stroking her belly and seeing the sea of clothes lying on


    the bed. She emptied her entire suitcase, the one she brought with her from her parents’ house when


    she decided to get out of there. He remembered with rage every moment of the conversation he had


    with them in the days prior to her decision to leave the house. She found it shameful that her parents


    were so regressive as to force her to have an abortion or kick her out of their home. She didn’t make


    one of the best decisions in giving her body to Richard, that was clear enough, but still her parents


    shouldn’t have turned their backs on her.


    Of course, under desperate measures you knew the true character and good will of people and she


    knew the true face of your parents. The ones she fondly remembered being there for every moment of


    sickness or joy, always going to her school performances, attending her when she had a cold, covering


    her with coats whenever the snow fell, or the temperatures dropped. Giving her hot chocte with


    marshmallows and making her the vegetable soup she loved so much, a rare thing in children, they


    had been there for those things, they always had been in her life, but when she truly needed them, they


    mmed the door in her face, and she would never forgive them for that.


    “Hello,” she greeted, the number not registered to her.


    “Hi sister-inw,” she only had one sister, so it was obvious to her who it was.


    “Equy, what do you want?”


    “I know you know what I did,” he warned immediately. “You can’te to my house and offend my


    wife, use her of betraying you and not standing by you. You are oblivious and immature.”


    “Don’te to talk to me about conscience. You have no scruples to talk about that! You stole from a


    man who sacrificed himself for hispany! You didn’t think of your wife, much less your son!”


    Melody seated herself on the bed as her feet were not supporting her. She looked around; the room


    was a mess. She never been organized, her mother made a habit for her to tidy up Melody’s room and


    any clothes she threw on the floor, her mom would go and pick them up for her. Melody grew up with


    no sense of being organized and now she realized it. Even more being as she was, living in a room she


    couldn’t walk without tripping over one of the corners of the metal bed or a wall.


    Was he really using her of being oblivious?


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    The one who had had the nerve to embezzle from apany!


    She always thought he was a respectable man, a man who fought and focused on giving his sister a


    better life, one who went out of his way for his family, someone to trust if the need arose.


    Melody didn’t know if he had told her sister the truth, but she was sure that, if he had the nerve to call


    her, to offend her, he was highly likely to deny what she told Allegra that afternoon at his house.


    “Did you tell her? Did you tell Allegra the truth?” she heard the silence on the other end of the line and


    that was answer enough for her. “I knew it. You’re a coward.”


    “You don’t know anything about our situation. You don’t know anything about me or us. You only know


    how to call Allegra toin because Charles and Lydia kicked you out of the house.”


    “They didn’t kick me out Equy, I left. I left and I would do it again without thinking about it for a


    second. Where they don’t want my son, I won’t be either.”


    “I don’t care about your son and I don’t care about you,” he hissed. “I care about my wife and my son; I


    care about the boys who areing. You have no idea what it’s like to sacrifice for a family. You think


    it’s easy to y happy house, but it’s not.”


    Melody couldn’t believe what her ears were hearing. Was he trying to justify himself? He stole three


    million dors and wanted to justify his action.


    “So long Equy. I hope I don’t have to hear from you for a long time.” A migraine was taking position in


    her head, so she wanted to end the call. “And just so you know, Timothy Giannato is going all out for


    you. You’ll get screwed and along the way you’ll ruin Allegra and your son. You should have thought


    about that, since you’re such a good husband and father.”


    “How do you know about Giannatto? What do you know about him?” he asked, and she could tell how


    nervous he was getting.


    “Did you think I made it up? That I didn’t know what I was talking about? I do. I know what you did and


    he’sing after you hard. You’ll get it bad. And you can call me childish all you want, but I’d rather


    wipe ass than steal from someone,” she took a breath, as she blurted out everything without giving


    herself time to breathe. “Good night.”


    “How do you know who he is?” shouted Equy at her. “Where do you know him from?”


    “It doesn’t matter where I know him from,” she said raising her voice, “what matters is that tonight you


    tell Allegra what you did, confess to her and hand over the money.”


    “You don’t understand Mel...”


    She thought of how many times she had idolized her brother-inw, she had believed him to be the


    best example of love and devotion, taken him as a role model for the perfect. Equy had been a part


    of her life for more than eight years. He always brought her gifts without a special date, he gave her his


    first Tablet to read her novels, ording to him, she was the sister he never had.


    “Don’t call me that. I’m Melody to you.”


    “Okay, okay,” he agreed nervously and desperately. “Melody, tell me where you know him from, tell me


    you can help me. Help me please.”


    “Talk to Allegra,” she let out the tears she had been holding back, “see youter Equy.”


    She threw the phone on the bed, it was as much like a cot as possible, metal and with a thin mattress


    that left her with a sore back every morning.


    “Damn it!” she shrieked tearfully.


    She let a couple of tears escape and went to take a shower. Tomorrow she would have aplicated


    day, it was best to get some rest.


    She gathered up all the clothes, without folding them she put them in the suitcase again. She would


    talk to Tara to borrow something decent. The newlywed couple were exceptionally good to her, and


    although they didn’t pay her much for cleaning the house, they were at her beck and call. Thinking


    about going to the coffee shop until noon and then going to Tara’s and asking for her help, she felt


    calmer and took a leisurely shower.


    She lit a scented candle andy down.


    The next morning, she woke up with the typical vomit tide and rushed to Lucy’s room.


    She found it with thetch on.


    “Lucy I must go in,” she cried holding back a retch.


    “Wait,” she heard her friend say from the other side of the wood.


    The cold was beginning to thicken, and she stroked her arms up and down quickly for warmth.


    The heating in the apartment was a disaster, chaotically repaired on more than three asions.


    Considering it was the middle of February, the cold was horrible.


    Lucy opened the door after a few minutes, she was wrapped in her silver robe with light feathers on the


    cor and edge of the sleeves.


    “Let me in,” she told her when she saw her friend didn’t move, “I’ll throw up on you.”


    “Mel...” she began making more signals than a traffic cop with her eyes.


    “You got a man in there?” Perfect!


    “It’s Tommy.”


    “Wow... What am I supposed to do then?”


    “Get a bucket and keep it in your room. When he leaves, youe and flush it down the toilet,” her


    friend closed the door again and left Melody covering her mouth with her hand that was starting to turn


    purple.


    Excellent start to the morning, she told herself in annoyance.