WHEN MANNY DONATO TASTED the tomato gravy Bella wheeled home, he was astounded.
“Who made this?”
“I did.”
“Don’t you lie to me.”
“I’m not lying.”
The man was silent for a full minute. Then a small smile played across his lips. “I don’t fucking believe this …”
Bella thought she was gonna get a sweet kiss.
Her papa’s eyes brimmed with tears. He quickly rubbed them away. Then he smacked his stunned daughter to the floor and vanished into his basement sanctuary.
After the rest of the family finished eating (they scraped their plates, they slurped up everything), Bella carried a bowl of gravied spaghetti into her mamma’s room. She pulled a chair next to the silent woman’s bed and proceeded to feed her with a twirling fork and spoon.
Maybe the Cooking Spirit would swoop in. Maybe her mamma would take a bite and start speaking again.
“I made this with Big Betty LoMonico,” Bella proudly whispered. “Do you like it? It’s full of the Cooking Spirit.”
Lucia took the food into her mouth. She slowly chewed and swallowed without saying a word.
“Don’t worry, Mamma,” Bella said as she continued to feed the mute woman. “I’m gonna take care of you.”
Silence.
“I’m gonna take care of Little Luigi. I’m gonna take care of the whole family. I’m gonna take care of everything.”
More silence.
Could be Big Betty was full of shit, pieno di merda, just like everybody.
“Mamma, are you ever gonna talk again? Mamma, why won’t you speak to me? Mamma, speak to me! Please!”