Where life leads us

Chapter 81

Two hours passed before my uncle came back, two hours in which I wondered if he would come back at all. Even though my father and Nonna didn't want to be noticed, I could see with Nonna how nervous she really was.

When we heard the front door, you could feel how the mood relaxed: "I'm back, unfortunately took longer than expected. I hope you haven't done the present without me yet."

"How could we," my uncle had gone to Nonna. She had given him a kiss on the cheek, just as she did with each of us when we came. It was her way of thanking God that we had arrived safely to her house. Like every Italian woman, she was a believer, but she also had many problems with the institution of the Church, for example with celibacy. Nonna, unlike many others her age, had moved with the times. Which is why she had no problem with me at the time, after all, every child was a gift from God, so she had always explained it to me and others.

My uncle dropped next to his sister across from me and stole a cookie straight away: "There is no snacking before eating! First you get a nice hot meal, you have to starve." Nonna had jumped up and stormed into the kitchen as fast as she was her age.

"Mom, that's not necessary! I can still eat your delicious roast in the evening and stuff my stomach with cookies," but Nonna hadn't listened to her son. With a more than well-filled plate, she came back and put it in front of my uncle.

She briefly pinched his cheek: "I have to be careful that you stick to your strength, to the job." Lando and I were now extremely confused, because we didn't really have any idea what she meant by that. Aunt Sophia didn't seem to know either, but she had probably come to terms with the secret, because she just took another place and didn't miss a mine.

"What do you have to stay strong for, what is so hard in your job?" I wanted to know. It was actually clear to me that I would not get an answer, at least not one that satisfied me. But I didn't wanted to leave any chances and maybe he would fulfill this wish for Me at Christmas and reveal his job.

My dad looked at me sternly: "Laura, it's none of your business! How many more times do we have to tell you that." Now I was slowly pissed off, because I was tired of them patronizing me. Dad himself had concealed the separation from Maria from me in order to 'protect' me. But I no longer needed their protection, I could decide for myself what I wanted to know and I wanted to know the job of my uncle. I just wanted to know if my family were murderers.

"I'm not four anymore! I no longer need your protection, because I can take care of myself and decide! You hid the separation from Maria from me, who knows what kind of secrets you still have! Family sticks together, you told me, for that you have to be honest with each other! The three of you have always been hiding something and I want to know what it is!", I got up with a jolt. The chair had fallen over and even soda was frightened by my outburst, but I just had enough.

Now Nonna had stood up: "It's Christmas, so behave and let's get the presents." But I didn't feel like making a healthy family anymore, because it felt wrong. So I just shook my head and looked at my boyfriend, who looked at me pityingly and also got up. While I walked into the hallway without a word of promise, Lando thanked me politely. I just wanted to get out of the house.

In front of the house I had been waiting for Lando, as I already had to get out into the fresh air. Together with our dogs, he came out of the old wooden house and took me directly into his arms. Immediately I couldn't help it and started crying, because I was just disappointed with my family.

"I think Maison was right, my family are murderers," I sobbed into my boyfriend's jacket. It just felt like every memory of my childhood here with Dad was a lie. Betrayed by my own family, because I no longer knew what to believe whom.