Double Trouble

Chapter 55

Alonzo

Riccardo sighs and runs a hand over his face after he closed the car door, leaving Lio and Lia alone in the car. I, self, need some more time till I sorted all my thoughts, going trough my head at the moment. I don't know Lia and Lio for so long yet - unfortunately - and their behavior, acting doesn't help so much to see our two four year old ones in them again.

Back there, both of them were nearly the complete opposite. Laughing, screaming, speaking, jumping around all the time. Gosh, they really barely laughed now. Especially Lia wasn't stoppable. She spoke for hours without a break. Lio was quieter but nevertheless a very open up and easy going boy. And curious. How curious they were. Nothing new was safe from them. One time I left one of my favorite lego cars around and as I came back from school, only individual parts were left from it. I was so angry and they noticed it. Of course they do. They already had a very good people sense back then at the age of three.

The next morning, the car laid repaired and fresh on my nightstand. And it could even drive automatically. I asked our family who did it and according to everybody the Nes self.

This brings up again the question how clever they are. What they could do back then, they can surely do one hundred times better now.

A sad smile places on my face. Our little siblings, our youngest once with only fourteen years are sleeping there in our car. They are back and I won't let them go one more time.

"It was my fault." I mummer to myself. "If I hadn't just g-grabbed her, he-"

My voice breaks at the end.

"Stop that. You are absolutely not guilty for this. And I have also absolutely no explanation why he baked away so immediately. But it has nothing to do with you. Just trust me with this." Riccardo explains calm but demanding.

"Why then? Why did he look suddenly like a scared rabbit? The conversation, we had, was so- so carefree and normal, and then all of sudden, when some abrupt movement comes, he bakes away immediately."

I'm so confused. So confused. I'm not used to such a 'behavior'. All of our other brothers were complete the opposite from them. As we heart about them coming back, we thought maybe Lia needs a soft education and handling. We image Lio being like the others: wild, impetuous, irascible. But now, we're here. Speaking to them as softly and smoothly as we have never before. Even when we raise our voice a bit in a conversation with them, they seem to ignore us consciously.

When Lio panicked so much a few minutes ago, Riccardo would have gone to his knees if Lio wouldn't be that big already. I had this desire too. He seemed so- so small and a lot younger than 14 back then. It was the only situation till now in which I could see them young again.

Luckily Riccardo has studied psychology and knows how to deal with this kind of reaction. I would be probably totally helpless.

But what if something like this happens when I'm alone with them?

"He- they both jump whenever somebody makes a fast movement. A little arm raise is already enough." For the first time, Angolo speaks up again. He looks at both of us as he asks. "Did you see how Neliana started in the hallway yesterday when Alessandro did hand gestures suddenly?"

If I'm honest, I don't remember anything like that. But I was back then to concentrate in taking their figures in then seeing the scene. So I shrug. Ric, instead, nods.