Book 2: Chapter Eighty-Seven - A Silver Lining

Book 2: Chapter Eighty-Seven - A Silver Lining
Matteo went to see his lawyer to take an update on his health. Mr. Berkeley had stood by him in his time of need, and he was indebted to the man. He wasn’t in great shape and Matteo found him resting on his bed, which was odd. He was the most hardworking person on earth and in all these years, Matteo had always found him in his office, working. 

“Matteo! I’m so glad to see you, son!” he said, getting up to embrace him.

“I’m happy to be back too, Mr. Berkeley. How are you now? Freddie told me about your health issues.” 

“I’m much better now. I’m sorry I let you down. We didn’t have another option before us. The mafia Don would have burned the entire shop down or killed all of us if we didn’t pay.” 

“I understand Mr. Berkeley. I’ll figure it out somehow.” 

He spent some time with the lawyer and then returned home to help Amelia. It was evening and she would be worried about him. 

“Matteo! What happened? Did you find out anything? Is the shop still there? Marie and I were about to go down to check up on you.”

“Yes, it’s there.” He explained everything to her and they sat down to think of a way out. 

“I wish Lucas Donnelly would give me the work he promised. I really need it. The shop is charred and needs repairing. No customer would visit us until the shop looks better.” 

“Why don’t you use the money I have to repair the shop? I bought groceries and all our necessary stuff using it.” 

Matteo sighed, looking a little upset. He didn’t wish to use her money, knowing it belonged to her dad. Knowing how much her dad hated him, Matteo thought of other ways than to use the money. 

“Don’t you want to use it?” she prodded, and Matteo shook his head. “Why?” 

“It’s your dad’s, isn’t it? He hated me!” 

“Now it’s mine. He isn’t there to demand an explanation from you. When I’m giving it to you, what problems could you have? We need to survive until you can restart. We need to admit Marie to a good school. Take it as a loan and repay me when you can.”

Matteo flailed his arms helplessly around and got up. “Alright! I’ll take it as a loan. Just keep a tab on how much we’re spending. I’ll repay every penny we use.” 

Amelia heaved a sigh of relief that he agreed. Mariella came out of her room to look for the ice cream her Papà had promised her. 

“You remembered, Papà!” she exclaimed, serving three scoops in three different bowls and handing them their share. They sat down to share it together. Mariella’s antics brought a smile to Matteo’s lips and, for a moment, he forgot his worries. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you with the cleaning.” 

“That’s okay, Matteo. I understand. Dinner is ready. Do you want it now?” 

“No. I want to freshen up first.” 

After dinner, they sat down to watch a movie of Mariella’s choice. It was a heart-touching story of a little girl and her pet dog.

“Papà, can I have a pet dog too? I feel so lonely!” pleaded Mariella and Matteo looked at Amelia for her permission. Could they afford to keep a pet now?

“Let’s settle you down in a good school first, Marie,” said Amelia. 

It was night, and they tucked Mariella into her bed and returned to their room. The place held a lot of memories for them. It was here they fell in love. It was here she conceived Mariella, their bundle of joy. However, Matteo was too upset to think of making love to her. They just lay down, cuddled up with one another to sleep. 

For the last few days, Matteo had been dying to get her all to himself, but now things were different. He had her to himself, but the problems looming over their heads disrupted his peace of mind. Now, he couldn’t think of anything but a way out of this mess. He needed to earn! 

The next morning, Amelia transferred some money into his account without his permission. “Get your dream shop repaired,” she said bringing a smile to his face. 

“Thanks, Cara. I will.” 

The repair work started while Matteo started marketing his shop with Freddie’s help. They changed their signage board design to make it look attractive. The color combination made it stand out and visible from even a distance. The boys worked with added enthusiasm. Seth brought in work through his contacts. Although small, it brought a constant flow of income for the shop. Even customers started dropping in for emergency repair work like before. They got back some of their old customers as well.

The repair work took almost a fortnight, but the results were outstanding. 

Matteo’s Auto Body Shop looked swanky and professional, better than any other shop in the vicinity! It helped them to attract more customers. Even new mechanics came looking for work. Matteo was in a better frame of mind now, and so were the boys. Things started looking better already! 

“I’ll make dinner, Emilia! Why don’t you lie down a little? You look so tired!” he said, noticing her exhausted face. He felt a little guilty for leaving everything on her ever since they returned. Amelia had admitted Mariella to a wonderful school within walking distance, without his assistance. He was indebted to her for taking all the responsibilities of the household on her shoulders. It gave him the chance to concentrate on his work after five years. 

“So do you, Matteo.” 

“I’m fine, Tesoro. Just relax. I’ll make something quickly.” He ushered her out of the kitchen and she gave him a grateful smile. For the last two days, she had been feeling extremely exhausted throughout the day. Maybe a day’s rest would do her good. 

Mariella sat with her, and they played with Legos. It helped her relax. Matteo made a delightful dinner for them and they all tucked into a hearty meal. 

“You’re the best cook in the world, Papà!” Mariella exclaimed, loving every bite of the warm pasta he made. It was these simple things in life that gave him the energy to work harder. In the night, he wrapped his wife in his arms but she fell asleep in a matter of minutes. It made him a little concerned about her health. 

The next morning, Matteo was in for a big surprise as he reached his shop. There were around eight expensive cars parked outside his shop. Who was here? The moment he stepped in, Seth grabbed him. 

“Matteo, I was about to come over to your house to get you. Lucas Donnelly is here with his brother Nicholas.” 

Matteo’s eyes popped out with disbelief. What could such big celebrities want from him? Seth led him to the stall where Freddie and Bruce were inspecting a damaged Ferrari. He saw Lucas Donnelly with another man who resembled him, standing with their bodyguards. Who didn’t know Lucas Donnelly? He was all over the media every day nearly! Matteo blinked as the thought seeped into his system. The famous Lucas Donnelly was indeed here at his humble old shop!

“Mr. Donnelly, this is our boss and owner of this place, Matteo Antonio Ricci!” introduced Seth. 

“Hello, Mr. Donnelly! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!” said Matteo, holding his hand out for a shake. Lucas grabbed his hand and smiled. 

“It’s no surprise at all! I informed your man that I would visit soon. A few months ago, I had an accident. My favorite Ferrari suffered a lot of damage. Can you fix it and bring it back to its previous condition?”

“Freddie? Can you fix it?” he yelled at his man. 

“Sure, we can!” yelled back Freddie while inspecting the damaged car. 

“Great! Once you do that, I want you to design the interiors for my limousine. I’ll give you the specifications I need!” said Lucas. 

“Sure, we’ve done quite a few limos,” said Matteo proudly. 

“I know. Seth showed me your portfolio.” 

Matteo gave Seth a thankful smile. 

“What about my work, bro?” sulked Nicholas Donnelly, and Matteo smiled at the young guy. 

“This is my brother, Nicholas. Did you see the cars outside? He wants you to paint all of them blue!” said Lucas with an eye roll. “Oh, leave out the Bentley. It’s mine and I have to drive to work.” Everyone chuckled and Nicholas glared at his big brother. 

“What shade of blue do you want, Mr. Donnelly?” asked Matteo. 

“Oh, call me Nicholas. Do you have a shade card or something?” he asked with interest. 

“Yes, Seth, can you get the shade card?” 

Seth rushed to get it, and Matteo smiled at his enthusiasm. There was excitement in the shop at the prospect of work. The boys eagerly spoke to Lucas about the damage caused to his Ferrari. Matteo released a breath of relief. Maybe the good times will soon be back in his life! 

After a while, they walked out of the shop and Lucas leaned in towards Matteo. “The limousine is special for a very special person in my life. Please build it with care. I want to impress her!” Matteo smiled at the man, liking him immensely. 

“Sure, Mr. Donnelly. I give you my word. She’ll love it!”

“Call me Lucas then. I’ll be indebted to you if she likes it. Bye, see you soon, Matteo.” 

“Bye, Lucas.” 

Unknown to them, it was the start of a beautiful friendship between the two of them that would last them forever!