56- The Desperate Search
POV- Alfred Castelli.
I watch the children go up, with great emotion for having a part of me that I have searched for so much and believed I had found. However, it was just another set-up by a cruel person, whom I came to call "mother".
Vittoria was not the daughter I lost in my youth. And so I decided to investigate everything about Eleonora, but it was only a confirmation for what I had already suspected since I saw her.
As a result, I froze all the money I put into Vittoria's bank account and blocked all of her cards. It makes no sense to continue giving her what belongs to my daughter. But that wasn't the only reason, but that Vittoria never respected me as her father and, even though I raised her well in every way I could, she still caused me a lot of shame and hurt my Eleonora.
All I want is to get closer to Eleonora and let her know that I am her father. May she love me as her papà, just as I love her as a figlia.
I take the wallet out of my pocket and open it, taking in my hand the only thing I have left of Martina. A photo she gave me, a few days after we started dating.
Yes, she had taken care of our daughter. I felt very bad for considering the hypothesis that she had abandoned her.
Eleonora was now a woman and a mother of a family, nothing could make me happier than that. "But..." A sad thought invades my mind. When I asked for a dossier on my daughter, I was not only sure that Martina was her mother, but I also learned that she had already passed away.
About the man she married, I don't know if he was a good husband, if he at least took good care of my family. "I need to clear up this doubt, to at least ease my conscience..." I come out of my reveries, with my daughter, who descends radiantly down the stairs. Her personality reminds me a lot of Martina. Her face and hair belonged to her mother, but her eyes pulled to mine.
"Oh, Alfred..." He smiles and approaches, sitting next to me. I realize I was holding her mother's picture and put it away quickly before she realized. I was not yet ready to tell him that I am his biological father.
"Hi, my daughter." Smile. The desire I have is to hug her and tell her how much I love her, explain everything that happened and why I couldn't take care of her and her mother. "Where are Viktor and Renzo?"
"They're up there talking."
"Oh, well. Even with some meetings, we didn't have the opportunity to get to know each other better. How about seizing the moment?" I suggest, and she nods excitedly. "Start."
"Well... My parents both lived here, but moved to Tuscany when I turned four. So they died a few years ago, and I had to leave the countryside in search of work and go to college, until I ended up here in Milan."
"I imagine your parents were good to you." I comment, trying to get where I want.
"Oh yes! They were both great, especially my father, Francesco. He was an honorable man and took very good care of me and Mom. We loved him very much." She says it in such an innocent way, without realizing that her words hurt. My eyes burn, and I lower my gaze to prevent her from noticing my discomfort. "Well, I miss it a lot."
"I imagine." I say with regret. Then my attempts to disguise my restlessness fail, and she asks:
"Alfred, are you okay?"
"Yes, my dear. These are problems that I'm having in relation to Vittoria."
"And what happened?"
"As you know, she is pregnant and does not want the baby. So I ended up freezing the money I gave him and asked to block all the cards. So that she doesn't try to have an abortion." As much as it wasn't what he was thinking, in part, he was worried about the future of the poor little child that Vittoria is waiting for.
"And she won't, Alfred." Renzo's voice echoes further ahead. I look in his direction and frown. "I want to take this opportunity to clarify some things with you." He approaches next to Viktor, and the two sit on another sofa.
"Well, then tell me what happened." I speak, and he sighs.
"The father of the baby Vittoria is expecting is me." I am incredulous at what he says. But I couldn't have an aggressive attitude towards it. "I'm sorry. For I know that He has created us as brothers. It was a slip, and we were under the influence of alcohol. But I want you to know that I will be here to take care of the baby and I will bear all the expenses in relation to my son and Vittoria. However, I don't want to get involved in love. I sincerely hope you understand." And I understand well. Gone are the days when a child was a reason for a marriage. The important thing was that he shouldered his responsibilities.
"I understand perfectly, young man, and I agree with your decision." He widens his eyes, making me laugh. "What? Did you think you were going to force him to marry Vittoria?" I shake my head negatively and continue: "Not at all! I may be old, but I'm not outdated." Everyone laughs, and so we develop a conversation.
...
POV- Eleonora Vitale.
We had dinner and chatted animatedly at the table. Alfred tells some of Viktor and Renzo's pranks, when they were ragazzi, and we laugh a lot.
"I see that they are having a lot of fun." A voice totally cuts the mood, and we turn in the same direction where it comes from.
"Vittoria..." Alfred says her name in a cold tone, as if there was no emotion in seeing her, that even she was surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey, this is my house, isn't it?" He asks as if it were obvious, but Alfred says something that leaves us perplexed:
"No, this is no longer your home. Then leave right now." Vittoria is incredulous, so much so that she drops her bags on the floor. "As of today, I no longer recognize you as a daughter." The words are in the air, and all I do is alternate my gaze between both. I make sure I stand up, because honestly I have nothing to do with this discussion, and here I was the strangest to participate in such an intimate family moment. "You don't have to leave, Eleonora. You're not a stranger. The stranger here is Vittoria, the person whom I called my daughter so much and considered her for many years as such." Then he gets up and walks to her, gathering her bags and taking her towards the exit. We followed them and realized that the taxi she came in was still waiting for her.
"Signore, you left without speaking, and then I imagined that she was still going to pay me." The taxi driver explains, and Alfred pulls some money out of his pocket and gives it to the man, saying:
"Take it back." She opens the door from the back of the car, and Vittoria gets into it. Soon the taxi starts, and the wind makes something fly at my feet. I bend down to see what it is, and before I turn the verse, Alfred grabs it abruptly, causing me a fright. "Sorry, dear. It's something very personal. Who knows, maybe I'll show you another time." Embarrassed, I agree and smile embarrassedly.
HOURS LATER...
I walk through a vast garden, until a huge tree appears in my field of vision. Underneath its foliage is a couple. The two seem delighted as they look at each other. I take a little look away, and next to it appears a large mansion. I walk to it and, when I get in front of it, I realize that it is Alfred's house.
I turn my sight to the couple again, but this time they were no longer there. Until a noise of a door opening catches my attention. My view goes to the entrance of the mansion, and from there comes a woman, holding a child of about four years old. The stranger turns her face, and so I can see her well. I am surprised to see that, incredibly, she had the very same features as me.
"One day you will regret everything you did to us! I already know the truth, but don't worry. One day I'm going to get my daughter back." She says as she turns around again. I notice that another older and much more placed woman appears behind her and props her hands on the doorstep, then says:
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I want you to leave my property right now. I've put up with you and your family a lot. Summing up!!" Slams the door hard. The first woman turns her gaze forward and seems to notice my presence. She approaches and asks:
"Who are you?" When it is already at a considerable distance, I feel as if I am seeing my reflection in a mirror. I'm sure she thinks the same, because it was impossible for her not to notice our striking similarities.
"Mom..." I whisper as I understand that this one in front of me is the person who gave birth to me. She widens her eyes when she hears what I call her. "Mom, I... I miss you..." Tears run down my eyes, and I want to go to her to hug her. But I know I could scare her.
"I don't know who you are." He says and moves away a little. However, I stop it and say:
"It's me, Eleonora. La tua piccola Giglio." I say tearful. With my words, she approaches again and touches my cheek. I close my eyes, and when I open them again, I'm in the middle of a green field, alone. "Mom?"
I observe the surroundings, but I do not find it. I despair at losing contact and start screaming:
"Mom! MOMMY!!"