KILLING ME SOFTLY

Chapter 2: The Romano Family

Veda is sweating as she is vacuuming the café. She has been on her own since seven o'clock. Rico and Nina have gone home to celebrate the good news from Elisa and her husband Marco: they are having a second child. Veda fully understands, but it doesn't mean the work is any less hard. It is now almost eleven o'clock in the evening and Veda has almost finished tidying up, cleaning and closing up the shop. The idea of ​​a warm bed and hopefully a better night's sleep than last night sounds appealing to Veda.

Music is still playing through the speakers in the café, now a bit louder than the volume level of this afternoon. Singing along and moving, Veda turns off the vacuum cleaner. She holds the rod to her mouth as if it were a microphone and is completely absorbed in the music.

She has turned on the "golden oldies" and knows how to motivate herself to work a little harder. The prospect of having two days off is also a good boost. Her plan for tomorrow is to borrow a book and head to a secluded beach. In her mind, Veda is already halfway at the beach as she puts the vacuum cleaner away in the closet and checks the cash register one last time.

She looks around the room, everything is back where it should be; except for a few things that she had to prepare for Rico and Nina when they open the day after tomorrow. Veda turns off the light in the kitchen and is about to walk to the front door, when she sees something moving in the window.

Startled, she looks to the side and squints in the hope of seeing something on the other side of the glass. A dark shadow on a wall is all she sees and her heart immediately starts pounding a lot faster. Veda lets out a soft breath to get her nerves under control. 'It's just a stray cat,' she mumbles to herself, '-nothing wrong.' Still, she keeps looking at the window for a few more seconds to see if the image changes. Veda shakes her head and squeezes her own hands.

'It's nothing,' she repeats as she grabs her bag. She steps out onto the street and a warm evening air greets her. From her shoulder bag she grabs the keys to lock the front door of the café. In the distance Veda indeed hears a cat meowing, '-you see,' she says to no one in particular. With a loud click the door closes and Veda starts walking back to Rico and Nina's house.

Rico and Nina had converted their garage into a small studio when Elisa was about seventeen so that she would have more privacy there at the time. This worked out well now since Veda is allowed to stay there, in exchange for help with the housekeeping chores.

Veda had expected to have to pay some rent, but the couple had stroked their generous hearts and said that it "wasn't necessary at all". It had felt, and still does, very wrong for Veda to accept. But Veda is also aware that she is not in a position to refuse this offer or to arrange it in another way.

As she walks back, Veda keeps looking around her and an uneasy feeling forms in her stomach. She can't quite put her finger on what is causing it, but something doesn't feel right. As if there are a pair of eyes burning into her back. Veda tries to put it out of her mind, this way she is driving herself crazy.

She quickens her pace and turns the corner. There she sees Rico and Nina's cozy house. Almost home. She magnifies the last few steps she has to take. Only five more steps, four, three. Veda puts the key in the door and hurries inside. She immediately closes and locks the door of the converted garage. A sigh of relief escapes her lips.

You are just seeing ghosts and spooking yourself over nothing. Veda hangs her bag on the coat rack and starts getting changed. She is exhausted and wants nothing more than to lie down. The prospect of sleeping, eyes closed and the darkness, doesn't appeal to her much, but not having to move; that does.

* * *

Veda enters the dining room of the Romano family and sees that everyone else is already sitting at the table. Elisa is busy feeding the two-year-old Ricardo, her son whom she named after her father. Rico is talking to Marco and Nina is busy making breakfast for everyone.

'Good morning, darling,' she greets Veda. Veda smiles and offers her help, but Nina waves it away. 'Have a seat,' she says and gestures to the empty chair next to Elisa. Veda does as she is told and takes a seat next to Elisa. 'So Dorine,' she begins and puts down the spoon with which she feeds Ricardo. The child greedily grabs the spoon himself and starts mashing it in his plate. Elisa ignores it and turns completely to Veda.

'We,' Elisa points to everyone present in the room, 'want to go to Rome. Do you want to come along?' There is a moment of silence. 'Oh, uh,' Veda stammers, not really knowing what to say. Going to such a big and busy city is one of the last things Veda would do as long as life is still a little dear to her.

Nina notices Veda's discomfort. 'If you want to stay here, we understand.' Veda nods. 'I,' she begins, but can't find the right words to decline the offer without sounding ungrateful. 'I know you were looking forward to reading at the beach,' Nina agrees. 'Go ahead and do that, don't feel guilty.' Veda smiles gratefully at Nina.

To Veda, Nina feels like the mother she never had. Her own mother died in childbirth and Veda's father, Mikhail, made sure Veda knew very well that it was her fault. Mikhail was depressed for years because of the loss of his wife, until he met Dena. Dena Lucchese. Shivers went down Veda's spine at the thought of that woman and her family.

'That's right,' Veda responds to what Nina says, trying to push the memories of Dena and her family away. 'I wanted to go to Silvio's to borrow a book,' Veda explains. Elisa wiggles her eyebrows at the name. 'Silvio? I heard he's single again.' She playfully pokes Veda in the side. Veda smiles uncomfortably at Elisa and shakes her head. 'I'm not,' she begins, but Elisa interrupts her, '-I think he'd be interested in you if you gave him a chance.'