Chapter Five

Romero never forgot the beautiful little girl with the unusual cat's eyes, he remembered his Nonna had told him that her eyes were very special because newborns should have blue eyes. Juliette’s eyes were a deep emerald green mixed with molten gold, it had spooked his Nonna when she first saw them and she had gone to the nearby little church to say a rosary. She had brought back the local Priest and he blessed the baby and sprinkled her with Holy Water as he prayed fervently. It had made Romero laugh because she had screamed her outrage at having the cold water thrown over her waving her tiny fists in anger at the Priest it had taken all his young patience to calm her and rock her back to sleep. He had noticed the look in the Priest's eyes as he did so, he hated the black-clad ‘Fathers’ and he glared back boldly,

‘Sei un ragazzo insolente, prima arrivi alla grande scuola meglio è. Non permettiamo tale comportamento e sarà mio piacere batterlo fuori da te ragazzo’ [You are an insolent boy, the sooner you come to the big school the better. We do not allow such behaviour and it will be my pleasure to beat it out of you boy]

He may have only been six years old but the look in the Priests eyes sent a shiver through him, he was not afraid of being beaten, as far as he knew all boys got the cane at one time or another. No, it was the strange light in the man’s eyes as he had stared at him, appraising him greedily. He was too young to know what that look meant but he knew enough to understand it was not what this man of God should be doing. He remembered the deep trauma he had suffered when the strangers had taken away his little girlfriend and how he had locked himself in his room and cried for hours. Eventually, the tears stopped and he was still alone, all his crying had meant nothing no one had come to comfort him and for the first time in his young life, he had felt utterly powerless. It was a lesson well learned and he never forgot it getting up from his bed he dried his tears and went down for his dinner. He said nothing to either woman as he took his place at the table eating the food in silence as they chatted over his head as if nothing had happened. Hurt and angry he went to bed as soon as he could be excused and later his Nonna sat beside him stroking his silky soft hair,

‘Figlia mia, mi dispiace così tanto che tu abbia dovuto imparare questo così presto nella tua giovane vita. La vita non è giusta, e a volte ci fa male soprattutto quando perdiamo qualcuno che amiamo. Non potevo impedire loro di prendere Juliette, non era il mio posto per farlo, sua madre ha fatto quella scelta e ai suoi occhi ha fatto ciò che era meglio per sua figlia. Era pericoloso per lei rimanere qui’ [My child, I am so sorry you had to learn this so early in your young life. Life is not fair, and sometimes it hurts us especially when we lose someone we love. I could not stop them taking Juliette, it was not my place to do so, her Mother made that choice and in her eyes she did what was best for her daughter. It was to dangerous for her to stay here.]

Tenderly she stroked the hair back from his small face then gently sponged away his tears her eyes full of love,

‘Mi dispiace così tanto Romero, so che l'hai amata’ [I’m so sorry Romero, I know you loved her]

He looked at her with all the confidence of his six years,

‘Non preoccuparti nonna, staremo insieme, Juliette è mia’ [Do not worry Grandmother, we will be together, Juliette is mine]

The superstitious old lady had crossed herself at the knowing look in those beautiful blue eyes,

‘Caro Dio, c'è qualcosa in questi due bambini. Qualunque sia il tuo piano per loro, tutto ciò che ti chiedo è di tenerli al sicuro nel tuo Amore Divino.’ [Dear God, there is something about these two children. Whatever your plan is for them all I ask is you keep them safe in your Divine Love]

She prayed for this every time she could, asking the Priest for special Blessings and Novas on their birthdays.

It all changed on Romero’s tenth birthday, Nonna had been poorly for a few days and he had tried to look after her he kept the fire going bringing in the wood to feed it so she stayed warm. He made her drinks of juice and even toast but she told him softly she was not feeling well enough to eat it. Instead, she encouraged him to do so and being a healthy growing boy he wolfed it down and when he told her he would stay off school to look after her on his birthday she had to force herself to get up and make him his birthday breakfast. She always made his favourite pancakes as a treat and even managed to make him a special lunch for school. Handing him a bag with lots of homemade goodies for his class, a tradition she had started and the children looked forward to every year. She struggled to the door sending him off to school with a hug and kiss on the top of his head,

‘Arrivare a scuola starò bene bella bambina.’ [Get to school, I will be fine beautiful child]

She told him waving and smiling until he met his friends and they raced off up the street together laughing and joking leaning against the door jamb her smile faded as she dragged herself back inside to wait lying exhausted on her bed. The two men arrived an hour later pulling up outside the cottage in their sleek black limousine, they stepped out confident in their smart dark grey Armani suits their eyes hidden behind black glasses. They swaggered up the path and into the small cottage,

‘Nonna?’ [Grandmother?]

They found her in her room,

‘Miguel and Rico Pelligrini, grazie per essere venuti. Promettimi che ti prenderai cura del bambino’  [Miguel and Rico Pelligrini, thank you for coming. Promise me you will care for the child?]