Giuseppe

“Hey son!” This was the first time since Diane’s funeral that Giuseppe and George had spoken to one another. He was ecstatic.

“Hey pop, are you at home?” George asked seriously.

“Yup. My flight for Venice doesn’t leave till later today.” Giuseppe replied sarcastically.

“Pop you’re leaving town?” George was not one for sarcasm. He is much too serious for that.

“No,” Giuseppe chuckled, “I’m at home boy, I won’t be going anywhere in this weather. Besides, the fire department is blocking the street both ways.”

“I know, that’s why I’m calling you. Give me a few, I’ll be right there.” With that George hung up the phone, leaving Giuseppe bewildered and confused. A few moments passed as Giuseppe stood in his kitchen, phone in hand. He finally decided to put the phone back on its home base, and drink his coffee, which he always looked forward to. Giuseppe felt that the coffee that he meticulously brews and pours into his favorite mug was his reward for getting out of bed this dreary morning. There were still voices and heavy boots going up and down the hallway outside his door. Giuseppe was starting to get annoyed with the raucous, wishing the paramedics would just take the stiff and leave the building. There has to be other emergencies in Long Island that the first responders could be responding to.

Just as Giuseppe was about to take his first sip of his hot and fresh coffee, there was a knock at the door. Giuseppe was not going to allow a few knocks to distract him from his coffee. If it is important then whoever is at the door will stick around for a second longer. A single sip was all he needed. However, Giuseppe indulged in more than just a single sip. More knocking arose from Giuseppe’s front door.

“Pop? Pop, come on, open the door!” It was George! Giuseppe could not contain his excitement to see his boy after months of no communication. Giuseppe rushed to the door as quickly as his old bones would allow. When Giuseppe finally reached the door, he opened it to see George attempting to be pushed out by a police officer.

“No wait, that is my son George, officer!” Giuseppe called out to the officer.

“Sir this is a secure scene, we can’t just have random people coming in and out of the building.” The officer was not having a very good morning it seems. Maybe he was interrupted during his morning coffee as well.

“I understand that, but I invited him here before one of my neighbors decided to…how do I put this eloquently? Bite the big one.” The police officer scoffed at Giuseppe’s remark, and proceeded to walk out of the building. Giuseppe chuckled at his own quip, but when he looked at George his smile slowly dissipated. “How are you son?” Giuseppe reached out to hug George, who reciprocated dryly.

“I’m doing very well pop. What was that you mentioned about one of your neighbors dying? Is that why the first responders are here?”

“It seems to be the case. I saw the paramedics taking a body covered in a blanket down the hall, a little before you called me. Were you just in the neighborhood driving by?” Giuseppe motions to the coffee machine offering some to George.

“No, thank you.” Was George’s response. “I am actually here on business. Your editor needs to have a rough draft of your new book by the end of the month, or else they won’t renew your publication contract.”

“When you say ‘they’ you mean, you and your team don’t you son?” Giuseppe shouldn’t feel so bad about the reason why George showed up at his home. Giuseppe is very proud of his son who climbed the ranks of a publication company made famous by Giuseppe and his works. Giuseppe hadn’t even stepped into his office since Diane got sick. His time was spent taking care of his late wife and honoring her wishes. This is where the rift began.

It only took three years for Diane to succumb to Parkinson's Disease, and Giuseppe spent every second of those three years fulfilling every last wish and desire Diane had. She stopped taking her medication. George pleaded with both of them to restart the medication and go to the doctors for treatment, but his pleading fell on deaf ears. Giuseppe and Diane ended up traveling around the world, fulfilling her bucket list. When they came back from Madagascar, Diane was only sentient for a few months after. This time seemed insufficient to George. He spent the last few months with a husk of his mother.

George looked so much like his mother. He had her dark brown hair he liked to slick back, and bright green eyes. His nose was slightly hooked but not too big, and gave him the appearance of a roman noble. The only things that he could say he got from Giuseppe, was his pursed lips and his height. Instead of being 5’2 like his mother, he was 5'10 and thin. Another trait of his mother's.

After a few seconds, Giuseppe filled his coffee cup and walked over to his chair at the kitchen table. George shifted his weight uncomfortably.

“Yes me and my team are going to pull your contract if we don’t get a rough draft from you by the end of this month.” After a few moments of uncomfortable silence Giuseppe finally cleared his throat.

“Would you like to sit son?” Giuseppe asked, motioning to the chair across from him.

“Did you hear what I said Dad? Do you have anything in the works or not?” George was starting to raise his voice.

“Yes I heard what you said George, would you like to sit or not?” George takes a step closer to his father sitting at the table.

“Why can’t you just give me an answer? What is the matter with you, that you always need to talk around the problem instead of solving it?” Giuseppe could see the frustration on George’s face as he stood there in his overcoat, and suit.

“George you know this isn’t how things like this go. You need to talk to my agent, and my agent will alert me, if the publication wants to drop me themselves. You are a successful junior publisher, but don’t have that power just yet.” Another trait of serious George, was that he tends to think he is more important than he actually is. “George please I don’t want to fight. I haven’t seen you in months and this is the first time I see you? I don’t want conflict son.” What Giuseppe thought was going to be a comforting experience has turned into a draining one. It felt as if it was raining inside his soul.

“I’m not fighting with you, I am telling you the deal.” George said matter-of-factly. “I think the fire department and everyone else cleared out. I’m heading out. Again you have until the 31st.” With that George turns toward the door and leaves without saying another word.

“Goodbye son, I love you.” Giuseppe whispered to the spot where George stood, glaring at him.