COOL JOE, Chapter, 7, Frankie

continuing family saga

FRANKIE

One Week Later

Robbie is still missing and our whole family is waiting for some news, hoping that it is good news. But I have to tell you that Sylvia is taking it real hard and Simone is depressed and not eating. We talk to them every day and we take turns visiting, not a pretty scene. In my opinion, missing for a week is not a good sign, especially in the company of the bosses. I don’t think they killed him, but they may be brain-washing him and maiming him in some way. I know this cause I’ve seen it before in my company and with some acquaintances.

 

Speaking of my company, I’m an assistant manager in the cement business in Brooklyn, where we live. My job is to make sure the trucks are loaded properly and sent off to building sites. My pay is okay, nothing to brag about, but I can pay the mortgage and feed my family, which by the way consists of my wife Anna, and two kids, Frankie Jr, 11 and Gracie 8.

 

At the moment, me and Anna are not getting along so well and we’re thinking of separating. We know this will hurt the kids, but it’s a friendly parting so I don’t think it will that bad. For the last several years, neither of us have been happy together, so we think it’s for the best. I of course will be the one to move out, so I’ll have to start looking for a 2-bedroom apartment near the house so the kids can walk to see me.  They won’t have to change schools and my work is flexible so I can pick them up sometimes.

 

“Anna! Is this clean or dirty laundry?”

“It’s clean you can fold your own laundry.”

“Wow, things have changed around here, I used to get my laundry folded really nice. What happened?”

“I think you should start learning how to do it yourself right?”

“I guess so Anna, but while we’re still living together, can you please be nice to me?”

” We’ll have to talk Frankie; I think it’s time to find a place and move out”, says Anna with a scorned looked on her face.

“When do we tell the kids?”

Anna gives me a strange look. “Maybe at dinner tonight, what do you think?”

I think about it for a second. “Okay Anna, tonight it is.”

 

At the dinner table, we all pray before eating, each child saying his/her own prayer.

“Dad” says Frankie Jr., “how is aunt Sylvia feeling? she must really be freaking out, even I feel jittery and nervous about Uncle Robbie’s mysterious whereabouts.”

“We all do”, say I, “but let’s not dwell on it at dinner okay?”

“Wait a minute there” says Anna as she pushes her plate away, “the kid is upset Frankie, don’t you have any feelings?”

“Listen Anna, let’s try to be civil at the dinner table, okay?” I can’t believe she is pulling this stuff.

We eat the rest of our dinner in silence. The kids are just pushing their food around the plates.

Anna clears the dishes and kicks the door open to the kitchen cause I guess she’s mad as hell. The kids and I look at each other with funny faces. Oops, here she comes and we all straighten up in our seats.

“We’re having a gelatin dessert with whipped cream.” As she passes out the plates, Anna sits down and serves each of us some gelatin. The kids are not too happy with this dessert and they delay in picking up their spoons. The kids look at me and smirk.

“Okay then”, says Anna with an assured look on her face. “Kids, mom and dad want to speak to you about something important.”

Couldn’t she have waited a bit longer, I’m thinking.

“Frankie, do you want to start first?”

The phone rings.

“I’ll get it. Hello? Sylvia? Yes, really? Okay I’ll be right there.”

“It’s Sylvia on the phone, Simone is having a nervous breakdown and she needs help. I’m leaving now, don’t know exactly what time I’ll return.”

“But”…Says Anna in a loud voice.

“See ya later guys.” And I slam the door.

 

On the way over to Sylvia’s I’m thinking Anna’s gonna screw up this whole separation thing if she’s not careful. Kids are naïve and may not take it too well. We have to plan it at a better time.

 

I arrive at Sylvia’s place and she’s standing right at the entrance. She looks

awful, very pale and skinny and I just saw her three days ago.

“Thank the Lord you’re here Frankie, Simone is in like a trance after bawling her head off for about thirty minutes. She’s all balled up in her bed and won’t speak.”

“I’ll go upstairs with you and see what I can do.” I knock on the door, no answer, so I knock again. Then slowly I open it and see Simone in a fetal position, moaning and muttering to herself. I go over to her and sit on the bed and put my hand gently on her hair, stroking it.

“Uncle Frankie here Simone, can we talk?” no response. I wait another minute and repeat myself. No response. Then she turns to look at me with red eyes and blotchy cheeks.

“My dad is gone forever, I know it” she says in a teary voice, sniffling all the while. “They took him and threw him in the garbage dump”, now crying. “That’s what these guys do”, more sniffling.

“We don’t know that for sure sweetie, he could be fine, just being questioned. I know it seems like a long time, but that’s the way this system works. I’m sure he’ll be calling any day now with some good news.” I’m probably telling a lie, but she needs to calm down.

 

After a few minutes of sniffling and blowing her nose, Simone calms down. She sits on her bed in a yoga position with a very blank look on her face, almost like she’s back in her trance. Sylvia sits next to her and strokes her hair, every minute or two she gives her a kiss on her wet cheeks.

Simone begins to mutter some words: “I know he’s dead, I know he’s dead.” Then she is back in her trance. Sylvia decides to call the doctor to see if there is medicine she can get her which would help. I sit with her while Sylvia leaves the room. I’m thinking this is definitely not the time to be talking about separation with Anna, when all this other stuff is going on.

 

Sylvia returns to Simone’s room with information about some medicine, looking pale.

“What did the doc say?”

“Well, they’re going to call in a prescription for a medicine, which will help her a lot”

“That’s a good idea. Do you want me to stay a while?”

“No, that’s okay, you need to get back home Frankie. I was just really scared to death about Simone, and I guess I was feeling lonely without Robbie here.” She begins to weep.

I give Sylvia a hug and pat her on the back, trying to sooth her, for whatever its worth.

“I know what you’re going through Sylvia and it’s real hard, but I think Robbie will be released soon, cause I think he’s innocent, didn’t steal anything from the company. But the bosses have to find the culprit, and he’s low on the ladder, so they’re torturing him.”

“Oh no! How do you know this Frankie?”

“Cause I know how their organization works, that’s how.”

Sylvia begins to weep, with hands over her eyes. I try to console her again and then I get a glass of her favorite red wine.

“Here, try this, I know it will ease your suffering, right?”

She sniffles, blows her nose and takes the glass from my unsteady hand.

I tell her that I’ll keep in touch every day, give her another kiss and leave. I don’t know what else to tell them, but now I’m getting worried about Robbie

 

On the way home on the elevated I’m thinking maybe I should give Pete a call this evening cause he might just have some new information on Robbie

 

“HI, I’m home everybody.”

Anna shouts out: “Yeah? So what!”

“That’s a lovely greeting my dear Anna, couldn’t be more pleasant.”

Anna shows up with a beer in her hand and one for me.

“Where are the kids?”

“Up in their rooms doing homework.”

“How’s Simone taking all of this terrible drama?”

“Not too well, she thinks they killed her father.”

“Well, that could be true, right?”

“Don’t ever talk like that Anna! It’s not true and you don’t know what’s going on. You act as if you don’t care. All you want is a separation from me, that’s what’s on your little mind. Well let me tell you something, the most important thing right now is getting Robbie home alive! And I don’t want to hear about our marriage until Robbie’s situation is resolved, and if you don’t like it, you can leave.”

And, I stomp out of the house, walk around the corner and go to our neighborhood bar to think and drink.

 

 

Author's Note

the mystery continues

Reviews

[Vertigo Cat1111]

The bluntness and darkness of the situation they're in really is one of those awful ruts in life- when things aren't just hard personally, but when the misery has seemed to be spread all over. The way the family is slowly losing themselves is painfully realistic and depicted with such suspense and fear I can't help but make a million ways in my mind this story could go- I guess I'll see once I catch up, and I may be a little late to this story, but I'm hooked!

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you dear loyal writer, I’m so pleased that you’re reading Cool Joe!
PS I’ve printed out your Ch. 4

[Lorry]

Everyone is up to high Doh (freaking out) about the missing Robbie and the fractures will soon become chasms if there isn't word from/. of him soon. And the possibilities of his whereabouts seem to be endless, despite most of them pointing at the bad news side of the spectrum.
You've got to feel sorry for his wife and kids, fearing the worst and being slowly driven crazy by lack of news. I think the term "no news is good news" may need revising though, as putting self in any of their shoes, I can imagine the never ending fear, jumping at every knock on door or phone ringing and heart sinking when expectations crushed for the nth time.
Suspense building and fear of not knowing oozing from pages. One things for sure, if he is alive, he better have a story to tell and have the bruises to prove it 😊

[Betty Hermelee]

Thanks always Lorry, you need to catch up and you will know more about Robbie.....things happen!
read moreThanks always Lorry, you need to catch up and you will know more about Robbie.....things happen!
I will review your writing tomorrow, again thanks for being one my fans!

[Paul Bell]

So I still don't know if Robbie is dead or just plain tortured into submission.
Poor Sylvia's fading away under the strain, and the red wine is going out of fashion.
What's Anna angle.

[Betty Hermelee]

Anna wants out of the marriage, and tell the kids but always gets interrupted by something or other, we'll have to wait and see. Chapter 8 going up ...
Thanks for reading Paul, Best, Betty

[John the Baptist]

I get the impression Frankie is just a street soldier in the organization. Whatever, he sure seems to know a lot about what Robbie might be going through. In addition to that situation, his marriage is coming apart and he has to deal with that at the same time. I guess Mafioso are human, too. Actually, Frankie seems to be a rather nice guy, especially in the way he supports Sylvia and Simone. The story is paced well and does a good job of keeping the reader interested. The theme is managed tightly and the dialogue is realistic. I think we will learn of Robbie's fate very soon.

[Betty Hermelee]

Thanks John for that detailed and great review....more to come soon, many thanks
Betty

[barleygirl]

This is far & away the best chapter I've read of yours so far. You've really nailed the art of creating a balance between showing the reader what's going on, on the surface of life, as well as giving glimpses of the inner life of your characters. This chapter really didn't have much forward action-oriented movement, mostly just a sit-still pause where we're observing how the characters are taking everything that's happened in the story so far. A chapter like this could be a snooze-fest for me becuz I'm not very tolerant of the episodes of life which show routine day-to-day. The reason this is interesting & compelling is becuz you use a ton of great details to help the reader see & feel this routine day-to-day . . . many relatable passages, some backstory, just mixing it up & making it interesting. I also felt like you weren't "trying as hard" to come across as "mobster-ish" & this helps bring this chapter into a more classic storytelling style, fuller, richer . . . as compared to the more sketchy, flippant, badass genre you started out with. I love how, at the start of this chp, you give a recap of what's gone before. I think lots of people do not read continuously, so they forget the story in the meantime. These brief refreshers are great to get a reader immediately dialed back in. I honestly can't tell you how dramatically you've improved over the chapters! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Betty Hermelee]

WOW!!! Thank you so much, I finally got your point, and trying very hard to be more descriptive and practice character development too...hugs and more hugs, XO B

[Just Kim]

I really enjoyed this, reminds of my 3 kids there for a while, I had to guess what is dirty or what was clean, I always told them, the hamper is right there, 2 steps the left....LOL.
I really enjoyed your imagery an descriptiveness in this.