Nanny ignored the question and told him something he hadn’t heard before. “Getting the news about my brother dying in Italy wasn’t when the nightmares started.”
Ernie opened his mouth to ask what this had to do with anything, hesitated, then decided to wait.
“It was later, when the boys came back after the war. I kept looking for him. Then one of the guys came to the house and told us how my brother died.”
Ernie looked at the head and shoulders portrait of Nanny’s uniformed brother.
“Had nightmares after that. You know he was burned alive?” A blue car approached and she lifted the binoculars.
She set the binoculars in her lap. “The nightmares lasted at least a year. I swore no one would ever take family away from me again.” She crushed the cigarette butt on the edge of the ashtray. “Then Bob took my Judy away.”
Her anger was as familiar to him as her menopausal mustache.
“Couldn’t do a damned thing about it. Judy wouldn’t listen when I told her he was no good for her. Now his tough friends are back. They won’t leave until they find Bob. No way they’re gonna take anyone else away from me.” She turned to look at him. “Don’t worry about Bob or his tough friends. Take the dog and go into the basement. Have a sleep on the couch. It’s cooler down there. Nightmares don’t like the cold.”
Ernesto knelt at the edge of his garden. “All done. No more weeds.” Nasturtiums, gladiolas, tiger lilies and wild flowers accented tomatoes, onions and lettuce. The soles of his feet were black like his fingers.
His knees crackled when he leaned up against the garage to stand up. He looked at Nonna sitting at the table. “You want me to move you under the umbrella?” He bent to brush the soil off the knees of his jeans. “The sun does feel good this time of day.” Ernesto shaded his eyes and looked up. The sun was nearly half way along on its glide into sunset. “Must be close to five o’clock.” He lifted his white ball cap. “Got fresh tomatoes, lettuce, onions and some olives for a salad.” He felt newly cut grass between his toes. Stepping lightly, he went up the stairs and disappeared into the doorway’s shadow. “Just a quick stop in the bathroom to clean up.”
Ernesto didn’t hear the gate latch open.
Nanny spotted Lester and Marvin sitting side by side in a green van.
The van turned right. The brake lights told her what she needed to know. “Ernesto’s,” she said while flipping open her cigarette package to check for the lighter. She dropped the pack into her purse and pulled out a white envelope to set on the bed. “I knew the sneaky bastards would be back.” Glancing once at the portrait of her brother, she picked up her purse, shuffled across the carpet and went downstairs. “God damn war killed my brother. God damned Bob. God damn his tough friends. God damn.” She switched over to the portable oxygen tank. “God damn cigarettes! So damn short of breath.” She wished she could go into the basement and touch Ernie’s cheek one more time while he slept.
Nanny stepped outside and into the shadow of the house. Ever since she started to take those blood thinners, she couldn’t stand the heat. “Damn!” The sun was a hand smacking her face. It was hard to breathe so she cursed to herself, God damn heat. Why couldn’t those assholes park closer to the house? Took away my Judy. All I had was my family and you bastards took that away! Her rage pushed her till she stood beside the van and heaved the oxygen tank inside the open side door.
Marv sat in the driver’s set of the green van. He thought, Lester doesn’t understand. This van was no good. It had to be a Mercedes. Without the right car, their luck would turn bad.
He looked over his shoulder at the open door. It was just the way Les wanted it for a quick getaway. They’d snatch the doll. All they had to do was kidnap the doll and find out what the old man knew about Bob. This way they didn’t have to deal with Bob’s crazy mother in-law.
The van leaned to the right. “Les?” Marvin said and looked over his shoulder. Bob’s mother-in-law, her hands on either side of the open door, pulled herself inside.
“What?” Marv reached to push her back out but the seat belt held him. He reached for the release. “What the hell?”
“What,” she said. Each word was separated by a breath, “the… hell… did… you… think… I’d… do?”
They were face to face. Leona held her purse with both hands and slid her backside across to the middle of the back seat.
“Get out!” Marvin said.
“Told… you… two to… leave… me… and mine… alone.” She shifted left till she sat behind him. Sweat soaked her T-shirt.
Marv felt a growing sense of doom. First the Mercedes and now this. The plan was going to hell.
“What the hell is she doin’ here?” Les’ face was running with sweat. He held the doll by the hair. “Get her out of here!”
Marv fought with the seat belt.
Leona pulled hers across her body and locked herself in. BLATT!
“What was that?” Marv said.
“You’ve never heard a fart before?” Les said as he sat the doll down on the floor.
“Sonamabitch!” Ernesto said.
Les shoved the doll inside. Her head caught Leona on the knee.
“Ouch!” Leona said as Lester slid the door shut.
“Go!” Lester clawed his way into the front seat.
Marv punched the accelerator. The engine screamed.
“Put it in gear, stupid!” Les slammed the door on his ankle. “Shit!” He dragged his foot inside.
Marv shifted into drive before completely releasing the accelerator and the van lunged forward with squealing tires. He wrenched the steering wheel left. The passenger door’s mirror snapped when it clipped the back of the red van.
“You all right?” Marv said.
“Shut up!” Les winced when he shifted his weight. “Just get us away from here so we can dump the old bitch!”
“What about him?” Marv jerked his thumb toward the back of the van.
Les leaned forward to look out the passenger mirror. It flopped like a hand with a broken wrist. He turned to look out the back window. The red van was gaining. “Lose him.”
Leona lifted the glass jar of gasoline out of her purse and set it upright between her legs. She took quick gulps of bottled oxygen and leaned against the window.
“Take the main road!” Les said. They joined six lanes divided by concrete barriers.
Les adjusted the interior mirror so he could watch Ernesto. “You just worry about what’s ahead and I’ll worry about him.”
“It’s turning yellow!” Marv said.
Les glanced at the road ahead. “Good! Just go!”
Leona saw the light turn red before they entered the intersection. A silver car saw them just in time. Brakes screamed.
Les watched the red van. It had no choice but to brake. Blue smoke spilled out around the tires.
“That’ll do it. Only two or three more sets of lights before we hit the river. Get in the right lane.” Les adjusted the rear view mirror so he could see Leona’s eyes. “Why’d you let her in here?”
“She just climbed in,” Marv said.
“Shit!” His ankle was throbbing and the pain made it harder to think, to plan ahead.
BLATTT!
“Jeez Marv!” Les said.
“It wasn’t me!”
“Yah, right.”
They hit a green light and Les saw the sign for Memorial Drive. “That’s our turn.”
“You said two lights!”
“Just take the right lane.” With the way his ankle was throbbing, Lester wouldn’t be able to drive even if he had to.
“Look out!” Marv said.
Ernesto shivered.
“Never again!” He swerved into the right lane and passed a city bus.
“No bastard’s gonna do this to you!”
“He’s behind us!” Marv said.