Dominic, her husband, had been sick for a long time and could no longer drive. It didn’t matter much; Rosa loved to walk. Before long she was knocking on Jimmy Maldonaddo’s side door.
He greeted her warmly, but before he could say anything else she started in on him. “I won’t have Dante Fusco buried in shame. Nicky’s a good boy, and he needs to see his father buried right.” She wagged her finger at him as if it were her wooden spoon. “You owe me, Jimmy Maldonaddo.”
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Rosa, please. Dante took care of everything before he went. Everything is paid for.”
Rosa looked at him, then mumbled, “Where the hell did he get the money?” It puzzled her, but Rosa was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. She moved on to the cemetery. She found the same situation every place she went. Dante had paid for the cemetery, the wake, the flowers, had even paid the priest.
She walked home from the church, shaking her head as she came in the back door. She walked straight to Nicky. “Everything is taken care of.”
“I don’t know how you did it, Mamma, but you know I appreciate it.”
She grabbed a pot for coffee. “I didn’t do anything. Your father had it all taken care of.” She shook her head. “I don’t know how, Nicky, but he has everything paid for. You have no need to worry. He’ll have a nice funeral.”
R OSA GOT ME TO Jimmy’s place early. I wanted to wait until the last minute, but she insisted. Tony and Bugs were with me. Suit, Mick and Chinski would be there any minute. I was glad to have them up front near me. I was going to sit with Rosa and Tony, but the rest of the guys would be in the row behind me. Rosa said it would be okay since they were going to be the pall bearers. I didn’t have any family so I asked them. I think they were honored. Tony’s brother Carlo was the sixth one.
Jimmy Maldonaddo’s wakes were held in an old house on Union Street. It was actually two row houses that he had converted into a funeral home. The building sat at the middle of the block, right where the breezeway came in, allowing access to the back of the building. Five short steps led up to a small brick porch, then in another door to a waiting area. This is where the sign-in book would be, and where people gathered before going in to pay their respects.
Bugs and Tony and I were standing near the back of the room, away from the casket. I stared down the hall and saw that a few people had formed a line in the waiting room. When I looked the other way, I saw Mamma Rosa pacing and praying on her rosary. “What’s the matter?” I asked Tony.
“It’s a wake, Rat. You know how bad she is at anyone’s wake, but this is your pops.” Tony tugged on my sleeve. “You get everything? You know how damn superstitious Mamma is.”
I checked the pocket inside my jacket. “Got ’em.”
After a few more people gathered, Rosa came down the hall to get me. She waved Bugs and Tony away as if they were pests. “Go on. Take your seats.” She patted my back. “Are you ready?”
I nodded. “Guess so, Mamma.”
She squeezed my hand. “I’ll stand with you if you want.”
“That would be good. I’d like that. Maybe Tony, too.”
Her smile told me she approved. “He would be honored,” she said, but then her smile disappeared, and her brow furrowed as if a great burden had come upon her. “Did you remember the items for the coffin?”
I patted my jacket pocket. “I’ve got them right here.”
She held out trembling hands. “Let me see what you have.”
I pulled out the picture of me when I was little, maybe five years old.
Mamma Rosa closed her eyes, and shook her head slowly. I thought she was going to cry. “You were such a beautiful baby.”
I waited, then handed her a more recent picture of me, then the picture of my mother. She held them as if they were treasures, nodding the whole time.
“And the lighter?” she asked.
I pulled out Pops’ favorite
He greeted her warmly, but before he could say anything else she started in on him. “I won’t have Dante Fusco buried in shame. Nicky’s a good boy, and he needs to see his father buried right.” She wagged her finger at him as if it were her wooden spoon. “You owe me, Jimmy Maldonaddo.”
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Rosa, please. Dante took care of everything before he went. Everything is paid for.”
Rosa looked at him, then mumbled, “Where the hell did he get the money?” It puzzled her, but Rosa was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. She moved on to the cemetery. She found the same situation every place she went. Dante had paid for the cemetery, the wake, the flowers, had even paid the priest.
She walked home from the church, shaking her head as she came in the back door. She walked straight to Nicky. “Everything is taken care of.”
“I don’t know how you did it, Mamma, but you know I appreciate it.”
She grabbed a pot for coffee. “I didn’t do anything. Your father had it all taken care of.” She shook her head. “I don’t know how, Nicky, but he has everything paid for. You have no need to worry. He’ll have a nice funeral.”
R OSA GOT ME TO Jimmy’s place early. I wanted to wait until the last minute, but she insisted. Tony and Bugs were with me. Suit, Mick and Chinski would be there any minute. I was glad to have them up front near me. I was going to sit with Rosa and Tony, but the rest of the guys would be in the row behind me. Rosa said it would be okay since they were going to be the pall bearers. I didn’t have any family so I asked them. I think they were honored. Tony’s brother Carlo was the sixth one.
Jimmy Maldonaddo’s wakes were held in an old house on Union Street. It was actually two row houses that he had converted into a funeral home. The building sat at the middle of the block, right where the breezeway came in, allowing access to the back of the building. Five short steps led up to a small brick porch, then in another door to a waiting area. This is where the sign-in book would be, and where people gathered before going in to pay their respects.
Bugs and Tony and I were standing near the back of the room, away from the casket. I stared down the hall and saw that a few people had formed a line in the waiting room. When I looked the other way, I saw Mamma Rosa pacing and praying on her rosary. “What’s the matter?” I asked Tony.
“It’s a wake, Rat. You know how bad she is at anyone’s wake, but this is your pops.” Tony tugged on my sleeve. “You get everything? You know how damn superstitious Mamma is.”
I checked the pocket inside my jacket. “Got ’em.”
After a few more people gathered, Rosa came down the hall to get me. She waved Bugs and Tony away as if they were pests. “Go on. Take your seats.” She patted my back. “Are you ready?”
I nodded. “Guess so, Mamma.”
She squeezed my hand. “I’ll stand with you if you want.”
“That would be good. I’d like that. Maybe Tony, too.”
Her smile told me she approved. “He would be honored,” she said, but then her smile disappeared, and her brow furrowed as if a great burden had come upon her. “Did you remember the items for the coffin?”
I patted my jacket pocket. “I’ve got them right here.”
She held out trembling hands. “Let me see what you have.”
I pulled out the picture of me when I was little, maybe five years old.
Mamma Rosa closed her eyes, and shook her head slowly. I thought she was going to cry. “You were such a beautiful baby.”
I waited, then handed her a more recent picture of me, then the picture of my mother. She held them as if they were treasures, nodding the whole time.
“And the lighter?” she asked.
I pulled out Pops’ favorite
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