April 4th, Saturday
Rosary Parish Orphanage, 4.30 pm
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Mario still couldn't believe that he was actually playing his first volleyball game against a team from St. John. When his uncle Luca had started the volleyball team, he had immediately become a player, together with his friend Alan, Lieutenant Steele’s son. Father Luca had planned to enter competitions and to encourage children from the community and from the local orphanage to play together. His main target was to raise awareness on the situation of the orphans, to make them feel part of the community, to encourage families to welcome parentless children to their homes for Christmas or Thanksgiving… Thanks to donations and the support of the community, he had been able to build this little gym in the basement of the local orphanage, and now a small crowd was gathered to watch the first home game of the competition.
Mario could see his mum and dad and his twin sister Giulia among the audience. Behind them his dear grandmother, who kept on looking at the photo of Luca hanging on the wall of the gym, behind the basket. He knew that she was still suffering for the death of her son, and Mario missed his uncle, always smiling and joyful. He still remembered all the times Luca had played with his nephew and niece, always ready to spend time with them, to take them to the cinema or to eat an ice cream…
His gaze went to his volleyball coach, Neil. When he had seen him in his uniform on TV, a few days before Christmas, receiving a medal for his courage from the Governor, he would never have imagined that that brave policeman would become his volleyball coach and would come to live in his town. He had immediately liked him. He had imagined that such a famous police officer would boast about his successes, about the criminals he had been able to arrest, about the times he had risked his life ... Instead he had met a calm, soothing man, who never raised his voice, who often smiled at them, who always tried to encourage them and to placate their fears. In their first friendly game, a week before, he had introduced them to two agents, who had offered to be referees. Their names were Billy and Bob, they were both nice, and it was evident that there was a great friendship among the three men, because they enjoyed playing and talking to the children, they laughed and they teased each other, and they were funny. Now Billy and Bob were sitting next to Mario’s grandmother, and they were smiling happily.
Mario kept on looking at the scoreboard. They were at the beginning of the third set. They had won the first two sets twenty-five to twenty and twenty-five to tewnty-two…. Now the scoreboard announced eighteen to eighteen. Wow, they were really playing a good game, Neil had kept on involving them all in the game, every five minutes he changed one or two players, so that they had to be ready all the time. It was exciting and funny, and they were all doing their best. Even little Jim, who was the tiniest and youngest player in the group, had been able to score an ace!
Neil motioned to Mario, who immediately stood up from the bench, ready to substitute for one of his teammates. Alan was called out and Mario high-fived him before running into the court. Now they were twenty-three to twenty-one. Mario knew that it was a delicate moment of the game, because the opposing team were doing their best to stay in the game. Mario’s serve missed the opposite end line by a few inches. He turned tentatively to his coach, conscious of having missed an important chance. He saw Neil smiling at him. Luckily the opponents’ serve went into the net. Now it was a match point and Robin was going to serve. Mario nervously followed the ball with his gaze. It went over the net, then he heard Neil shout: “Watch out!” The ball was coming towards him… He was almost sure it would end out, but Neil gestured to him to intercept it. He jumped and he was able to spike the ball. It fell onto the floor… He looked aroind… The game was over… They had won their first game! Then it was all a blur of hugs, high-fives, emotions, smiles, happiness, but what would stay in Mario’s heart a long time after he was back home were Neil’s words after the game. He could still see him smiling and embracing them all in his affectionate gaze. He was sitting on the bench, and they were all standing in a semicircle in front of him, and he looked from one to the other, before saying simply: “I am proud of you, of the way you played and you helped each other in moments of difficulties. This is what team sport is all about, supporting each other and playing together.” Then he looked above their heads to the photo of Mario's uncle and he said: “Father Luca would surely be proud of you!” Mario was sure that at that moment his uncle was smiling from above, seeing that one of his projects for the children was being carried out so well …
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***
Kevin, the most timid of Neil’s volleyball players, approached the tall policeman with his parents.
“Neil,” he said tentatively, “My parents want to say hello to you …”
Neil shook hands immediately with the blond woman and the dark haired man who had been waiting for a few minutes to talk to him. In a stroller there was a sleeping little baby girl, Neil judged her to be more or less one year old.
The woman told him with a smile:
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Inspector McKinley… Kevin is enthusiastic about volleyball, and he always talks about you …”
Neil smiled and said:
“You will be tired of hearing about me … But I hope that it is volleyball that gives them all this enthusiasm, not the coach … They are a good team, and I think they are having fun. Do you like playing, Kevin?”
Kevin was looking at his coach with awe, and he just nodded vigorously. Behind his tall father, a small boy peeked out, as if he were afraid of being seen.
The tall dark haired man took his hand and forced him to stand in front of Neil. The little boy had the same blond hair as his mother, but the dark eyes of his father. Kevin said:
“This is my brother Dylan, and that, ” he added pointing to the stroller, “is my sister Maggy.”
“What a beautiful family you have, Kevin. Now I see why you are always so calm and patient.” He winked jokingly at the boy and crouched down in front of Dylan, extending his hand.
“Hello, Dylan. My name is Neil.”
Dylan was a little intimidated at first, but he overcame his shyness, encouraged by the calm voice of the Inspector. He took his hand solemnly and said:
“Why don't you have your gun? Won't you arrest criminals today?”
He had definitely won the initial diffidence. Neil laughed and answered:
“Policemen have a day off from time to time, Dylan. How old are you? Do you like volleyball?”
“I am five years old, and my dad promised to let me play volleyball when I grow up …” He looked at his older brother for a moment and added, “Dad says that I have to be as tall as Kevin to play …”
“Yes, I will wait for you, ok?”
Dylan nodded silently. He was turning to go, but he looked at Neil and asked:
“Will you show me your badge and your gun one day, Neil?” Dylan was decidedly less shy than his brother.
Kevin intervened, turning to his dad:
“Neil promised to show us the medal the governor gave him. Didn't you?”
“Yes,” Neil said, ruffling Dylan's hair affectionately and standing up, “I must remember to take it with me one of the next Saturdays…”
***
Lisa and Denise were standing in a corner of the indoor volleyball court of the orphanage. They were chatting with Bob and Billy, waiting until Neil had finished talking to his volleyball players’ parents and relatives. The atmosphere was cheerful, and everyone was satisfied with the result of the first home game of the young athletes. Neil was beaming with pride, and he was shaking hands and talking to many people, not only related to the children who had just finished the game, but also curious to meet a policeman who had recently received an award from the Governor.
“Wow,” Lisa said, “When Father Luca started this children's team, I didn't expect they would become such good players…”
Billy looked in the direction of Neil, and he said: “Neil has always been wonderful at training children … But they have had such a short time to get to know each other and to play together… I was surprised at this result, as well.”
Bob turned to Billy, and he asked: “You told me once that Neil trained your team, when you were in the orphanage … Am I mistaken?”
Billy nodded and answered: “Yes, when he went to college, Father Thomas asked him to train our team. I am seven years younger and I was eleven, twelve years old at that time, but we had so much fun. We enjoyed playing together, we laughed a lot, and Neil never put any pressure on us, even when we took part in competitions. He just wanted us to play together and have fun …” Billy stopped, and he looked in the direction of Neil, who was still talking to some people. It was evident that he admired his superior and friend. He added: “And we won a few competitions, but what I remember most was the fun and the joy of staying together …”
Bob asked Denise: “We are going to the diner on the sea promenade. Will you come with us? Where is … Daisy is your friend’s name, isn't it?”
Bob, Billy and Neil had gone out with the girls only once the previous week, but it had been such a pleasant time, that they had immediately planned to go out together again soon.
Denise, a girl with dark curly hair and dark eyes, answered: “Daisy is not coming tonight, because it is her mother's birthday.” Her face clouded when she explained: “Her mum died two years ago in an accident, but every year Daisy, her father and her grandmother have dinner together on her mother’s birthday, just as they used to do …”
Lisa added: “Yes, but she told me that she will come with us tomorrow” They had already planned to go to the lighthouse together. On the outskirts of the town there was an abandoned lighthouse. It had become one of Neil’s favorite places. He liked walking to the lighthouse, and he was planning to have a swim there, when the weather became a little warmer. He was an expert swimmer, and the doctors had told him that swimming was good for his wounded leg.
Peter, the oldest boy in the team, came to say hello to Bob and Billy, who had made friends with the kids after the friendly game the week before.
“Hello, Bob, hello, Billy. Did you like our game?”
Bob answered enthusiastically:
“You were fantastic, guys. Really, it looked like you had been playing together for a long time …”
Billy added: “Yes, you were great, Peter.”
Peter grinned proudly and said: “Remember you have promised to come to the orphanage to watch a game with us …”
“Of course,” Billy said immediately, “We will come one of these days, ok?”
Peter turned to look at the tiers of seats behind them. He approached Amy, who was sitting quietly, and never took her eyes off Neil.
Billy turned and crouched down in front of her, and he told her kindly:
“Amy, how are you? Would you like me to call Neil for you?”
Amy shook her head, but at that moment, Neil approached the little group, he high-fived Peter, and he sat down next to Amy, stretching his long legs in front of him. He turned to the little girl, and he asked:
“Amy, did you like the game?”
Amy turned to him and nodded. The girl never smiled, but she had a gentle expression on her face, never harsh, always calm and collected. Neil drew her near him, and she didn't reject his embrace. Instead, she snuggled against him and rested her head on his chest.
Lisa Steele, who had taken after her father the dark eyes and had shoulder length auburn hair, looked at Amy and told her friends in a subdued concerned tone: “When I look into her eyes, I can't help wondering what she has experienced …. She often looks frightened, and …” She turned to Neil, who was still holding an arm around the girl’s shoulders, and she added: “I think she wants you to protect her, Neil. She knows you have saved many people, I believe.”
Neil just smiled, but he didn't say anything. He and Billy exchanged a glance, and Bob said, with the evident intention of diverting the attention from Amy:
“Are you coming with us tonight, Neil? Daisy is with her father, but she is coming tomorrow to the lighthouse…”
“Yes, I am going home to have a shower, then I will reach you at the diner, ok?”
Alan came to embrace his sister, who ruffled his hair affectionately and said jokingly:
“Wow, little brother, I didn't know you played so well.”
Neil smiled and intervened: “A wonderful game, Alan. You have a future in volleyball!”
Alan grinned happily, and he said: “We all played well, also Jim, who was so scared …”
He ran away to reach his teammates, who were still playing with the ball. Billy and Bob said goodbye and went out with Lisa and Denise. Neil remained with Amy for a few minutes.
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While he was exchanging a few words with the nuns, he felt a hand gently touching his arm. He turned, and he saw Anna, who was looking affectionately at him.
She said almost timidly:
“I saw that there were many people who wanted to meet you, and I didn't want to disturb you.” Neil saw tears in her eyes, and his heart went out to her, who was evidently happy to see her son Luca’s dream fulfilled, but, he was sure, missed him even more now. She went on: “You are doing a wonderful job with the children… Thank you, Neil. I will always be grateful to you for carrying on my son’s project…”
Neil cast down his gaze for a few moments, in order to hide his emotions, then he locked eyes with the woman, and he told her softly: “You know that I like playing with the children, and … I am the one who will always be grateful to you for your affection. You can’t imagine how much it means to me, Anna.”
John and Jennifer came nearer and John said in a cheerful tone: “Neil, how did you transform our timid son into a talented volleyball player, we will never know, but … thanks…” Neil started to laugh and answered:
“I don’t think I have had the time to make any transformation. He has always been a talented volleyball player, he just had to gain confidence …”
Neil left, feeling accomplished. When he was with children, he was able to forget his concern for that beautiful girl with green eyes, who was constantly in his heart and in his mind.
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***
Rosary, Luke Brown’s home, 7.30 pm
Daisy and her grandmother had spent all afternoon in the kitchen together. They had prepared Daisy's mother’s favorite dishes, and now they were waiting for Daisy's father to come home. He had gone to buy some wine and red roses, as he was used to doing when it was his wife's birthday. It was the second birthday that they celebrated without her. She had died just a week after her birthday, almost two years before, and that had been the last happy moment they had spent together as a family.
When dinner was almost ready, Daisy's dad arrived, he went to the small credenza in the dining room, and he gently placed a bouquet of flowers in front of a beautiful picture of his wife with him and Daisy. There were tears in his eyes, and Daisy and her grandmother watched him silently. Daisy’s dad was a tall man with dark eyes and dark hair. He seldom smiled, but he was able to show his affection for Daisy in many ways: an unexpected gift, a surprise visit in Moncton, where she studied, a dinner out together …
They all missed Grace so much, the photo portrayed her with her charming smile, that was her most typical expression. She faced every moment of her life with a smile, she always encouraged her dear ones, and she never let them see when she was troubled or worried.
Daisy embraced her father. They didn't need to speak, they shared this feeling of a great void in their life, their certainty that their life could never be the same.
Luke put the bottle of wine on the table, and they all sat down to eat. In the center of the table there was a steaming casserole. Daisy had prepared delicious lasagne in the vegetarian version, which her mother had always preferred. Instead of minced meat, she had used cheese, asparagus, tomatoes and spinach. The result was more delicate, but it was really tasty and flavorsome.
The small family ate for a few minutes in silence, then Luke asked his daughter:
“When are your Easter Holidays starting? Is everything ok at the college?”
He constantly asked if Daisy was happy with her studies. He had never tried to influence her in her decisions, he had always respected her plans for her future, and he had supported her in the moments of uncertainty.
She smiled at him and said:
“My vacation will start next week. Yes, dad, I like my studies very much. The practical lessons are particularly interesting. We learn something new every time. Oh … there is so much to learn about cooking, ingredients, new recipes…” From her voice you could immediately perceive that she was enthusiastic, and that becoming a chef was really her dream.
She went on, while her grandmother went to the kitchen to take the dessert they had prepared together, a delicious apple crumble, Grace’s favorite dessert:
“And Granny has gone to her friend Anna to ask her if I can make my training period at the Trattoria.” She turned to her grandmother with a grateful smile, “I am so happy, because Anna said that I can start next Saturday. It will be wonderful to learn from two certified Italian chefs. And Bruno is so much fun …”
Her father couldn't help smiling at his daughter’s enthusiasm, even if it was evident that he was distracted.
Louise asked: “Luke, what's the matter? Have you got problems at work?”
Luke Brown worked in a company that had moved from Fredericton to the outskirts of Rosary only a few years before. He was an accountant, and Louise saw him frequently nervous or worried about something. She didn't know if it was his job or some phone calls he received from time to time, that often turned nasty.
Luke looked at his mother-in-law, and he answered politely, even if it was evident that he resented her question and her intrusion.
“We have a lot of work in this period, and one of my colleagues is on vacation, so … Nothing to worry about, Louise, I am just tired.”
Louise lived with her granddaughter and her son-in-law. She tried to support Daisy, and to make her feel loved, especially since her mother had died so unexpectedly, but she generally avoided Luke’s company. She couldn't complain, because he was never rude to her, but there had always been something in his behavior that she didn't like. He resented every question that he judged too personal, and, since what had happened six years before to Daisy, he became nervous whenever that incident was mentioned.
Louise turned to her granddaughter, and she said in a casual tone:
“What about the new policemen in town? Do you, Denise and Lisa plan to meet them again? Anna told me that they are nice men, especially the Inspector…” She noticed that, while she was talking, Luke had turned to look at her, and he was listening with interest.
Daisy answered:
“As a matter of fact, we are going for a walk to the lighthouse tomorrow. Lisa texted me earlier telling me that they will all be coming with us, Billy, Bob, and Neil, the Inspector.” Daisy noticed a frown on her father's face, she looked at him and asked:
“What’s the matter, dad? Have you met the new Inspector or the new policemen in town? Neil McKinley is the agent who received the award from the governor last Christmas… Bob, Billy and Neil are all members of the ERT, and they are instructors of the recruits in the training center near Rosary. Lisa, Denise and I met them by chance at the diner last Saturday. We asked Lisa to introduce them to us, and they offered us a drink. It was really a pleasant evening. We chatted and laughed. They are kind and funny. I am sorry if I forgot to tell you, dad, but you have been busy with your job all week …” She realized that her father didn't like what she was telling him, and she stopped.
After a few moments, Luke said:
“I don't know why they needed a new Inspector in a little town like Rosary… Lieutenant Steele did a good job, in my opinion. And why a training center near here?”
Louise and Daisy exchanged a startled glance, and Louise said:
“I don't think it is something we can approve of or not. Lieutenant Steele said they needed some agents, because here in Rosary there were just two officers at the police station, and the previous Inspector retired last year. The training center is the only one in this part of Canada. I think that these days, it is better to have more policemen around even in small towns like Rosary.”
Luke insisted, looking at his daughter:
“But these policemen … They are much older than you and your friends, aren’t they? I think you should go out with boys your age…” He turned to Louise and asked: “Don't you think, Louise?” He seldom asked for his mother-in-law’s opinion, and she was taken aback. She answered after a few moments: “Yes, they are older, but Anna says they are kind …” Daisy intervened: “And they don’t talk only about girls, sport and expensive cars, as our friends usually do. We realized last Saturday that we had a good time with them, and we didn't get bored as we sometimes do when we are with our friends. They asked about our studies, they talked about their jobs, without boasting about their achievements… Boys our age generally want to show off all the time, and they have never saved lives and defended people, as Bob, Billy and Neil have done. We like spending time with them, they never use bad words, they are courteous and kind. We don't do anything wrong, dad… And I think you can rest assured that we will always be safe with them …” She concluded with a smile.
Luke was going to say something, but he thought better and he preferred to talk about something else.
“How long will you be training at the Trattoria? You will be busy every weekend, I think it will be tiring for you …” He turned to look at his daughter.
She answered: “Yes, it will be hard, because, after the Easter vacation, I will have to study during the week and to work on weekends. But I am eager to start … I will have to ask my college teacher how many hours of training I will have to do, I don't know yet …”
Her father smiled at her, and he said:
“I am proud of you, Daisy,” he turned instinctively to his wife’s picture on the credenza, before adding: “and your mother would be proud, too, I am sure…”.
Tears came to Daisy's eyes, and she embraced her father affectionately. She knew that he missed his wife, but … Oh, in moments like this she forgot what she had seen and heard that day … Maybe she had been mistaken, but … No, she needed to talk to her father seriously. She had to find a moment to talk to him, because she couldn't go on like this … And in the past few weeks she had had the impression of being followed, when she was coming home from college or from the center of the town … She didn't want her grandmother to be present when she talked to him, because her father became almost rude to his mother-in-law, whenever that topic was hinted at … And she knew that it would take all her courage to face her father and to force him to talk about that, but … She had to do it, and she had to tell him what she had heard and seen that night, and to hear his side of the story …
But not tonight, tonight was dedicated to her mum, to the sweet remembrance of her smile, of her affection, of the many happy moments spent together… ‘Why, God,’ she prayed silently, ‘why did You take her away from me so soon, why? I needed her so much …’
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