In the end, they came to a solution. Step had proposed it. John agreed, and Babi really liked it.
John immediately set to work. It was no easy job. First, because Babi refused to take off her jeans and, second, she was afraid of even a single injection, let alone a hundred or so, administered in rapid succession with the aid of a small electric motor. John told her all kinds of stories just to calm her down. His most absurd memories, people that had asked him to do tattoos on their head and on their eyebrows. One guy even had a tattoo done on his, well, “you-know-what.”
He told her about the time that Step and Pollo came in to get their tattoos. Step had been cool as a cucumber, Pollo a complete disaster. He’d drained two beers in a row, and then, as if that weren’t enough, he’d decided to smoke a joint, even though he never smoked dope. Okay, that was years and years ago, and they’d both been kids at the time, but that was clearly a case of genuine fear.
In the end, Pollo, completely wrecked, had decided that he didn’t like his tattoo. He’d started whining that he wanted to get it removed right away. John had told him that it was impossible, but Pollo didn’t want to listen to reason. Higher than a kite, Pollo had overturned the pigments, all the little bottles full of solvents, things John had imported from Bali. Pollo left the tattoo parlor with two hundred fifty thousand lire less than when he’d come in, and on his chest, a red tattooed heart with Mamma written on it.
Babi burst out laughing. She asked mischievously whether Pallina had even seen it. For a moment, she forgot about the faint stinging feeling on her hip. Then, as she noticed the droning buzz of the motor, she turned serious again. There was a risk she might hurt herself, and lying there, stiff and tense, seemed like a good way to ward it off.
She remembered when she’d gotten her ears pierced with Pallina. That piece of cork behind her earlobe and the ice to keep her from feeling anything. Oh, but she’d felt it, and how! And now, here she was, getting a tattoo. She smiled at Step.
“Everything all right?”
“Just fine.”
Step paid John fifty thousand lire while Babi checked her tattoo. It had turned out perfect. A short while later, on the motorcycle, she undid the top button of her jeans, loosened the gauze dressing, and peeked at it again, happily.
Step noticed what she was doing. “Do you like it?”
“I love it.”
On her delicate skin, still swollen with color, a small, newborn baby eagle, similar to Step’s, a daughter of the same hand, was soaring on the cool breeze of a sunset.
* * *
The doorbell rang, and Paolo went to answer it. There at the door was a distinguished-looking gentleman.
“Good evening. I’m here to see Stefano Mancini. I’m Claudio Gervasi.”
“Good evening. I’m afraid my brother isn’t here.”
“Do you know when he’ll be back?”
“No, he didn’t tell me when he’d be back. Sometimes he doesn’t even come home for dinner. He just comes in late at night.”
Paolo looked at that gentleman. What on earth could he want with Step? Looks like trouble, he thought. It must be the usual thing, something to do with a fistfight or brawl.
“Listen, if you’d like to make yourself comfortable, he might arrive soon, or else he might telephone.”
“Thanks.” Claudio walked into the living room.
Paolo shut the door but he couldn’t restrain himself any longer. “Excuse me, is there anything I can help you with?”
“No, I wanted to speak to Stefano. I’m Babi’s father.”
“Ah, I understand.” Paolo flashed him a bland smile. Actually, he hadn’t understood a damned thing. He didn’t have the faintest idea of who this Babi was. A young woman, he thought, which is worse than a brawl. More serious problems. “Excuse me for a moment.” Paolo went into the other room.
Claudio, alone now, looked around. He walked over and inspected a few posters on the walls, and then he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit one. At least this whole thing has one silver lining. I can smoke without worrying about it. How strange though. This is the brother of Stefano, that guy Step who beat up Accado, and yet he seems like a perfectly respectable young man. Maybe the situation isn’t as bad as I thought. As usual, Raffaella likes to exaggerate. Maybe it really wasn’t even worth bothering to come. These are just kid issues. They naturally work them out among themselves. It’s just a crush, a teenage love story.
Maybe Babi would get over him soon.
* * *
“Hey, Babi, ciao. I need to go!” Step took her in his arms.
“Where do you have to be? Stay a little longer.”
“I can’t. I have an appointment.”
“Tell me right away who you’re going out with,” Babi said.
“You’d never guess.”
“Do I know her?”
“Very well indeed. Excuse me, but first of all, why don’t you ask me if this is a man or a woman.”
Babi heaved a sigh of annoyance. “Is this a man or a woman?”
“A man. I’m seeing your father.”
“My father?”
“He came looking for me at my house. When I phoned, he was there waiting for me. We made an appointment to meet in a few minutes at Piazza dei Giuochi Delfici.”
“What does my father want with you?”
Step put on his jacket. “I don’t know! But once I find out, I’ll call you and tell you. All right?”
He gave her a powerful, dizzying kiss. She let him do it, still stunned and surprised by that piece of news.
Step went galloping down the stairs, hurtling over the last few steps, and she watched him vanish. Then she went back inside, silent, sincerely worried. She tried to imagine the two of them meeting. What would they talk about? And what would come of it?
Then, worried especially about her father, she just hoped they wouldn’t come to blows.
Chapter 30
When Claudio arrived, Step was already there, sitting on the low wall, waiting for him and smoking a cigarette. Claudio parked nearby and got out of his car.
“Hello.”
“Good evening, Stefano.” They shook hands. Then Claudio lit a cigarette, too, to feel more at ease. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. That young man really was strange. He just sat there, smiling at him in silence, staring at him, in that black jacket.
He was very different from his brother. Among other things, he was a lot bigger, Claudio thought to himself. Suddenly, just as he was about to sit down next to him on the low wall, a sort of sudden recollection burst into his mind. That boy had beat up his friend Accado. He’d busted his nose. And now he was dating his daughter. That young man was dangerous. He’d a thousand times rather be talking to his brother.
Claudio remained standing. Step looked at him curiously. “Well, what are we going to talk about this fine day?”
“Well, here’s the thing, Stefano. At my house, we’ve been having some problems lately.”
“If you only knew how many problems I’ve been having myself…”
“Yes, sure, I understand, but you see, we’ve always been a very happy family. Babi and Daniela are two very good girls.”