Piccoletto

Massimo's Suspicions

Alberto and Giulia were once again forced to withstand a long, tenseful silence through lunch. Massimo had cooked a delicious meal of gnocchi. Giulia began scarfing down her food as soon as her plate was served, ignoring the suspicious and subtly disgusted looks from her father. Alberto and Giulia wanted to leave as soon as possible to begin searching all of Portorosso, but they were also hiding a deep secret.

Ercole's stolen vespa was hiding behind the tree in Giulia's backyard. Since it was much longer than the tree itself, their cover would be instantly blown if Massimo decided to step outside. Giulia was trying her best to eat too fast without feeling sick. But Massimo knew his daughter well and went to question her when she groaned as her hand went to her stomach.

"Why are you eating so fast?" Massimo inquired as he watched Giulia force herself into taking another bite of gnocchi. "You know eating too quickly makes you sick, Giulietta."

Giulia swallowed and moaned as she looked up at her dad. "Alberto and I have a lot- ugh- stuff to do."

Massimo turned towards Alberto who wasn't listening to the conversation. He had resorted to picking at the food with his fork, not knowing what to do with it, and began strewing the gnocchi around the plate. He looked worse than Giulia did. His head was low, and his eyes were bloodshot. Massimo could tell Alberto had probably been crying, which made him feel really horrible. Almost as if he had been doing something wrong.

"No Luca still?" Massimo asked, trying to get Alberto to engage. And to be honest, Massimo was worried for Luca too. That boy was nowhere to be seen for the last day. Massimo thought maybe Luca and Alberto had been abandoned or run away from a bad situation. It's why he didn't mind letting them sleep in his home for the summer. And it seemed that the longer Luca was gone, the more effect it had on Alberto.

After a long silence, Alberto slowly shook his head no. Massimo wasn't one the one to assume, since he usually liked to mind his own business. But he had a feeling that Alberto and Luca were closer than they appeared at first. It didn't matter to him, though. What he really wanted to know was to confirm how long Alberto would stay. If Alberto had run away, then Massimo would feel uncomfortable housing Alberto knowing there was a worried mother out there. If Alberto was abandoned, well- Massimo wouldn't mind letting Alberto become a member of the family.

"Ok," Giulia said, interrupting Massimo's thoughts. "I'm done. . ."

Giulia burped and quickly covered her mouth with a squeak.

"'Scusa," she said, standing up. "Come on, Alberto, let's get going."

Massimo raised his brow to reveal his little eye. "Going where? You two have been out all morning."

Alberto perked up as well and pushed his plate away. "Yeah, we have a lot of training to do for the cup, since it's in four days. . ." Alberto knew this was all a lie. Participating in the cup now seemed like a distant memory he didn't want to revisit. 

There he goes with that lie again, Massimo thought. It wasn't easy to spot when children lied, but Massimo was rather skilled in that division.

"Ok," he said finally. "But I want you two back tonight, and not too late. I'll need a word with Alberto."

Alberto dropped his fork in surprise and it clattered on the floor as he cringed. He gave a nervous smile and got up, picking up the fork and setting it over his unfinished plate.

"Thank you," he said as Giulia grabbed his arm to pull him away. "It was delicious!"

Giulia ran to kiss her father's cheek before the two darted out the open door. Massimo turned his head towards Alberto's unfinished plate and sighed. He didn't feel like a very good father.

Meanwhile, Giulia and Alberto were rapidly pushing Ercole's red vespa out of the backyard and took a sharp turn towards the back alleys of Portorosso. Ercole had been so loud about his vespa that it would be immediately suspicious if the two rolled it right through the center of town.

"Are we just going to go door to door?" Alberto asked, holding the left handle of the vespa.

Giulia shrugged. "I guess. I know a lot of the people here so we won't have to go to every house."

Alberto groaned and slapped a hand to his face as they walked. "Ugh! That'll still take forever!"

"Well, do you have any other ideas?" Giulia argued. "Because unless you have anything, we'll just have to go with my pl-"

"Yes!" Alberto interrupted, his bright idea bringing back determination to his face. "I do! Who knows Ercole better than anyone here?"

Giulia furrowed her brow as she tried to think. "His parents? But I've never met them."

Alberto shook his head. "No, I meant, who's always with Ercole?"

Giulia's face lit up as she began to comprehend what Alberto was trying to say. "Come on! You don't mean. . . Guido and Ciccio?"

Alberto nodded excitedly. "Where do you think they'd be?"

Giulia scratched the back of her head. "I don't know, maybe we start at the gelateria? It's where we saw them last time."

Alberto nodded. "Perfect. Let's rescue Luca!"