Novel & Cerita My Landlady Nonna

Chapter 30. — Once upon a time the mad bride… Part 1. Having a good and relaxed conversation with the crazy grandma made me lose the fear that surrounded me and made me very uncomfortable at the Vacchiano Farm. My biggest fear was that Mrs. Paola would kick me out of the farm if we had a moment alone, as happened at breakfast. Fortunately, it was just my anxiety taking away my peace, causing me to almost have a fit and think that the worst could happen. Everything went very well. Amen, brothers! Nonna played the role of mother-in-law, which was supposed to be Mrs. Eva's, and showed me some photo albums. In them I found several pictures of Veronica, from her birth until a few months ago.

The last couple of days have turned my world upside down, so being here, in the home that has defined my childhood, fills me with a sense of peace. "Bella Abigail. My darling, let me look at you." Nonna hugs me tightly, then holds me at arm's length, scrutinising me in a way that seems to look through to my soul. "You have lost weight, darling. They are working you far too hard up there in the Big Smoke."

"She's getting older and keeps changing her mind every other day. A real pain in the ass." I took a small bite of frosting. The sweet cream somehow tasted bitter on my tongue. Raimondo had forgotten that my Nonno built his empire in Sicaria, where I spent almost six years growing up under his care. He had even forgotten that the first time he confessed to me, he did it in Italese. "I'm tired. I'm going to rest for a while," I said. Ignoring the flicker of surprise in Raimondo's eyes, I stood and headed for the lounge. I didn't hesitate to brush away his hand that was holding onto me.

"Just because you're Rita's cousin, you actually think you're the owner of this villa? "You're nothing but a kept man living off a woman, a shameless parasite. So, what gives you the right to talk back to me?"

I hate her for leaving me this hungry, this restless, this hard, without even knowing what she does to me. “Papa told me you’ve been away for some time,” Valentina repeats, her silver ring glinting as she twists the pasta around her fork, avoiding the meatballs. “I trust expanding VDR to Los Angeles wasn’t too hectic.” I meet my Nonna’s gaze, conveying all of my displeasure of this arrangement in a single glance. She merely smiles, lifting her glass of wine to her lips.

I needed to do whatever it took to eventually be set free. Sighing, I climbed out of Adrian’s bed and made my way downstairs. To my surprise, I found Nonna in the kitchen cooking and baking. At 1 AM? “Can I help?” I asked. She jumped, clearly startled, and I let out a small laugh. She lived in a house full of mafia men, what could possibly frighten her? “You scared me, little girl. Can’t sleep, no?” she asked, her voice full of concern. It sounded so different from the stern woman I had met on my first day here.

If there was a safer form of transport, I would have taken it. But this was my only option. My mind moves forward to the villa. My Nonna is a little to the north, happily ensconced in the town she grew up in, where she gets to reign supreme among all of the Italian nonnas in town who attend church just as regularly as she does. She will be thrilled, of course, to hear about Anne and to come down… “You will not call Nonna.” My sister interrupts my thoughts and I narrow my eyes at her. “Amara, don’t be ridiculous. Of course I’m going to call her. And the zias and everyone who will need to come to be a part of Anne’s life, and…”

"Otherwise Nonna with be disappointed." Nonna had been through a lot in her life and had sacrificed her own education to take care of her siblings. She couldn't even read or write and had to sign documents with an "X", which had earned her the nickname "Lady X" by some of her acquaintances. Nonno was the only escape she had out of a life of poverty. I hated to admit this, but Nonno was a shitty husband who cheated on Nonna with no regard for her feelings and even had a child outside of marriage. Nonna couldn't leave a husband she literally had 5 children with and had to put up with his bullshit for the rest of her life.

"Rune?" "Nonna, you mistook Lily for a worker." Her face turned pale. She whirled to face me. "She is not? "No, she isn't." Rune approached me and put his hand on my shoulder. "She's Addies…..friend." I did not miss the cunning in his tone, nor did I pass up the chance to glare at him, to which he squeezed my shoulders. "She now resides here, Nonna. Meet Adler's grandmother, Isobel, but we all call her Nonna."

Nonna half yelled, cutting Papa off. If there was anyone who could challenge Papa at home was Nonna. And if she called him his native name rather than his English name, then she was really pissed. Nonna, his mother, is an Italian who got married to our grandpa, and their arranged marriage turned out to be one of the best. Theirs was a beautiful love story. "I was having a conversation with my daughter, Mo, and—" "You can go take care of your men and people, whatever you want to do, but I and the girls are going out to have fun, some peace and quiet, and probably marshmallows too. You should probably try it as well." She huffed.