‹ Prequel: Everything I'm Not
Love's Requiem
A faulty foundation
I couldn’t help but begin to see Bella showing another side of her that I never really noticed. I mean, don’t get me wrong it’s been almost two years and I love the girl, but the thing about Bella is she never let that one wall she still had up go down. After we walked around for a few hours Michi and Bella took me back to Bella’s grandma’s house, which for some reason was now surrounded by a bunch of cars that weren’t there before.
“And this is where I leave you.” Michi laughed hugging Bella, before she told her something in Croatian.
“I will.” Bella laughed and hugged her more. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow or something.” She added.
“You better, Alex it was great meeting you.” She smiled and pulled me in to a hug.
“Likewise.” I smiled.
“Ah?” She seemed to say looking at Bella confused, who then mumbled something in Croatian. “I got it.” She chuckled, as she headed to her car.
“Where did all these cars come from?” I asked her while she rang the bell.
“Be prepared to meet that huge, loud family Jesse warned you about.” She chuckled.
“What?” I choked.
“Judging from all the cars, my aunts, uncles, and cousins are over.” She explained as I heard the door unlock.
Niko had opened it letting us in.
“Man are you fucked.” Niko chuckled to Bella while she took of her coat and unzipped the black fleece sweater she had on underneath it.
“Why what’s up? You didn’t spill the beans did you?” She asked him quickly.
“No, no.” He said shaking his head as we all walked to the living room where the sounds of loud talking, laughing and music were coming from. “Ujko Ante is here, and you’re wearing a Manchester jersey.” He told her, motioning at the white and blue soccer jersey she had thrown on yesterday morning before we left.
“Please, I can take him.” She chuckled. “Ujko Ante!” She exclaimed and then said something in Croatian, as a tall middle-aged looking man looked at her and then said something and he hugged her and picked her up in the air.
“He pretty much just said she’s out of his life because she supports a Portuguese player, and is wearing an English team’s jersey.” Niko told me while Bella was laughing with her Uncle I guessed.
“Alex, come here.” She said still laughing, “This is my uncle Ante unfortunately his English isn’t so good.” She said introducing him and then me in Croatian.
Her uncle said something to her, and then motioned towards me.
“He wants to know if you following soccer at all?” She asked me.
“Not really.” I said shaking my head.
“Ne, ujko.” She told him, followed by him saying something to her. “He says he likes you already because you’re not a traitor like me.” She laughed, before she said something to him again and walked away bringing me in to the kitchen.
“I take it, your family is big on soccer?” I asked her.
“You have no idea.” She said rolling her eyes.
“Bellishka!” Some women’s voice screeched, causing Bella to make a face.
“Oh god why is she here?” Bella mumbled.
“What’s wrong?”
“Be prepared to meet the most annoying person on the face of the planet, my cousin Monica.” She told me, as a woman
that looked a little older than Bella came running up to us while yanking a guy along with her.
“Bellishka!” She said again hugging Bella, she then looked at me and started talking to me in Croatian.
“On ne govori hrvatski.” Bella told her, which if I had to guess meant I didn’t understand.
“But I thought he was hrvatski?” Monica then asked her in English.
“You can be of Croatian decent in America.” Bella said blankly. “Whatever, anyway Alex this is my cousin Monica, and this her fiancé Luka.”
“It’s nice to meet you!” Monica exclaimed hugging me, while I heard Bella mumble something to Luka making him
chuckle. “How are you liking it here so far?” She asked me.
“It’s really nice.” I nodded.
“Well I’ll catch up with you later he has to meet everyone else.” Bella said grasping my hand. “Sometimes I still can’t believe Ante is her dad.” Bella laughed as we headed in to the dining room where there was more food laid out and even more people eating and talking, and there were little kids running around.
The next hour I spent meeting all of her aunts, uncles, cousins, and man Jesse was right her family was huge and loud. After finally meeting everyone Bella and I grabbed some food and went in to the living room where Bella, myself, Niko and I sat and talked with her cousin Denis who spoke really good English luckily.
“Oh please as if he’d ever leave Manchester.” Bella exclaimed with a mouthful of food.
“He may not right now but you’ll see he’ll leave for like Real Madrid or Milan.” Denis told her.
Once again, we were on the subject I knew little about, soccer.
“Enough of this soccer talk, we get it Ronaldo is the greatest thing to you though I think Modric and Kranjcar are way better let’s now talk about something Alex can actually talk about.” Niko said shaking his head.
“Whoops.” Bella said giving me an embarrassed look.
“It’s okay,” I chuckled looking at her.
“So Alex what do you do?” Denis asked me.
“I’m a musician.” I told him, “I have a band with my friends.”
“That’s really cool.” He said looking interested. “What’s your band called?”
“All time low.”
“I’ll look in to them, what do you play?”
“I sing and play guitar.”
“Nice.” He smiled.
“Luka plays the piano!” Monica said inviting herself in to the conversation, followed by Bella saying something to her in an annoyed tone.
“Isabella!” Her grandma exclaimed smacking her in the back of the head while she passed by to take a seat with Bella’s aunt on the couch opposite of us.
“Oprostite Baka!” Bella explained and then rambled on in Croatian, making Denis and Niko laugh.
“She’s saying that all she wants for Christmas is Monica to never be able to talk again, and if that would happen she’d dance in the streets with Santa Claus himself. And how our Grandma probably is wondering where Monica’s parents went wrong raising her, she doesn’t even like soccer maybe she’s adopted. I don’t know she looks like she could have been picked up from the circus.” Niko translated as Bella ranted making everyone in the room laugh including Luka and
Monica look angrier by the second.
“Bella enough.” Denis laughed, shaking his head.
“What you know I’m right.” She smirked, before she looked at Luka and told him something.
“Now she’s telling him it’s not that she didn’t give a shit that he plays the piano she just thinks Monica is an asshole.” Denis now translated for me, making me laugh.
“Now that’s all cleared up who wants more burek?” Bella announced getting up.
“I’ll take some.” Denis told her giving her his plate.
“What’s Burek again?” I asked.
“The meat pie thing.” Niko explained.
“Oh hell yes I will have more!” I exclaimed making Bella laugh as she took my plate as well.
As Bella came back in to the living room handing Denis and me our plates, her uncle called her name as he came back downstairs.
“Oh no.” Niko mumbled putting his head in his hands.
“What?” I asked with a mouthful of food.
“If I’m right he’s bringing down a soccer ball.”
“Ne!” Bella exclaimed with a huge smile running to him and taking it out of his hands.
Bella started kicking it in the air and catching it on her foot or knee, while her uncle watched with her Dad, as well as all her younger cousins.
“We get it you’re the Croatian Mia Hamm.” Niko told her as she sat down a few minutes later while a few of her little cousins ran to her talking to her and tugging on her sweater.
“Oh come on, you know I can’t say no to Ujko.” She laughed, and then began talking to her little cousins.
“They’re asking her to teach them how to do that, and she’s telling them she will another day it’s too late and our Grandma will cut her head off if she keeps playing in the house.” Niko once again translated.
“I thought she hated little kids?” I asked him.
“That’s what she wants you to think.” He laughed, “She’s like one herself so they all love her.”
“And this is where I leave you.” Michi laughed hugging Bella, before she told her something in Croatian.
“I will.” Bella laughed and hugged her more. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow or something.” She added.
“You better, Alex it was great meeting you.” She smiled and pulled me in to a hug.
“Likewise.” I smiled.
“Ah?” She seemed to say looking at Bella confused, who then mumbled something in Croatian. “I got it.” She chuckled, as she headed to her car.
“Where did all these cars come from?” I asked her while she rang the bell.
“Be prepared to meet that huge, loud family Jesse warned you about.” She chuckled.
“What?” I choked.
“Judging from all the cars, my aunts, uncles, and cousins are over.” She explained as I heard the door unlock.
Niko had opened it letting us in.
“Man are you fucked.” Niko chuckled to Bella while she took of her coat and unzipped the black fleece sweater she had on underneath it.
“Why what’s up? You didn’t spill the beans did you?” She asked him quickly.
“No, no.” He said shaking his head as we all walked to the living room where the sounds of loud talking, laughing and music were coming from. “Ujko Ante is here, and you’re wearing a Manchester jersey.” He told her, motioning at the white and blue soccer jersey she had thrown on yesterday morning before we left.
“Please, I can take him.” She chuckled. “Ujko Ante!” She exclaimed and then said something in Croatian, as a tall middle-aged looking man looked at her and then said something and he hugged her and picked her up in the air.
“He pretty much just said she’s out of his life because she supports a Portuguese player, and is wearing an English team’s jersey.” Niko told me while Bella was laughing with her Uncle I guessed.
“Alex, come here.” She said still laughing, “This is my uncle Ante unfortunately his English isn’t so good.” She said introducing him and then me in Croatian.
Her uncle said something to her, and then motioned towards me.
“He wants to know if you following soccer at all?” She asked me.
“Not really.” I said shaking my head.
“Ne, ujko.” She told him, followed by him saying something to her. “He says he likes you already because you’re not a traitor like me.” She laughed, before she said something to him again and walked away bringing me in to the kitchen.
“I take it, your family is big on soccer?” I asked her.
“You have no idea.” She said rolling her eyes.
“Bellishka!” Some women’s voice screeched, causing Bella to make a face.
“Oh god why is she here?” Bella mumbled.
“What’s wrong?”
“Be prepared to meet the most annoying person on the face of the planet, my cousin Monica.” She told me, as a woman
that looked a little older than Bella came running up to us while yanking a guy along with her.
“Bellishka!” She said again hugging Bella, she then looked at me and started talking to me in Croatian.
“On ne govori hrvatski.” Bella told her, which if I had to guess meant I didn’t understand.
“But I thought he was hrvatski?” Monica then asked her in English.
“You can be of Croatian decent in America.” Bella said blankly. “Whatever, anyway Alex this is my cousin Monica, and this her fiancé Luka.”
“It’s nice to meet you!” Monica exclaimed hugging me, while I heard Bella mumble something to Luka making him
chuckle. “How are you liking it here so far?” She asked me.
“It’s really nice.” I nodded.
“Well I’ll catch up with you later he has to meet everyone else.” Bella said grasping my hand. “Sometimes I still can’t believe Ante is her dad.” Bella laughed as we headed in to the dining room where there was more food laid out and even more people eating and talking, and there were little kids running around.
The next hour I spent meeting all of her aunts, uncles, cousins, and man Jesse was right her family was huge and loud. After finally meeting everyone Bella and I grabbed some food and went in to the living room where Bella, myself, Niko and I sat and talked with her cousin Denis who spoke really good English luckily.
“Oh please as if he’d ever leave Manchester.” Bella exclaimed with a mouthful of food.
“He may not right now but you’ll see he’ll leave for like Real Madrid or Milan.” Denis told her.
Once again, we were on the subject I knew little about, soccer.
“Enough of this soccer talk, we get it Ronaldo is the greatest thing to you though I think Modric and Kranjcar are way better let’s now talk about something Alex can actually talk about.” Niko said shaking his head.
“Whoops.” Bella said giving me an embarrassed look.
“It’s okay,” I chuckled looking at her.
“So Alex what do you do?” Denis asked me.
“I’m a musician.” I told him, “I have a band with my friends.”
“That’s really cool.” He said looking interested. “What’s your band called?”
“All time low.”
“I’ll look in to them, what do you play?”
“I sing and play guitar.”
“Nice.” He smiled.
“Luka plays the piano!” Monica said inviting herself in to the conversation, followed by Bella saying something to her in an annoyed tone.
“Isabella!” Her grandma exclaimed smacking her in the back of the head while she passed by to take a seat with Bella’s aunt on the couch opposite of us.
“Oprostite Baka!” Bella explained and then rambled on in Croatian, making Denis and Niko laugh.
“She’s saying that all she wants for Christmas is Monica to never be able to talk again, and if that would happen she’d dance in the streets with Santa Claus himself. And how our Grandma probably is wondering where Monica’s parents went wrong raising her, she doesn’t even like soccer maybe she’s adopted. I don’t know she looks like she could have been picked up from the circus.” Niko translated as Bella ranted making everyone in the room laugh including Luka and
Monica look angrier by the second.
“Bella enough.” Denis laughed, shaking his head.
“What you know I’m right.” She smirked, before she looked at Luka and told him something.
“Now she’s telling him it’s not that she didn’t give a shit that he plays the piano she just thinks Monica is an asshole.” Denis now translated for me, making me laugh.
“Now that’s all cleared up who wants more burek?” Bella announced getting up.
“I’ll take some.” Denis told her giving her his plate.
“What’s Burek again?” I asked.
“The meat pie thing.” Niko explained.
“Oh hell yes I will have more!” I exclaimed making Bella laugh as she took my plate as well.
As Bella came back in to the living room handing Denis and me our plates, her uncle called her name as he came back downstairs.
“Oh no.” Niko mumbled putting his head in his hands.
“What?” I asked with a mouthful of food.
“If I’m right he’s bringing down a soccer ball.”
“Ne!” Bella exclaimed with a huge smile running to him and taking it out of his hands.
Bella started kicking it in the air and catching it on her foot or knee, while her uncle watched with her Dad, as well as all her younger cousins.
“We get it you’re the Croatian Mia Hamm.” Niko told her as she sat down a few minutes later while a few of her little cousins ran to her talking to her and tugging on her sweater.
“Oh come on, you know I can’t say no to Ujko.” She laughed, and then began talking to her little cousins.
“They’re asking her to teach them how to do that, and she’s telling them she will another day it’s too late and our Grandma will cut her head off if she keeps playing in the house.” Niko once again translated.
“I thought she hated little kids?” I asked him.
“That’s what she wants you to think.” He laughed, “She’s like one herself so they all love her.”
♠ ♠ ♠
I finally am working on this again, and I apologize for taking so long. Hope you like it, by all means comment telling me what you think.also here's some translations for the croatian words that were used:
Ujko- uncle
Ne- no
Oprostite-Sorry
On ne govori hrvatski- He doesn't speak croatian
Bella's outfit can be seen here