Running From the Mafia Boss
Suburban Living #05
I never even gave detention hall guy a second thought as I strolled leisurely away from the school. Rock and roll music blasted in my ear’s making my fingers twitch with enthusiasm, I wanted to reach behind me and start air drumming vigorously along with the beat, I wanted to jump onto the nearest park bench and head bang.
I really was a lover of hard rock. AC/DC, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, anything that has a good beat and a wicked guitar solo.
I reached Rowdy’s humble abode much quicker than expected. I caught sight of Tina through the kitchen window, she seemed to be concentrating hard on something.
“Probably trying to work the toaster.” I mumbled, opening the front door and wandering through to her.
“Hey Lee, how was your first day?” she asked turning round from reading some cooking book. I peered behind her and asked a question of my own.
“Is that a cooking book?”
She laughed, “Yeah I thought I’d give it a go, I was thinking about making these.” she said pointing to a picture of some small cupcakes with pink icing and sprinkles.
“Wanna help?”
I eyed the page with a watering mouth. I was starving, I hadn’t really had a proper lunch today from walking out. Still it was worth it, anything was better than sitting at that table with those idiots.
“Of course.” I smiled pulling off my jacket and tying my hair back with the bobble she was holding out for me. I placed my iPod and drumsticks on the breakfast bar and went to wash my hands.
“God I never see you without these.” commented Tina walking over to the table to finger my iPod and sticks.
“Yeah I always have them with me, even if I’m not using them.” I replied pumping the soap with my hands.
“How long have you been playing the drums?”
I turned round drying my hands with the towel and leaned on the bunker. Tina flitted around the kitchen gently getting out the ingredients and stuff we needed to make the cakes.
“Ehm since I was about 13. Dad hated it, well he still hates it.” I said tucking a stray bit of hair behind my ear and walking over to the bunker to read the recipe.
“I’m guessing you and your dad don’t really get on much huh?” she asked appearing at my side with flour in one and sugar in the other. She plopped them down on the counter alongside the butter and pulled over a large plastic mixing bowl.
“Sometimes. Just depends. I mean we don’t have a lot in common, my mum left us when I was 2 and my dad was left with me, he was usually working through so I never really saw him.”
“He always’ saw me as his little princess. He’d paint my room pink and cover it in Barbie’s –“
“Is that why Rowdy call’s you Barbie all the time?” she interrupted, measuring the flour out on the scales. She smiled at my grimace.
“Yeah. When he first came to work for us my room was like a Barbie store, his first thought was that I was like a little brat that loved all things pink. So he called started calling me Barbie and I guess it sorta stuck.” I shrugged mixing the butter and sugar together.
She laughed.
“How things have changed…I guess it really was your fathers own fault though.” she commented.
“What do you mean?”
“Well lets just say if he employed a nanny to take care of you, then you might have turned into his ‘little princess’ because you would have had a bit of women intervention in your life. But all you had were big gruff men that killed people for a living, I mean Rowdy is macho now but he’s calmed down since I met him. I dread to think what he was like when you met him and you were what? 2-3 year’s old?” she remarked, cracking egg’s against the side of the bowl.
I was quiet. Pondering what she’d just said. She was right, I’d never really ever had a proper motherly figure in my life, sure I’d had girl friends but never an older woman to guide me. All I’d had was countless mafia member’s ruffling my hair and slipping twenty’s into my hand when dad wasn’t looking. I wasn’t complaining though, I had, had a good childhood. Dad had always made sure I was looked after, if it be by Rowdy or the mansion staff, I’d always got what I needed or what I asked for, if it was reasonable. I wasn’t really spoilt as, well, I never seen my dad enough for him to shower me with gifts. But really I didn’t need much, I was happy just playing hide and seek with Rowdy. And as I grew up I enjoyed learning to kick box, something else I could do with Rowdy, he was my best friend. He looked after me and made me laugh. I grew into the person I am now with Rowdy he helped me along the way and yeah maybe I was a bit more tomboy-ish than most girls, but most girls couldn’t kick the crap out of a guy that 3 times the size of her now could they?
“Oh but I’m not saying that’s a bad thing Levi, you’re a wonderful person the way you are now.” she said quickly trying to fix the mistake she thought she had made.
“Oh no you hadn’t offended me I was just thinking.” I replied watching as relief washed over her features.
“Good” she nodded and smiled, “now let’s get these babies’ into there cases and in the oven.”
***
About an hour later Tina and I were sitting at the breakfast table decorating the cakes. Well, Tina was decorating them while I was licking the icing off the wooden spoon.
“D’you wanna put the sprinkles on Lee?” she asked handing me over a tub of multicoloured candies.
“Sure!” I chirped jumping off the counter and grabbing the tub. I started pouring, small amount on each and sitting them on the cooling rack when they door opened and closed.
“There’s my girls.” said Rowdy following his nose through to the kitchen and sniffing at the cakes. I laughed while Tina smacked his arm with the spoon.
“Hey” he cried clutching it.
“Oh come on that didn’t hurt.” she smirked pouring the last of the icing onto another cake.
“Yeah I know.” agreed Rowdy coming out of his fake sorrow and smiling.
“So Barbie how was your first day at school?” he asked walking over to the fridge and peering inside.
“Don’t you dare try and eat anything you,” commanded Tina, “dinner will be ready soon.”
I watched Rowdy close the door and huff before answering.
“Boring.” was all I said.
“Awww come on Barbie. Did you not make any friends?”
I flinched, yes Id made friends but they weren’t the friends I wanted. In fact I didn’t want any, I just wanted to go home.
“Sort of.”
“Well there you go then!” he said smiling crookedly at me and I couldn’t help but smile back.
“Have you heard from my dad?” I asked trying to keep the hope out of my voice and then I tried to hide the disappointment in my face when he shook his head.
“I haven’t sorry kid.” he spoke coming over to pat me on the shoulder before kissing Tina on the cheek and bounding through to the living room to watch the sports channel.
“God you wouldn’t guess he’s in the mafia huh?” laughed Tina, taking a lick at the spoon.
“Yeah he’s just too cuddly for it.” I agreed putting the bowl in the sink and pulling the hair tie out.
I really was a lover of hard rock. AC/DC, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, anything that has a good beat and a wicked guitar solo.
I reached Rowdy’s humble abode much quicker than expected. I caught sight of Tina through the kitchen window, she seemed to be concentrating hard on something.
“Probably trying to work the toaster.” I mumbled, opening the front door and wandering through to her.
“Hey Lee, how was your first day?” she asked turning round from reading some cooking book. I peered behind her and asked a question of my own.
“Is that a cooking book?”
She laughed, “Yeah I thought I’d give it a go, I was thinking about making these.” she said pointing to a picture of some small cupcakes with pink icing and sprinkles.
“Wanna help?”
I eyed the page with a watering mouth. I was starving, I hadn’t really had a proper lunch today from walking out. Still it was worth it, anything was better than sitting at that table with those idiots.
“Of course.” I smiled pulling off my jacket and tying my hair back with the bobble she was holding out for me. I placed my iPod and drumsticks on the breakfast bar and went to wash my hands.
“God I never see you without these.” commented Tina walking over to the table to finger my iPod and sticks.
“Yeah I always have them with me, even if I’m not using them.” I replied pumping the soap with my hands.
“How long have you been playing the drums?”
I turned round drying my hands with the towel and leaned on the bunker. Tina flitted around the kitchen gently getting out the ingredients and stuff we needed to make the cakes.
“Ehm since I was about 13. Dad hated it, well he still hates it.” I said tucking a stray bit of hair behind my ear and walking over to the bunker to read the recipe.
“I’m guessing you and your dad don’t really get on much huh?” she asked appearing at my side with flour in one and sugar in the other. She plopped them down on the counter alongside the butter and pulled over a large plastic mixing bowl.
“Sometimes. Just depends. I mean we don’t have a lot in common, my mum left us when I was 2 and my dad was left with me, he was usually working through so I never really saw him.”
“He always’ saw me as his little princess. He’d paint my room pink and cover it in Barbie’s –“
“Is that why Rowdy call’s you Barbie all the time?” she interrupted, measuring the flour out on the scales. She smiled at my grimace.
“Yeah. When he first came to work for us my room was like a Barbie store, his first thought was that I was like a little brat that loved all things pink. So he called started calling me Barbie and I guess it sorta stuck.” I shrugged mixing the butter and sugar together.
She laughed.
“How things have changed…I guess it really was your fathers own fault though.” she commented.
“What do you mean?”
“Well lets just say if he employed a nanny to take care of you, then you might have turned into his ‘little princess’ because you would have had a bit of women intervention in your life. But all you had were big gruff men that killed people for a living, I mean Rowdy is macho now but he’s calmed down since I met him. I dread to think what he was like when you met him and you were what? 2-3 year’s old?” she remarked, cracking egg’s against the side of the bowl.
I was quiet. Pondering what she’d just said. She was right, I’d never really ever had a proper motherly figure in my life, sure I’d had girl friends but never an older woman to guide me. All I’d had was countless mafia member’s ruffling my hair and slipping twenty’s into my hand when dad wasn’t looking. I wasn’t complaining though, I had, had a good childhood. Dad had always made sure I was looked after, if it be by Rowdy or the mansion staff, I’d always got what I needed or what I asked for, if it was reasonable. I wasn’t really spoilt as, well, I never seen my dad enough for him to shower me with gifts. But really I didn’t need much, I was happy just playing hide and seek with Rowdy. And as I grew up I enjoyed learning to kick box, something else I could do with Rowdy, he was my best friend. He looked after me and made me laugh. I grew into the person I am now with Rowdy he helped me along the way and yeah maybe I was a bit more tomboy-ish than most girls, but most girls couldn’t kick the crap out of a guy that 3 times the size of her now could they?
“Oh but I’m not saying that’s a bad thing Levi, you’re a wonderful person the way you are now.” she said quickly trying to fix the mistake she thought she had made.
“Oh no you hadn’t offended me I was just thinking.” I replied watching as relief washed over her features.
“Good” she nodded and smiled, “now let’s get these babies’ into there cases and in the oven.”
***
About an hour later Tina and I were sitting at the breakfast table decorating the cakes. Well, Tina was decorating them while I was licking the icing off the wooden spoon.
“D’you wanna put the sprinkles on Lee?” she asked handing me over a tub of multicoloured candies.
“Sure!” I chirped jumping off the counter and grabbing the tub. I started pouring, small amount on each and sitting them on the cooling rack when they door opened and closed.
“There’s my girls.” said Rowdy following his nose through to the kitchen and sniffing at the cakes. I laughed while Tina smacked his arm with the spoon.
“Hey” he cried clutching it.
“Oh come on that didn’t hurt.” she smirked pouring the last of the icing onto another cake.
“Yeah I know.” agreed Rowdy coming out of his fake sorrow and smiling.
“So Barbie how was your first day at school?” he asked walking over to the fridge and peering inside.
“Don’t you dare try and eat anything you,” commanded Tina, “dinner will be ready soon.”
I watched Rowdy close the door and huff before answering.
“Boring.” was all I said.
“Awww come on Barbie. Did you not make any friends?”
I flinched, yes Id made friends but they weren’t the friends I wanted. In fact I didn’t want any, I just wanted to go home.
“Sort of.”
“Well there you go then!” he said smiling crookedly at me and I couldn’t help but smile back.
“Have you heard from my dad?” I asked trying to keep the hope out of my voice and then I tried to hide the disappointment in my face when he shook his head.
“I haven’t sorry kid.” he spoke coming over to pat me on the shoulder before kissing Tina on the cheek and bounding through to the living room to watch the sports channel.
“God you wouldn’t guess he’s in the mafia huh?” laughed Tina, taking a lick at the spoon.
“Yeah he’s just too cuddly for it.” I agreed putting the bowl in the sink and pulling the hair tie out.