Page 96 of La Dolce Vita

"Stop right there," she said and sat upright. "I won't listen to a story of twin baby boys being eaten by a wolf!"

"Porca miseria!Woman. Can you please be quiet long enough for me to finish the tale?" he pleaded.

She crossed her arms with mock anger. He pretended not to notice. "The she-wolf found the babies and immediately protected then. She made them suckle from her breasts and hid them from danger while a woodpecker went out and found food that the babies could eat. A group of shepherds came across the babies and the wolf one day. One of the shepherds convinced the she-wolf to let him have the boys. He swore he would always protect them from harm. The bargain was made. And the shepherd raised the boys as his sons."

"None of this happened," she said.

"Were you there?"

"No."

"Then you can't say it never happened."

"Fine. So, let's say it did happen. Let's say a wolf didn't eat two babes in the woods and let them suckle her breasts. Let's say the wolf didn't eat the woodpecker and instead let it go find food. Exactly how was a wolf able to bargain with a shepherd and turn the babies over to him for protection? Was this some magical wolf?"

Giovanni’s jaw clenched. He was serious about the story. She kissed his shoulder. "Did the boys learn who they were after they were rescued?"

He nodded.

"How?"

He didn't answer.

"Go on. You know you want to tell me," she teased.

"You sure you want to know? It doesn't sound like you enjoy this story."

"I want to know the ending. I'll listen. I promise."

"When they were older they got into arguments with the shepherds of the king. Remus was arrested. Romulus raised a small army of rebellious local shepherds, and in the battle to free his brother his true identity was revealed. Amulius was killed. Remus was freed. The people celebrated."

"That's it? What about Rome?"

"The people wanted to crown the twins both as kings for defeating the evil Amulius. But Romulus and Remus decided to give the throne back to their grandfather who had lost so much because of his brother's treachery."

"And Rome?" Mirabella asked.

"The boys, who were now men, wanted their cities to rule over near where the she-wolf had found them. They fought about it constantly until they built and claimed their territories. Romulus built a wall around his city. Remus did not. He found it ridiculous, and then he became envious of his brother's tenacity, and the accomplishments of his brother in general. He made fun of the wall. He mocked his brother Romulus over and over. And one day Remus jumped over the wall to prove how ineffective it was. Romulus was bitter over the insult and angered by his brother's constant taunts. He killed Remus. To kill a man you either consider your brother or knew was your brother changes you. It changed him. He had to face the world alone. And he did so by founding the city of Rome, and building a government strong enough to keep hold of the empirical rule with balance and governance. Something he and his brother lacked being born and cast away the way they were."

"Wow. Two brothers at war with each other? Does sound like Cain and Abel."

After all of her teasing of him and half-listening, she hadn't truly understood the message he was trying to convey. But deep in this story, there was something Giovanni wanted to say.

"Why tell me this story?" she asked.

"You asked me to tell you a story," he said.

"But why this one? About the brothers? About the jealousy of brothers? Is it because of Rocco and Tomosino?"

He didn't answer.

"What is it? Talk to me, sweetheart, not in riddles. Just talk to me. You're different. I know I'm different and things have been hard the past few weeks for us. But something is bothering you, and you're keeping it all inside. Is it Lorenzo? Domi? What?"

"Today.... the boys had a disagreement. It was over a toy," he said.

"Yes, I came in, and they were crying."

"The argument had ended long before Mama arrived," Giovanni said with a wry smile. "I watched them fight. Disagree, struggle to force their will on each other. And then Gianni fell." Giovanni looked over to his wife. He stared at her and not the road. "He fell on his back and started to cry. He wasn't hurt, but he was in pain. He had lost to Gino. And at that moment they weren't equals anymore. And Gianni didn't know how to deal with being second best. What boy wants to be second? We all grow up wanting to be first. Especially to our fathers." Giovanni shook his head. Mirabella held her tongue. "And then Gino did something that made me proud. That gave me hope for my sons."

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