Page 34 of Wish I Were Here
I rush over and take his arm. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, sure, sure.” He waves me off. “I just wasn’t expecting that to be there.”
I guide him over to the couch. He settles into the velvet with a satisfied sigh. “Ah. Feels good to take a load off.” While I move to the kitchenette, he gazes around the room. “I like what you’ve done with the place.”
“Thanks. It’s my first apartment that’s all my own.” A heavy weight settles on me. If I can’t get my identity back, I could lose this place. I could lose everything. Right now, all my hopes are pinned on a guy who may or may not be a Mafia boss named Uncle Vito. How did I get here?
I stash my pasta fazool in the fridge and then grab the kettle to fill it with water. “Which one is your apartment?”
Sal waves a hand in the direction of the hallway. “Oh, one of those. Not nearly as fancy as this.”
I take two tea bags down from the cabinet. “Is Earl Grey okay?”
“Oh, sure. Whatever you have.” Sal slowly lifts one foot as if it takes some real effort and props his black orthopedic sneaker on the opposite knee.
“You said you’ve been here in the DeGreco for years?” I ask, dropping the tea bags into two mugs.
“That’s right. Lived my whole life in Bloomfield. I grew up in a house just down the street and around the corner. Raised my own kids there, too.”
I wonder if Sal lived in one of those houses in the same row as Luca’s childhood home. My guess is that he did, or on a similar street. I’m starting to see that this neighborhood is a large, interconnected community, at least for the people who’ve lived here for a long time. Lately, though, it seems like every fourth house on the block has turned into a developer flip. It makes places like the DeGreco even more special with all the lifelong residents.
“So when did you decide to move in here?”
“When the kids started having kids, my wife and I decided to downsize and pass the house on to the youngergeneration. It’s been about thirty years now, and no regrets. We couldn’t have handled that big old house as we got older.”
“And your wife? Is she from Bloomfield, too?”
“Mary grew up two doors down from me.” A shadow passes over his face. “She died a few years back.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Sal gives me a nod. “I was lucky to have my community in the neighborhood, and here in this building. People look out for each other.” He gives me a smile. “A girl like you, though. You must find it kind of sleepy around here.”
I pour the hot water in the cups and place them each on a saucer along with a spoon. “No, I love it. I’ve had plenty of excitement in my life.” I carry the tea over to the coffee table and set it on a place mat that I keep there so the cups don’t leave water rings on the table.
“Well, that’s good to hear. But young people like you need other young people. And we’re just a bunch of old folks, mostly.” He leans forward, taking a cup. “Except for Luca, of course.”
“Yeah, Luca. Luca is… um.” And then he flashes in my mind, kneeling on the ground in front of me, his hand on my cheek, promising that everything will be okay. The warmth of his chest against my back as he wrapped an arm around me, ready to wrestle me away from a police officer. I press my hands to my face. What is wrong with me? “He’s interesting,” I finally say.
Sal chuckles. “He’s a character all right. But a really good kid.”
A couple of days ago, I would have had my doubts. Butafter I’ve spent this day with him… well, he’s surprised me a lot.
“How did your big meeting today go?” Sal asks.
“Not so great. Kind of a mess, actually.” My shoulders slump. “Everything with my new job is a disaster all of a sudden.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Something kind of unbelievable happened this morning,” I confide as I sit in a chair opposite him. “I found out that my identity has disappeared. I’m no longer in any government records, my Social Security card is useless, and my driver’s license is a fake.”
Sal takes a sip of his tea. “I’ve never heard of something like that happening.”
“Me neither.”
“You know, Luca has a friend down in the Social Security office.”
I nod. “Ellie. She tried to help, but there’s nothing she can do.” I give him a brief overview of the Social Security card / driver’s license / birth certificate conundrum. “We’ve figured out that unless I can track down the original copy of my birth certificate, I’ll just remain…” I trail off at that familiar tightening in my chest. “I’ll just remain nobody.”
