It's Billy's Favorite

Chapter III

   That was the first time my mother hit me, the reason was her anger towards her mother. Not to mention she didn't get the job because she didn't have a great resume. I knew I shouldn't have gone with my grandmother. And I knew after this night I wouldn't see her for awhile, at least not until I was 21 and caught her in a bar.

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I never understood the full story on why my mother and my grandmother didn't get along. Even when my dad explained it I couldn't understand why, I figure it out more and more the older I got. The truth was, as much as my grandmother was kind and loving towards her grandchildren, she wasn't nice to her daughter.
My grandmother was born on March 12th 1922 in New York. My grandmother grew up with a lot of money since her father was a government executive and owned many side businesses with the mafia. He sold alcohol all throughout the county and her mother was a secretary at a lawyers office. Together they created a nice living space for my grandmother. When my grandmother was 15 she went on a trip to Chicago and met my father who was working a farmers market selling bread with his mother and father while his two younger brothers were selling newspapers and shining shoes. They met during the Great Depression where my father became even poorer than before. He worked all day and occasionally attended school. My grandfather was extremely intelligent and was wonderful at English and math. My grandmother saw him selling bread and the next morning used her money to buy bread just so she could meet him.

"Good day miss what can I get you for?" My grandfather said. "Good day to you as well. I'll take one loaf please." "Sure not a problem. That will be five cents." "Five cents?" "Yes darling." "Why don't you make it more expensive?" "Well, my family wants to be fair but also make good money. People out here haven't eaten for a little while. They don't got enough for groceries. How much for the newspaper?" "Oh you just go to my baby brother Jamie. He give it to you for a great price." "You know what. I think I'd like to take three loafs today." "Alright miss let me wrap those pretty for you. It will be fifteen cents."
My grandmother gave him the money and got a newspaper for her father.
"What's your name darling?" My grandfather asked. "Evelyn Bernadotte." "Louise Medici. You don't look like you from around here. Where you from darling?" "New York." "I figured. What you doing in Chicago?" "My father has business here." "Ahh he help the bootleggers?" "What?" "Don't worry I won't tell anyone. My uncle works for the bootleggers. Just be careful out here. It ain't like New York." "I'm aware Mr. Medici." "Well I hope to see you around Ms. Bernadotte." "I feel you will."
They shook hands and my grandmother walked away thinking about Louise. He was strutting young man and was extremely handsome. A week later they met each other in an ally way late at night. Evelyn snuck out of the hotel and met my grandfather at some ally.
"I didn't expect to see you here darling." "Well my parents are asleep. As long as I'm home by the morning they won't notice." "I'll make sure you get home." "So where are we going?" "I wanted to take you to some place."
They walked to a funeral home and Evelyn raised an eyebrow.
"Someone die?" "No." He chuckled. "Just let's go inside."
They went inside and Louise said something In Italian. A door by the piano opened and inside were flappers, bands, bartenders, and people dancing.
"Oh my god." "Let's go."
They went inside and sat down at a table in the corner. The bartender brought them whiskey in coffee cups.
   "Do you come here often?" "I do. Since my uncle knows people I get in for free."
   Evelyn smiled and drank her whiskey in a cup with Louise until the dancers started doing their final act. The two of them left the speakeasy and Louise began to walk her home. They entered the same ally they met and Evelyn grabbed Louise and kissed him. Her mouth stained with whiskey burned his lips. He wrapped his hand in her hair and pulled her closer to him. His hand grabbed her back and pushed her stomach to his.
  "Come back to Chicago one day Evelyn." "I promise you I will."
   Evelyn came back every month until she was eighteen. On that way she married him and lived with him in hotels and went to speakeasy's for years together. When Evelyn got pregnant with her first child Mary everything made sense. Then Rose came, and then Lizzy arrived. She had the perfect family. The family Evelyn always dreamed of. Evelyn was very protective of her children and did her best to give them a good life. I never met my aunt Lizzy. All I knew was that she and my mother got into financial issues and eventually Lizzy and Rose wouldn't speak to one another. I do know that Lizzy moved out when she was seventeen to be with some guy in England and that after Lizzy left Rose and Evelyn always fought. Evelyn didn't approve of Rose's life choices with going out all the time and sleeping with random guys. Not to mention my mother worked in a bar as a waitress and singer and my grandmother knew she was with random guys every night. That's where my mother met my father and my grandmother hated him because of how they met. When my mother got pregnant with me Evelyn broke contact with her knowing who the father was. Once I was born she absolutely fell in love with me and warmed up to my father. But my mother and my grandmother's relationship was still strained to this day. That's all my father told me and I did try asking Louise about what his life was like but he always ignored my questions; I just gave up asking and knew my father's story was the best I was going to get.