Balotelli Bale Series Book #5: The Other Man Part 2

Chapter 61: Alessandro Belucci

Alessandro's POV
Staying away from the house is usually the best part of my day. I can't stand my mischievous little brothers. My father is also constantly looking for faults.

I prefer hiding up the top of my favorite tree. It is three o'clock and the afternoon breeze is refreshing. I am reading 'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare. It's for school. I feel like the book refers to me.

I am young but I understand more than my father thinks. Books are my escape from my  life. I get to live someone else's life even if it is for three hours before dinner.

I got slowly distracted from my book when I noticed a blonde little girl carrying a yellow stuffed bunny trying to cross the river.

The stuffed bunny fell into the river and was carried away by the currents. I closed my book and quickly descended down the tree with ease.  I hurried to her and stopped her from going after the bunny. She is soaked after falling in but she knows how to swim. I pulled her to our side of the river.

"My bunny." She whimpered.

"It's gone already. You'll get another one. What are you doing out here?"

"I wanted to see what was on the other side of the river." She sniffled.

She is just a kid.

"There's nothing but a house full of bad people. You should go home. Come on. I'll help you cross back."

I took her little hand into mine but then when the sky started to rumble, I understand how fast it will rain. The river will swell up and break its banks.  If that happens it will be impossible to cross.

"Alessandro! Padre wants to talk to you!" My little brother shouted.

I can tell he is close.

I pulled the little girl away and instead of crossing the river, I pulled her deeper into the cluster of trees at the edge of our property.

"I'm scared of the dark." She mattered.

I hid behind a huge boulder and sat her between my things with my hand muffling her mouth.

"Hush little one. We can't get caught. You shouldn't be here." I whispered into her ear.

She nodded and after my brother gave up on finding me, he ran off to avoid the rain that came pouring down.

I carried her in my arms and we went into a tool shed on the far edge. By the time we got there we were soaked but at least there is a fireplace. I tried several times to light a fire with failure being my result but the shivering little girl is the only reason I have to keep trying.

If my father sees her, it will spark trouble. He may never even allow her to leave. He hates the Balotellis. Don Giovanni has shown me so much favor. He didn't care that I was a Belucci. I also don't care that this girl is from the Balotelli side of the river. I am going to help her.

Once the fire was lit, I found some old worker cloths. I offered the girl a dusty coat but it will keep her warm.

"Wear this." She smiled pleasantly and took it.
"Take off the wet clothes first, put on the coat and come sit by the fire."

I stepped back into the pouring rain to give her a moment to change her clothes. When I chose to go back in, I also changed my own.

The coat is oversized but once I buttoned it to the top, it held. She sat beside me in front of the fire but she kept sneezing.

"Bless you. What's your name?"

"Marcella." She shivered.

"Marcella." I whispered the name to commit it to memory. "How old are you?"