The Debt

Chapter 3

          I woke up instantly to the sound of the fire alarm. I roll my eyes at being woken up early but just in case there is anything wrong I grab my jumper and head down the stairs where I hear commotion coming from the kitchen. I look in the room to find all of my siblings squabbling over something that is obviously burning in the stove. They are all covered from head to toe in flour, obviously having done more than cooking. Selena is obviously trying to control everything but making it go wrong. Angelo looks to the entrance of the room upon my arrival and his widen in thanks. 

          "Ah good, Siena. Can you help us? It seems burning the house down was the goal of my dear brother and sisters," states my brother with a voice that doesn't sound very certain. I smile as I move with a quick paced run to the oven. I turn off the temperature dial and take whatever it was they were trying to make off of the stove to cool down before I throw it in the bin. Madeleine looks at me with shock that I knew how to do all of that. 

          "What in God's name where you trying to make?" I say with fake anger, though I can't be serious around them when I have Angelo throwing flour at Stefano with such anger you wouldn't believe they are supposed to be the oldest. 

          "Well the cook couldn't work today, so she left instructions last night to make pancakes," says Stefano with hurt pride to explain something that didn't go right. My face explodes into a fit of laughter as I look at whatever it is in their pan. Pancakes? They look more like burnt bacon to me!

          "Why didn't you come and get me?" I ask like a mother. Sometimes I feel like I am their mother at times. God bless Mammy. 

          "You were asleep. Besides none of us have actually seen you cook so we thought you were making it all up," says Stefano, always hating to not be the one who does the good thing all the time. He likes to be the 'top' at everything. 

          "Clean yourselves up and I'll have everything ready when you get down," I order and they retreat up the stairs like dogs with their tails between their legs. 

          In the afternoon it was obvious that something was wrong. I hadn't been able to find anyone for ages now. I walked into Pappy's study to find all of my family standing around each other, and they hushed up when I got into the room. Please, don't stop on my account, I think to myself. It's getting annoying to think that they don't trust me when things come up. I'll be eighteen soon and they just don't allow me in anything important. 

         "What's wrong?" I ask, though I already know I'll just be told 'don't worry love, why don't you go read or something girly like that?' 

          "Dear daughter, I had hoped we would be able to we could keep this from you for as long as we could, but with you growing up so fast . . . I don't know how to tell you. We owe lots of money to someone who we have no way of paying back. I don't know what this will mean for us. We will have to leave the house, it doesn't belong to us anymore," my Pappy informs me carefully, not sure as to how I will take it. It's obviously very big news and I know that if they could pay this back they would. 

          "How much is owed?" I ask and my brothers look to Pappy. Stefano is not looking very happy. 

          "Yes Angelo? Do tell?" blurts out Stefano suddenly, causing me to step back. He's got a very bad case of the 'grumpies' as Mammy would have called it. I was about to say so when a loud crash could be heard from the entrance. I scream at the sound and Stefano quickly grabs me and pushes me behind him. 

          "WHERE ARE YOU DONATIELLO?" shrieks a voice in the hallway just a couple of doors down from where we are. What's going on? I don't understand any of it. Another gunshot could be heard from just behind the door so Pappy takes hold of my hand and takes me to my sisters.