Snowfall in Venice

Angelina

ANGELINA

When we entered the elaborate dining room, I was surprised to see The Don already sitting at the end of a long, heavy wooden table. The silverware sparkled in the light of numerous tapered candles. Benedetti was wearing a formal white dinner jacket with a crimson bowtie and matching waistband. He stood and formally welcomed us.

"Please, take a seat. You are just in time for the first dish, Linguine al Nero di Seppia." Alba and Carlos placed steaming hot platters of the fragrant black pasta, tossed with jumbo prawns in front of us.

The Don said, "This is a specialty of the villa. Pasta colored with the black ink of the squid. Please to enjoy."

Gayle and I looked at each other. We both recognized how surreal it was to be dining this way with a man who could have our hands removed with a simple nod. Oblivious to our concerns, Benedetti rolled his eyes in enjoyment with the first taste of the house specialty.

I took a deep breath. "Don Benedetti, Gayle, and I will agree to do the reconstructive surgeries for Angelina, but we have one problem."

The Don stopped eating. "And what would that problem be?"

"I'm sure you've heard the old saying, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder?'" The Don nodded, so I continued. "Our concern is that you may have such high expectations that you will be disappointed with the results, even if Gayle and I are satisfied that we have done everything possible."

The Don put down his wine glass. "Signore, you are mistaken. I will not be the judge of the success or failure of your efforts. That decision will rest solely with my daughter, Angelina."

Gayle asked, "Angelina, alone?"

"Si, it is already decided this way. Every Christmas Eve, we always participate in the festivities at the town square before returning to the villa for the feast of the seven fishes. Each year since she could walk, Angelina has taken part in the parade but always wearing the veil over her face. Now, she alone will decide if she will attend the Christmas festivities this year with her face uncovered."

The Don paused before continuing, "If Angelina stands in the town square on Christmas Eve without her veil, I swear to you on my honor, you will receive the rewards I promised you. I have sealed the safety deposit key and the euro note in an envelope in my vault. It will be yours if you are successful."

We ate the rest of the meal in silence. We had a lot to think about, so we said goodnight and retreated to the safety of our room for the night.

The next few weeks went by in a blur. It was obvious that Don Benedetti was well connected because each day, a truck would arrive loaded with the latest medical equipment, exactly as I ordered. Carlos supervised the unloading while Gayle and I both supervised the installation of the newly arrived hospital gear.

Gradually the unused ballroom in the west wing of the villa was transformed into a first-class operating theater. Electricians and other specialists seemed to show up as if by magic. I couldn't help being impressed by The Don's organizational skills. He had even managed to convince the local hospital's best anesthesiologist, Doctor Anthony Cosmo, to 'volunteer' his services whenever required.

As the date of the first of the planned series of operations approached, Gayle was surprised to see Alba, the housemaid, busy at work covering all the mirrors in the villa.

Gayle spoke to Alba in her fluent Italian. "Why are you covering all the glass mirrors, Alba?"

"Signora, this is at the special request of Angelina. She refuses to see her image until all of the operations are completed."

Gayle could understand the young girl's concerns, but she was concerned herself. If Angelina didn't look at her face after each procedure, Mark wouldn't get any indication of her thinking of the facial changes taking place.

On the morning of the first operation, Gayle escorted Angelina into the operating room, gently holding her hand. Gayle had worked hard to develop a good rapport with the young lady by spending some time each day getting her to understand what would be taking place.

I talked softly to her as she lay on the table. "Angelina, in a few moments, Gayle will give you a gentle injection. It will not hurt, but you will be asleep in a short time. Doctor Cosmo will make sure you are kept safely asleep for the entire time."

The girl turned her ruined face toward me and said, "I have great faith in you, Doctor Mark. I may only be a young girl, but I know a good person when I see one. Gayle has told me of your work on poor children, and I believe God has sent you here to change my life forever."

As I nodded for Doctor Cosmos to put Angelina under, I reflected on her words and hoped that her God would indeed help guide my hands. I deeply wanted to help Angelina, but I also had a selfish motive. I've grown fond of my hands over the years. They have helped many people, and I wanted to keep them attached to me forever.

After an hour or so, I was sweating profusely. The scar tissue from the previously botched procedures was worse than I had expected. I worked delicately at shaving the old tissue while keeping a close eye on the efforts of Doctor Cosmo. Everyone involved in the operation fully understood the consequences if Angelina should suffer a tragedy caused by the anesthetic.

Finally, the first operation was complete, and Angelina was wheeled off to the recovery room. I was happy about the covered mirrors because Angelina's face would continue to look worse until the final procedure took place. I washed up and went to report to The Don.

Don Benedetti looked up anxiously as I entered his office. "Tell me quickly, signore, how is my daughter?"

I reassured him that Angelina was in the recovery room under Gayle's care and that everything had gone as planned. The Don sat down, looking relieved. He lit a cigar and offered one to me, which I declined with a shake of my head.

"Don Benedetti, I need to ask you a favor."

"What is it, you wish?"

I decided to be blunt. "The first procedure on Angelina's face is now finished, but there are still several operations left to go. We also must allow for recovery time between each stage, and there are still more than ten months left until Christmas. The problem is that Gayle and I will go crazy if we must stay only in the villa for the duration. We would only ask to be able to live a more normal life until this is all over."

The Don lazily blew a smoke ring before responding. "I, too, have given your situation some thought. If you give me your solemn oath that you will not try to disappear before the operations are complete, I will agree to allow you some personal freedoms."

I reached out to shake The Don's hand, but the man said, "I'm not finished quite yet. If you swear your oath, I will put Carlos and a car at your disposal. You may travel anywhere within the Venetian Islands, but you will require my permission to go beyond those boundaries."

"Thank you. I'm sure Gayle will enjoy getting out."

Benedetti held up a hand. "However, I must warn you if you attempt to escape, you will be found and punished. We have a long reach, and there is nowhere in the world where you will not be looking over your shoulders every day."

I knew The Don was deadly serious, so I agreed to the terms and went to tell Gayle the good news.