The Devil's
Orchestra
by Jerry Guarino
“No
man chooses evil because it is evil; he only
mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.”
- Mary Shelley
After trying to finesse God
for years, Tony finally realized he had been
playing in The Devil's Orchestra. The worst part
was that he was about to drag his family down
with him. Shopping for groceries was now a
painful reminder of how much he had lost, but he
still spent most of his food money on his
daughter.
Unlike his father, who kept him and his mother in
poverty by gambling, Tony measured his decisions
carefully, knowing his family depended on him for
so much. "That will be $38.45 sir."
Tony wiped his face and saw that he had $40 left
in his wallet as a flush of anxiety ran through
him. He tried to hide his concern and handed the
cashier the twenty-dollar bills. Walking past the
lottery machine, he resisted the temptation of
wasting a dollar.
"Is that you Tony?" said his wife
greeting him in the kitchen. "Yes dear.
There were good prices on fruit, so I got extra.
Where's Kelly?" Kelly runs in and hugs her
Dad. "There's my princess" as Tony hugs
her back and puts on a smile. "How about a
snack?" Kelly looked at the bag. "Did
you get bananas and grapes?" Her father took
out items one at a time. "Hmm, we have
lettuce...broccoli...tomatoes...carrots."
Kelly stood on her toes trying to peek inside the
bag, her smile fading. “peas...cauliflower...string
beans." Kelly was pouting now, as her father
pulled out the food. "and..oops, here are
three bananas and two kinds of grapes!" The
ten-year old girl gave a hop and grabbed her
favorite foods. "Thanks Daddy," and sat
down at the kitchen table. "OK, I'm off to
work,” said Tony as he kissed them goodbye.
Tony's mind wandered as he drove to the
restaurant. His second job helped him keep up
with expenses and some food to bring home. He
thought if he could just hold on, God would
provide some relief. When times were good, he
felt blessed; now that his family was struggling,
he thought God had turned away from him. "I
will do anything," he prayed to himself.
“anything to keep my family healthy."
Once there was money in the bank, but medical
expenses for Kelly drained that quickly after he
lost his insurance coverage. At least he had two
jobs and his wife's salary as a bookkeeper. Even
though they lived frugally, monthly expenses out
paced income, making each month a challenge to
juggle bills. A comfortable life had been
replaced by daily anxiety and stress. There must
be a reason.
Sixty-hour weeks were
putting a strain on Tony; at 56 he was tired when
he came home and had less energy to relax with
the family. Tony and his wife saw less of each
other too, because of their schedules and child-care.
It seemed as though he was slowly draining a gas
tank, each week being tougher than the last.
He arrived at work and took his place in the
kitchen; Tony’s cooking skills kept him
employed at two restaurants, though both were 30
hours weekly. He wasn't alone. Multiple part time
jobs were common in the economy, allowing
employers to avoid paying benefits. Walking out
to get his apron, he bumped into Maria, a single
mom waitress in her 40s. "Sorry Maria, I
wasn't looking." Maria smiled and helped
Tony with his apron. "No worries hon....we’re
all busy here." Tony couldn't help watch
Maria as she left. Maria didn't usually flirt
with him so this came as a surprise. Tony
imagined spending time with her, but quickly
snapped out of it, chastising himself for the
thought. His wife was devoted and loving,
although they had both been too tired and
stressed for intimacy lately. As Tony prepared
for the dinner rush, he caught Maria in passing
watching him. He let out a small smile.
Friday nights were very
busy with constant orders rushing in and out of
the kitchen, not letting up until 10pm. Waiters
and cooks only had time for quick bathroom and
snack breaks and by closing only the clean up
crew were left. Everyone else left for the night
and returned home except for the younger staff
that still had energy to go to bars, clubs or a
late movie. Tony couldn't remember those days
before he was married when you could get by on
less money and responsibility. Was he a better
person then? Why was life so easy then? Or did it
only seem that way? Experience and wisdom should
make life easier as you got older, but then there's
a turning point where things go downhill, like a
bell curve. He realized his best times were
behind him.
When he got home, his wife
and Kelly were asleep. He dropped into his chair
to watch some TV, eat a snack and have a glass of
wine. He wouldn't drink at work but a glass of
Chianti before bed helped him sleep. He would
have to be up early to get to his other
restaurant, again missing time with family.
Except for church on Sunday afternoon, there were
few times when they were all together on the
weekend. During the week, his wife worked during
the day and Tony worked early morning and nights,
leaving them passing by each other.
Tony checked the mail. Several bills were overdue,
the worst a notice from the hospital for Kelly's
treatments; he could bring the tip money he was
saving to them on Monday, explaining that he will
keep making small payments. "I didn't hear
you come in,” said his wife. "Are you
coming to bed?" Tony replied with a nod
meaning he would be right there. He was thankful
for such a good wife, stoically standing by the
family and not complaining.
4:30am comes quickly now. Tony takes a shower,
kisses his sleeping wife and daughter and heads
to his daytime restaurant; he turns on the grills
and makes breakfast for himself. By 7am there
would be a line waiting for the pancakes and
scrambles he makes. He couldn't afford to take
his family to this place but there were plenty of
people who could and do every day. At least he
can bring something home for them to reheat,
although the boss kept an eye on how much food he
took. His family deserved it. God will provide.
By 2:30 it was time to leave; he made a large
scramble and three pancakes to take home. He
glanced out to see if the boss noticed. No one
was around. He would only have about an hour
before he had to go to his other job and wanted
to spend that time with family. "Tony, wait
up a minute,” said the boss. "You know
I understand you're bringing that home, but I'm
going to have to start charging you something.
Food isn't free, you know." Tony felt a
flush of panic. He immediately thought of losing
this job. "How much,” he asked. The
boss worked it out in his head. "Well, you
have two scrambles at $10.95 each and three
pancakes at $8.95. Let's call it $12.00."
Tony knew the real cost of food wasn’t even
half that. Twelve dollars wasn't much to the
crowd that ate here everyday, but it was
significant to Tony. This weekend meal was a
treat for his family and they looked forward to
it. "OK" and he handed over a ten and
two ones from his tip money. "And I expect
you to show me when you take food next time,
instead of sneaking out." Tony was really
embarrassed now. "Won't happen again boss,"
putting on a contrite smile. Tony got in his car
and drove home, still worried about how to choose
between the money and the food he brought home.
Kelly and mom were sitting in the living room
watching a kid's show. When Kelly heard her Dad
come in, she rushed to the door. "Did you
bring pancakes?" Tony smiled, "Don't I
always?" knowing now that his decision had
been made for him. His wife kissed him on the
cheek, rubbed his back and put her head on his
shoulder. "You always take care of us."
Tony sat down and closed his eyes, taking a short
nap while Kelly and mom shared the pancakes.
Sleep wasn't restful now. He worried about the
day job, finances and Kelly's health. He grimaced
and shrugged in his sleep, then feeling someone
pulling his arm. "Time to go to work dear"
said his wife and he got up and left.
Saturday nights were the busiest here, twice the
crowd during the week and more than Fridays or
Sundays. This restaurant was so different than
the daytime one. People dressed up, the meals
were expensive and the dining room had large
tables and intimate booths where candles
flickered. In the morning, he saw young couples
holding hands over pancakes. Here he saw older
couples beginning the dance of romance. When was
the last time he and his wife had such a treat?
Love is for those with no cares or those with
money. His life fell outside that circle of
happiness, people with means and young lovers,
living at home without the stresses that life may
bring.
Miguel, his partner in cooking, was preparing
sauces for the entrees. "Hey Tony, how's it
going?" Tony liked Miguel. He was in his
twenties, had plans for getting married and
endless energy. Tony wondered if working side by
side, the boss would compare them. But Tony was
an excellent cook and Miguel complemented his
work by getting the sauces and side dishes ready
just in time to Tony's entrees so that food could
be delivered quickly to patrons. "I'm good
Miguel. How’s that pretty fiancée of yours?"
Miguel's face lit up. "Oh, you know Tony, I'm
marrying an angel. After work tonight we're going
dancing and even though the guys will be watching
her, she's going home with me." Tony nodded.
"Keep treating her right and she always will.
When's the big day again?" Miguel stirred
the three sauces on the stove. "Valentine's
Day! It was Andrea's idea. Romantic, but it could
be cold." Tony wondered where they could be
going on their honeymoon. Miguel offered before
he could ask "but Miami should be beautiful
then, lots of warm ocean water, good food I don't
have to cook and great clubs." Tony patted
him on the arm. "Blessings to both of you
and a long, happy life."
At least his boss here didn't mind him taking
food home. Whatever meats had been around a while
were fair for him to make a meal because they
received fresh shipments every week, dated in the
large refrigerator. His boss made a point of
telling customers that they only used fresh
ingredients. "Tony, you going to make magic
for those people tonight?" said his boss,
dressed in his blue suit, white shirt and red tie.
"Absolutely, boss, Miguel and I are the
magic makers." The boss relaxed. "Great,
that's what keeps them coming back. You know we're
thinking about expanding the dining room to next
door. If we do, we'll need you for more hours. Is
that good?" For the first time in days, Tony
felt hope. "I'd love that boss. I can work
every night if you need me." Tony felt a
wave of energy as he continued to prepare the
meat entrees for cooking. "And you'll have
to do that sooner while Miguel is on the beach in
South Florida next month." Miguel smiled.
"Let's hope he makes time for the beach,”
said Tony. They all shared a laugh.
Once it got busy, Tony and Miguel concentrated on
cooking, leaving little time for talk about
Miguel's honeymoon or much else. They served over
150 people a night here and time went by quickly.
The other cooks and kitchen staff looked up to
them as they would a head chef in a fine European
restaurant, even though this Italian-American
bistro was much less pretentious and Tony and
Miguel never thought of themselves as better than
the others.
Most of the waiters and waitresses here were
young, supplementing another job or still in
college. Tony knew their time here was temporary
and their future was bright. "Wouldn't it be
great to start over?" he thought, although
he wouldn't trade his wife and daughter for
anything. Tony remembered the injustices he had
suffered. He would have stayed away from the
people who hurt him, politicking for no other
reason that he wasn't a college graduate or
because of his age. But it wasn't his to judge;
everyone has ups and downs. Each person will have
to account for his or her actions on Earth. We
are only here a short time. Eternity belongs to
those who are faithful.
Respect. That's what Tony liked about this
restaurant. And if he increased his hours, then
he knew he would get health insurance. More money,
Kelly’s medical expenses and finally, some
security! Maybe he would even be able to drop his
morning job, especially now that his boss was
squeezing him for taking meals home. "I
could spend the mornings with my wife, make
breakfast for Kelly and take her to school."
Tony's sense of hope made him excited and relaxed
at the same time.
Tony walked back to the refrigerator to get meat
for the first orders. It would take some time to
prepare them for cooking, trimming and shaping
the cuts and rubbing them with his blend of
spices and marinades. Maria was there looking
upset. "What’s wrong Maria?" Maria
turned toward him. "Oh, just a flat tire
that I got on the way over. It will be too late
to take care of it after work. I'll have to come
back during the day on Sunday." Tony knew
this meant she would have to take buses home late
at night. "Would you like a ride home? It's
on my way." Maria seemed relieved. "Oh,
that would be great, thanks" and she touched
his arm in appreciation. "No problem."
Tony was trimming the fat off the meats to make
them just right for cooking. He couldn't help
wonder if Maria was looking for more than a ride,
remembering the glances she gave him the other
night. Suddenly he was imagining dropping her off
and Maria reaching over to give him a not so
innocent kiss. "Ouch"…he let out
as he cut his left thumb. "Serves me right
for not paying attention" he thought,
justice for thinking this imaginary infidelity.
After he cleaned up, Tony went back to preparing
the cuts. He loved his wife. "Why would I
even think of cheating on her?" he asked
himself. "This is natural, all men think
this way. I'm not going to do anything. That
would be the real sin." But would it? Tony
believed that it was a sin just to have these
thoughts, so he felt guilty. "Do these
thoughts come from me or from some evil source?"
Tony believed in evil, in Satan and in Hell.
"This must be him trying to bring me down."
His life wasn't stressful enough; now he is being
tempted to do something he knew was wrong. "But
was it? How could just thinking about something
be wrong? No one would know. No one would get
hurt.”
This was a question he
wrestled with all his life. “Is it our
thinking or actions that guide our destiny?”
He could not identify any great transgressions he
had committed; yet his life had gone from
comfortable to this fragile state he and his
family now endured. Kelly's medical problems
certainly weren't her fault; she was an angel.
His wife's suffering wasn't her fault; she did
the best she could. No, it was when he lost his
health insurance, because that company moved out
of town, sending the jobs to some other country,
which was to blame. Not that Tony thought those
people were to blame; they would make a fraction
of what they were paying Americans but that would
be a blessing for them. "No, the evil is
somewhere else, someone set this in motion."
The food was put away, the kitchen was clean and
it was time to go home. Maria waited for Tony
outside with her hands in her pockets to stay
warm. Tony opened the door for her and they left
the restaurant. "I really appreciate this
Tony. This is no time to be outside waiting for
buses." Tony glanced at Maria. "I told
you, it's on my way home, no trouble at all."
Tony remembered his earlier transgression and had
decided that thinking about it wouldn't hurt
anybody. "Well, it's more than my ex would
do for me. He only cares about himself."
Tony pulled up to Maria's apartment building and
waited for her to get out. "Here you go,
have a good night." Maria squeezed his hand
and looked at Tony. "Thanks. I have to pay
the babysitter and make sure mine is asleep."
Tony wanted to lean over and kiss her. He thought
Maria wanted the same thing. He waited, Maria
still holding his hand. It seemed like minutes
had gone by when it had only been seconds. Maria's
eyes glanced downward. "OK, thanks again"
and she left slowly and went inside her apartment.
Tony could feel his body quivering. No harm done.
Time to get home.
Everyone was asleep as usual when he came in. He
cleaned up and got into bed. That night he
dreamed about what he had secretly hoped would
happen with Maria. He woke suddenly at 3am, upset
that it had only been a dream. He hoped the dream
would continue but it was replaced with a
nightmare about losing his job at the restaurant.
The next time he woke up, he was glad it was just
a dream. It was 4:30am and time to get to his
breakfast job.
All that day, Tony thought about Maria and the
opportunity that might have been. He wished he
had acted on his impulses. What a relief it would
be to feel passion again and to be wanted, not
just needed. "No, my wife wants me too. It's
our life that has ruined our passion, not her,
not me." Tony finished the shift, made his
scrambles and pancakes and gave his boss the $12.
This time the boss didn't give him a dirty look.
Sunday nights were slower at the restaurant,
especially in January. The post holiday crowd was
always lighter, people spending some time at home
or away to some warm vacation spot. Tony patted
Miguel on the back. "Hey, young man, how are
you today?" Miguel looked upset. "Not
sure. I think Andrea may be cheating on me. I was
looking at the cell phone bill and saw some calls
to her old boyfriend." Tony listened. "It
may be nothing. She loves you. Is there any other
reason you are worrying?" Miguel paused, and
then said "No, just the calls." Tony
tried to reassure him. "It's better that you
ask her about this. You'll make yourself crazy if
you don't and there's probably an explanation for
it." Miguel nodded and agreed. He would ask
her tonight after work.
Tony worried about Miguel's situation and that it
might be just a harmless misinterpretation of the
facts. There could be an innocent explanation, or
so he hoped. Miguel and Andrea seemed so perfect
together. Tony silently prayed for them,
believing that might help.
The night continued to go slowly and the boss
told Tony and some others to leave early. When
Tony got to his car, he saw Maria. "So you
got your tire fixed?" Maria nodded. "Yes,
luckily it could be patched, so I didn't need a
new one.” Tony felt himself quivering again
and tried to steady his voice. "Yeah, those
new tires sure run up a bill.” Maria walked
up to Tony and whispered in his ear. Tony could
feel his heart pounding. "Really, what about
your son?" Maria touched Tony on the
shoulder. "He's at my mother's tonight"
and she gave him a smile. "You remember
where I live?" she said. Tony could barely
get the words out "Yes, I'll follow you.”
The four-mile trip seemed to take forever. Tony's
heart was pounding and he thought to himself.
"What am I doing? This is wrong. I should
just go home.” But Tony didn't go home.
Walking toward the building, he saw Maria waiting
for him. She took his hand and they went up to
the second floor apartment. After they got in,
Maria took off her coat and put her arms around
Tony's neck, kissing him and leaving no doubt
about her intentions. Tony was both excited and
worried at the same time. What if his wife found
out? But how could she? He wasn't expected home
for hours and she always retired early with Kelly.
With this expectation, he took full advantage of
Maria, unbuttoning her blouse while she did the
same with his shirt.
Tony drove home energized and excited but filled
with guilt. "What have I done?" But
knowing that his wife wouldn't find out, he
decided that this was going to be the first night
of many with Maria. "This is good for me,”
he thought. "No one gets hurt. It's no
different than thinking about it.” But Tony
was having trouble convincing him of that last
point.
The breakfast restaurant
was closed on Mondays, so Tony had breakfast with
the family before Kelly had to leave for school
and his wife go to work. "What did you guys
do last night?" he asked. Kelly jumped in
"We made play-doh houses and put people in
them.” His wife added "Yes, we made a
little family like ours; we even had them sitting
at the table eating breakfast together.” For
some reason this renewed Tony's guilt so he asked,
"Great, what did your family have to eat?"
"Pancakes of course Daddy!" said Kelly.
"How was your night dear?" said his
wife. Tony wondered if his wife knew he got off
early. Realizing there was no up side in looking
guilty, he put on his best false smile and said
"No, same as usual, dinner for the fortunate
few.” Then Tony dropped his wife off at work
and Kelly at school.
Monday he was off from both
jobs, but he spent the day wishing he were going
in to see Maria again. "Should I call her?"
he wondered, not knowing the appropriate first
post-affair task. "If I call her, she might
think I'm too eager. But if I don't call her, she
might think I don't care. Don't care? Do I care?
In what way do I care? I'm not going to leave my
wife for her, but I don't want to stop seeing her.
Wait, I'm not sure if she feels the same about me.
What if that was just a one time thing for her?
What if she just wanted to see how it felt? Maybe
she is feeling guilty too. But why? She's single,
nothing to feel guilty about. Unless, she thinks
my wife will find out. That would hurt everyone.”
Tony was realizing that this was becoming more
complicated than he thought it would. But he
couldn't wait until Tuesday night.
Tony decided not to call Maria. He didn't want to
leave an answer on her machine that her son might
hear. And he didn't know what to say. He got to
the restaurant early, waiting outside for Maria.
He had some flowers in his car. "Flowers?
What am I doing now?" Maria pulled up beside
him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Tony
got the flowers and gave them to her. "These
are lovely, thank you so much. Do you mind if I
put them in my car?" Tony thought that would
be best. "That would be fine,” he said.
"I wanted to call but didn't know if it was
the right thing to do.” Maria leaned up to
him and whispered "I think it would be
better if you didn't.” Now Tony was confused
again. "Was this the end of it? Did his
failure to call end it?" Before he could go
on, Maria continued, "We need to keep this
our secret, ok?" and kissed him again. Tony
wanted to take her right there, but knew someone
might see them. He held back all his instincts
and asked her if he could see her tonight. Maria
gave a little pout and said "sorry love, my
son is at home but he's going to be out tomorrow
at a friend's house.” It was clear that
Maria wanted Tony as much as he wanted her, but
she had the sense to do this in a way that no one
found out. Tony was relieved, having imagined
that Maria might tell his wife for some reason if
things went south between them. "She's very
careful. No one will know. No one will get hurt.
I wouldn't want my wife to get hurt,”
thought Tony. Then they went into the restaurant
using separate entrances.
"Women can control
their passions more easily than men,” Tony
thought. He couldn't stand the thought of waiting
another day, but Maria seemed perfectly at ease
with it. Tony muddled through the night, his mind
racing with thoughts he shouldn't have while
holding sharp knives. He remembered his thumb
incident the other day. "Look at her"
he thought, seeing her taking orders and calmly
talking with customers, "no different than
any other night.”
Miguel came in a little late, which surprised and
worried Tony. Miguel was never late, though this
was only 20 minutes. "Miguel, how are things?"
he said. Miguel gave a sad look and said. "I
took your advice Tony. I sat down with Andrea and
asked her about the calls. She started to cry.”
Tony felt a sinking feeling that his friend's
engagement was coming to an end. "But then
she told me that the old boyfriend had asked her
if he could hold a bachelor party for me...hard
to believe, eh?" Tony wished that were the
case. Tony prayed that was the case. Only time
would tell. Tony decided he had helped enough.
Over the next month, Tony and Maria continued to
see each other after work whenever Maria could
arrange for her son to be out. Tony hoped this is
how it would continue. No expectations, no one
gets hurt. Maria felt the same way. "Tony,
do your wife and daughter ever go away for the
night?" Tony realized this was a golden
opportunity. They could be together all night,
not rushing out after an hour to cover his
infidelity. He began thinking about how he might
arrange for his wife and Kelly to be out of town.
"Seeing relatives? Surprise mother and
daughter trip to Disneyland? Think Tony, there
has to be a way.” Then he remembered. Kelly
was due at the hospital in the city for cancer
tests. It would be an overnight trip and mom
always stayed with her. "My God, is this
what it has come to? My daughter in the hospital
with cancer and my using that as an excuse to be
with Maria?" Yes, that would work. No one
would know. No one would get hurt.
It worked better than
expected. Maria arranged for her son to spend the
weekend with a friend and even paid for a hotel
room for her and Tony. When Tony heard the plan,
he realized that his affair had now crossed over
into the romantic domain. "What if Maria
wanted more than a physical relationship?"
But Maria was way ahead of Tony. Not only did she
want more, but she had already bonded with him.
Kelly and mom's trip to the hospital was on a
Sunday after church and they wouldn't be back
until late Monday. Sunday at work, Tony and Maria
couldn't help giving each other glances. Both
knew what the night had in store, all night and
the next day too! After work, they took both cars
to the hotel (Maria always the careful one), she
checked in and set up the room with champagne,
dessert and rose petals on the bed. A trip to
Victoria Secret was not wasted on Maria, or Tony.
He showed up at the room with two-dozen roses and
a small silver bracelet in a gift box.
When she opened the door, Tony thought he would
explode with passion. They made love, drank
champagne, ate rich chocolates and made love some
more. Maria seemed more like a woman in her 20s
and Tony did his best to keep up. The adrenalin
rush was helping. He forgot completely about his
wife and daughter in the hospital. This was the
relief he had been praying for; God had answered
his prayers, just in a different way than he
expected. Maria snuggled up close to Tony and
whispered in his ear. "I love you!"
Tony thought time (and his heart) had just
stopped. "What do I say? There is only one
right thing to do now and I'm not sure I can do
it.” He gave her a long, soulful kiss and
said, "I love you too.”
Tony and Maria decided it
would be safe to use the hotel Jacuzzi. It was
late and it was open to guests. They were all
alone and holding each other, kissing and
reiterating those words that Tony feared so much
but were hard to resist once Maria had said them.
Tony knew he wouldn't have to work in the morning
so they stayed up all night, with just catnaps as
breaks. Maria seemed very content with the
relationship, even though her words implied
wanting more. He had to know. But that could wait
until tomorrow. No sense ruining the best night
he had in the last ten years.
Around 4:00am they both fell asleep, but Maria
had set the alarm for 7:30am, with breakfast
ordered from room service. Tony was still asleep
when it arrived. She quietly set it up in front
of the bed, and then woke him up by snuggling
close. Maria didn't want breakfast just yet.
Realizing this, Tony took her again, Maria being
equally passionate. When they finally got around
to breakfast, Tony asked, "What time do we
have to check out?" Maria told him she
arranged for a late checkout, 1pm, while smiling
devilishly. They spent that time in bed enjoying
every minute. Tony decided to put off his
question about her 'I love you'.
Tony had promised his wife he would call to find
out about Kelly. He reached her at the hospital.
His wife was crying. "Kelly's cancer is
returning. She is in surgery now and could be
here another week for treatment. I'm staying with
her.” Tony's heart stopped again, not in joy
and passion, but in devastation for his darling
little girl. He promised his wife he would make
the trip to the hospital immediately and hung up.
Pulling himself together, tears in his eyes, he
went to Maria. Maria thought Tony was in love
with her and this was going to be a passionate
plea to be with her. Tony took her in his arms
and whispered, “I have some errands I
promised my wife I would take care of before she
gets back. Maybe we can get together later
tonight?" Maria was excited about extending
their time together. "I’ll have my son
stay with my mom in case you can come over,”
and she gave Tony a warm hug goodbye.
When Tony arrived at the hospital, Kelly was in
the recovery room so he had to wait to see her.
He went to the chapel, got down on his knees and
prayed. "God, I don't know why this is
happening to Kelly. You know she is a sweet and
innocent girl. But if you save her, I'll do
anything. If this is because of what I have done,
I'll stop. Nothing matters except the life of
that little girl. Please God, save her life.”
Later in the hospital room, Tony and his wife sat
with Kelly holding her hands trying to keep her
from crying. "It's OK daddy, the doctor said
I'm strong.” Tony did everything he could to
hold it together. "You are strong Kelly and
I know you're going to be all right.” The
doctor came in, took Tony aside and gave him the
news. "We think we got it out. Kelly is
going to be all right.” Tony's smile told
his wife that it was good news and Kelly sensing
the same, smiled up at her dad and the doctor.
Tony continued his affair with Maria, neither one
expecting more than they had started. He kept
this secret for the next five years. No one knew.
No one got hurt.
|
