I led myself to drink
To face each trying day
I made myself to think
I could drown my troubles away
I found out from my hurts within
That all my troubles learned to swim
It was true, without a doubt
The drink I could not do without
Drink prolongs beginnings
And rushes in all ends
So pass the word my drinking friends
The truth your mind will bend
~ Gemini Joe ~
I
t had been over ten years since I saw my family. I really lost contact with them, and I felt very bad about that, but that’s the way that all went down.
One day, while I was tinkering under the hood of my truck, a car kept going back and forth down the street. I thought, maybe the poor guy is lost. After the third time, it stopped in front of the house.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
The man had tears coming down his face. “It’s me, Dom.”
I couldn’t believe it. “Is it really you? Where’s Victor?” “Why didn’t he come with you?”
“Oh, you know our brother. He’s stubborn.”
“Yeah.” I laughed, but I was disappointed.
“So, how are you, Joey?”
“Well, you know. I’m still hanging in there, I guess.”
“You look good. How’s Jeanette?”
“She’s inside. Come on in and have a cup of coffee.”
Boy was your mom surprised. “Where is Victor,” she asked. She had always been close with his wife, Victoria.
“He doesn’t know I’m here. Hey, Joey, maybe you could call him.”
“What if he doesn’t want to talk to me?”
“He will, but don’t tell him that I’m here. Let him think it was your idea to call. You know how proud he could be.”
Before I could agree, my brother dialed the number handed the phone to me.
“Hello? Hello?” Victor asked. I couldn’t say anything at first. I was so scared.
“Who’s this?” he demanded.
“It’s Joey, your brother,” I said.
“Joey? My brother, Joey?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Wow. It’s good to hear your voice.”
“Yeah, it’s good to hear you, too, Vic. “I’d love to see you.”
“We need to get together, you, me, and Dom, the three Finno brothers.”
“What about Dolly?” I asked.
“There’s no way I’m going to talk to that bitch!” Victor said.
“But she’s our sister.”
“I don’t care who the f--k she is. I’ll never forgive her for what she did when Pop died.”
“It’s not her fault,” I said. “Pop is the one who caused all the trouble.”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Joey.”
“Maybe you could come to Long Island,” I said.
“That’d be great!” he said, lightening his tone. “I’ll tell Dom.”
“I can’t wait to see you.”
After Dominic left, I felt happy. My brothers wanted to let bygones be bygones.
They all came for dinner, Dom, his wife, Marie, Victor, and his wife, Vicky. The only one missing was Aunt Dolly.
I didn’t think that was right, but they weren’t ready to talk to her.
With a promise to stay in touch, we all said goodbye. I don’t know why, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t see them again.
Dolly sent an invitation to me and your mom to come to her daughter’s wedding. She asked me not to drink. I guess she saw something there. But, I couldn’t help myself.
Of course, Dom and Vic weren’t invited.
Before we left to go into the city, I was sitting at the bar, so we got there late. The wedding ceremony had started. I thought my sister was going to be mad, but she was relieved to see me.
“Joey! I didn’t think you were coming.”
“Sorry, Dolly,” I said. “I was called into work.”
Just then, the photographer motioned her over to join the wedding outside and take pictures.
“I’ll see you at the reception hall,” she said.
The minute we got there, I searched for the open bar and ordered scotch-on-the-rocks.
“Isn’t my daughter a beautiful bride?” Dolly asked me.
“Yeah, sure,” I said, but I was distracted watching your mother on the dance floor. Drinking one scotch after another, I waited for her to come back to the table. I guess the alcohol went to my head. I got a little loud.
“Are you purposely trying to make me jealous?” I asked.
“Your cousin asked me to dance,” she said, “I couldn’t say no.”
“You’re nothing but a tramp!”
“Don’t make a scene,” my sister Dolly whispered. “This is my daughter’s wedding and there are a lot of people here.”
“Everyone except our family,” I said. “We should have three tables, but you were too stubborn to invite your brothers and their families.”
“You know they wouldn’t come.”
“Let me tell you something. That’s what’s wrong with our family. Everyone would rather fight like a son of a bitch.”
“Please lower your voice, “my brother-in law, Tony pleaded.
“Mom must be spinning in her grave to know her sacrifices were for nothing,” I said.
The guests at the other tables stared at me, but I was so angry. I couldn’t stop.
“Jeanette. Maybe you should take him home, Dolly said.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said and went back to the bar for another scotch. When I turned around, I was face to face with my nephew, Anthony. He was a big guy, six-nine and twice my weight. He towered over me.
“Come on, Uncle Joe, he said grabbing my arm.
The next thing I knew, he was pulling me out of the reception hall. I tried to break free, but my head was dizzy. I didn’t know where he was taking me, but we ended up outside. He pushed me up against his car and clamped his hands around my neck. “You bastard! You had to ruin my sister’s wedding didn’t you?”
“Anthony, I can’t breathe.”
Everything turned black and I woke up on my sister’s sofa.
“You almost choked me to death, Anthony.”
“I guess I should have squeezed harder,” he said.
Of course, at that time, I thought it was all your mothers fault. “You had to be the Belle of the Ball, didn’t you?” I accused her, but now, I know, she just wanted to be happy.