The Capo’s daughter
By Chanuga Rollins
I still remember the first time that I saw
Rosa Salvino on the campus of Rutgers University. She was stunning with long
black curly hair, huge chestnut-colored eyes, a tanned body, and an ass that you
could bounce a quarter off of, she was truly gorgeous and way out of my league.
It was late September, and I was in
between classes when I decided to go out back to the school and have a smoke. I
went and sat under a huge oak tree and fired up a cigarette. That’s when I
first heard her voice, I’d love to kill some time with you but only if you put
out that cigarette, I’m allergic to cancer, standing over him was Rosa Salvino.
Hi, I’m Rosa, she said as we shook hands,
I’m Owen O’Conner, after introducing myself I extinguished
my cigarette in the dirt. We made small talk, she told me that she was from Staten
Island and a little about her family, and that her father owned several
businesses. Me, I had a little less to say, my past sucked and I didn’t have a
family per se, I was an only child, and my parents died when I was eight years
old in an automobile accident, my aunt raised me until she passed away, and she
did a shitty job at it.
That’s so sad Rosa said, as the school
bell rang, would you like to go out for pizza sometime she asked me? I would
yes I said. That’s great here’s my cell number. Call me, I have to go I have a
class, great talking to you. Bye, I said, I watched her walk off as I lit another
cigarette and admired her ass as she walked away. Less than a week later Rosa
and I went over to Philly for pizza, a fifteen-minute drive from the college.
When we got to the pizza place the owner spoke
to Rosa I could tell that he knew her, but there was something else that I
couldn’t put my finger on. Although the owner of the pizza place was probably
in his fifties I had to ask her, were you ever intimate with that guy? What,
Rosa screamed! Are you out of your fucking mind, boy you know how to blow an
evening, he’s a friend of my family asshole? We drove back to Rutgers
in silence, I wanted to tell her that I wasn’t jealous or anything I just asked
a stupid question, but I figured I better leave it alone I did enough damage
for tonight. We did, however, eat for free, as a student I’m on a budget.
We both lived off campus so when we pulled
up to her apartment she just opened the door and got out without saying a word.
As the weeks went by Rosa pretty much avoided me, fuck it I thought, I really
didn’t know her that well anyway, at least that’s what I told myself.
It wasn’t until late May that I ran into
Rosa again, I said hi, but she just ignored me. Why are you being such a bitch I
said, I’m just trying to apologize… That’s not good enough she said giving me
the middle finger as she stormed off.
I was pissed off, she could have at least
talked to me about it, I acknowledged that I was at fault… But Christ, she
could of at least discussed it with me. So, in my twenty-year-old mind I
decided to go to the source of the problem, the pizza place where this all
started, and confront the owner, why, because I’m an idiot.
Right from the start the pizza place owner
took a negative attitude and punched me
in the face, then he and two other men tossed me out of his place. I of course
retaliated and threw a garbage right through his store window, then hightailed
it out of Philly. To my surprise, the police never showed up at my door.
About a week after my confrontation with
the pizza owner, it was late into the evening, and I was walking to my
apartment. That’s when I noticed a black Cadillac with New York plates parked a
few doors down from my apartment. As I walked to my front door two huge
prehistoric creatures wearing sports jackets got out of the Caddy, you Owen? I
am I said, we’d like a word with you if you don’t mind.
Without warning one of them sucker punched
me, it felt like a sledgehammer hit me in the face. Then the one that hit me
held me up while his buddy went to work on me, they beat the shit out of me, and the whole time I was surprised I didn’t lose consciousness, obviously, these guys
were pros.
After beating me like a dog the one
holding me tossed me to the ground like a rag doll, don’t go back to the pizza
place ever again, and stay away from Rosa Salvino, don’t make us come back he
threatened!
Both got back into the Caddy and drove
off, I was fucked up, but not seriously enough for the hospital. It was just a
warning kind of beating I think, while I was sitting on my pavement trying to
recoup and catch my breath, that’s when I met her. Oh my god, I saw the whole
thing, should I call the cops, here let me help you into your apartment. She
helped me in and sat me down in a chair. Would you like me to get you something
to drink as she held some ice in a towel to my head, my name is Belinda. I'm Owen, beautiful
name I said, please tell me that you’re not Italian.
The end.
