SWNOVELS Chapter 6
At the end of the working day, after everything was cleaned up and the bakery was prepared for the next day’s business, Vera and Dolly put on their coats. They said goodnight to Angie and Parker and headed out the door for home. Both were carrying boxes of pastries that did not sell. Angie would not allow any day old pastries to be sold and always allowed the ladies to take some home and the rest would be dropped off at a homeless shelter down the street from the bakery. When Parker took over the business he continued this tradition for he knew in his heart that it was the right thing to do. Not only that but it actually created business.
The people at the homeless shelter and friends of Vera and Dolly who had tasted the delightful pastries would always want to have more of these little bits of heaven on earth.
Angie and Parker turned off the light put on their coats and locked up the shop. They walked in silence for the first few blocks on the way to Parker’s house then Parker asked, “How much did it cost to get Gaetano to set this up, Angie?” Angie didn’t reply and they just kept on walking. Parker asked three more times before Angie replied. Angie said, “You don’t worry about dat. It’s all taken care of. Consider it a gift to May and you, and I don’t want to talk any more about it. Capisce?” Parker stopped walking and looked at Angie and said, “No I don’t Capisce. I can’t let you foot the bill, this is my concern not yours.” Angie stopped but did not turn around to face Parker. Parker walked around Angie and faced him and said, “You Capisce?” Angie looked up at Parker and just stared into his eyes. Angie finally spoke and said, “Parker, I’ve known you for a little over 12 years now and in that time I’ve come to consider you family. I have never taken a wife or had any children, but if I ever had a son I would want him to be just like you. I see a lot of myself in you when I was young. I had the same passion and commitment you have for the business. It was my life and I had no time to start a family or have children. That was a mistake on my part. I don’t want to see you make the same mistake. Besides that, you gave me interest on the loan for the bakery and there wasn’t supposed to be any. So I’m just giving you your own money back. So technically you did pay for it. Now I don’t want to discuss it any further. End of conversation. “Angie walked around Parker and continued walking down the street.
Parker stood unmoving for a moment and though about what Angie had said. Angie’s words had a truth to them that Parker couldn’t deny. He had seen Angie put his whole heart and soul into making the bakery a success, but never realized what he had forfeited to achieve that goal. Parker ran to catch up with Angie and when he finally did he said, “Thanks Angie.” Then in a joking tone Parker said, “What shall I call you, Dad, maybe Papa, or should I just introduce you as my old man?” Angie looked at him and smiled and said, “You call me any of those names and that poor child may just have the ugliest father because I’ll definitely break that pretty boy face of yours. You Capisce?” They both looked at each other and started to laugh as they continued to walk to Parker’s Home.