Bella Ragazza

by Kevin D’Abramo

The heat crowded the air like a prize-fighter’s entourage as Johnny Morelli stood outside the church. Sweat streamed down his back, and his pants clung to his legs. People gathered in clusters along the steps leading to the church. Wedding pamphlets fluttered in front of faces. From the zooming traffic in the boulevard a black limousine jutted into the parking lot and halted in front of the wide cement steps.

Angela placed her hand on Johnny’s arm.

“Isn’t your cousin pretty?” she said as the bride plucked her way up the steps, her copious gown bunched up around her with the train trailing behind. Johnny nodded.

“Yes, she’s very pretty,” he said. Johnny and Angela had been together for almost a year but his feelings still had not crystallised. They met through acquaintances at University. When he mentioned Angela to his mother she recognised the name.

“The Da Costa’s girl? Pa used to work with her father years ago, they’re good people.”

So Johnny phoned Angela and tumbled into a relationship. He was drawn by bold looks from her chocolate eyes, how a sweater hugged her contours, and the way her hair swung in splendid arcs when she shimmied on the dance floor.

Angela strode off to chat with some girls who were talking feverishly about the bride, snapping photos, and blowing soap balloons that fluttered through the air around the groom and bride until they hit the cement with a tiny splat. Johnny’s eyes swept over the crowd. His gaze fell upon a vaguely familiar face — an Asian woman in her mid twenties. She wore a turquoise dress that wrapped tightly around her slim waist and had a flourish of frills along the low curving neckline. She was speaking with the pastor. Her head tilted to one side while her hand rested under her chin. She pushed her fingers through her hair, which was short with curving wings veering off in all directions. Her skin was peanut butter brown. Her head shifted Johnny’s way, and before he could avert his gaze their eyes met. Recognition sparkled in her eyes and her lips began to climb into a smile. Suddenly, a tight grip squeezed Johnny’s arm. He looked down and into the big eyes of his grandmother.

“Come here my big boy,” she said reaching up to pinch Johnny’s cheek. They exchanged…

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