Double Trouble

Chapter 37

Third Person

The De Luca family is distributed in the hallway. Neliana and Neliono are leaning against the staircase. Still unbothered and focused in their hands. "Are you an angel or a devil?" - Neliana whispers to her brother who is very confused by her question. "I dunno. But you're definitely a devil!" 

"No- Yeah but at the moment I don't speak about my personality, more about the hand thing." Neliana looks fully expectant to Neliono but he is still as confused at his sister as before. Her eyes widened. "No ... please don't say you never heard the thing with the 'either devil or angel' based on the folds in the palm of the hand." Said one just raises still an eyebrow at her. 

While they both are still argumenting about the hand thing, the uncles and cousins use the time to say 'hello' to each other. 

The grandparents Alfonso and Micaela are still standing on their place in the doorframe and are watching the spectacle in silence and skeptical, especially the Nes. Where is Nelione? But they stay silent, knowing very well that there is a simple explanation for it and Alessandro is going to answer it.  

Uncle Edeardo and his eight sons are standing on their right side, uncle Antonio and his two sons direct next to them. Uncle Mario and his seven sons on their parents left side, next to uncle Apollo, his wife Giovanna and their two sons. 

Uncle Ambrose and his son Massimo are standing offside from everybody and on their phones. But even they glance from time to time  in the direction of the Nes - secretly of cause. Nobody should now that they care, but they do. Much even. 

"Look:" - Neliana whistles towards Neliono while showing the palm of her right hand. "If the folds go together, you're a devil, and if the folds stay disconnected, you're an angel." There is a few seconds silence between them as Neliono looks at his right hand. "Of course, you're an angel ... really I can't believe you didn't know this. How can you be my brother? Even Valentino knows this, right?" 

Neliana asks total normal, not thinking about it but still with the poker face on. 

Everybody around was silent with in a second. They have never asked one of them, until now - they didn't even speak with them on purpose, until now. Valentino shrugs after a few seconds "No, never heart about it before."  

Now, the first emotion since their arrive can be noticed. Unbelief. Neliana' eyes widen. "No, not you too! I had hope! Oh my god, can't believe this!" - Theatrically she lays a hand on her heart. Neliono rolls his eyes on her behavior. "You're ridiculous." 

"And you're hopeless. Anyone else knowing about the hand thing?" - She asks with last hope in the round. 

"What's that about?" - Aljio is the first one speaking up and surprised with this everybody again. He was kidnapped at the age of eight. Two years before the kidnapping of the Nes, also by the Russians. Causing this experience, he became silent, emotionless and isolated. Only speaks if it's necessary. 

"You have to take a look at the palm of your right hand." Everyone does. Even Ambrose and Massimo take a look. "If the folds cut each other, you're a devil. If they stay separated, you're an angel. And if each hand is different, you're a psychopath. No, that was a joke. back to the topic. Really, nobody heart about it?"

"Not everybody is as clever as you, Li, and knows every little unimportant childhood game." - Neliono mumbles in her ear. "It's not a game! It's an important information from Germany."