They Call Me...Montey Greene

Chapter Twelve

MONTEY had taken the elevator from the first floor down to the courtyard level twenty minutes ago and now sat with Alejandra at the wooden patio table out on the dining terrace. The mid-60 degree temperature and gentle breeze blowing off of the lake made it the perfect weather for dinning out. It was a picturesque sight made for a postcard the way the mountains rose up behind the tiny houses dotting the shore on the opposite bank. His eyes narrowed when sunlight bouncing off of a metallic or glass object in the distance reflected into his eyes.

Sofia, the housekeeper, wheeled their lunch of grilled salmon, grilled potatoes and tomato salad garnished with oregano, basil, red wine vinegar and olive oil, out on a food cart. Alongside the porcelain china sat a basketful of freshly baked foccacia bread with sauce plates filled with olive oil dip.

"Now you eat to gain your strength," Sofia said through a smile. She placed the food on the table. Reached under the cart for the bottles of red and white wine, wine glasses and a cork screw. "Today we celebrate your soul's re-entry to the physical world," she continued as she uncorked the bottle of red wine. "Today we celebrate your rebirth."

POP! Went the cork as she yanked it from the bottle. She filled the wine glasses halfway, placed the bottle on the table.

"Thank you," Alejandra and Montey said in unison.

"And these are for you," she said through a smile again as she removed the rosary beads from around her neck. "The spirits have spoken," she continued and concluded by draping the rosary beads around Montey's neck. Then she smiled at Montey one last time as she wheeled the cart back into the house.

The goalpost of white and red wine bottles that Sofia sat in the middle of the table framed their faces.

Alejandra looked up several times from her plate to see Montey hadn't touched his food as his gaze was fixated on something off in the distance.

"Do you not like the food?" she asked. When he didn't answer she called out his name, "Montey?"

"Huh?"

"Your food."

"What's the name of that lake?"

"I told you, Lake Como. You've heard of it, no?"

"Oh." He paused for a moment then asked, "Isn't this where George Clooney supposedly bought a house?"

"Supposedly, yes."

"Supposedly? I would think you would be in the know to know, you know."

"I'm not understanding."

"I mean people like yourself or your papa as you call him. People with money, affluent, ballin', you guys would know if another affluent person bought a villa in your neck of the woods."

"Well, yes, but I've never seen him. I've never been there, that's why I said supposedly. Speaking of my papa, he would be pleased to know you have fully recovered."

"Your father..."

"Like I told you, he took care of everything," Alejandra interjected cutting him off before he could complete his thought. No sooner had the words parted her lips she realized the rudeness of her actions by Montey's facial expression. "I apologize. I'm still so tense after everything that happened."

"That's understandable. What I was gonna say was, your father...I don't know how I can repay him for saving my life."

"Papa would say, a life saved is a life owed."

"A life saved is a life owed," Montey repeated between mouthfuls of food.

"That's what papa always says."

"I guess that's one way to look at it."

"For papa, that's the only way to look at it. You saved my life, so it was his honor to do everything in his power to try and save yours."

"I guess a hospital was out of the question then, not that I'm complaining. It's just an observation that's all."

"You were in the hospital...papa just brought it here. "Se Maometto non va alla montagna, la montagna va da Maometto.

"If Muhammad doesn't go to the mountain then the mountain must go to Muhammad," Montey repeated her words in English.

"How many languages do you speak?"

"Fluently? That would depend on how long the conversation is."

Alejandra smiled.

"Seriously, ain't nuthin' worst than not knowing what the hell people are saying about you. Besides, women seem to go drippy drawers if you can speak French. They don't have to know what the hell you're sayin', you could be cursin' them out, but if it sounds like French then..."

Alejandra laughed. "Drippy drawers?" she finally managed.

"Drippy drawers," Montey said in French, "Tiroirs drippy."

"You mean, culottes drippy, drippy panties."

"Drippy drawers, drippy panties, all the same damn thing," Montey said through a smirk. "If you can speak French, you're good money."

The sound of propellers turned Montey and Alejandra's attention back to the lake. A seaplane was descending towards the water.

"It must be papa," Alejandra assumed as she pushed back from the table and rushed to the edge of the terrace.

Montey swallowed hard, took another gulp of wine, wiped his mouth with his napkin then tossed it onto his plate before joining her.

"That's your father? Damn, what does he do?"

"Run a textile company."

"That's wassup"

The fuselage of the amphibious craft settled onto the surface of the lake. Reduced its speed. Made a 90 turn as it headed straight towards the private dock. Four men stepped out when the rotating propellers wound down to a stop and the doors of the plane flung open.

From where Montey stood on the dinning patio the most identifiable figure was the giant of a man in the forest green tracksuit and white gym shoes who stepped out of the plane last. The three men who stepped out before him all seemed to be about the same height.

One of them had on a casual light blue suit with a white shirt underneath and light blue suede loafers.

The other two men were Jewish. Each one carried a briefcase. And if Montey had to guess by the dark drab colored suits and white shirts they wore, they were of the Orthodox variety.

"Papa, papa" Alejandra yelled out as she waved to get her father's attention.

The man in the casual light blue suit turned his head in the direction of the familiar voice and waved back at Alejandra, then found himself doing a double take when he realized Montey was perched besides her on the balcony.

"Come, let us go inside," she suggested.