Vanessa And The Cosa Nostra (Chp. 4)

Chapter four:

“Hello? Hello, Val dear?”

Vanessa had wandered off in her mind. She was brought back to Earth when Bailey repeated once again, “Helloooo...?”

“Oh, sorry, Mrs. Rivers – I erm, spaced out – I think”, Vanessa said quickly, annoyed with herself that she could be so dreamy when she thinks that sometimes that she forgot where she was.

A laugh was heard on the other end. “Oh, of course, sorry, dear, I think my lil’ conva’satio’ went overa’board… I should admit it sometimes, my chatta’ gets people a’sleep”

Vanessa ventured her to speak for she needed to know what else the old grandma-like lady was thinking about the Cosa Nostra.

“Oh, no, no, I did not fall asleep, Mrs., I just erm- was thinking”

“Yes, yes, thinkin’ is good, eh, but excessive ‘mounts of it is not a’all good, dearie, it makes you sleep” Bailey continued laughing her own granny laugh again.

Vanessa tried not to groan; talking to this lady was big business – some one oughta kill her one day for her way of talking. Can’t she just accept the fact that she was just ‘thinking’ and not move on to stuff ABOUT thinking?! Why, Vanessa couldn’t care less – she wanted to know what the ‘hag’ knew about the Cosa Nostra!

Vanessa tried to keep the rudness out of her voice and she said, “Um, back to the Mafia thing, please, Mrs. Rivers”

“Ah, ah, yes, yes, of course. Well, I’m researching about the Mafia currently, dearie”, Rivers said, getting back to the point.

“Researching?”, Vanessa said eyes widening.
“Yes, dear, researching, you know, on the Internet? An’ books?”

Vanessa could almost burst with annoyance; what does that nanny think she is? A ninny?!

But she suddenly realized that her prediction was correct – at least, half-correct, since the old lady did not have anything else to do other than ‘research’, or as she earlier thought, reading the old versions of the Times.
She spoke back camly through the line, “Well, why?”

Bailey Rivers guwaffed again, “Because I want ta find out mor’ stuff ‘bout ‘em, silly gurl!”

Vanessa bristled with anger, rather like yesterday, when she met Framer; she thought her a ‘silly gurl’ did she?
“Well, she will pay for that”, Vanessa thought.
She thought of a good comeback answer without making it seem as though she was angry because Valerie wasn’t the getting-angry-fast type, and said, “Hope you do fine in that, Mrs. Rivers, after all, an old lady like you would do fine always!”

“Oh, um, righ’, dear, thank you”
Vanessa thought Rivers seemed somewhat subdued in her reply and smiled grimly. “That’s for calling me silly”.

Vanessa had a spur of the moment decision; it was an hour since they talked and she was already getting bored. She was sure Mrs. Rivers would find nothing on the Net or in books – she wasn’t concerned at all. All that she would find is most probably about how they kill and all that.

“Um, Mrs. Rivers, I gotta get back to other things… it’s been an hour already and –“ but Vanessa neednt say more in her soft, sorry-to-leave tone she was putting on, for Rivers butted in and said, “Oh my goodness, yes, yes, I better get going and start researching too… an’
my gran’son is arrivin’ this afternoo’, gotta get things ready…”

Vanessa smiled truthfully for once; she was glad that finally, she would get to hangup, like she had been wanting to do for that whole hour.
“Yeah, Mrs. Rivers, I hope you and your grandson have a lovely time today”

Mrs. Rivers perked up at once, “Oh, did ya know, he is a’goin’ ta stay here fo’ three months – I am so happy!”

Vanessa, not interested in getting Bailey Rivers to start talking again, about her goodness-knows grandson, and she said hurriedly before Mrs. Rivers started ranting, “Yes, no doubt, you are. Goodbye, Mrs. Rivers!”

Mrs. Rivers seemed dissapointed that she couldn’t talk about her grandson but she replied all the same, “Yes, yes, bye-bye Val dear, hope you have a nice dha-y!”

Vanessa smiled smugly again and perched up on her toes, slammed the phone down dramatically and sneering at it as if it could listen, “And a NICE ‘dha-y’ to you too!”

Twirling around, she grabbed the half-empty cup of coffee she had placed on the sofa (which was tilting precociusly on the bumpy surface) and walked back to the kitchen pleased with herself.

She told a lie to Mrs. Rivers; she had nothing to do that day… unless the Boss called her for some duty – which, she hoped not.

She planned to rest, and that’s exactly what she’s going to do. No shopping, no jogging, no ‘going out’, like she normally does if she has the time. Just laze around all day on the sofa, watching a horror film and pigging out, for once.

She smiled. Maybe this was going to be a great day.
“Maybe”.