Green Stone Ring Read online

  Riccardo (Ric) Anthony Santini put his head down, a bit abashed, not sure if he wanted to enter or not. He was new to the community, didn’t know anyone, and all the emotions churning inside him had taken any confidence he had ever had. His dad had suddenly passed away in an airplane accident in the Colorado Rockies a few months earlier. It was hard for him to grasp. He and his dad had been so close. Each day he woke hoping it was all a bad dream and his father would walk through the door. Not only had he lost his dad, but his mother insisted they move in with her great aunt. Ric had never met the woman—she seemed unwilling to acknowledge him, rather hovering over his mother who was tearful most of the time. The move from Walnut Creek, California, to Sacramento—(a new house, new people, and not one person he could talk to)—was overwhelming.

  Something inside Ric said he must step up now and be the man of the family, but he honestly did not have any idea how to do that. His dental braces, the flopping of his big feet, and his pants that were always too short because he grew tall so fast made him seem awkward and clumsy. How could he take care of his mother when he didn’t know what to do to take care of himself? Thank goodness, he could get lost in a book and not have to deal with his grief, his choking desolation. His world seemed blurred, with no conclusions or clear course to follow. He’d always been a good student and loved school; now, that was the only thing that seemed right to him—it was getting him through the crushing times.

  His counselor had recommended he join a sports team or club to meet new people. She knew of his family tragedy and tried to help him any way she could. She could see he was wandering down an aimless path, not knowing where to turn. Ric had never been interested in sports. He and his dad played chess constantly when his father wasn’t traveling. Ric had just started to win the matches, which made him feel proud and accomplished. It gave his dad great joy to see his son strive for success. And Ric read as many books as he could squeeze in between school and homework. His dad had told him the only way to make it in life was to work hard and get a good education. From a young age, Ric had decided he wanted to be a lawyer, and he wanted to go to Harvard. As he got older, and still had the commitment, his father encouraged him to realize his dream.

  Being an only child wasn’t a problem for Ric. He loved his time with his parents. The three of them would go on outings often: to museums, plays, movies, or on road trips. He didn’t need many friends. Now that he had none of that loving parental attention, he was more determined than ever to keep on track to become a Harvard lawyer by working hard in school and making good grades.

  “What’s the matter, nerd, are you lost?”

  He started to turn and walk away, then a gritty feeling grabbed him. No, he was not going to leave; he was going to get involved.

  “Aw, that’s not nice,” Gini said to Franco when she heard the guys laughing at the new student in their freshman class. She could see his hesitation and shyness.

  Franco walked from her to Ric. She followed.

  “Don’t pay any attention to those half-wits. Hi, my name is Franco.”

  Ric put out his hand to shake hands. “Ric Santini.” His lips were bulging out over his braces. “Nice to meet you, Frank.”

  Franco laughed. “No nicknames for me. I am the amazing and wonderful Franco Legotti. Friend and foe, all call me Franco, with respect.” He leaned forward and gave an exaggerated wink.

  Franco put his arm around Gini standing next to him. “Oh, I’m sorry, this is my girl, Gini, and I mean MY GIRL. No one messes with her!”

  She smiled sweetly. “Hi, don’t pay any attention to him. Franco is way too full of himself. I guess you are new to the neighborhood?”

  “Dah,” Franco said, making a silly face at her. “Where’d you get that news flash?”

  After the meeting, Gini invited Ric to come to her house. Franco informed him that Gini’s mother was everyone’s mama. Ric immediately felt comfortable when he walked in the door. There were other kids there, and Mama Elizabeth was handing out homemade treats.

  “Mama, this is Ric,” Gini introduced. “He’s a new student in our class.”

  “Welcome, Ric. Here, have a brownie.”

  Mama hugged both Gini and Franco.

  As the weeks went on, Ric’s life began to change for the better. He was almost constantly with Franco and Gini, and they went to the Anderson house every day after school.

  Mama had made it a point to get Ric to talk to her. She could see he was troubled and wanted to help him. One afternoon, she asked if he would help her carry some potting soil to her garden in the backyard. After he had stacked the bags, they sat down at the old weathered redwood table. He poured out his life story to her. He kept control of his emotions but told her about his mother going into a deep depression and how helpless he felt. He longed for his dad to come home, but he knew that would never happen. She listened to him with her heart breaking. For the first time since the accident, Ric felt relief. Someone cared to hear his story; someone cared about his feelings. That was all he needed. He could go on with his life knowing someone was there for him.

  The afternoons Franco had sports practice, Gini and Ric either stayed after school and did homework together or walked to her house. When they both had practice, he’d stay and watch Gini cheerleading. He loved her perkiness, her joy for life. She seemed to not have a care in the world. Why would she? There were people all around her who loved her, and she gave affection and kindness back in return. He could easily fall for her, but he would never mess with his best friend’s girl; he had too much respect for Franco to ever do that. The feeling in his heart for both of them became that of sister and brother. He had a new family—a family full of love.

  As the friendship between Ric and Franco deepened, Ric found Franco’s home life wasn’t too different than his own, as he lived with his mother and grandmother. He didn’t know if Legotti was Franco’s mother’s maiden or married name; he had never asked.

  All through high school, the three friends hung with the popular crowd. But Gini was really the one everyone wanted to be with. Her petite five-foot stature, bouncy, dark, long curls, and deep dimples just added to her magnetism. With her vibrant personality, she always drew a crowd. Everyone knew if they wanted her at their party, they’d have to invite Franco and Ric, or she wouldn’t go.

  By their senior year, Ric had stretched to just under six foot two. Mama helped him pick a wardrobe that flattered his physique. She could see his maturity developing after his freshman year. He was older than most of the kids in his class due to a late birthday, September eighth. Without his braces, he had a gleaming white smile set off by his light, tan skin tone and dark, wavy hair. His light chocolate-brown eyes told of his sensitivity. He could be a lady killer; many of the girls at school would swoon for him, but he continued to be guarded and closed, only opening up in private around his two best friends.

  Although Franco always wanted everyone to see him as tough—and had a chip on his shoulder because he wasn’t a taller, bigger man—his facade had become invisible to most. He was intelligent and talented, two of his greatest attributes, but his big heart was especially hard to hide, particularly when it came to children. He played ball with them, teaching the proper way to bat or throw, or wrestled with them on the ground. When they went to the playground, he was like a magnet for kids. It warmed Gini’s heart to see his compassion for the young ones. They had often talked about having a big family someday. And his devotion to Gini was undeniable. He had loved her, it seemed, all his life. There was no one in the world he trusted and admired more than her. He had never had eyes for any other girl, and he never would. She was his soul mate.

  Franco was a private person—no public affection was ever allowed. At her house, he put his arm loosely around her. She longed for him to hug her so she could melt into his body like butter. But the hugs were stiff. Maybe the hardness of his well-toned body had something to do with it. But when he kissed her… once their lips met, a wonderful sensation filled h
er head and surrounded her body. He had never kissed another, not even on the cheek. She knew those were his special Gini kisses, meant just for her.

  Many envied her for having such a strong man with bulging muscles and rugged good looks to always be there to protect and love her.

  Franco was accepted to MIT with a full scholarship. And, strangely enough, Ric received the same from Harvard. Ric had other university offers, but there was not even a remote chance of him going anywhere other than the Massachusetts Ivy League school. He was so excited when he got the letter. Ric never knew if his mother was drunk or high on pills. When she saw the letter, she said, “Good for you, Ricci,” and walked away. He took the letter to school, and that afternoon at the Anderson house he showed it to Gini, Franco, and Mama Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth cried and threw her arms around him. “I’m so proud of you boys, both of you going to such prestigious schools. We must have a big celebration before you leave.”

  Mama wanted Gini to stay home for a year before she went to college so she could grow up a little. But when Gini was accepted at Emerson College in Boston, she told her mother she had to go with Franco. Reluctantly, Elizabeth let her go.

  The three packed all their things for school into Ric’s big SUV. The boys took turns driving. They all slept in the same motel room to save money and ate the cheapest meals they could find. Mama Elizabeth sent them off with homemade cookies and other goodies, and a big cooler with soft drinks and water. She never thought once about her little girl’s safety. Elizabeth completely trusted both the boys and knew they would protect Gini both on the road and when she got to college.

  There were two things everyone knew for sure: Franco and Gini would eventually marry and live happily ever after, and the trio would be forever friends.

  The three got settled in their schools. Ric was the only one with a vehicle, but it sat parked on the Harvard campus most of the time because the mass transit in Boston was so easy to use.

  Gini’s roommate’s name was Margarita. She came from Santa Clara, California, but her parents were Hawaiian. The two of them hit it off immediately. Soon the threesome turned into a foursome.

  Perhaps not surprising, Ric fell for Margarita, as she was nearly a clone of Gini. She was born to loving parents in their forties, and her body type and personality were similar to Gini’s: both girls were petite, with dark, long hair and bubbly personalities.

  The roommates were together all the time except when they were in class. They met up with the boys as often as their study loads allowed. In their second semester, Ric and Margarita became a couple, and by summer they were lovers.

  Ric, Gini, and Franco decided to go to school during the summer semester since none of them could afford to go home; that way they could graduate early. Each got a job besides taking classes. Ric went to work at a law firm helping with filing and research. Gini worked at the State Department as a file clerk, and Franco was on the staff of one of the professors at MIT working on publishing a paper. Margarita went home for the summer.

  The first semester of year two, during finals week, Gini received a call from Cindy telling her their pop had passed away. The family had all put in money so Gini could fly home. She had one college final remaining, and then she left to spend the rest of the winter break in Sacramento.

  Ric remembered Tom (Pop) as always being old. He wasn’t very mobile and sat in his overstuffed leather chair in a small room off the kitchen. The chair was taped in several places where the leather had split. The TV was directly in front of him, and there were always stacks of magazines, catalogs, and newspapers on either side of his chair. He was friendly and warm; Gini’s friends thought he was funny with his comments about life.

  At the reception after the funeral, everyone who knew the Andersons came to give respect. Gini quickly found she had outgrown her old neighborhood. Several of her friends were either pregnant or already mothers. Some of them were married; some were not. When Gini talked about her life in New England and college, no one seemed interested after a few minutes, not even her family. She thought it would be wonderful to be home for Christmas, but it wasn’t at all like when she was little. She counted the days until she returned to school.

  November the following year, Margarita told Gini she was pregnant. She was sobbing and didn’t know what to do. She knew Ric would be upset because he thought they were protected. She wanted Gini to help her find a place to get an abortion.

  “Wait a minute, Margs, have you told Ric?”

  “No, he’ll be furious with me.” Margarita was sobbing so hard she could hardly talk. “What would Franco do if you told him you were pregnant?”

  “Franco and I made a pledge to save ourselves until we were married. And we wouldn’t get married until we had our degrees. But this isn’t about Franco and me. This is about Ric and you! This is Ric’s baby, too. He needs to know, Margs, he needs to know. And you have to decide what is best for both of you and the baby.”

  “Oh, Gini, I don’t think I can do this. I just don’t know what to do.”

  Margarita fell on her bed, crying hard into her pillow. Gini sat next to her and rubbed her back.

  “Ric loves you; I know he does, and he’s a super guy. You have to tell him, you do.”

  “I’ll tell him tonight.” Her voice cracked. “Can I tell him here so we can be alone?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  She tucked Margarita’s dampened hair back behind her ear. Then she leaned over and held her friend until she finally stopped crying.

  Margarita called Ric and asked him if he could come to her dorm room that night.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Umm, yes, I just want to see you.” She fought back the tears.

  After the call, Margarita fell onto her bed in tears again.

  Gini hopped on the T and headed to see Franco. They had already planned to get a coffee at Kendall Square before he went to work. She felt so bad for her friends and hoped everything would turn out well because she loved them both so much. At the coffee shop, she told Franco what Margarita had told her.

  Franco put his head in his hands and shook his head. “Wow, a kid. That’s a tough one. I’m glad we don't have to decide about a family right now.”

  Gini agreed and wrapped her arms around his arm as she laid her head on his shoulder.

  When Ric arrived, Margarita fell into his arms crying.

  “Hey, hey, what’s going on?”

  She pulled back from him. “I’m just going to say it, Ric. I’m pregnant.”

  “What!” He was sharp in his tone. “How can you be pregnant? I thought we were protected.”

  “I haven’t been very responsible. I forgot to get my prescription refilled so haven’t been taking the pills.”

  “How long?” he bit off.

  “Three months.”

  “Margarita!”

  There was a long pause. Ric paced the floor—rubbing his mouth with his fingers.

  “I’ll get an abortion. I don’t have a problem with that. I’m sorry, I certainly didn’t want to complicate your life.”

  “My life! We’re talking about three lives here, aren’t we?”

  She hung her head still weeping with no answer.

  There was a long silence. “I need to think; we need to think,” Ric said, still walking the room. “Let’s not do anything until we decide what’s best for us all, okay?”

  She agreed.

  He grabbed her by the shoulders, pulled her toward him, and kissed her on the top of her head.

  “It will all work out. I have to go and… and, I just have to go.”

  Later that night walking home from work, Franco received a call from Ric asking if he could come to his room and talk.

  Ric had never had a friend like Franco, not just a friend, but a brother. He felt he was just getting a good handle on his life. Only another year and a half and he would be a lawyer—a good one, capable of making good money. But now this… taking on the responsibility of
a family. How was he going to do that? He knew Franco, with his intelligence and wisdom, would know what to do.

  Franco took the Red Line at Kendall to Harvard Square, knowing exactly what Ric wanted to talk about.

  “Come on in.” Ric held up his bottle. “There’s beer in the fridge if you want one. I guess you heard Margarita is pregnant.”

  “Gini told me earlier.”

  “I don’t know what to do. What should I do?” Ric sighed.

  “Marry Margarita, take care of and raise your family.”

  Ric led Franco into the room. He stopped, turned around, and looked at him. “You make it sound so easy.”

  “I didn’t say it was going to be easy.” Franco grabbed a beer. “I said that’s what you need to do. You did ask?”

  Ric dragged his hand from his forehead, over the top of his head to the back of his neck. “I hardly have my head above water just taking care of myself. How can I support a wife and a baby? Sure, I wanted to have a family someday. I was thinking more like in my thirties after I finished school and worked for a few years.”

  “We all have a master plan, but life happens. Do you think your dad had it in his master plan to die in the prime of his life? Or your mom to have her life destroyed, or even you? You started your plan as a young boy wanting to go to Harvard. Did you have the page in your plan where your dad dies and you have to find a way to pay for school on your own? No, I think not.”

  “Riti said she’s okay to get an abortion.”

  Franco turned quickly. “You’re talking about a life. This is a baby, your child. Can you do that?”

  The room went eerily quiet.

  “Sorry,” Franco said. “I know that’s a personal opinion, my Catholic upbringing coming out. If my mother had decided to have an abortion, I wouldn’t be here today. Listen, I know you will do what is best for you, best for Margarita, and best for… the whole situation.”

  “I guess I didn’t know how young and immature Riti is. Who doesn’t get birth control pills when they are sexually active? Did I need to call her every day to make sure she had taken her pill? I know she lived a sheltered life. She was given whatever she needed and probably whatever she wanted. I mean, really, she’s the only one of us four who isn’t struggling moneywise. Oh, geez!” Ric took the last drink of his beer and tossed the bottle in the trash.