Chapter 50: Italian Guilt

Nicky hung up the phone, and looked at the others in surprise. “She said ‘no’, and hung up on me. That little bitch. Now what do we do?”

Everyone deferred to Richie. After all, he was the one who was most invested in making this work out. He thought about it for a moment, and looked at Jon. “You still have Julianna’s phone?” His friend nodded, and pulled it from his pocket. Richie took it, scrolled through the numbers, and settled on one. He paced a little bit away from the group, and summoned the commanding presence he hadn’t felt for some time.

“Hello?” The man on the other end of the call said.

“Is this Stan? This is Richie Sambora. I got your name and number from Julianna.” Not quite a lie, he thought. “The band is in town, and we want to see some of the rehearsals while we’re here. We will be as unobtrusive as possible, but we do feel that we need to see what the progress is. When can we come?”

Stan was flabbergasted. He’d always dealt with one of the go-betweens – he wasn’t sure what to say. Julianna had closed rehearsals to everyone, but surely she didn’t mean to close them to these people! After all, they had a vested interest in the production, and could make things very difficult if he refused. Squaring his shoulders, he made a decision. “Mr. Sambora, you can come any afternoon next week or beyond. We’re not rehearsing this weekend. We are expecting Julianna soon, to start the staging for the finale, and while that’s going on in the rehearsal rooms, you can see what we’re doing with the company on stage.”

“Outstanding,” Richie said. “Give me the address. Also, where is the service entrance? I don’t want to draw undue attention to our presence. I’d also like to keep our presence there a secret, if at all possible. We don’t want to distract the actors.” He got the information from Stan, made arrangements for meeting security at the service entrance, extracted a promise of secrecy, and hung up.

Turning back to Julianna’s brothers, he said, “Alright. That call was the first step. In case part two of my plan doesn’t work, at least I can ambush her at the theater.” He smiled wryly. “Now,” he said, looking at each of Julianna’s brothers in turn. “Which of you is Francesca’s favorite grandson? I need to talk to her, and I need one of you to make it happen.”

Sal grinned. “That would be me. Nicky was Poppi’s favorite; first grandson and all that. I’m Nonna’s baby boy. What do you want me to do?”

Richie wanted to plead his case with Francesca, and get the older woman on his side. He had hit it off with her, and had great respect for the position she held in the family. He had to convince her to try to talk sense into Julianna. Richie knew that Julianna’s grandmother was old-fashioned, and it was improper for him to just call her out of the blue to talk to her. Sal placed the call, and started speaking in rapid-fire Italian.

Sal told his grandmother everything he knew about Julianna’s episode last night. Once reassuring her that Julianna was fine, he told her of the current situation, of how they’ve all come to rally around her, and of Richie’s concern over Julianna’s seclusion. After a couple of minutes, Sal nodded and turned the phone over to Richie. “She’s anxious to talk to you.”

“Signora Francesca?” Richie started. “Thank you for talking to me.”

“Si, of course. What is happening?” Francesca was concerned, and it came through in her voice.

“Julianna has basically barricaded herself in her Manhattan apartment,” Richie said. “She won’t talk to anyone, and she won’t let us in.” Richie left out the details, but basically told Francesca about following Julianna to New York and not being able to get up to see her. He told her that they were waiting outside her building waiting for her to change her mind, but it hasn’t happened yet.

Julianna’s grandmother made a snicker noise, showing her disapproval. “She is such a stubborn child.”

Richie said, “I’m sure that if you could talk to her, make her see that the people who love her want to help her – that would mean something. She won’t talk to any of us, and we’re out of ideas.”

“Of course, I will talk to her.” Francesca paused for a moment. “Tell me something. Do you count yourself among those who love her?”

“Yes, I do,” Richie answered without hesitation. “I want to help her through this, but she’s shutting me out.”

“Si, she does that,” Francesca agreed. “She is strong-willed and pig-headed. Not unlike her mother and grandmother, yes?”

Richie chuckled. “You really don’t want an answer to that, do you?”

Francesca laughed. “No, of course not. I will call her. You are with my other boys?”

“Yes, and I’m not going anywhere until I talk to her.”

“I admire your resolve,” Francesca said. “Remember this feeling in the days to come. Please don’t give up on her. She is very stubborn, but can usually be reasoned with.” She sighed. “I will call you back.” With that, Francesca hung up.

* * * * *

Julianna’s phone rang again. She had no intention of answering it until she looked at the caller ID. It was her grandmother. Nonna almost never called her. She forgot all about her own problems. Thinking that something was wrong with her grandmother, she answered the phone. “Nonna, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Francesca was furious. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong. You have run away and shut yourself away like a child. My daughter did not raise you to be a coward, Julianna Frances.” Her voice was getting shrill.

Surprised at this attack, Julianna dropped onto the couch. “Nonna, calm down,” Julianna began.

“You do not dare to tell me what to do,” Francesca shouted, making Julianna wince. “You do not dare to tell me how to act, when you yourself do not know how to act.” Julianna thought she heard her grandmother counting to ten in Italian. “Do you know what you are doing to your brothers?” Francesca finished quietly.

“Nonna, I know this is hard for them, but they’re big boys; they’ll get over it.” Julianna was starting to feel worse than she already did for her behavior, and she seriously regretted picking up the phone. There was no way could she hang up on her grandmother though. Julianna got up and started pacing around the apartment.

“Si, they will get over it, but what about your Riccardo?” Francesca paused, and when she got no answer, continued angrily. “And, he is yours, you know. He told me he loves you. And you; you think so little of love that you would put this man aside?” She started cursing in Italian. “You stubborn, selfish girl, you are ruining your life.”

Julianna started to cry quietly. She knew everything her grandmother was saying was the truth, but she couldn’t help it. This was she thought was right. She sat on the sofa again, and said as much to her grandmother; bracing herself for her reaction.

“Do you really believe this is for the best?” Francesca was incredulous. “You cannot possibly be that stupid or naïve.” Julianna gasped. Francesca continued on as if she didn’t hear, but she had, and took some satisfaction in knowing she was getting to her granddaughter. “Is it really for the best that your brothers, who have been there for you, protecting and loving you since the day you were born, are now on the outside looking in? All they want is to help you.” Francesca paused, wondering how far she could push her granddaughter before she snapped. A little further, she thought.

“And what of your new friends?” Francesca asked. “They dropped everything to come here and be here for you. Do you think these men have nothing better to do with their time than to sit on the curb outside your building for hours on end?”

Julianna sighed. “Nonna, they’re here for Rich, not for me. I have no illusions about that.”

“Even if that were true, still they came. They could have counseled your ‘Rich’ to forget about you. They could have told him that you weren’t worth the aggravation. Instead, they are out there waiting to talk to you, to see what they can do to help you.” Francesca’s voice was soft but stern.

Julianna was sobbing openly now. “Nonna, don’t think I don’t feel badly, because I do. But it really is for the best. Rich has enough pain in his life without adding me and my broken soul to the mix. I care for him too much to let him be dragged down with me.”

“You arrogant little girl,” Francesca said, completely exasperated now. “Do you think you are not causing him pain now? He chased your car down the driveway, screaming your name. He hijacked his friends into searching for you. He had Jon browbeat Nicky into giving up your address. You have already caused him pain. You now must make it right, before it is too late.”

Francesca could practically hear the wheels turning in Julianna’s head, trying to get around this argument. Sensing Julianna was close to doing the right thing, Francesca tried another tactic. “You cannot presume to know what someone will and will not want to add to his life. You owe it to this man to speak to him. You owe it to yourself to hear the words from his mouth if you are correct.” Julianna still didn’t say anything.

Francesca played her last card. “Do not make me come to the city to talk to you. I am old, and do not like to travel such distances.”

Julianna heaved a dramatic sigh. “Nonna – alright. You win. I will speak to Rich. I will tell him myself why this is for the best. I will not talk to anyone else about this. Not you, not my brothers, not Mama.”

Francesca laughed dryly. “Oh, you will speak to your Mama about this, have no doubt. She is not so old that she will not travel to see you, and you are not so old that she will not turn you over her knee for being such a brat.”

“OK,” Julianna said, getting exasperated herself. “I already said you win. I’ll talk to him. Please,” she begged, “just leave me be with the rest of it.”

Francesca reluctantly agreed, but told Julianna she did not speak for her brothers. With a final admonishment to Julianna to call her phone now to talk to Richie, Francesca ended the call.

“Shit,” Julianna said, and dialed her own cell number.