Losing & Finding Billy

By Donato Smith

A young man is struck by a vehicle and dies on a Sunday night in 1987. The following days are a chronological journey, experienced by his closest loved ones.

The story leads us into the relationships that each of Billy’s three closest friends David, Lydia and Katrina all shared with Billy as they house sit his home for the days leading up to the funeral.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donato Smith
• Release date: Aug 28, 2012

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Losing & Finding Billy

By Donato Smith

Copyright © 2012

www.donatosmith.com

Smashwords Edition

All Rights Are Reserved.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be constructed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

Table of Contents

1: Closed for the Night

2: Losing Billy

3: How to tell a Mother?

4: Back at the Pizzeria

5: Telling Lydia

6: Telling David

7: At Billy’s

8: In The Kitchen

9: And Then There Were 3

10: The Next Day

11: Les odeurs comme Billy

12: Oh Really?

13: It’s John!

14: The First Meal

15: Prayers

16: The Argument

17: Back At Billy’s

18: Billy’s Bedroom

19: The Diary

20: The Tapes

21: Waking Up

22: Home Again

23: The Video

24: The Next Day

25: Finding Jermaine

26: KYX FM

27: DJ, Play My Song

28: Last Evening at Billy’s

29: The Funeral

30: Goodbye Billy

-1-

Closed for the Night

Sunday 9:50PM

It’s the winter of ’87 and its cold outside.

A Dean Martin duet plays from a small radio sitting on a windowsill, along with the clatter of pizza trays and utensils clanging against each other in the back kitchen.

A couple make their way out the door of Giovanni’s Pizza. Same time next week John, the final customer of the night says as a small bell jingles above the door.

John locks the front door and switches the lights off, making his way towards the back of the pizzeria.

Entering the warm kitchen he sings along with the radio, Baby it’s cold outside, his hand snatching olives from an ingredients tray before his nephew Billy has a chance to pick it up. John moves the tray to another bench playfully, just to annoy Billy.

While Katrina is washing pizza pans, Rose is preparing dough for the next day as John leans over giving Rose an over exaggerated loud kiss on her cheek, doing his best to interrupt her. Rose scowls, trying not to laugh at the squeal his puckered lips make. John always knows how to make her laugh. Rose you’re taking all night.

I think Kat’s slowing her down, interrupts Billy.

Katrina pretends to throw a handful of foamy bubbles at them. John and Billy put their hands up to surrender but Billy declares immunity by holding up the money that’s in his hands.

Here are the tips for tonight, says Billy with a gesture, passing a crunched up bundle of bills to John, who flattens the notes out in his palms and gives half back to Billy and the other half to Katrina.

No way! Billy snipes while Katrina gladly accepts her gratuity. She never does deliveries.

Yeah but you never make pizzas, John tells him. You wouldn’t have anything to deliver if she wasn’t back here preparing them, cooking them, cleaning up. John throws a wash cloth playfully at him as Billy tries to refute this argument.

Billy, you’re lucky you’re my favorite nephew.

More like only nephew, Billy mutters, the sarcasm in his tone ever-present, Anyway you want me to lock up the front?

Don’t worry ’bout it kiddo. It’s already done, plus I gotta go back out there and clean up; some klutz spilt soda.

Overhearing the conversation Rose interjects, Oh, I already wiped that up.

John tells her, It’s probably still sticky. I’m gonna use the mop. I don’t want cockroaches coming in this place looking for a free meal.

Billy puts on his jacket and turns to Katrina. Ok then I’m gonna get going. You coming?

Before responding she looks towards Rose. Aren’t we all getting a ride with you guys?

It’s too cold out there Billy. We’ll go soon, Rose tells him.

Ok. Looking around he notices that the preparations for the next day haven’t begun yet. Wait a second. Are you guys prepping dough for tomorrow?

Rose looks at him while holding dough. Yes, she says, shaking a fistful of dough in his face.

That’s another 45 minutes at least because then you’re gonna chop stuff up, then clean it all. I’m gonna go now.

Are you sure? It’s freezing outside, especially at this hour.

Billy grabs his jacket and heads toward the door.

Rose makes a final appeal, We don’t want you getting sick.

Thanks Rose but I’ll be fine. I’m gonna go before it gets any colder. I’ll be home in 15 minutes. You guys will still be here by the time I’m home.

More hands make light work, Rose quips.

What?

More hands make light work, she repeats.

What? Billy said, now smirking.

Catching onto what he’s doing she shakes her head, trying to hide her grin.

John pokes his head out from around the corner to speak quickly with his nephew. Hey Billy, take the bike home with you, but park it inside the garage. Otherwise it’ll freeze up.

Thanks Zio, he said, using the Italian term for uncle, I’m gonna walk. I’ve been on that thing all night. The vibration gave me a headache that I just got over. I’ll take the shortcut, it’ll only be a 15 minute walk.

"Ok, ciao Billy. Tell your mother I said hello."

And me too, Rose chimes in.

Me three, Kat quickly adds.

John laughs at the synchronization. Ok we all do, he says, leaning forward to scruff Billy’s hair but Billy moves backward just before John can reach. Hey, at least give your uncle a hug.

Billy leans in to give John a half-attempt of a hug but John bear hugs him and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

Yuck! Billy over exaggerates, as he pulls out of his uncle’s reach.

You see that. He’s slippery like a sardine, John calls to his wife Rose. We should put him on those pizzas instead of the anchovies.

Billy wipes his cheek complaining, Gross! I’m 20 years old and that’s so wrong!

As they laugh, Billy gives up his repulsed act and offers his adieu for the night. Ok, I’m out of here. As he walks out of the kitchen’s back door, he gives a quick wave goodbye, brushing off flour from his work shirt before zipping up his jacket. See you guys tomorrow.

-2-

Losing Billy

Sunday, 9:57 pm

Breathing in, he feels the sensation of cold air surround his nostrils and travel down into his chest, filling his lungs. The pizzeria aroma lessens as he walks on while he makes his way into the night. Light from the full moon turns a poorly lit walk along a back lane bright with a silvery lunar incandescence.

It’s the time of night when the whole world is quiet and footsteps echo.

The cold night makes the skin on his face feel tight and dry.

Billy untangles a pair of headphones, thumbs his way along the buttons of a portable cassette player till