The Tie That Binds

By Vincenzo Morino

This is a story of redemption from mistakes made long ago. From his youth on the beaches of Southern California to adulthood on the ski slopes of the Rocky Mountains, Sam Morino found it very hard to move on from a bad decision made in his youth, the abortion of his child. Two extraordinary women came to his aid and helped heal the scar. Both were in love with the same man, one long ago in his youth, and the other now. Tina Miller was the love of his youth, who helped when least expected. Lynda Gregory was the love of his present day. He just didn’t know it. When the paths of these individuals met, miracles began to happen.
The story is completely fiction. I’ve lived with it for years, and thought it was time to share it with others. Names and places were borrowed from life experiences to paint the story. Gio was based on one special person who I’ve known and had a unique knack of connecting with people...a real charmer.

Lost love from youth was a convenient theme to tell the real story, which was forgiveness for mistakes of the past that often plague people throughout their lives. In the end no matter how big the mistake, if God can forgive us...we should forgive ourselves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vincenzo Morino
• Release date: Feb 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301931118

Book preview

The Tie That Binds

by

Vincenzo Morino

"For those who made mistakes."

SMASHWORDS EDITION

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

Vicenzo Morino on Smashwords

The Tie That Binds

Copyrighted 2005 by Daniel Graves

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Author’s Note

This is a story of redemption from mistakes made long ago. From his youth on the beaches of Southern California to adulthood on the ski slopes of the Rocky Mountains, Sam Morino found it very hard to move on from a bad decision made in his youth. Two extraordinary women came to his aid and helped heal the scar. Both were in love with the same man, one long ago in his youth, and the other now. Tina Miller was the love of his youth, who helped when least expected. Lynda Gregory was the love of his present day. He just didn’t know it. When the paths of these individuals met, miracles began to happen.

The story is completely fiction. I’ve lived with it for years, and thought it was time to share it with others. Names and places were borrowed from life experiences to paint the story. Gio was based on one special person who I’ve known and had a unique knack of connecting with people…a real charmer.

Lost love from youth was a convenient theme to tell the real story, which was forgiveness for mistakes of the past that often plague people throughout their lives. In the end no matter how big the mistake, if God can forgive us…we should forgive ourselves.

For

Vincenzo, Maria, and Francesca.

*****

The Tie That Binds

*****

Chapter 1

Fall of 1994

She walked out of his life almost 20 years ago …and he never really stopped loving her. After the breakup, he stole every opportunity he could to see Tina even though it was pure agony. He couldn’t decide what was more uncomfortable…being close enough to have to carry on an awkward conversation, or seeing her from across a room. He forced himself to joke and laugh around her.

He may have fooled others, but not himself. The empty nights at home were filled with far too much spare time. The time away at school was brutal, especially when he knew some of the guys at work were flirting with her. Strange how quickly that started after they stopped dating. Some of them were pretty good friends of his, too.

He saw her sparingly over the years. She had moved away shortly after the breakup and returned a few years after he graduated from college. Whenever he did see her, it just brought back the aching in his heart that he thought he had gotten rid of long ago. There were times when he thought up plans to get her back. He’d mention these to friends who had heard it all before. He must have sounded pitiful sometimes, but they never showed it. After all, it was never easy getting over the love of your life.

It was over two years before he could even date without comparing every girl to Tina. She was like a ghost passing in and out of his daily existence. Young love somehow stays fresh in the mind. Unfortunately for Sam Morino, the memory of Tina was always too clear.

* * *

Sam was standing on the deck outside of his kitchen door sipping coffee. The sun was still low in the eastern sky casting a pink and orange hue over the distant mountains to the northwest. He always loved drinking coffee outside in the early morning. It wouldn’t be long before it was too cold to do so because winter wasn’t that far off. September was more than half over.

In the Colorado high country fall was spectacular. The aspens around the house started turning yellow and it wouldn’t be long before the hillsides were awash in their golden splendor. As he looked at the distant peaks, he could see the hint of yellow here and there, but the red of scrub oak was more prevalent. He remembered Vermont’s autumn foliage with all of the brilliant reds and oranges, but somehow Sam thought that fall in the Rockies was just a little grander. Many would argue with good reason, but anyone who knew him well knew that Colorado was a special place for him. It had been that way since the first time he passed through on his motorcycle in 1977. It would take him a few more years to finally move there.

He had done pretty well for himself considering the rocky start. Years ago when he announced that he was leaving his job in the oil business, family and friends thought that he had gone a little nuts. Out of college he lucked into a pretty good job. He worked as a financial analyst with one of the largest independent oil companies in the U.S., which was headquartered in southern California. It was somewhat of a fluke how he got the job. While he was bartending through his senior year of college one of his customers was a crude oil trader with the oil company. Upon graduation, he helped Sam with an opportunity to interview for an opening. He must have said something right because it was only six weeks later and he was moving into his first office…a cubicle on the 12th floor of a skyscraper in Century City. His first promotion came just 3 months later after he recovered over $600,000 in an overlooked shipping claim for demurrage. His next office had a window overlooking the Los Angeles Country Club. Almost a year to the day from when he started, he changed companies and went to work for ARCO. His commute was a lot shorter to the Long Beach harbor area from his apartment in Belmont Shore. He found working in the shipping business interesting, but something inside that he couldn’t identify made him restless.

When his mom and dad asked why he was leaving southern California just three years out of school, Sam explained that the crowds had just closed in a little too much, that it no longer felt like home. Deep inside, he was looking for a new start.

He said that he was going to head to the Rockies…probably Utah or Colorado and see if he could find what he was longing for out there. That was immediately followed by a frown from both of them. While he couldn’t remember their exact comment, he did remember their general displeasure. But he had always landed on his feet, so they wished him well reminding him he always had a room waiting for him if it didn’t work out. Both of them figured he’d be back in six months. Four years later they decided it was time to turn his old bedroom into an office.

Sam ended up in Breckenridge, Colorado. There, he spent his first winter working at the Breckenridge Ski Area as a lift operator during the day and a bartender at night in one of the many nightclubs. Squeaking out a meager existence, halfway through the winter, he started wondering what the hell he had done. At 9,600 feet above sea level, winter was long and cold. This was compounded by so working many hours that he had little time to ski, which was supposed to be one of the perks for working at the ski area to begin with. He shared an old, run down condo with three other guys. There, he went to bed with layers of clothes on because many, old paint jobs left the window permanently unable to be sealed.

Summer finally came and, even though it was short, Sam was captivated. It was more than the cobalt blue skies. The high, jagged ridges and towering peaks always amazed him. It was a far cry from the long summers along the beach, but it was gazing over the long distances of valleys and ridges of wilderness that brought him the peace of mind he had been missing since Tina left him.

A lot had happened in the 17 years since he and Tina broke up. The thought of crossing paths with her in Durango never entered his mind, but she would come looking for him. Oddly enough, he had finally gotten over her and was seeing someone else.

* * *

A chilled breeze blew through the nearby aspens and it sent a shiver up his spine. He sipped his coffee for some warmth. Looking out over the edge of his cup he smiled into the distance of the far off peaks to the northwest, the La Platas.

Walking to the edge of the deck, he leaned over with both forearms on the rail and peered out over the canyon below. He loved this view from the back of his home. The La Plata Mountains rose in the distance off to the left, topping out at a little over 10,000 feet. They were densely covered with forests of aspen and pine before thinning out to the grasses and barren peaks. These gave way to canyons and flat buttes as your eye worked its way east towards Durango. Beyond Durango to the north and east was the San Juan Range. These were jagged mountains…with peaks called the Needles, Engineer, and Red Mountain. The combination of reddish clay soil and the green forests was a dramatic foreground against the Colorado sky. Sam peered towards Engineer Mountain and worked his way back to town trying to locate Paradise Valley Ski Resort.

Gazing over the scenery he never tired of, he thought of Tina again. All those years and her memory kept locked away; it was easy for him to remember when he first met her. He smiled at how easy it was.

Chapter 2

Looking Back

Life was good at eighteen along the beach communities of southern California in 1973. Suburban sprawl was occurring inland, but it hadn’t totally strangled the beach cities yet. You could still get on a freeway during the day or night and actually do at least the speed limit. Sam lived with his parents in what was known as Belmont Heights, which was the coastal neighborhood of Long Beach. Palm trees were dominant along the neatly groomed yards. Curiously, the palm trees became home over the years to green parrots that had escaped as pets and proliferated. The architecture of the houses was a mix of small Spanish hacienda, Mediterranean, and beach Craftsman. It was a safe, comfortable existence.

Most of the homeowners living here had bought into the neighborhood during and right after WWII. It was logical for many of them. They were ex-navy personnel and many called the naval base at nearby Terminal Island home during the war. The GI loans made home purchases affordable and so they stayed close to their roots.

Sam’s grandfather, Giovanni, left Varazze, Italy in 1918 trying to escape the aftermath of WWI. He settled in Los Angeles in the mid ‘20s because southern California reminded him of his Italian homeland in many ways. He opened a very successful Italian ristorante near downtown in 1924 that was known for its singing waiters. A fan of the great Caruso, Gio also had an operatic voice, which he felt compelled to share with his guests at least once nightly. Even during the depression, the Café Varazze did well enough to help Gio afford to buy 6 lots in Belmont Heights. He always loved the beach and used to drive down to Palos Verde from L.A. to watch the ships come and go. He spent similar time in his youth watching the ships come and go in Genoa. Upon his son’s return from the Pacific theatre after the war, Gio gave Ben and his beautiful, young wife one of the lots for his bravery in defending their country.

With the help of his father and friends, Ben built a small, three-bedroom Mediterranean style home next door to his parents. It was his pride and joy in 1946 and remained that way throughout his life.

It was along the beach not far from the naval base that Sam’s father met his mom. She was there along with a couple of her sisters escaping the summer heat of 1941 from their downtown Los Angeles home. Ben was on leave; scheduled to depart in 2 weeks for Pearl Harbor. Before the ship left, he had married Sam’s mom, Maryann, in Las Vegas. The next time they saw each other it was 10 months later.

Ben retired from the navy in 1959 as an enlisted officer at the age of 39. He took a job as a harbor pilot for the port of Los Angeles/Long Beach. It was a natural progression from being the port captain in the Navy on the island of Samoa. Maryann raised the kids. Sam was not only the youngest of three, but also the only boy. This provided some extra privileges, but also worked against him in many ways. At least, he thought it did. Sam often thought his freedom was greatly inhibited, as it was natural for most teenage boys.

Sam had coasted through high school mostly due to his early education at St. Bartholomew’s elementary school. By the time he entered the 9th grade, homework and study habits had been forged into his routine. This was partially due to his mom taking such a great interest in the kids’ education. She spent many a night tutoring Sam over the kitchen table until bedtime. The other being the discipline of the Sisters of St. Louis he had for his teachers. In many ways they were strong, and foreboding. In other ways, they could be loving and caring.

As Sam looked back on those earlier years, it was common for him to smile about one young sister in particular. Sister Rafael had occasion to get so caught up in the antics of a few kids that before she knew it she was turning red and snickering along with the rest of the students.

Sam’s existence in high school wasn’t as easy. Initially, the public school system was a shock in many ways. Students smoking in the restrooms or on the way to school wasn’t nearly as strange to deal with, as was the open discussion about drugs and pot. His freshman year was 1969. Hippies were prevalent, along with bell-bottoms, tie-died shirts, love beads, roach clips, and VW Vans. There were rumors that the Beatles were breaking up, Jim Morrison would overdose, and Vietnam was raging. All this was quite a shock to a kid that had worn a starched white shirt and salt n’ pepper corduroy pants for the previous eight years.

Slowly, Sam got a little more comfortable with public school. It took him a while to dress right. When he finally assembled just the right outfits he wore them over and over to try to fit in. It worked to a degree, but eventually Sam gave up and stuck with a close circle of friends.

His hair got longer as a sophomore. The war dragged on. His parents hated the long hair, but basically Sam was a good kid. He still willingly attended mass with them on Sundays. So, they tolerated it. At least his hair was clean. They really had no choice because all of his friends had hair down to their shoulders by the time they reached their senior year. By then, the two most important things in Sam and his friends’ lives were surfing and girls. Early mornings before school found Sam and his friends at the beach. They’d get up at the crack of dawn and hit the waves at nearby Seal Beach. Not all of their parents were happy about this dedication. Some tried to dissuade them otherwise. Sam’s parents were among them, but they didn’t succeed. In the end, they realized that surfing was far healthier and innocent than other alternatives…and what the heck he was still getting A’s.

Two to three days a week Sam was working at a local shoe store. He had started in his junior year. He was making 25 cents above minimum wage…a whole $2.10 per hour. Half way through his senior year his mom and dad agreed to help him buy a buy a car. Sam would pay for gas and have to learn how to work on the car in the event of any breakdowns.

After some searching, Sam found exactly what he had been looking for…the perfect surfer van. It had big, wide tires in the back and smaller ones in the front. As a result, it was slightly raised up in the back. It had black tuck-n-roll bucket seats. The body was straight and the engine ran pretty good. Two surprises occurred when Sam and his dad brought the van home that night. The first was mom. She wasn’t too happy about the motel on wheels. Actually it took her a few months to get used to the idea. Sam had convinced her it was for all of the camping he and his friends were going to do along the coast for surfing. The second surprise was what the actual color looked like during the day. Sam was shocked that the deep purple he saw the night he bought it turned out to be more Fuchsia in daylight, but he was the only one among his friends with a surfer van. So, the color was tolerable.

As graduation loomed closer, the Friday night parties got bigger and more numerous. There was plenty of beer, pot, hash, reds, and whites, but the favorite of Sam and his friends were margaritas. It was their drink and felt a little safer than drugs. Strangely, they all tried a little weed, but by and large stuck with the margaritas. They always seemed to find a source for the tequila. It really wasn’t that hard. As luck would have it, or good sense, none of his friends ever got in trouble or drove drunk.

The approaching summer was very much anticipated. It meant freedom and adulthood. Three of Sam’s friends were heading to Australia for the winter waves and the rest of his friends were deciding between college and going to Hawaii for one year…college would eventually have to wait for some of them.

For Sam, the summer out of high school brought something different into his life and it would never be the same again

Chapter 3

Tina

June had been hot and Tina was already showing signs of a deep tan. She was no different than most teenagers at that time. The fear of skin damage from sun exposure wouldn’t hit for another 10 years. So, she had been lying around her friend’s pool whenever they weren’t going to the beach. Debbie and she had been best friends since they were ten years old and inseparable most of the time. Both of them were blonde, about the same height 5’ 3", and wholesome looking. By and large, they were head-turners…especially Debbie. She overflowed a string bikini.

Tina had been working at the Lucky Market for almost a year before Sam walked into the store looking for a job. It was around 11 o’clock in the morning when Tina saw Sam and Jay walk into the store. She was at the opposite end of the registers bagging groceries for Lois, so they didn’t notice her. They were too busy looking around for the office.

Lois was about four years older than Tina. She had studied to be a gym teacher, but never made it. She was all of 5’1" and tiny as they come, but there wasn‘t an ounce of fat on her. It was apparent that she was probably good at any sport she tried.

Boy, they’re sure cute, especially the short one! exclaimed Lois as she leaned over to Tina while checking out the groceries on the register. She nodded to the far end of the registers.

Looking up, Tina saw Sam and Jay walk through the closed register line at the far end. He is, isn’t he? said Tina smiling. Cute butt.

I think he’s looking for a job, said Lois looking over her shoulder while pounding on the register keys.

Tina was hurriedly bagging the groceries and trying to follow Sam and Jay as they proceeded over to the doors to the back storage area. You might be right. They did go through the doors.

Tina put the rest of the grocery bags in the cart and said goodbye to the customer. Turning back to the check stand Lois asked, Are you and Blake still seeing each other?

Not really. Tina answered uncomfortably. He’s just a little too weird for me. There are times when he drinks that he gets too mean. He still calls me and wants to see me, but I’m not sure what I am going to do.

You don’t need that from a guy, Tina. Lois smiled and gestured towards the back room, Besides maybe that guy in the tight Levi’s will work here.

Tina had a short, contagious laugh. She laughed and raised her eyebrows. Maybe, hopefully agreeing with Lois.

Meanwhile Sam and Jay had gone to the back room looking for the store office. As luck would have it, there were some openings for additional bag boys. They were handed a couple of applications and told to fill them out. Sam remembered a snack bar near the front of the store, so they decided to go there to complete them. Walking through the big swinging metal doors, they headed to the snack bar with applications in hand.

Lois, look you were right, said Tina. I bet those are applications.

See I told you. Things are already looking up. Stay away from Blake. He isn’t good enough for you.

Maybe you’re right. Tina watched Sam and Jay head towards the snack bar.

Sam and Jay ordered a couple of Cokes and sat down at one of the small tables that made up the snack bar. They proceeded to fill out the applications.

You know, this is so cool to think that this job is going to start at $3.75 an hour. I’ve been at the shoe store for 2 years and I’m only making $2.10, said Sam.

Jay and Sam had virtually grown up together. Their houses were only four apart and their parents were good friends. Close throughout elementary and high school, they seemed to naturally follow each other through life. They were the brothers that neither one of them had. Even though Jay was slightly older, Sam often felt