As a child, Dolcé, had the freedom to be whatever she wanted in her mind. She would play dress up, wear her mothers make up, and play with her dolls. She was the typical little girl that society pushed for. Her family had deep Italian roots and a very strong skill for cooking Italian food. Like all Italian families they had their secret recipes. She enjoyed everyday helping cook even if she was too short to reach the top of the counter.

She went to the local school with her brother everyday and on the weekends her parents would take them to get ice cream at a local shop. It was a life like everyone else’s. Her parents were hard working business men and women. This kept them extremely busy throughout the day and her father would even come home at the early hours of the morning. His black leather jacket would be stained red in spots from the paint they were putting up on the new restaurants walls.

Since her parents were only there for them on the weekends, her brother and herself were raised by their grandmother. To them she was Noni. She wasn’t like most grandmothers that spoiled their grandchildren with cookies, toys, and love. She was a strict, stubborn, and tough old lady. She taught them life skills of never to trust a stranger, keep things in the family, don’t ask questions, and the most important was family first.

For Dolcé she never really had any friends outside of the family. Her cousins were who she played with, along with her brother. Her aunts and uncles were always around talking about the family business in a closed door room until the women came out and watched over the children while the men continued.

She always wondered how running restaurants would take so much work, but she was to never ask questions and she never did, at least not until she was sixteen. She was in high school now and she was comparing her family life to the other kids. Why was hers so secretive and couldn’t be talked about? She was never allowed to talk about the family business, even though it was just restaurants, and she was never allowed to go hang out with those she was friends with at school. Dolcé was beginning to waver in her beliefs that were pounded into her head since the day she was born.

When she finally had the nerve to question her parents her father slapped her and her mother didn’t flinch. After her father walked off in anger her mother took her to the side and told her it was not her time to know. Until the family felt she was ready she was not to ask any questions like she had been taught.

Walking off with her head hanging in shame and pain from her father’s backhand, Dolcé had felt defeated. She was unsure who she was anymore. Her brother tried to comfort her by telling her the same thing had happened to him when he questioned their parents, but it did nothing. Her will was breaking and her heart was following suit.

A few years later and now an adult, Dolcé was pushed into working in the restaurants the family owned. She was eighteen now and graduated high school at the top of her class, but instead of any sort of college, which was frowned upon for most women, her family made her wait on tables. Yet, during this time she began to open her eyes. She noticed that not one of the family’s restaurants had red walls. The ice cream shop they had went to was shut down after the police raided it a year ago. Things weren’t adding up and this time she was going to find out why.

After work she headed home to find her father at the kitchen table going through his papers. Walking straight towards him with her face filled with confusion, anger, and pain he knew what it was about. Sitting her down he didn’t smack her this time, but instead said that it was her time to learn about the family and it’s “business”.

To be continued...

SINGER listens to the story of simplicty. It was unfortunate to hear all that she had been through. SINGER was impressed with how she pulled through all the struggles she did go through.

Simplicty i look forward to the continuation of your life story and i especially look forward to how you have left the life your parents had you in.