Choked Among the Thorns

Tommy DiSano had not even experienced the breath of life when his lot was cast among the betrayed.  It was the summer of nineteen hundred and fifty-six when one cell triumphed over hundreds of millions in the race for life.

He was the product of the joining together of a stunning Dutch-Irish redhead with gray-blue eyes to an equally handsome gentleman of German and Russian descent.

His mother stood only five foot two inches tall, yet she was assembled from the best parts in God’s inventory, looking as if she were created somewhere between goddess and angel.  Eighteen years young, she was as soft to the touch as a newborn babe.  Her smile alone could melt any heterosexual man’s heart.  Above all, she knew how to satisfy her man.  In today’s vernacular, ‘she was really hot!’

His father, towering above her at six foot four, had unusually bright blue eyes and brown hair.  He was an orthopedic surgeon by profession, was good-looking beyond most women’s hopes for a mate, was well to do, had a witty sense of humor and often declared his contentment in a loving marriage.  No one ever doubted his devotion to his wife and family.

But, Tommy’s mother was not his father’s wife.  She was his housemaid.  While he was busy at the office and his wife was out gallivanting, Tommy’s mother was also nanny to their three young children.

At that time, abortion was viewed by most to be nothing short of murdering an unborn child rather than as a form of birth control or a woman’s right to choose.  Likewise, unlike modern times, if one were to bear an illegitimate baby she also brought reproach upon herself and her child.  Therefore, in order to hide their indiscretion Tommy’s father and mother conspired in a plan that would avoid scandal and disgrace for the both of them.

Nicholas DiSano was a longtime friend to Tommy’s father as well as being employed by him as a handyman, gardener and driver.  Nick had a real crush on Tommy’s mother, Ellen, and often gave her flowers and candy.  He pursued her constantly, asking her out repeatedly.  She was always polite with her refusals, making up convincing excuses while being careful not to give any indication of how she really felt about him.  That is, she found him repulsive.

Her opinion of Nick began to change at about the time she and Tommy’s father realized that he might be of use to them.  After finding herself in trouble, Nick didn’t seem to be all that bad anymore.  She thought he was even kind of cute, in his own way.  A total change of heart came about when Tommy’s father suggested that her marriage to Nick would produce a large financial gift.  That gift would be sizable enough for the newlyweds to set up house.  There would even be enough left over to take an extended honeymoon and buy enough time to find suitable jobs.  The only condition was that they must move to another state.