Giovanni's Package

Think twice when you give your daughter a present.

It was noon when I stepped out of the door to pick up my daughter from her school. A package was left all alone right outside my door. I felt happy, assuming that it was from my husband who had forgotten to do such gestures to his wife a long time ago.

Dissappointed, I saw that it wasn’t for me. A note said: “To dear Giovanni with love” no signature, no name no address written below it. For a few minutes I lingered there trying to figure out what to do. I was in no situation of wasting time or my daughter would soon think that I had forgotten her at school (again) and start to cry. And I was a responsible mom for not to let that happen (again).

I took the package inside with all its wrappings and ribbons, to be left there until I figure out what to do with it. Rushing to my car, I got in and drove to my daughter’s school. 

My daughter is a bit bossy, she has learnt well enough to play us like two puppets on the string. I try not to do whatever she says but my husband doesn’t carry a heart that can handle not doing anything his daughter asked him to. So I’m the ‘bad guy’ in the house usually.

When we get to the home that noon, as I had guessed before, she was on the point of crying. I have no idea why she doesn’t trust me. I try to comfort myself that it’s just the whining of a six-year old. Her tears were dropping constantly and I was trying to assure her that I had not left her there, but I was a bit busy with something important.

“Everything is more important!” she yelled back. “You don’t care what happens to me!”

That was not true. Maybe I was a little busy, maybe I was a little self concerned lately but that didn’t mean I was a bad mother. That’s something I couldn’t accept, ever.

She hastily made her way through the door and came face to face with her father who apparently had came in from work. He was holding the package I had left on the floor and looking at the note.

“Daddy! You’ve bought me something!” My daughter screamed with joy. It was surprising how her mood could change in seconds. A big smile on her face, she ran and hugged her father.

We exchanged looks with my husband. For my surprise he understood that something was going on this time.

“Go wash your hands dear, then we’ll talk about it.”

Confused, my daughter left her school-bag on the floor and ran to the bathroom, thinking about what might be inside the good-looking, glittery, package.

“Are you cheating on me?” he asked as soon as the child went out.

“What?”

“Who the hell is Giovanni?”

It was the first time I’ve seen my husband that dissappointed. Secretly I felt happy for it was the evidence of him still loving me.

“I don’t know. That came up today. I had to put it there and go pick up Marietta from the school.”

He looked suspicious but didn’t pursue arguing with me. He knew that I wasn’t the type to cheat on a husband. Plus, I loved him and Marietta more than everything.

When Marietta came back, jumping and screaming, she tore off the wrappings. We were looking at it with expectation as well, not knowing what would come out of it.

When I saw what was inside, I preffered that it never got outside. My husband jumped on the present, getting Marieatta away who had already started to scream and yell. But I am sure that she had not understood what it was under the wrappings. They were not something a six-year old could see before.

There was a large packet of condoms and some other eeee, sophisticated how should I say, tools.... Ehem...(I’m a thirty year old, grown woman and I still blush at these things). Anyway, we managed to get her away and explained that there was a mix-up in presents.

She seemed more relaxed when we told her that we would go and ‘exchange’ her present so that she could play with it. We were lucky, what else can I say. Usually she is way more stubborn to give up on any kind of toys. My dear husband, on the other hand, felt amused with what happened. I knew that I had married a 10 year old boy that would never grow up.

For the ‘package’, we put it in a drawer up in out bedroom, locked. My husband had already suggested using them but, I refused because... Well I could never be in peace if one day a Giovanni came and asked for his ‘package’.

(806 words)