The Belly of Mancini

Episode 1

"Welcome to the institute, the job is yours, Miss Rocci" says the principal.

"Thank you very much, Miss, I appreciate the opportunity" Lizzy smiles.

She is a sweet young woman who has just graduated with a degree in special education. She was very excited to get her first job. She leaves the office and sees the playground where the children are playing happily. She can't help but smile, she deeply loved children, but her smile is overshadowed when she sees a little boy in a wheelchair who is just sadly watching the others play. She approaches slowly...

"Hello little one" she says

But the child does not flinch and remains silent.

"Do you want to go play with them?" she asks

"Are you blind? Can't you see I can't walk?" he says annoyed.

"And who says you can't play?" she insists

"I just want to be alone" he shouts

"Miss Rocci" they call her

Lizzy takes a last look and sees who is calling her.

"Yes?" she replies.

The principal calls her aside, a little hesitant.

"Miss Rocci, you don't have to have contact with little Lorenzo, he's difficult" she warns

"He's a child" Lizzy says surprised

"He has his personal tutor, his father pays him for everything the best, I suggest you stay away from him" having said this, she leaves and leaves her full of doubts.

Lizzy takes a step towards the exit, but takes one last look at Lorenzo, his tutor was by his side, she was an older woman, who could barely stand, she leaves the place a little worried.

When she arrives at her house, her dog Napo was waiting for her anxiously, Lizzy unloads her bag and grabs her dog's favorite cookies.

"I have a job Napo, you're not going to eat the leftovers anymore" she smiles as she kisses his cheeks excitedly.

She prepares a tea and sits down to study some dynamics for her new students, she was really happy and enthusiastic, in her mind the image of that little boy who seemed to be very sad and grumpy wandered.

The next day Lizzy arrives early at the institute, from her new desk she could see the main patio, she had the best view from there, the vans that parked at the entrance caught her attention, she observes carefully, a man opened the door of the vehicle and someone got out of there, a very handsome man, with an impeccable suit and his perfect hairstyle, takes her breath away, his features were those of a very rude, cold and calculating person, she could not take her eyes off him, he was a magnet that man, until she sees little Lorenzo get out, he smiled when that man took him in his arms to carefully put him in his chair, seeing him smile gave her hope.

"Miss Rocci?" they say

Lizzy startles

"Yes?" she says somewhat embarrassed

"Nice to meet you, I'm Fiona" says the older woman who was with Lorenzo yesterday.

Lizzy smiles at her and offers her hand.

"You can call me Lizzy" she replies

"The principal asked me to show you the facilities, but my knees hurt, I think you can get to know the place on your own, right?" she says somewhat irritated

"Don't worry Fiona, I can take the tour alone, take a seat and rest" Lizzy replies and leaves the room.

She walks through several hallways of the institute, and greets some teachers who cross her path, she knows the classrooms and beautiful and colorful gardens.

"Miss Rocci" they call her

"How are you Mrs. Ferrer?" she replies

"Just Sonia, we're in confidence now" she smiles

Lizzy observes her attentively, the principal now looked warm.

"I suppose Fiona's knees hurt" she mocks

"Well, something like that" she smiles

"Fiona, Fiona, she's a lazybones, she's the oldest teacher in the institute, she'll be retiring soon" she says nostalgically

"Good for her, it's time for her to rest and give her knees peace" Lizzy says humorously.

The principal bursts out laughing, she seemed to be in a very good mood.

"I like your sense of humor, no doubt your students are going to love you" having said this Sonia walks towards the exit.

"By the way, your students are waiting for you, classroom 808" she smiles and leaves.

Lizzy walks anxiously looking for her new classroom, she manages to locate it and to her surprise everything was silent, this causes her anxiety, there were only four children, and they all seemed locked in their little heads, An assistant was waiting for her equally shocked.

"Are you Miss Rocci?" she asks

"Call me Lizzy" she replies without being able to stop looking at the little ones.

She approaches carefully and caresses their heads, while she begins to sing sweetly to them, this makes the little ones look at her for the first time, the assistant joins her and they sing together.

"You are a good teacher" her assistant tells her

"Thank you, I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Maggi, my name is Maggi" she smiles

Lizzy grabs her hand.

"Thank you for helping me, I love doing this and it's possible if my assistant has the same vocation, you have it without a doubt" she smiles at her.

"We are in this together, I also love what I do" says Maggi

Both observe the little ones trying to paint some drawings.

"Help!!, Help!!!, someone come quickly" the deafening screams that come from the adjoining classroom are heard.

Lizzy runs scared and finds little Lorenzo lying on the floor, convulsing, while Fiona watched the scene terrified, Lizzy positions him on his side and puts something on his head.

"What's wrong with him?" Fiona shouts nervously

"It's an epileptic seizure, it will pass soon" she tries to sound calm

"It's the first time this has happened to him" says Fiona

Lizzy notices that the little one is starting to turn blue, and this upsets her, she tries to grab his tongue, he was choking.

"Why doesn't the ambulance arrive?" Lizzy shouts.

She manages to grab the little one's tongue, immediately the child stands still and the normal color returns.

The paramedics arrive and help him.

"We are going to take him to the clinic, someone must go with him" says a paramedic

"You go Lizzy, my knees hurt, I don't have the vitality for this" says Fiona

"But my students, they are with..."

"I'll help Maggi with them, go the principal will meet you" Fiona interrupts

Lizzy leaves with the paramedics and little Lorenzo.

They arrive at the clinic and immediately attend to the little one, Lizzy stays outside with her nerves on edge, until she sees the handsome man enter very upset, she stands up, looking for the right words to say in a moment like this, the nurse points her out, and the man looks at her with an intense look, he runs towards her.

"Who are you?" he asks annoyed

"Mmh, well I'm Lizzy, a teacher at the institute" she replies shyly.

"Where is Fiona, what happened to my son?" He shouts

"Sir, calm down, Fiona is a little sick, I just brought little Lorenzo, he was stable" she replies calmly

"Little Lorenzo?" he shouts furiously

"Sir please," she tries to speak

"My son is not little, he is Lorenzo Manccini, don't feel sorry for him, it is forbidden to minimize him" he says with a cold look.

"He is a child, how dare you question my treatment of the students and please don't yell at me, I hear you perfectly" she raises her voice a little.

Lizzy prepares to leave but the nurse arrives, taking them by surprise.

"Are you relatives of Lorenzo Manccini?" she asks

"Only me, I'm his father" he replies

"Come with me sir, the patient has woken up" she says and they leave together.