Olivia

In chapter 5, Lorenzo’s half sister, Olivia, finds out that Lorenzo is hiding in the basement. She came to the basement to find something out of her old stuff, but couldn’t find anything. Then Olivia asks Lorenzo for money, but he tells her that he doesn’t have any. Lorenzo doesn’t really know Olivia. His parents doesn’t talk about Olivia when Lorenzo was around. Olivia promises not to tell that Lorenzo is hiding in the basement. Lorenzo finds a letter from Olivia to their father. Olivia tells that Olivia hates their dad and doesn’t need his money anymore. Later that night, Olivia knocks on the basement window. She asks if she can spend the night in the basement. Lorenzo strictly says no. He thought that the basement was his, and nobody could come or stay there. He said that there is only room and food for one person. I think that he felt safe in the basement when he was there alone. He could do what he wants to, and nobody was watching or judging him. Also when he was alone, he didn’t have to worry from getting caught. Olivia tried to ask him nicely like she is asking for a favour and she did a favour for Lorenzo by not telling on him. Still Lorenzo says that she can’t come and he promised himself that he wouldn’t get out of the basement. After that Olivia started to threaten Lorenzo with telling to his parents that he was in the basement. After that Lorenzo let’s Olivia come over for one night. He couldn’t take the risk that his parents found out. Next day Olivia is really sick. Still Lorenzo tells Olivia that she needs to leave. But right when She was leaving, Lorenzo’s mum called him. His mum demands to talk to Alessia’s mother. Then Lorenzo got an idea that Olivia could pretend Alessia’s mother. At first she says that she won’t do it. Lorenzo begs her and gives her permission to stay in the basement and agrees to be her slave for the rest of his life. Then she talks to Lorenzo’s mother pretending that she was Alessia’s mother. Lorenzo’s mum believed it. Lorenzo gets worried of Olivia’s illness, but Olivia tells him to mind his own business. Lorenzo notices red dots in the middle of Olivia’s arms. He realizes that she was a drug addict. That’s why she needs money and his parents doesn’t talk about her when he was around. He was shocked. Lorenzo was afraid of people who just sit on the benches of Villa Borghese and drinks beer and uses drugs and begs for money. And now there was one of those in his den. He waits for Olivia to go to the bathroom, and then checks her purse. He found syringes wrapped in plastic. I think that Lorenzo then realizes that Olivia needed help and support.