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Post by Crystal on Nov 4, 2008 16:22:25 GMT -5
((Vincenzo's return...just a short thing of the morning after))
Vincenzo woke with a start. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and wiped some perspiration from his forehead. Glancing to his side, he saw his wife watching him, concerned.
“Is everything okay?”
He nodded and reached over to the nightstand to get the glass of water he had placed there the night before. “I’m fine. I’m sorry if I woke you.”
Rosetta ran a hand over his chest, ignoring the scars and wounds that were randomly placed around his torso. “You didn’t. You’ve been having nightmares all night. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” He leaned his head over and kissed her softly. “I’m home now, right where I belong. I’m more than okay,” he smiled.
“I can’t begin to explain how happy I am. For nearly a year…” She shook her head and leaned him up against his chest.
He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. “I’m back now. I’m never going to leave you.”
She nodded, satisfied with his response, but also knowing that it wasn’t up to him in the end—it depended on what Halifax needed at the time. “What was it like?”
It was true that he had avoided capture from enemies who used torture. Stories of POWs being tortured for information ran rampant through the marines and through Halifax. He was lucky to not have been another statistic. But he had heard others being tortured from afar, had seen it with his own eyes. He had listened to bombs going off nearby, praying to God that he and the others would be kept out of the line of fire. There was the British soldier who was beheaded when he tried to fight his way out, the American soldier held for blackmail, the Frenchman he had to pull back from attempting to attack a guard. There were the days that continued without food or water and the days when the bread they tossed down into the dirt already had mold growing on the side. He had witnessed the breakdown of a fellow French marine, had comforted him and tried to remind him of the strength they had as trained marines. The tragedies, the hardships…the only thing that had kept him going was knowing that his family awaited his return and that Halifax was one of the best military bases in the world.
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. You don’t need to know, Rosetta.”
She accepted the response, knowing that he was right and she probably didn’t want to know the details of his time there. “You’ll have plenty of time to spend with the boys and Gabriella.”
“And with you,” he smiled. “I’m sorry I worried you for so long.”
“Lunetta and Alfonso were kind enough to help me with everything. It was a comfort to have them here.”
“They’re wonderful friends to us. A second family. We’ll have to remember to do something for them.”
“I agree. I’m afraid I haven’t had time to do anything except thank them and I know words don’t show just how grateful I am.”
“I’m sorry that I missed our daughter’s birth and our first year. I don’t think anything will make that up.”
“Not missing anymore would be a good way to start,” she smiled. “I have a scrapbook of her first year. I made it for you because I knew you would be home soon. It has all of her pictures, the first time she ate baby food, held her head up, sat up without help, started crawling…I have it all. She’s a good baby. She hardly cries when I take her out places and it wasn’t long before she was sleeping through the night.”
“She was 2 month premature?”
Rosetta nodded. “The doctors kept her in the hospital for about a month and a half before letting me take her home. They wanted her to be at the proper weight and development of a full-term baby. But her lungs and heart were strong from the start, so it was just me worrying as always.”
He smiled and brushed a few strands of his wife’s hair from her face. “I’m glad everything was okay.”
“Everything’s perfect now.” She leaned up and kissed him.
There was a light knock on their bedroom door and Vincenzo smiled before asking who it was, knowing it could only be one of two people.
Luca opened the door a little to peek his head in. Anthony was right behind him, ready to push the door open more. “Daddy?”
Rosetta smiled and scooted over to the other side of the bed. She pulled back the covered and patted the bed. “Come on up, you two.”
The two boys grinned and ran in before jumping in the middle of the bed. Vincenzo laughed as he moved over to make room for them. He smiled at Rosetta over the top of their heads and reached his good arm behind them to find her hand as she did the same. Smiling, he squeezed her hand softly and winked. “Perfect.”
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Post by Crystal on Mar 20, 2009 18:10:26 GMT -5
((these are just mini scenes that will be incorporated into the iaconelli story i'm writing. There will be scenes that will added between these, of course, so there's not a huge gap, but they haven't been written yeet.))
May 1960 (age 3 ¾)
Vincenzo looked out of the window of the car, watching land pass by that looked like all of the other land they had already passed. It stretched for miles in each direction. It was a familiar route though, yet he still looked over to his mother and asked if they were any closer yet.
“Almost, ‘Cenzo,” she smiled, never losing her patience with the common question.
He sighed and settled down in his seat. “Does he know we’re coming?”
“I wrote to him and told him that we would try to make it up there. He’ll be happy to see you. Did you bring your work from preschool with you to show him?”
“Yeah, I have it in my pocket.” He pulled the folded piece of paper from his pants pocket.
“He will want to see that and see how well you did.”
It was another ten minutes before Vincenzo saw the familiar gray buildings and open runways of the air force base. Shortly afterwards, they had made their way through security and found a parking lot. Vincenzo ran ahead of his mother into one of the hangers where he knew he could find his father.
He was stopped when a man swept in from the side and grabbed him by the waist to flip him upside down. “It looks like a Mini ‘Conelli has found his way here.”
The boy laughed and struggled until the man set him on his feet. He fixed his shirt and tried to sneak a punch to the man’s stomach.
“You have to take to the right and go in for the left.”
Vincenzo turned at the voice and grinned. “Papa!” He ran over, arms out-stretched, and jumped into the waiting arms of his father.
“Are you giving Luca what he deserves?” Lorenzo asked with a grin. “Putting him in his place?”
He grinned at his father and then at the young pilot. “Yeah!”
Luca laughed. “You’re going to get me into trouble, Vin. When are you going to enlist?”
“My mom said I couldn’t until I was older.”
The young man stepped back in mock surprise. “Older? How much older do you need to be? You’ll be an old man before you know it.”
“Both of you will have him in here the second he turns 18. And then what will I do?”
Lorenzo set his son down and took his wife’s hand to pull her closer for a kiss. “Don’t worry too much. It’s good to see both of you. I’m glad you were able to come up.”
“You knew we would. I brought some sandwiches for you.” She handed him a grocery bag with sandwiches she had made early that morning.
Luca walked over to look through the bag as well. “You’re the greatest, Mrs. C.”
She laughed. “You act like I’m feeding the entire base.”
Lorenzo closed the bag before Luca could take his pick. “Let me show you one of our newest planes, Vincenzo.” He lifted the small boy up onto his shoulders and led him through the hanger to a fighter plane that was being cleaned by some new recruits. Some of them nodded and saluted in respect to the elder Iaconelli as he passed.
“Is this one that you’re going to fly?”
“Someone’s going to fly it. I don’t know if it’ll be me.” He smiled as he lifted his son up to help him climb into the seat. “Maybe you’ll be flying it one day.” He climbed up after him and stood on the wing of the plane while Vincenzo situated himself into the pilot’s seat and put the seatbelt on.
“Don’t forget the helmet. All good pilots have to wear the helmet. The communication devices hook under the helmet so the pilot is able to talk to the people on the ground.”
Vincenzo slipped the helmet on, pushing it back as it slid over his eyes. He put his hands on the controllers. In his best imitation of the movies he had seen of air pilots, he moved the controllers from side to side as if the plane were in motion. “Attention, attention! Vincenzo looking for landing!”
Lorenzo chuckled. “Don’t forget to pull up on the lever to land. You want to go in slow so that you have a smooth landing.”
“We’re going to crash! They’re shooting at us!”
He reached over and took an oxygen mask from the overhead compartment. “You better put on your oxygen mask and prepare. Are you over water? Do you have your life vest on?”
“Yeah! We’re landing in the water! Get ready, Papa!”
Adelina laughed from the ground as she looked up at them. “Are you going to be able to get out of the water in time to have lunch? Or am I going to have to eat these sandwiches myself?”
Vincenzo took the helmet off. “Ma, we landed in the ocean! We almost ruined the plane and it almost blew up!” He spread his hands apart, simulating a bomb going off.
“Maybe you shouldn’t fly anymore. I don’t want any of my children landing in the middle of the ocean.” She kissed the top of his head as her husband lifted him down from the cockpit.
“Don’t worry, Ma. I’m okay. I swam to the shore really fast.”
“Back on land where you belong.” She accepted Lorenzo’s hand and followed him to the cafeteria for their lunch.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
May 1963 (Age 6 ½)
The sun was beating down on their backs, but Vincenzo and his older brother were determined to complete their task.
“It has to be deeper. On TV, it says it has to be six feet. Keep digging.”
Vincenzo put his small shovel down and put his hand in the hole. “I think it’s six feet.”
Lorenzo, Jr. set the small wooden box down in the hole. “I guess that works.”
He stopped Vincenzo before he could toss some dirt over the box. “Wait! We have to say a prayer before we finish burying him. Remember at Mariella’s? Father Masseo said a prayer before they buried her.”
“Well, we should have called Father Masseo.”
“We can do it ourselves. He only does humans, I think.”
Vincenzo stood up and removed his hat. He nudged Lorenzo’s arm to motion for him to remove his hat as well. “You start it.”
Lorenzo looked down at the hole and took a deep breath. “All right. God, thank you for giving Sammy a nice long life.”
“He only lived 5 days…”
“He lived longer than that before he came to live with us,” Lorenzo informed him. “Now be quiet. You’re not supposed to interrupt when someone’s praying.” He cleared his throat to continue. “He lived a good life and had fun in his shoebox. We’re sorry for not playing with him all the time, but I think Sammy understood. God, please let him eat everything he wants. He likes meatballs the best. That was his last meal, so at least it was a good one. Give him a big spot to hop around in. Amen.”
“Amen.”
Vincenzo bent down and scooped up some dirt in his hand. “Bye Sammy. You were the best frog in the world.” He poured the dirt out of his hands, covering the small box.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
October 1969 (Age 13)
“Vincenzo? Lorenzo? Get down here right now!”
The two boys exchanged looks with each other when their father’s voice traveled up the stairs to their room.
“I think they found Antony,” Lorenzo smirked. He shut his textbook and opened the door to their room.
“What is it?”
“Don’t shout from your room! I told you to get down here!”
They left their room and slowly made their way to the bottom of the steps where their father was waiting for them. Both of them tried to hide the laughter that was bubbling up inside when they saw Antony, flour on his hands and clothes.
“Do you have anything to say?”
Lorenzo looked over at Vincenzo and shrugged. “No.”
“Why is your brother covered in flour?”
Vincenzo moved past his father to take his younger brother’s arm. “Good grief, Antony! What have you been doing? You’re a mess. Ma’s just going to love this.”
“You told me to do it!”
“Now why would I tell you to get flour all over yourself?”
“You said that on this day every year, we had to stand outside with flour on us to bring us good luck! So we could get lots of cake.”
Lorenzo smirked and leaned against the banister. Five-year-olds were easy to manipulate. “Does that make any sense, Antony? I don’t think we would tell you to do something like that.”
“But you did!”
Their father shook his head and put a hand on Antony’s back. “Go get cleaned up.”
Lorenzo looked down at his feet, trying to wipe the smirk from his face.
He tried to look stern, but failed. “You two know better than to do that.”
Vincenzo grinned. “Pops, it’s not that bad. It was actually supposed to rain, so it really didn’t work out like we had planned.”
“Well, it’s smarter to do it when neither parent is home. Learn that lesson.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, Vincenzo, I thought you could ride up with me to the base on Saturday. I have to pick some things up. You’d like that, right?”
“Yeah, definitely.”
“We’re getting some new equipment in that will make the planes better. This is the stuff of the future, Vin. This is the equipment you’ll be flying.”
---
“You didn’t discipline them at all?”
Lorenzo, Sr. smiled and handed his wife another wet rag to help clean the flour off of the countertop. “They’re boys.”
She shook her head with a smile. “That always your excuse.”
“Older brothers are supposed to make the younger ones do things like that. It’s all in good fun. No one got hurt.”
“I don’t want them hurting Antony’s feelings.”
“They won’t. He likes the attention he gets from them.” He slipped his arms around her waist and kissed the space where her shoulders and neck met. “If it was anything serious, I would have grounded them.”
“For a day or two, at the most.”
“Adelina, we can’t ground them for too long. What do you think they would do with that time? They’d just try to fine new things to do to their brother.”
“Well, I’ll punish them in my own way. Antony used the flour I had set aside for dessert tonight.”
“That’s punishing everyone, Adelina. Be reasonable.”
She laughed as she turned around in his arms. “It’s all in good fun, right?” She kissed him and put the kitchen towels in his hands.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
April 1973 (Age 16 ½)
“Ma!”
Adelina wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and walked out of the kitchen. She reached the bottom of the stairs just as her two eldest sons were racing down the stairs. Moving out of the way before they could trample her, she looked back up to find Francesca following them.
“What is going on in here?”
“They’re listening in on my phone calls!”
“It was ‘Enzo’s idea,” Vincenzo laughed.
Lorenzo Jr. responded with a quick shove to his brother, immediately putting him in a headlock. “It wasn’t me, Ma!”
“Both of you stop listening in on your sister’s phone calls. It isn’t nice.”
“Why don’t you tell Ma who’s on the phone?”
Francesca gave both of her younger brothers an annoyed look. “It’s none of your business who I was talking to.”
“I bet Pop would say something about it.”
The annoyed look turned into a deadly glare. “I’ll shove this phone right—“
“Francesca! Enough. Boys, don’t listen to your sister’s phone calls and don’t bother her about who she’s talking to. She doesn’t bother you when girls call.”
Vincenzo got out of the headlock and smoothed his shirt. “But Ma, that’s not the same. She’s our sister. And, besides, no girls call Lorenzo.”
“I just had a date with Maria last night, thank you.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Didn’t I see her climbing out your window this morning?”
Adelina stepped between them, putting her arms around their waists. Lorenzo reached over and hit the back of his brother’s head before she could stop him.
“Stop, boys. Both of you are so handsome. You’re perfect and any girl would be lucky to have you.” She patted Vincenzo’s back. “Go see if that sauce needs anything else added.” She put a hand on Lorenzo’s arm when he left. “Don’t let Maria climb out of your window, okay?”
“Ma, she wasn’t—“
“I’m not so stupid, Lorenzo. But be a gentleman and remember that your sisters live here and your younger brothers. They look up to you.”
“I know they do.” After a moment of thinking about it, he added, “Don’t tell Pops.”
“I won’t tell your father. Maria doesn’t stay the night here though, understand? I don’t want her parents thinking I didn’t raise a gentleman. You’re an Iaconelli. You boys are only gentleman, like your father.” She reached up and patted his cheek. “Right?”
He rolled his eyes, but smiled and kissed her cheek. “Sorry, Ma.”
She smiled and motioned to the kitchen. “Make sure your brother isn’t eating your dinner already.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
March 1974 (17 ½)
It was over dinner that Vincenzo announced to his father that he would not be attending an air force academy to become a pilot. It was a subject he had tried so hard to avoid, but one that had be addressed. In the fall, he would be traveling to an entirely different country and doing something that he knew would disappoint his father. They had talked about the time when he would follow in his father’s footsteps since before he could remember.
“Have you picked up an application to the academy yet?”
He looked up at his father and tore a piece of bread to dip into the olive oil. “Not yet.”
“Not yet? Vincenzo, registration does not last forever. You need to get it in. I’ll pick one up on the way home tomorrow.”
“All right.”
Adelina looked between the two of them and sipped her glass of wine. “Vincenzo, didn’t you already have an idea of where you wanted to go to school?”
His mother had talked to him and he had confided in her about his intentions. She had supported his decision, but knew it would be hard for him to tell his father.
“You did? Where? Did you not want to go to the academy?”
“Well, I had just been looking around.”
“The university in Palermo, perhaps?”
Vincenzo looked at his sister, another confidant of his future goals, and then at his mother. He stabbed some of the lasagna with his fork. “No, not in Palermo.”
“Do you want to go to the Italian mainland? Rome? They have very good schools there.”
“I was looking at Halifax Academy. In Auvernha, France.”
The silence and tension that formed at the table was noticeable to the entire family.
Lorenzo Sr. set his fork down. “Halifax? That’s a very good school, excellent training. But you don’t want to go there. They really focus on the Marine aspect of the military. That’s where they excel. Not the air force.”
“I know.”
“How about I get you some more lasagna, dear.”
He ignored his wife’s offer and looked at Vincenzo. “The Marines? What happened to being a pilot, flying the planes? That’s what you wanted to do.”
“I want to be a Marine. I think it’s something I could do really well in.”
“In France. I’m sure there’s a place in Italy that—“
“I want to go to Halifax. It’s one of the best military training academies in Europe.”
“I see.”
“Dad, I—“
Lorenzo didn’t wait to hear what Vincenzo had to say. He pushed away from the table and walked out of the dining room. It took everything he had not to follow his father, but Vincenzo remained at the table, his siblings remaining silent, unsure of what to say.
“’Cenzo, he’ll understand. Just give him some time.”
He shook his head. “I’m going to go for a drive.”
---
“The marines, Adelina. He’s not a marine.”
“How do you know what he is?”
“He was born for the air force. When he was a kid, he always wanted to be a pilot.”
“He’s not a kid anymore. He’s almost 18 years old. It’s not as if he hasn’t put any thought into this. He’s talked with recruiters and has done a lot of research. You should at least support him.”
“I can’t support him doing something he wasn’t meant to do. He was meant for the air force. That’s where he grew up.”
“Vincenzo wants to do his own thing.”
“My children are rebelling against me, Adelina. First Francesca and that damn German boy she’s dating, and now my son tells me he doesn’t want to be in the air force. He’s too good for the air force.”
Adelina smiled slightly and rubbed his shoulders. “He doesn’t think he’s too good for the air force. He never said that. And Francesca’s boyfriend’s name is Robert. He’s a very nice boy, very respectable.”
“I don’t like him.”
“Why don’t you try? All you see is his last name.”
“His family probably supported Hitler.”
Adelina laughed and leaned over his shoulders to kiss his cheek. “Do you know how silly you sound? He was born in London, if I remember correctly.”
“Why can’t she find a nice Italian boy? There’s that boy she talks to at church. He’s very nice and I like his father. What’s wrong with him?”
“Lorenzo, he’s six years younger than her.”
“There’s less for an old man like me to worry about in that case.”
“You wouldn’t be happy about her dating anyone,” she smiled. “Just be happy for them.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Pop’s pretty pissed.”
“I know.”
Vincenzo walked the piazza with his younger brother, Antony, and his sister, Francesca, trying to clear his head. “I just don’t understand it. I know it’s not the air force, but it’s still the military. It’s not as if I’m not going to college at all. And Halifax is a really good school.”
Francesca put a hand on his arm. “You know how he can get. Just don’t worry about it. He’ll get over it and he’ll understand.”
“He wanted me to follow in his footsteps. Lorenzo didn’t do the air force, so I was supposed to. I thought I would do it too, but Halifax seems to be my calling.”
“Maybe I’ll do the air force then and Pop will like me the best,” Antony laughed. “Leave his entire estate to me in the will. The son that didn’t rebel.”
Vincenzo smirked. “I wouldn’t be surprised.” He sighed and sat on a bench by a fountain. “I just wanted him to support me. What’s so wrong with that?”
“Just give him some time, like she said. It’s going to be weird without you around. I’ve never even heard of Auvernha, France.”
“I was reading somewhere that they say it’s really growing. In a few years, it’ll probably be the second biggest region in France, besides Paris.”
“Yeah? Well, you’re going to come back here after you’re done, right? And for breaks?”
“I’ll definitely be back for breaks. I can’t go that long without Ma’s cooking,” he laughed. “After I graduate, it’ll be wherever they station me. A lot of graduates stay there in France though, especially if their infantry division is located at Halifax. But hopefully I’ll be back.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
August 1974 (Age 18)
In early August, Vincenzo’s family accompanied him to the airport to see him off. Adelina stood at the gate with a list in hand, checking things off.
“You did remember the dictionary, right?”
“I got it, Ma. I have everything I need. Besides, if I forgot anything, it’s not as if I’m going to some third world country,” he laughed. “It’s France.”
“I just worry about you going so far from home. You’re my son.”
He hugged her and bent to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll miss you too, Ma. Don’t worry. You have four other children to take care of her while I’m gone. You still have to feed Lorenzo,” he smirked and ducked to the side to avoid his brother’s punch to his arm.
He glanced over at the window where his father stood looking at the plane. He set his bag down and walked over.
“It looks like a good plane.”
The elder Iaconelli nodded, hands folded behind his back. “Looks like it. Are you ready to go?”
“I’m ready. I think Ma packed way too much, of course.”
“That’s your ma for you. Straighten that tie. First impressions are everything in the military.”
He nodded and fixed his tie. He looked over his shoulder to the check-in desk where a flight attendant was announcing the boarding of the plane. He sighed and looked at his father. “I’ll miss you, Dad.”
“Don’t let your officers here you say that.” He let a small smile come over his face. “You’ll do just fine, Vincenzo.”
He pulled his dad in for a hug. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll try to make you proud.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
August 1974 (Age 18)
The summer sun was still in the sky. He had arrived early to the academy grounds to assure himself that he would be there on time. As he looked around, it occurred to him that others had the same idea in mind. This was a new world he was stepping into. Everything was done precisely on schedule and nothing started late, including the recruits. He had signed in and received his packet of papers and was ushered off to with the other first years. It calmed his nerves to know that so many other young men were in his shoes, arriving at Halifax for the first time, unsure of what to expect.
He sat in a chair in the auditorium with the others, thumbing through the papers he had been given. His schedule was there and he saw that he had been placed in the classes he had wanted. One less thing to stress about. The dorm room assignment was given along with some phone numbers of academy offices. He would be sharing a room, but they had not given him the name of his roommate. The training schedule was also included, which listed morning workouts beginning at dawn. He had been preparing for it all summer, waking up before dawn, but seeing it on paper was still a little daunting.
“Attention cadets!”
He looked up at the stage to see an older man with a graying beard approach the microphone. He was the head of the academy, appointed by the King of France to oversee the top-raked military academy in the country. He welcomed the incoming class and spoke about the challenges they would face in the next four years.
“You will be assigned to a division of troops immediately. Those assignments are listed in your orientation packet that you received. These are the men you will be training with during your time at Halifax and stationed with afterwards. All of you have been assigned dorm rooms with a fellow member of your division. You don’t like who you room with,” he smiled, “learn to. This isn’t your parents’ house and this isn’t high school, as many of you will learn. Act like men. We expect the best because we only accept the best. Our standards and qualification are high. You’re sitting here today, so you’ve passed the first part. But we expect every single one of you to be here in four years to graduate, but we don’t hesitate to turn people out when their performance is not up to standards. Welcome to Halifax Military Academy.”
If the speech was supposed to make him feel more at ease and comfortable, Vincenzo thought the man might want to hire a speechwriter. After they introduced commanders and generals and discussed the daily schedule of Halifax, they dismissed the new members with the reminder that the scheduled meet-and-greet dinner was at 1800 hours sharp.
Vincenzo took the paper with the room assignment out of the folder and put the rest of the papers in his bag. He followed the rest of his fellow peers out of the auditorium and made his way to his dorm hall. He could only pray that his roommate was someone he could get along with. If he was going to be living with someone for the next four years, he didn’t want it to be an awkward time.
He maneuvered his way around people in the stairs and the hallway, checking with the assignment sheet to make sure he didn’t miss the room. Near the end of the hall, he found the room he was looking for. 341. The door was already open. Both twin beds were already made up with the military-issued bedding. One bed was situated along the back wall with a window at the foot of the bed and the other was placed along the sidewall. Two wooden desks with small lamps and two three-drawer dressers were the furnishings in the room, along with two small nightstands with alarm clocks already placed. Vincenzo bet they were already set for the morning.
The bed along the back wall already had a duffle bag on top, so Vincenzo took the one on the sidewall. He opened the closet and found two Halifax-issued cadet suits to be worn on special occasion and meetings, one on each side of the closet. He smiled as he looked at the gold plate that listed ‘Iaconelli’ on the chest. It was real. The suit at the other end of the closet read ‘Rossi.’
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Late May 1983 (Age 26 ¾)
“Let me hear it.”
Rosetta laughed. “I doubt you’ll be able to hear it yet. I won’t be able to feel the kicks so soon. I’m not even a full 3 months yet.”
“But this is an Iaconelli. We grow quick and we’re strong. He’s probably already itching to get out.”
“He? Who says it’s going to be a boy?”
“I know it’ll be a boy.” He laid his head in his wife’s lap, his ear pressed against her stomach. The bump was barely visible.
She ran her fingers through his hair. “Well, I’m going to laugh when the doctors tells us it’s a girl. Daddy’s little girl.”
“I guess I don’t mind the sound of that.”
She looked down at him and smiled. “You’re really okay with all of this? I know we weren’t planning on it.”
“Things happen, Rosetta. It might not have been in our plans right now, but everything will work out. I think we’re ready for a baby. We’ll still have time to be a married couple.”
“I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” He leaned up on his elbows and gave her a kiss before returning his head to her lap. “And I love this little guy.” He lifted her shirt a little and kissed her stomach.
“Or little girl.”
“Or little girl,” he repeated with a smile. He ran his hands along her stomach and sides. “I don’t even see how it fits in there. It’s a little unsettling, to be honest.”
The laugh lit Rosetta’s face up, the same way he had noticed when they met. “Well just be happy you’re not the one carrying it for nine months. It’s a little unsettling for me too.”
“But everything is going well? You’re feeling okay?”
“I’m feeling perfect. The doctor said everything looks fine.” She opened her mouth to say something else, but closed it.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
He sat up and leaned over her with a hand on the arm of the couch. “Tell me.”
“Do you know when you’re going to be assigned?”
“Not yet.”
“But it’ll be soon?”
“Most likely. But I’m sure I’ll be home in time for the birth.”
She sighed and ran a hand along his cheek. She leaned forward and kissed him again. “I hope so.”
“I’ll do my best, Rosetta. I promise.”
“Maybe Lunetta and Alfonso will be expecting soon. Wouldn’t that be so cute to have kids at the same time? They can be best friends.”
“You’re already planning?”
“What if this one’s a girl and then they have a boy? Wouldn’t that be something? It would be so cute if they ended up together, right?”
He smirked and kissed her lips, than her cheek and her neck. “Let’s stick with one thing at a time, huh? And we’re having a boy, so we don’t have to worry about it.”
“We’re going to have another if you don’t stop.” She put her hands on his chest. “My parents are coming over for dinner. We still have to get ready for that and get the house cleaned. Get up.”
Vincenzo sighed and reluctantly moved aside. “I don’t think your father likes me.”
“My father loves you. He just worries about me and he always will.”
--
“Have you thought of potential names yet?”
“Not yet. We don’t want to think of names until we know the sex of the baby. We still have a little while to go before that.”
“Well, have you been to the doctor recently? Are they sure you’re doing okay?”
“I’m fine, Mom,” Rosetta smiled and passed the pasta to her. “I promise.” She understood her mother’s worries though. After going through miscarriages early in her marriage, Emilia had earned the right to worry for her daughter’s condition. Rosetta couldn’t remember the last time she went a day without her mother calling or stopping by to ensure everything was going well.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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Post by Crystal on Mar 23, 2009 21:18:15 GMT -5
June 10, 1983 (Age 26 ¾)
They were on a beach, lounging in chairs with umbrellas. The waves were lightly lapping onto the sand and a cool breeze was in the air. A frozen drink was in her hair. Rosetta looked over at Vincenzo and smiled. He was buried in the sand, making suggestions to a small boy who was pushing more sand on top of him. He made a comment about a monster emerging from the sand. She lifted her sunglasses to say something, but she was stopped when she heard the ringing of the telephone.
Rosetta opened her eyes and saw the light from the moon peeking through the curtains in the room. She sighed and covered her eyes when she heard the telephone ringing again. “Vincenzo…”
Her husband didn’t show any signs of waking. At least one of them could sleep deeply. She supposed it was the marine in him, learning to sleep in any type of condition. She moved to a sitting position and leaned over him to grab the phone, noticing that the time on the alarm clock read 4:13.
“Hello?”
She recognized the voice as Vincenzo’s sister, Francesca, but could not understand her.
“Francesca? What is it? What’s wrong?”
She felt a hand snake around her back. She looked down at Vincenzo. “It’s your sister. She sounds upset.”
He frowned and pushed himself up and leaned against the headboard. He ran a hand through his hair as he took the phone. “Francesca?”
“Vincenzo. Vincenzo, we don’t know what happened. I just don’t know what to do—“
“Whoa, whoa. Calm down. What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“It’s Antony.”
Vincenzo leaned forward and listened to Francesca explain what had happened. Rosetta took his hand as she watched his expression go grim.
“What happened?” she asked when he hung up the phone.
“Antony’s been in an accident. It’s bad.”
The two were dressed and in the car headed to the hospital while Vincenzo relayed the story. Antony had been at a friend’s house and decided to drive home instead of staying the night. He had told his mother that he would be home that night. The police were not sure of the exact facts of the accident, but another car hit the driver’s side going a speed of 60 miles per hour. A lot of blood had been lost and he had been going in and out of consciousness since being transported to the hospital. Surgeons started working to stop the internal bleeding, but they were not optimistic.
They found Lorenzo and Adelina in the waiting room with the others. Rosetta immediately went to her mother-in-law while Vincenzo pulled his older brother and sister aside.
“How is he?”
“They’re bringing him out of surgery soon.”
“And?”
Lorenzo Jr. sighed and rubbed his face. “I don’t think it’s good. I saw him when they brought him in. I saw the faces of the doctors. The impact hit him directly. His car is totaled.”
Vincenzo ran his tongue over his back teeth, trying to keep the tears inside, wanting to be strong for his family.
A doctor eventually came out to the waiting room to explain the situation. Antony’s chances of survival were less than ten percent. Organs had been punctured and there was too much blood that was loss. They allowed their parents to see him first. Vincenzo and Rosetta decided to see him last.
When they walked into the room, Vincenzo could not understand how this could be his brother. His face was bruised and one eye was swollen shut. A blood-soaked bandage covered the thick Iaconelli hair.
He sat down in a vacant chair beside the bed and took the bruised hand that lay on top of the sheet.
“Antony.”
He had to lean in close to hear the response. “I can’t feel a damn thing.”
“I know. That’s good though. The doctors put you on a lot of medicine.”
“I wasn’t drinking.”
“I know you weren’t.” He couldn’t say anything else and trust himself not to break down. It was a struggle already, knowing that his brother had a limited of time left.
“I would have been the best uncle, you know.”
Vincenzo smiled slightly and glanced at Rosetta and then her growing belly. He swallowed and waited until he was sure he could speak without choking up. “You and Lorenzo will corrupt my kid by the time he’s old enough to walk, that’s for sure.”
Antony watched him out of one eye. He took as deep of a breath as he was able to. “It’s all right Vincenzo.”
He shook his head. “Don’t.” Leaning both elbows on the bed, he dropped his head in his hands. “Don’t.”
Rosetta looked over her shoulder and rubbed Vincenzo’s shoulder. “Father Masseo is here.”
Vincenzo looked over his shoulder and sighed. He gave Antony’s hand a light squeeze and moved back with his wife. The rest of the family filed in to watch the priest give the last rites. He watched the priest lean in close to Antony and then motion for Lorenzo and Vincenzo. The two older brothers stepped forward and leaned close to Antony in order to hear him.
“Remember when you stole the holy water from the church because you thought it would make your fish live longer?”
They couldn’t help but smile. Lorenzo put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think you’re supposed to literally confess all of your sins, ‘Tony. You’re going to get us in trouble with the Father. We weren’t stealing it.”
Five hours later, the youngest of the Iaconelli family had passed away.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
August 26, 1983 (Age 27)
Dearest Vincenzo,
I miss you so much. It’s so lonely going to bed without you and waking up in an empty bed. But I know you are doing great things as a marine. You will be home soon and I am counting down the days. Things are going well here. You sister and Robert came by for dinner the other night. Both of them are doing wonderfully. Francesca started a new job recently, but I think she already told you about that.
The baby is doing great. I went to the doctor the other day and they were able to tell me if it was a boy or girl. I wanted to wait to tell you, but I can hardly keep it to myself! I’m so happy and excited. We’re having a boy! I know you will be thrilled when you read that and I wish I could see your face. I have already been thinking about names. If you have any suggestions, please send them in your next letter. I had two names in mind. Either Vincenzo Jr., because I know he’ll take after his father, or Anthony, in honor of your brother. I think either name would suit him well. What do you think?
Please write back soon. I think about you all the time. Enclosed is another picture. See how big my belly has grown? He kicks a lot, so I know he will be an active boy. I love you more than anything in the world. Please be safe.
Yours forever,
Rosetta
“What the hell are you grinning at, ‘Conelli?”
Vincenzo laughed and turned around to face his fellow marines. He held up the letter. “We’re having a boy!”
--
Dear Rosetta,
What can I say that will express how happy I am to hear from you? I love receiving your letters and your last one was one of the best. I keep it with me at all times. A boy! You were right when you said that I would be thrilled. The guys were happy to hear the news as well. We celebrated that night. They will make any reason to celebrate, but this was definitely a good reason. Even my commanding officer bought me a drink. I only wish that I were able to celebrate with you. But you were here in my heart, just as you always are.
I honestly think Anthony would be a perfect name. It’s thoughtful of you to think of my brother and I’m sure my parents would be happy as well. Anthony Iaconelli. That’s a good, solid name. I can’t help but smile when I think of you and the baby. I can’t wait to see you. I hope that I can be there when he is born. I’m working on it as we speak. Just know that I’m thinking about you constantly. I love you.
Yours always,
Vincenzo
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
December 1983 (Age 27) – Anthony’s birth
“Lorenzo’s birth was the longest. My God, that boy would not come out.”
Both Vincenzo and his father looked over towards Adelina. “That’s too much information, Mom. And it’s not really helping.”
“I’m just trying to tell you not to worry.”
“I don’t think he wants the image of you giving birth in his mind.”
Adelina rolled her eyes. “It’s a part of life. The first birth is always the longest though.”
“She’s been in there for hours.”
“It takes time, Vincenzo.”
“Something’s wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Adelina took her son’s hand. “You need to calm down. The doctors said she was healthy and the baby was healthy, right?”
“Right. But what if something unexpected happened.”
“Look at you, ‘Cenzo. You go out in remote areas to fight people in other countries. You sleep in trenches and do these dangerous tasks. Doing all of that, you’re fine, but your wife is in that room with trained and knowledgeable doctors who have delivered many babies just this year and you’re a mess.” She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry. It’s fine.”
“Women don’t understand,” Lorenzo said with a pat to his back.
“We’re in there doing the labor, thank you,” she grinned.
Vincenzo looked up at the door to the delivery room when he heard a cry.
Minutes later, a nurse stepped out and smiled. “Mr. Iaconelli? Your wife is asking for you.”
Vincenzo swallowed as he followed the nurse into the room. He smiled when he saw Rosetta, hair matted to her forehead, face flushed. But her eyes and her smile were bright. He lowered his eyes to see the blue blanket in her arms.
“Come here.”
He carefully took the bundle from his wife and sat in the chair beside the bed. “He’s beautiful.”
“Isn’t he? I can’t believe he’s here. He looks like you.”
He moved aside the blanket and touched one of the tiny hands. With the back of his hand, he stroked his son’s cheek and chuckled when the baby opened his mouth wide to yawn.
"Welcome to the world, Anthony." He lowered his head to kiss his son's forehead. "You've already given your mother a hard time," he smirked. "I don't know if that's a good sign."
Rosetta laughed. "I'd do it all again."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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Post by Crystal on Apr 14, 2009 20:08:42 GMT -5
July 1976 (Age 19 3/4) - Meeting Rosetta
Vincenzo entered the kitchen to find his mother cooking and his father reading the paper.
“Where have you been? Your brother came back a few hours ago.”
He grabbed a few crackers and moistened his lips. “I was just out.”
“Flirting with that poor waitress.” Antony grinned when he walked in. “Lorenzo told me.”
Vincenzo rolled his eyes. “I’m sure he did.”
The look on his mother’s face told him that she was already planning a wedding in her mind. “What’s her name?”
“Rosetta.”
“Who is her family? Perhaps we know them.”
“Her family owns a small café. Napriono’s.”
“Oh, I’ve been there! We went there a few weeks ago, remember Lorenzo.”
“I remember, dear.”
“The daughters are waitresses there. They’re a very good family. Did you ask her on a date?”
“Ma…I just talked to her when she had time. That’s it.”
“You should have asked her. I bet she’s a really nice girl. Do we get to meet her?”
“Ma! I just met her,” he laughed.
Lorenzo folded the newspaper and set it in an empty chair. “Have I told you how I met your mother?”
“We’ve all heard the story.”
“You haven’t heard it today. Sit down.”
Vincenzo smirked and exchanged a knowing look with his younger brother. He sat down at the table after getting a glass of water.
“I was on leave from the Air Force. I was dating a girl at the time.”
“Helen Menaro.”
He smirked at his wife and waved his hand. “Yes, Helen Menaro. Anyways, I was seeing her and we decided to go to a dance hall one night with some of her friends, one of which was your mother. She sat across from me and she had her eye on me from the very beginning of the night.”
“Oh! Lorenzo, tell the truth.” She swatted him with a dishtowel and laughed. “Had my eye on you from the beginning…”
“You did, I know it,” he grinned. “Anyway, Helen went to the bathroom with some girlfriends of hers and it was just me and Adelina. I remember this very well. She was looking at me and she sipped her wine and told me ‘She’s not that good of a dancer’. I asked her who and she said she was talking about Helen. She claimed she was a much better dancer. I just smiled. She was cute, your mother. You don’t think of her like that, but let me tell you, she was a looker. I got that she was fishing for an invitation, so I invited her to dance.”
“Fishing for an invitation?”
“Let me tell the story how it happened,” he smirked. “So I danced with her, and, boy, she was right. Your mother was a good dancer. Still is. She had legs that could kill that had to go a mile long.”
Antony groaned and put a hand on his forehead. “Pops, please…”
Lorenzo grinned at his wife and looked back to his sons. “Well, we just had that one dance. Afterwards, the gentleman I am, I walked Helen home. Your mother was with us and after Helen went inside, she looked at me and said ‘You’re not going to let me walk home by myself are you?’ I couldn’t very well do that, so I walked her home. We had a good conversation, she told me about her family and her interests. I told her about the Air Force. I took her to the door and she turned around to lean against the railings of the stairs. She told me, straight to my face, that it was too bad I dating Helen because she would have let me kiss her goodnight. Imagine that! She wasn’t a shy one, your mother. I was caught off guard, but also intrigued. I liked that in her. And I have to admit, after that dance, I was pretty interested in her as well. The next few days, I couldn’t get her off my mind. I found her at the main piazza and told her that I had left Helen and that I would be happy to oblige her with a kiss goodnight now. The look on her face was priceless. She didn’t think I would actually take her up on the suggestion. She smiled though, the prettiest smile I had ever seen. She recovered quickly. She said she would prefer a good afternoon kiss, and right then and there she kissed me.”
Antony looked over at his mother for confirmation of the story. Adelina only smiled, a small hint of blush rising to her cheeks.
“She’s had me hooked ever since.”
“Ma, you actually did that?”
“Oh, don’t be so shocked. He shouldn’t have been seeing Helen in the first place. They weren’t right for each other. And your father wouldn’t have done anything about it unless I initiated it. He was too much of a gentleman to end it with her.”
“Your mother was there to rescue me,” Lorenzo laughed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Proposing to Rosetta (around 1980..check date)
“You’re going to chicken out.”
Vincenzo kept his eyes on the small café across the street from the bookstore he was in with his sister, Noelia.
“Vincenzo, just do it. Just ask.”
“Noelia, please.” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “A lot of thought has to go into this. I have to know what I’m going to say to him before I walk in there.”
She smiled and looked through a small day planner. “Well, it’s going to close if you don’t hurry. And I have to be back home to help Mom with dinner.”
“Then go.”
“I’m not going without finding out what he says. You have to do this.”
It wasn’t until ten minutes later that he followed his sister’s advice. Taking a deep breath, he fixed the collar of his shirt, made sure there were no wrinkles present, and made his way across the street to the café Rosetta’s family owned.
He walked in and smiled at Rosetta’s sister, Caterina.
“Hi Vincenzo. Rosetta’s not working today.”
“I know.” He rubbed his hands a little and took a deep breath. “I’m actually here to see your father. Is he in?”
She looked at him for a moment, wondering what he was up to. Never had Vincenzo come to the café looking for her father. Her sister had been dating Vincenzo for some time now. She wondered if this was something important. Caterina noted Vincenzo’s attire, dressed up, and she even noticed his shoes had been shined. She smiled. “Any particular reason?”
A small smile crept across Vincenzo’s face, and he turned his face so he wouldn’t reveal too much. “I’d just like to talk to him.”
Her smile turned into a grin. “He’s in the office. You can go on back.”
Vincenzo made his way to the back of the restaurant, but not before hearing Caterina get her twin sister, Calandra. It was making him more nervous than he already was. He could feel sweat starting to form along his back. He dried his hands and said a small prayer before knocking on the door.
“Come in.”
Vincenzo cracked the door and looked in. “Mr. Napriono?”
“Vincenzo.”
“Were you busy?”
He put the calculator down. “Not at the moment. What can I do for you?”
“Well, sir, I wanted to speak with you.” He paused before adding, “About Rosetta.”
The silence from the older man was unnerving. Vincenzo was starting to think he had not heard him when Gabriel responded. “I think I know what this is about. Have a seat.”
Caterina and Calandra were standing near the kitchen of the café, waiting for him when he left the office. Identical smiles adorned their faces. Vincenzo couldn’t help but laugh a little at them.
That brought grins to both of their faces. “Do you have the ring? Let us see it!”
Vincenzo sighed and walked closer to them. “I don’t want Rosetta to know yet.”
“We won’t tell her.”
He pulled the small box out of his pocket and opened it for them.
The ring was silver with a small diamond. It was simple, but perfect.
“This is exactly something Rosetta would like.”
“Do you think so?”
“Oh yes. It’s classic and nothing out of the ordinary. Simple, but gorgeous. She’s going to love it.”
Vincenzo looked at the ring, something he had done a thousand times since he had purchased it. He was relieved to know that her sisters felt it was Rosetta’s style.
“When I get engaged though, I want a huge ring. Lots of diamonds.”
Vincenzo smirked at Calandra and shook his head. “Good luck with that.”
“When are you asking her?”
“I don’t know. Don’t let her catch on. I don’t want her to know I’m going to do it.”
“We won’t, you have our word.
A week later, Vincenzo found himself standing outside the Napriono home. He had called Gabriel to assure that Rosetta would be home. He found out that the entire Napriono family would be there, though, so he was nervous. He wanted this to be special, something that is done in private. He knew that was not an option though. Not in a Sicilian family. He smiled at the thought. His own mother had wanted to be present.
He straightened his tie and picked a string from his jacket. He had to go in confident. He had been seeing Rosetta for nearly 4 years. It was something they had discussed in the past, having a future together. Rosetta was sure that he wouldn’t propose until after his next deployment though.
Taking a deep breath, he made his way to the front door and rung the doorbell. It was Emiliana Napriono who answered the door, Rosetta’s mother. Vincenzo knew by the smile on her face that she knew this could possibly be the day.
“Good evening, Mrs. Napriono.”
“Vincenzo.” She turned back to call back into the house. “Rosetta! Vincenzo’s here.” The way she said it, Vincenzo got the idea that she might be alerting the entire household, not just Rosetta.
She kissed her mother’s cheek before stepping out of the house and hugging Vincenzo. “Hey.” She tugged at his jacket a little. “You look so handsome.”
“You look beautiful.” He kissed her and took her hand.
“I’m so glad it warmed up tonight. You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”
Vincenzo shrugged and interlaced his fingers with hers. “It’s a surprise.” How was he going to do this? Everything seemed easier yesterday when he had planned this out. He led her down the front steps, but stopped her when they reached a small stone bench.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, of course.” He moistened his lips. “I wanted to talk to you.”
She took a seat on the bench when he motioned for her to do so. She put her purse in her lap as he sat next to her. Was this supposed to be a good talk or a bad talk? He was nervous. He looked like he had too much on his mind.
“Are—“
“We—“
Rosetta laughed a little. “I’m sorry. Go ahead.”
Vincenzo smiled and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “I, um...well, we’ve been together for quite some time.”
She felt her heartbeat quicken. Was this it? Was this the moment? Butterflies were flying in her stomach. She bit the inside of her lip as she smoothed the bottom of her dress. She should have bought that new dress yesterday. This was a new dress moment.
He didn’t continue.
She laughed a little out of nervousness. “We have.”
After a few minutes of silence, she started to worry. He wasn’t saying anything. Was the moment passing? She moistened her lips. “It’s been a wonderful few years though,” she prompted. Right? Had she read this all wrong?
He looked over her shoulder at the faces in the windows. He smiled a little. “I wish I could do this in private. We have an audience.”
Rosetta turned her head and smiled. “We can go somewhere else.”
“No, no…” He took a deep breath. He took her hand and smiled. “Yes, it’s been a wonderful time.” He stopped to collect his thoughts and she could feel his hands shaking ever so slightly. “You know how I feel about you,” he laughed. “I tell you all the time.”
She squeezed her hands to encourage him to go on.
“I had everything written out, I promise. It was really thoughtful and romantic,” he chuckled. “I’ll have to tell you all of it later.” He pulled back his hand and took the small, black, velvet box from his coat pocket. He slid off the bench and got on one knee. His smile turned into a grin when he saw her face. “For right now though, I have a very important question to ask you, Rosetta.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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