Biscotti - 22. Chapter 22

Maria sat down with us as I brought everyone up to date. I wished I would have brought more pictures. It was late when we went to bed. No loving tonight, we were too tired.

We woke up late, took a shower, with benefits, dressed, and went to the lobby. Marie was up, “Sit down I’ll bring a light breakfast.”

She brought us coffee, bread, and cheese. Sipping our coffee, Marie filled us in on the villagers and how we were related. I gave her the letters Nonna and Pa gave me. She said she would see that they got delivered. While she was talking, a young girl entered.

“Angelina, come and say hello to our guests.”

Angelina shyly approached Maria, “Are you hungry?”

I watched Angelina, her eyes never left the table except to look at Brad and me. Taking some bread, I put a piece of cheese on it and handed it to her.

Just then Grandmother came in, Marie got up and brought a coffee for her.

Grandmother began to speak. I watched Angelina for a reaction. She kept looking at us as Grandmother was speaking. (I would tell Brad later what was being said.)

Angeline looked at Brad and put her arms up, “Brad, she wants to sit on your lap.” Brad picked her up and the smile on his face would light up a dark room. I think that’s when Brad fell in love with a 10-year-old girl.

Grandmother seeing Angelina on Brad’s lap and the smile on Brad’s face, nodded as to approve. Finishing her coffee, she left to go home.

“Brad, Grandmother was talking about two strangers coming to town and three people leaving. She said she had a premonition that if she came to the hotel this morning she would meet the strangers who would be leaving with Angelina. I think we passed and Grandmother gave us her blessing.”

Angelina knew what Grandmother said. She also understood that the only strangers in town were Brad and me.

“Angelina, would you like to show Scott and Brad where Eva and Pietro live?”

Angelina looked at me and Brad, then shook her head yes. Brad knelt as I lifted Angelina and put her on his shoulders. She laughed as she grabbed Brad’s ears to hold on. Brad pretended he was a horse as he trotted up the street.

The kids in the street ran alongside Brad and Angelina. I heard ‘me next’ or ‘me too’. I knew Brad had started something.

Eva came out to see what the kids were excited about. When she saw Angelina and Brad she began to laugh as well. “He’s going to have to give them all a ride.”

I lifted Angelina off Brad’s shoulders as I scooped up another kid and placed him on his shoulders. Brad ran around a large circle a few times. We repeated this until all of the kids had a ride. The smile on Brad’s face would light up a room. There was no question, Brad had a soft spot for kids.

“Scott, come in and bring Brad.” Eva knew that Brad didn’t understand Italian.

“Brad, Eva invited us in for coffee.”

Sitting at the table, I took out the pictures I brought to show Eva. Brad was making faces at Angelina, she was trying to copy them, they were having a good time laughing at each other.

“Scott, just a minute” Eva went into the next room and after a few minutes returned with an album.

Sitting again next to Scott, she opens the album. “This is my mother, guess who this is?”

I looked at the pictures, the resemblance was weird. “This looks like my Nonna. This person could pass for her sister.”

“This person is your Nonna and you are right. This picture was taken after your Nonna was married.”

“Then you and my mom are cousins. You are family.”

“You have more relatives here than you know. Where are you staying, here in the village or Cavarsere?”

“We’re staying at the hotel down the street?”

Eva started to laugh, “That isn’t a hotel, when Maria’s husband died, she decided to convert two of the bedrooms for rent. It’s mostly a gathering place, where the men come for drinks. Her husband started that and after he died they just kept coming. She is also a relative. Her husband was a nephew of your Nonna.”

“Is everyone related here?”

“For the most part yes. This is a small village.”

“I like that. I think the next time we come I’m going to bring my grandparents. I’m sure they would like to visit.” I knew that is exactly what I was going to do.

“Can you tell me about Angelina?”

Eva looked at me. “Have you met Grandmother?”

“Yes, before we came here, she came to Maria’s. She said that Brad was the one. I wasn’t sure what she meant.” I didn’t want her to know what Pa told me before we left.

Eva just looked at Brad, he was too busy entertaining Angelina, making faces to get her to laugh.

“Grandmother told us that she had a visit and that two people were coming and three were leaving.”

That was what we heard this morning. I shivered, Pa and now grandmother, and here was an orphan named Angelina. Pa even had the name. Did he receive a letter telling about Angelina? This was a little spooky.