Dear Diario,
I hate Toledo! I just hate it! I have been stuck as a slave in Toledo, Ohio for approximately seven years, and the aggravation of being somebody's personal maid is making me willing and ready to escape! I have heard of this 'Underground Railroad' in hushed whispers around the plantation. This woman, Harriett Tubman, is helping slaves escape using pre-determined routes based on where the plantation that they are on is located in the United States, and the Railroad either leads them farther North of where they are, or to Canada, the sacred, glorious, unknown land to the North of Michigan. The hushed whispers I hear around the plantation are about a small city in Michigan, called Port Huron or something of that nature, which is situated on a beautiful river, across the border from an even smaller Canadian city called Sarnia. I hear my friend Missy and her parents talk about escaping to Port Burwell, a very small city even farther North that Port Huron. I hear my sister Katharine and my brother Luke talk about Port Huron and Sarnia in very hushed tones, but they silence themselves whenever I enter the room. All they will tell me is 'It is nothing, Fratellino; it is much too complex for a ragazzino like you.' For L'amor di Dio, I am seventeen! I am no longer a ragazzino! I wish they would stop treating me like one! I am much more mature and smart then I was when I was ten years old and we were first captured and brought here from our native Italia. Papa would say that I was a un'anima coraggiosa and a ragazza testarda. Mama would say I was being paranoid and sing me a song about the birdies like she did when Kati and Luke were babies back in Italia. They defiantly remember more of home then me, for I had spent many less years there then the two. I must return later, for Kati and Luke are coming to talk to me. I will most defiantly be back later to recount our conversation.
Sincerely,
Anthony DiNozzo Jr, Italian Captive in America.
Dear Diario,
Kati and Luke have told me that we are leaving for Sarnia, and then back home to Italia! I am excited and very happy. I may get to see Mama and Papa again and here more birdie songs and one day fulfill my dream of being a poliziotto for captured slaves in all corners of the globe! Mama and Papa would surely miss us dearly; Nonna and Nonno have probably left us by now for the wonderful world of the signore Dio and the afterlife. Knowing Uncle Jethro, he would know that I am alive, because he has not given me permission to die. Auntie Abigail will surely hug all of us, at the same time! For such a small woman, Auntie Abby has a huge wingspan as Mama would say. Uncle Timothy McGee, Mama's brother, would just be glad to see us and would leave for Ireland soon after and oh, dear sweet little Ziva David! Such a sweet little Israeli, but could kill you eighteen different ways with purse strap! Such a feisty girl, and so pretty… I did not say that! If Kati or Luke get hold of this before we reach our destination, I will get dear sweet Ziva to kill them! Poor little cousin Kelly would be too lost without her Mama, who died two years before I was taken. And Uncle Donald, or, Uncle Ducky, as he likes to be called, what a sweet man, he would probably tell a story about his time as a young lad in the British special forces. Finally, there is cousin Jimmy and his wife Brina, such sweet kids, I hope they have a few little ones of their own. Anyway, Luke and Kati said we leave at nightfall and should reach Sarnia by high noon of the next day. They also said pack very light, clothes, berries, mia diario, and a weapon. Since I follow Uncle Jethro's list of fifty-one rules to live by, I always keep a switchblade knife on me (Rule number Nine). Kati and Luke do not choose to follow his rules, so they each carry small thorns in pouches. My coltello is a four inch serrated edge switchblade with a blue grip so I do not hurt myself. I know dear Ziva carries three switchblades, two butterflies and a simple letter opener, all very fatal in the hands of the Israeli. Anyway, I must go sleep, I will be back later, as we escape to the confines of Canada, before journeying home to Italia.
Sincerely,
Anthony DiNozzo Jr., Italian Captive
Dear Diario,
We are currently camping in a forest of sorts near Detroit, Michigan. It is a huge expanse of land filled with many of trees I do not know the names of. Trees, trees, and more trees! Anyway, on the eighteen hour trek through woods, tall grass, and many of wildernesses, we took shelter here. Kati and Luke have not had to use their thorns, but I have had to use my coltello on many occasions to cut down tree branches, vines and other annoyances. Kati has fallen asleep under a tree and Luke is trying to start a fire. Uh oh! I hear rustling leaves! Eeeeeke! A bear! I silently nudge Kati awake and point out the bear to Luke, then I take out my switchblade and cut off a tree branch, beating it on the ground as loudly as possibly while Luke an Kati screamed 'Stupido animale maledetto, vattene ora e vi risparmierò la vita' which means 'Stupid animal, leave now and we will spare you your life'. I worked eventually, because the bear left. Uncle Jethro Rule 15, always work as a team. Anyway, Kati's gone back to sleep, and Luke probably expects me to do the same, so buonanotte, diario, tomorrow is a new day.
Sincerely,
Anthony DiNozzo Jr., Italian Run Away
Dear Diario,
We have arrived in Sarnia after many hours of walking. We meet with a woman named Olivia Curie and she leads us to a local tavern called the Crazy Candienne. She starts talking to Kati and Luke about the people who come to Canada and stay. We are not those people, we want out of Canada as fast as possible. She said we have to get on a ship to Europe, which, after we get off, we will walk to Roma, where we will mail a letter to Mama using the new, emergency, mail service that can get the letter there fast, and after mailing the letter, we are to walk to Sicily, which is DiNozzo family homeland. As we leave the tavern, we head to a small boat dock near the water. A marina, a place where boats go. The boat pulls in just when she said it would. Many British and Irish people get off the boat, and we manage to sneak on, unknown. I sigh as a wince of homesickness washes over me. Irish people just like Uncle Timmy and Auntie Abby. Was all I could think. Dio, I miss them. As the ship starts to move, we brace ourselves for the seasickness we know is coming because we have been on a boat before. As I think about the Irish and Uncle Tim, I remember my seventh birthday. I will not bore you with details, but Uncle Tim and Auntie Abby took the kids to the water and we had a blast. Another sigh. When will we get home? I want Mama and Papa, and even the Medicine Gremlin that is Cousin Jimmy, and Uncle McTater, because his people are why I am so sad. Kati and Luke are whispering, while I am going to start drafting letter ideas. Good bye for now, dear diario, I will write later.
Sincerely,
Anthony P DiNozzo Jr., First (captured and) Freed Italian Slave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear Mama,
Who says we cannot come home? There is only one place they call me one of their own. Just a hometown boy, raised a fighter man. Who says we cannot go back? I was halfway around the world, as a matter of fact. There is only one place left I want to go. It is alright, Mama. We are safe. All three of us. Kati, Luke and I. We survived this long in slavery, we will make it home. By the time this letter reaches you, we will be four miles away from home. Please tell everyone immedialty of this letter, including Uncle Jethro, Uncle Ducky, Auntie Abby, Uncle Timmy, cousin Jimmy, his wife Brina, and Ziva David, the girl next door. Mama, we love you.
Anthony Gideon DiNozzo Jr., Katherine Maria DiNozzo and Lucas Damien DiNozzo.
A small white medicinal pestle hit the floor of the house. Elizabeth could not believe what she just read.
"Anthony, get in here! I have amazing news!" Elizabeth yelled out the window to her husband laying out in the yard like he had done on this day for eight years.
"What is it darling?" Anthony asked half-heartedly.
"Come in here and find out you culo pigro!" was all it took to get Tony out of the grass and into the kitchen. She subsequently passed him the letter, his eyes widened and he embraced his beautiful wife and kissed on the top of her head. The rest of the family had heard the commotion in the kitchen, and one by one, entered slowly. They saw the unchanged looks of joy on Tony and Lizzies faces and relaxed. Lizzie passed around the letter to everyone, and they all looked very relieved, especially Ziva David. Whilst they celebrated, there was a small, subtle knock on the door only Ziva could hear because of the training her father made her do. She silently excused herself and went to the door. She opened it slightly, and saw three people standing on the step. She say their eyes, and immedialty let them in, ever so silently. She made a wait here motion with her hand, and walked back into the kitchen. She started chattering with excitement, and at just the right moment, with a flick of her wrist, she summoned the three into the kitchen. The first to enter was a tall, skinny girl about twenty two years of age, with long, pin straight dark brown hair and icy blue eyes. In short, she was beautiful. The next to enter was a very tall boy around the age of nineteen, with wispy golden brown hair and emerald green eyes, he was skinny, like the first person, but he did not look as skinny. The last to enter was a relatively short, compared to the others, boy around seventeen, with deep brown, almost black hair, and the most alluring teal eyes known to man. I one instant, all three were grasped together in one glorious group hug. After the hug separated, one particular raven-haired Auntie wanted the final hug, she ran up to the three young DiNozzo's and hugged them so tightly, they could not breath.
"Auntie Abby! Stop, we cannot breathe!" Kati wheezed, before Abigail McGee, wife of Elizabeth McGee-DiNozzo's younger brother Timothy.
"I am sorry, but I missed you, we all missed you! We have not seen you in exactly eight years!" was Abigail's response. With that, the family gathered in the living room to catch up. Ziva decided to wait until tomorrow to talk to Anthony, because Leroy Jethro DiNozzo Rules 5 and 8 are Never waste the good, and never take anything for granted. She decided to wait because of those rules, which she, Jethro and Anthony Jr lived by.