Giovanni's secret

"Look at it! Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yes Giovanni!" Danny answered.

"Hey, let me give a look!" Gabriel said.

From the look-out Gabriel could spot the tall tower perfectly.

The first thing Giovanni made watch to their nephews was the tower-symbol of Toronto. The Central Network tower. The tallest tower in the world.

"That tower wasn't even there the first time I came here!" he said.

"Really?" Gabriel said incredulous.

"Yeah, they didn't even finish to build it!"

Giovanni pointed the top of the tower.

"See that dome on the top? It's a restaurant, I was there once, it never stops spinning!"

"Cool!" the kids said.

"Me and my family saw this tower multiple times. And there's one more thing..."

Giovanni pointed the water between them and the tower.

"Do you know what is it?"

"It's a sea!" Gabriel answered.

Giovanni laughed.

"It's not a sea, silly! It's a river!"

"But it's so big it looks like a sea!"

"Yeah but it's not, it's name is Saint Lawrence of Rome!"

"Sounds Italian!" Danny pointed out.

"Exactly it was discovered by an Italian explorer with my same name: Giovanni de Verrazzano!"

"Wow! Interesting!" Gabriel said.

Danny could not stop taking pictures of the tower and the river as well.

"You should also see the Niagara Falls!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, maybe next time. Come on, let's go back home. It's almost launch time, Francesca is waiting for us!"

At lunch Francesca prepared her specialty: Pesto Lasagna.

"Excellent!" Gabriel said tasting it.

They finished lunch with a Ricotta-cheese cheesecake, also good.

Soon Annalisa arrived, this time she was accompanied by a brown-haired girl.

"She's Antonella my best friend, she's an officer. I was an officer when I was younger then I married Kevin and I had a baby, so I left the police department and I started a new job. Now I teach Italian language to kids at school!"

The brown-haired girl took off her sunglasses and showed her brown eyes.

"You must be Giovanni's newphew! I'm Antonella Castellano, nice to meet you!" she said smiling.

They shook their hands.

"By the way..." Francesca said.

"...a letter has arrived from Italy for you kids!"

Gabriel recognized the red-white-blue stripes on the letter.

It was from their mom obliviously. She kept her promise to write them.

"Let's read that!" Danny said enthusiastic.

"Dear Daniel and Gabriel,

how was your flight? Is Giovanni and his family kind to you? Are they treating you well? Are you having fun? I hope so.

Don't worry for me, everything's fine here at the hospital.

It's very big and very well equipped. Unfortunately I don't have much else to say but rest assured, I'll contact you if something new will happen.

Love,

your mom."

"How sweet!" Gabriel said.

"Yeah but she didn't say a word about our father!"

Giovanni tried to hearten the kids.

"I think he's fine, his situation is delicate but stable. I feel it!"

"Thanks uncle!" the kids thanked.

"Come on, don't be worry we have a lot of great things to do!"

Later Giovanni took his nephews for another trip.

"Where are we going?" Danny asked.

They were in a street with multiple paths.

"You decide!" Giovanni answered.

"Well I want to take this street! I wonder where it leads?" Danny pointed a northern path.

"And I want to go there..." Gabriel said pointing an eastern path.

"Good Daniel… that path leads to…. What? No, no, no, Gabriel, no!"

Giovanni blocked Gabriel's way.

"What's wrong?"

"Please, make me a favor, don't take this road!"

"Why?"

"Because this road takes to Chinatown!"

"What? Why we shouldn't go there?" Danny asked intrigued.

"It's a long story! I'll tell you everything once at home! For now let's go north!"