Giovanni's past

"Long time ago..."

Giovanni started his story.

"… Italy was stricken by a serious crisis especially in the southern part. It was very hard to find a job and I lost mine when Francesca was in pregnant. I had to find a solution and quickly and my friend suggested me to come here!"

Danny and Gabriel were still listening intrigued.

"I have to be honest, I was skeptical at first but being desperate I was ready to do everything for my wife and my son!

When I came here I was afraid to be unable to find a job and a house but I was quickly I was welcomed by a community of Italians. Soon I realized how big was the Italian community of Toronto and year by year it became even bigger.

I was welcomed as their son, they quickly gave me a job and a small house for me and Francesca. I started my life here working as an employer. My job was to move crates. Meanwhile Joey was born!"

Giovanni took and old photo album a showed a picture of Joey as a baby.

"We wanted to call him Giuseppe like his grandpa but we decided to call him Joey (abbreviation of Joseph) since he wasn't born in Italy!"

After showing some other pictures Giovanni resumed his story;

"Then I studied economy and I became an accountant, I was so happy to realized how easy was finding a job here. As an accountant I started to earn more money and I moved to a bigger house. Meanwhile Annalisa was born..."

Giovanni showed some pictures of her.

"...after some years I left my job as accountant I started studying to become a real estate. I passed the exam with a score of 75%. I was the best. With that job I was able to buy this house and ensure a future to my sons and grandsons!"

"Interesting but… what about Chinatown?" Danny asked.

"Well..."

Giovanni took some seconds.

"...As I said me and Francesca were welcomed by the Italian community di Toronto they gave have us a job and a home. They treated us like members of a family, they were like a family to us but… we had an enemy! The Italian community of Toronto was threatened by a group of Chinese bandits named the Dragoons! These guys had one objective, expand their empire. How? Simple, haunting all the Italians from Toronto, so they could destroy Little Italy and Corso Italy to build Chinatown west.

They kidnapped Italian kids and demanded ransom from their parents. They didn't ask for money, just leave Canada and then their son was freed. I couldn't stay a put I had to do something, so I joined a group of spies. Our job was to collect evidence of this organization and bring them to the authorities. So I became a spy, they ensured me Joey and Annalisa would be protected from this clan, my job was to take pictures and movies of their headquarter with a micro camera. Once they gave me a costume and a fake Chinese name it wasn't hard to infiltrate in their clan."

Danny and Gabriel imagined their uncle acting like James Bond.

"I was the only one skilled enough to infiltrate in the room of Ying Di."

Giovanni showed a picture of a Chinese guy with long white hair and beard.

"Ying Di was the boss of the Dragoon clan! When I was in his room (he mistaken me with his right-hand man) I started to collect all the evidence. Thanks to me now is in maximum security jail in an island near China!"

Giovanni showed a newspaper article from an old binder.

"Gang of Chinese bandits busted!"

"So that's the end?" Danny said.

"If the clan has been busted then why we should stay away from Chinatown?" Gabriel asked.

"Well..."

Giovanni took a deep breath.

"Just some months ago we made a discovery… Ying Di has a son: Yang!"

Giovanni showed a picture of another Chinese man. He was identical to Ying but his hair and beard were black rather than white.

"He grew up and recently has reunited the clan and this time it's more dangerous!"

"Why?" Danny asked.

"You have to know that all the members of the Dragoon clan has a tattoo. Once a Chinese becomes a member of the clan he receives a snake-like dragon tattoo on his back. This tattoo is very big you can glimpse it from the neck or the sleeves of a Chinese. But Yang Di changed the rule, now their tattoo is much more smaller and it's completely hidden by clothes. The members of the Dragoon clan are much harder to individuate now. Now you can't realize if a Chinese is a member of the clan or not. So I ask you to stay away from Chinese and Chinatown! Therefore Ying Di swore revenge upon me and my family before going to jail! That's why Annalisa never leave Alexander alone and she's always accompanied by Antonella!"

"Right! We'll do that!"

"You have nothing to worry!" Gabriel said.

"Good! Now we'd better not talk abut this anymore, tomorrow I'll take you to a special place! I'm sure you're gonna like it!"

"Hey dad! The soccer match has begun!" Joey announced.

"Good! Let's go!"

Giovanni and his family went to Antonio to assist the soccer play.

Antonio placed a big screen in his yard and all the neighborhood assisted.

The kids stayed astonished after hearing Giovanni's incredible past.

They tried to assist the soccer play but after ten minutes Gabriel got bored, also his brother.

For some reason he never enjoyed a soccer match. His brother too.

The decided to go to bed while the neighborhood was assisting the soccer match while eating Pizza and drinking soda.

Gabriel was awakened after a while. Italy won the match. He could hear the entire neighborhood loudly celebrating the victory.

Danny woke up too.

"They say Italians do win soccer matches like wars and wars like soccer matches!" he said.