Another red summer

Summer 2003

Danny and Gabriel were amazed to see hoe many things changed since the last year.

Joey no longer had his arm plastered.

"His arm healed just a month after your return in Italy!" Giovanni said.

Alexander was taller and pretty different and Annalisa was holding a cradle with a baby inside.

"It's a boy. We called him Sebastian!"

"Exactly!" a man with short brown hair with glasses answered.

It was Kevin who returned from another journey. Gabriel and Danny had the chance to meet him.

Antonella arrived, she was no longer wearing her uniform.

"I'm in pregnant, so I left the police department. My husband Jacob will assist me until my daughter Teresa will be born!"

She also said Bruce was too busy to come over.

"Make sure to do all the things you have to do. You know, we're going to go to Italy this August!"

"Yes auntie Francesca, I have to see a friend!"

"What friend, Gabriel?" Giovanni asked.

There was a sign before Lee's house front door.

"Family reunion today!" it said.

Gabriel was about to go back when he noticed some people coming back and forth from the temple near the house.

"Well look who's here..." a girly voice said.

It was Miriam, almost unrecognizable without her wool hat and braces.

"The Italian boy!" Priya said, she wasn't pretty changed than the last year.

"It's Gabriel, go inside!" Abby said, she was less chubby.

Inside the temple Gabriel noticed Ming and Jin talking with a group of women.

They were Mei Mei's relatives. One of them was an old Chinese woman with a scar.

"I think your special guest is here!" she said.

"Oh, hi Gabriel. You finally arrived!"

"I thought you were busy, I read you had a family reunion!"

"Family reunion ended one hour ago, the temple is now open for visitors. Speaking of which she's my mother and they are auntie Ping, auntie Chen..."

Gabriel gave a look around;

Mei Mei was nowhere to be seen.

"So this must be the guy from Italy!" one of Mei's aunties said.

"Yes, and I brought something for you!"

Gabriel showed a can of olive oil.

"It's pretty delicious on food!"

Ming grabbed the can.

"Funny! Until few years ago I would never accept non-Chinese stuff. But now..."

"I think we'll make a good use of it!" some of the aunties said.

"Where exactly you come from?" one of Mei's aunties asked eager to know more about the boy.

"I'm from Apulia, it's a part of Italy. It's famous especially for its olive oil production and for its grain. It's also a good tourist destination for people visiting Italy thanks to its beautiful beaches and..."

In a second Gabriel got thrown on the ground.

"Gabriel… Gabriel… you're back… as promised!" Mei Mei said hugging him.

"Mei Mei..." Gabriel said noticing she was looking different than the last year. She looked kinda prettier and her hair were still red.

"I'm so happy… so happy… because I have a lot of things to tell you. A lot of stuff happened this year!"

"Well, I guess so… can you please..."

"I also met some guys from an Italian city named Genova or something like that!" the red haired said interrupting the boy which was trying to get up from the ground.

"Will you stay here for this summer?"

"Well… my uncle will go to Italy this August then..."

"Hooray!"

Overjoyed the red haired girl turned into the big red panda.

Her grasp was very tight.

"Mei… please..." Gabriel said trying to free himself.

But Mei Mei wasn't listening. Her eyes were closed, she looked asleep.

Gabriel tried for several minutes to free himself from her grasp but he couldn't. He gave up.

All this was happening before the eyes of hundreds of visitors who were witnessing the tender scene.

Gabriel could hear his uncle's laugh with Mei Mei's relatives ones.