The Canadian uncle
Italy,
Apulia,
June 20th 2001.
It was summer, and just like every year the 75 years old woman Annamaria Pastorelli called all of her children to her home.
"Sons of mine..." She said once all of her children arrived.
"... you know why you are here. Summer is back again and just like every summer your brother Giovanni is coming to Italy to visit us. And one of you has to pick him up from the airport!"
No one was particulary happy with the news.
Giovanni wasn't particulary loved among the Pastorelli family. There was always a big mess to decide who was going to pick him up from the airport. So Annamaria decided to take a big hat.
"Put your name inside here!" She ordered.
Soon everyone worte its own name on a sheet of paper and put it inside the big hat.
"Well done!" Annamaria said.
Soon the old woman put her hand inside the big hat and took a pice of paper.
All her sons, Donato, Elvira, Lucia, Annabella and Vincenzo were anxious.
"Annabella!"
Annabella apart, everyone was relieved.
"So Annabella, you and your family are going to pick up Giovanni from the airport this year!" Annamaria concluded.
Annabella remained silent, no one could question the hat's decision.
Only members of the Pastorelli family could tell how eventful Giovanni's life was.
He was born in Italy during the 50's, Giovanni was the second son of a family of 6 children. Since childhood he showed a lively personality. It was hard to keep up with him and, sometimes, sometimes he was a troublemaker. Once he got the Diploma he met Francesca, a girl who quickly became his wife. He married Francesca in early 70s when Italy was stroke by a serious economy crysis.
Finding a job was difficult and the salary was low. Giovanni had a home but he wasn't able to afford the rental. Inspired by a friend he did something that no one of the Pastorelli family had the courage to do: he left Italy.
He left Italy and moved to Canada. Once there he got the canadian citizenship and he was able to find a job as accountant and earned enough money to buy a house in the suburbs. He had a son, Giuseppe (also called "Joey") and a daughter, Annalisa.
Life was going well but soon Giovanni started to feel nostalgic about his country. Following the suggestion of a doctor, he decided to go back to Italy every time he got vacation from work.
Meanwhile all his brothers and sisters started to grow up and start a family.
Giovanni was particularly enthusiastic about the birth of his grandchildren, especially the children of his younger sister Annabella.
In the 1988 the Pastorelli family witnessed the birth of a couple of twins: Danny and Gabriel.
It never happened before. Giovanni was particularly fond of those two twins. They said he was jealously keeping a picture of them.
Gabriel Pastorelli was reading the message he found in the fortune cookie:
"Love will give you strength, love will give you courage!"
"Girly stuff." he thought.
"Hey Gabriel, have you done yet?" screamed his friend Carlo.
"Yes, I'm coming!"
Gabriel threw the fortune in the trash can and ate the cookie: it was pretty tasty.
It was a sunny and hot day, perfect for a walk at the seashore.
Carlo Esposito was scanning the horizon while throwing some rocks in the Adriatic Sea.
"Beautiful day, isn't it?"
"Yeah!" Gabriel answered throwing some rocks.
There was nothing bettere than taking a long walk in the seashore in a hot day of summer. The sea water was sparkling in the sunlight. It was surely a beatiful view. Gabriel was happy to do this almost every day, especially with a friend.
"Hey, Gabe..."
"Yes Carlo?"
"There's a soccer play tomorrow with Ezio, are you coming along?"
"Sorry, I can't!"
"Why?" Carlo asked disappointed.
"My uncle is coming tomorrow, so I have to go pick him up from the airport with my family!"
"Oh yeah, your uncle from America!"
"He's from Canada!"
"Yeah, Canada! Well, maybe next time! Now, how about another walk?"
"Sure!"
They walk for one hour before Gabe could turn back home.
Once there Gabe was greeted by his mom;
"Welcome back!"
"Hi mom!"
"Have you sent the eggs to your aunt Lucia!"
"Yes, mom! She gave me a fortune cookie!"
"Good!"
"Where's Danny?"
"In his room, he is trying his present!"
Last month Danny recieved a webcam as a gift while Gabe a new mobile phone.
Danny and Gabe where sharing the same room but that never was a problem.
As Annabella said, Danny was installing the new webcam on his home computer (they were also pacefully sharing the same computer).
"Hi Dan!"
His brother ignored him.
"Danny?"
"Hush! I'm almost done here!"
He turned on the computer once he wired all the wires.
"Good, it's working!" Danny said statisfied.
"Are you going to test that?" Gabriel asked.
"Yes, let's contact Joey!"
Joey was the perfect guy to test the new webcam and the new adsl modem. A faster internet was essential to contact far away people.
"We are going to see him!" Danny said enthusiastic.
So he oened the software "Skyee" and checked out Joey's profile.
Joey Pastorelli, Canada, online.
"Good!"
On the screen appeared a small black window.
Soon Joey appeared in the black window.
"Hi Joey!"
"Hi Danny!" he answered weaving his hand.
"Can you see us?" Danny asked turning on the webcam.
"Yes, I can!"
"That's great!"
Thanks to the webcam and a faster internet connection Danny and Gabriel could have a nice conversation with their far away cousin.
"By the way, your dad is coming here tomorrow!" Danny said.
"Great, let me know when he arrives!"
"Bye!"
"Bye!" concluded Joey.
Danny turned off the computer.
"Incredible, now we can chat with far away people!" Gabriel said.
"Exactly, with no lags or slowdowns!"
"Boys, dinner's ready!" their mom announced.
The boys sat at the table and ate dinner with their father Enzo.
"We have to wake up early tomorrow!" he said once dinner was over.
"All right dad!" answered Gabriel.
"The journey to the airport is gonna be long!"
"As always mom!" Danny answered.
"You should go to bed now!" their father advised.
The boys weren't sleepy, so they watched a movie before go to bed.
June 21th 2001
Danny and Gabe were woken up by their father.
"Wake up, it's time!"
Gabriel woke up with a big effort like he didn't sleep well last night.
"Take a shampoo before getting ready!" ordered his mom.
Without arguing Gabriel washed his hair while his father was adjusting his italian mustaches.
Gabriel washed, dried his hair and wore his regular clothes.
"I'm ready mom!" he said.
His mom looked at him.
"And how about those hair?"
"I washed my hair, mom!"
"Come with me!"
Annabella took some minutes to adjust Gabriel's hair.
"Much better now!" she said once finished.
"I'm ready!" Dnny said after wearing his jacket.
"Very good! Let's go!" Enzo said.
The car travelling lasted about 30 minutes before reaching the airport.
The airport was huge and there were a lot of people inside. Enzo took several minutes to park the car.
"Giovanni's plane will arrive in ten minutes on gate 3!" Enzo announced after checking the timetables on the billboard.
After ten minutes the door for gate 3 opened. A lot of people came out.
Where was Giovanni? Gabriel couldn't find him.
"Here he is!" said his mom.
A guy with a baseball hat and a pair of sunglasses waved his hand.
Giovanni arrived.
"Hi boys!" he said to Danny and Gabe.
This time he was all alone. No trace of his wife Francesca or his sons Joey and Annalisa. It never happened before.
He hugged both Annabella's children before leaving the airport.
Danny and Gabriel carried his baggage, it was only a big duffle bag. Annamaria would give him room, board and everything else he needed.
"I'm home mom!" Giovanni said once home.
"Why alone this time?" the old woman asked.
"Francesca got sick while Joey and Annalisa are too busy at work this summer!" he answered.
Gabriel pinched Danny's arm;
"Let's go!" he said.
"Let's go to see what he brought to us this year!"
"All right!" Danny agreed.
The arriving of Giovanni Pastorelli in Italy not only meant the arriving of summer but also cool presents. Giovanni always had a small present for Danny and Gabriel. Those were always stuff from Canada. Most of the times were old toys or videogames disused by Joey. Sometimes were food like chocolate or candies. Some other books and perfumes.
This year Giovanni boright a bag of gummy bears (Joey's favorites) a baseball ball (Gabriel never seen one before since baseball wasn't a popular sport in Italy) a book of jokes (some of them were actually funny) and a chest of expensive shower gels.
Not much stuff unlike the last year but Danny and Gabriel appriciated those gifts anyway.
"Thanks uncle!" they said.
"You welcome!" he answered.
Then Giovanni took off his hat and sunglasses. He was almost hairless and his black eyes were slightly bulging. He was starting to look like Uncle Fester from the Addams Family.
"So how is your summer going?" he asked.
"We're going to have a feast next week in our country house!" Gabriel answered.
"Really?"
"Yeah, our cousin David comes back here after a study trip in Ireland!" Danny explained.
Giovanni looked thrilled;
"I can't wait!"