Finally We Are Here. Angelo Grassia

today,

      I repeat you “yes”...

      to have you close

      I swear I am happy!

      Forget a few

      Bicker of an hour ...

      and like that day

      you repeat me again

      the sweet word

      of faith and love

      that made happy

      every day my heart ...

      ... and we begin happy

      the lustrum is coming

      loving us so much

      by loving us ..

      Our cares,

      with tender affection,

      turn them all

      to our little angel!

      Two names in the heart

      are now written to me

      and only death

      makes them prescribed

      We follow the street

      of our Destiny

      the good God assists us

      in our way! ..

      However, being the crowded street, I lowered the volume. Arrived at the third stanza and precisely at the point: "still today I repeat “yes” to you", the bells of a church very close began to play at party so as to cover the sound of the poetry. I looked at the time: it was 3:50 pm, it is strange, I thought, do the bells ring at this time? I had a moment of loss. I did not believe my ears! I recovered from the amazement, I interpreted this sound of bells as a sign of gratitude Claudia had wanted to send me, for this noble and sweet gesture accomplished by me, to bring under her house the beautiful poetry given to her by her beloved husband.

      Sometimes I ask to myself: "Will not it have been the same Vittorio, to push me unconsciously to make this gesture of love for his sweet Claudia, to make her perhaps forgive him something and, to let her know he is still in love with her?"

      It is a question I unfortunately cannot find an answer.

      After this simple reflection, I headed for the church from which the sound of the bells came. To my surprise, I discovered that it was the San Fedele one, in which Claudia and Vittorio marked their marriage.

      "What a strange coincidence," I thought.

      I decided to take a walk for Como. From Via Indipendenza, I went to Via Vittorio Emanuele.

      At the end of this road, before arriving at the Dome, I noticed on the right the famous newspaper kiosk, in front of which Claudia and Vittorio met. In a moment my mind returned to the 40s, I imagined the Como of that time and I seemed to witness in person, at their first meeting. I passed the Dome and I headed under the Portici of Via Plinio, in those years, meeting place for the young.

      It was as if I were doing a sort of pilgrimage: I went on pre-established routes to pay homage to Claudia and Vittorio.

      I did not realize the time had flown in a hurry. Gianguido was waiting for me, it was time to reach him.

      Seeing me he was very happy, as I too, also because he was the direct nephew of Claudia, as a son of his brother, and so, for me, it was a great joy to be able to talk to a person very close to Claudia . I had dinner at his home, he was very kind and he told me many things about this family, and I listened to him with interest and pleasure. At the end we said goodbye, with the promise we would meet again as soon as possible.

      3

      Saturday 19 August, while I was returning from Milan, Laura wrote me the following message:

      "Good afternoon, Mr. Grassia, how are you? If you are on the Viareggio beach we can say hello later, I'll take my walk and I show you the postcard Vittorio sent to Claudia in 1939 ".

      I replied: "I'm sorry Laura, but right now I'm coming back from Milan, tomorrow I have to go to Rome and so if it's all right for you we can meet next Monday morning at 9 at Bar Bazzanti, so we have breakfast together".

      She, a little sorry for this long wait, replied: "Ok, Monday at Bar Bazzanti".

      The next day I went to Rome early, because I had to accompany my wife to my daughter Daria's house. When I arrived in Viale Gorizia, I made her come out of the car in a hurry and I said: "We'll talk later, when you're finished, I'll pick you up."

      I immediately went to Via Livorno, under Vittorio house and I began to take a few steps along the road. Sant’Orsola Church is just in front of Vittorio's house, where Virginia and Anna Maria made their first communion. I noticed the door was open and, at 10:30 am, the church was deserted. I went in, I went to the sacristy and I addressed myself to the man in charge to have a mass in suffrage of Luigi and Vittorio.

      The person to whom I had addressed myself, showing me the calendar, told me: "Do you want a particular date or is it okay any date? I ask you this, as we have a possibility for the next 11:00 mass. "

      I answered it was all right, what better time, I went back to church, I listened to the mass and I also made communion. Before returning to Viale Gorizia to take my wife and return home, I stopped to buy cigarettes and, strangely, I decided to buy a card to scratch and win. I Scratched the ticket and with great joy I saw I won € 50.00. I thought to myself: "It is Vittorio's work, he wanted to repay me the money I spent for the mass."

      The following morning, as I usually do every day, I went to the Bar Bazzanti for the classic breakfast. But that day was different: I had an appointment with Laura.

      I sat down at a table on the outside veranda of the room and I was waiting patiently. Suddenly, I see a beautiful tall girl with blond hair, approaching my table.

      "Mr. Grassia?"

      "Yes."

      "Hi, I'm Laura."

      "Hi, please," I replied.

      "It's a pleasure for me to meet you. You know, I read your book and I loved it. This story has also struck me, and as I said in the message, at Easter, finding me from Sabatini I bought a ring belonged to Claudia but I left it in Rome, surely I will send you a picture as soon as I return home. "

      I looked at her and I realized she had also beautiful green eyes, the same of Sabrina, the same beauty.

      While I was absorbed in my thought, I saw Cristiana, the friendly owner of Bar Bazzanti, approaching the table: she came to take orders that day. Who knows, maybe she had noticed something special.

      In fact, before leaving, Cristiana told me:

      "Angelo, I'm sorry, but is she the famous Sabrina of the book?"

      "No," I replied. "Her name is Laura, she has the same beauty as Sabrina, the same blonde hair, the same green eyes and she comes from Rome too. Will it be a coincidence, a coincidence or what? "

      Cristiana nodded and she returned to the bar.

      At that point Laura smiling sweetly continued: "Angelo, apart from the fact I had a huge desire to meet you, but my coming here is another. I came for a simple reason, I want to show you the postcard I took from Sabatino along with the ring. Sabatino gave the postcard to me spontaneously after I had chosen the ring and I was paying it. Think, that day I was very sad, and Sabatino encouraged me with a beautiful smile, he understood I was sick and he wanted to pull me up. Giving me the postcard, he told me about the Claudia who lived in Rome and he found that ring in the pocket of a coat. I was very happy, but at the same time I was amazed at the fact he lived like me in Via Indipendenza. The boyfriend's message was positive. I encouraged and I went home happy. I talked about it with my children and my husband and satisfied, I put the postcard in the glass cabinet in plain sight. I came it out just to show it to