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| Letters Home pt. 4 | Started by: FrankCastiglia on Jul 04, '22 00:13 |
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Frank looked around his apartment and how empty it was. Today was the day he was moving from the first place he had called home since arriving in America. Things had gone well for him in the few months since passing through immigration at Ellis island. Frank stood in silent reserve as he straightened his suit jacket and tie, proud but reflective. “This is the dream of America” he thought to himself but his words passed through his mind in Italian. Despite his growing English vocabulary, Frank still lacked a full grasp on the language. He prided himself in his improved vocabulary however he still often used terms out of place or misunderstood words for endearment that were far from it. Most recently he had passed by a mother and her daughter as they strolled along the sidewalk as he often saw them do on Sundays. As it had been an oft occurrence and wanting to endear himself to the people of his new land he decided to greet them in English as he passed by. “Hello, how are you? You idiots.” Though he had a smile on his face, the mother quickly yanked her daughter by the hand and hurried past him as she scoffed. Frank had become accustomed to hearing the Goomba’s and associates within the crime family he was quickly ascending in refer to one another as idiots. It wasn’t his fault that he mistook this commonplace term of his world for one of endearment in the outside, every day world. But nevertheless he continued to try any chance he got to work on his vocabulary and to converse as much as he could in English with the words and phrases he had learned. Today, however, as some of the small time associates who hung around his 101st street bar loaded a cargo truck outside the apartment for the move slightly further uptown, he didn’t do much speaking. The occasional “gentle, gentle” came across his lips. After all, Italians have always been very proud of their possessions and things. Despite most of the items in his apartment being of very low quality, they were his and the first possessions he had purchased for himself since coming to America. To him they were treasured though not comparable to the things his money would eventually afford him. As Frank stood and watched his small square of an apartment evaporate and loom larger, his desk caught his eye. One of the last bigger pieces of furniture that had yet to have been packed down the four floors worth of stairs. Frank had not heard from his family back in Italy in three months and while he understood the distance the letters had to travel, he also understood that it shouldn’t be at that great of a length. As the family associates enter the room where Frank stood and pondered his thoughts internally they approached the desk. “No, no, no yet.” Frank almost shouted in broken English. Instead he pointed toward a table and at his insisting the associates moved on to it. Realizing there wasn’t much left in the apartment to be moved before the desk would have to go, he walked over to it and sat in his chair for the last time in his first American home. He straightened himself up before reaching for the desk drawer, sliding it open and removing a piece of paper and his pen. Frank placed both items on top of the desk before removing an envelope and placing it nearby as well. After sliding the drawer back shut, he picked up his pen and began to write. Dear Mama and Papa, It has been a few months since I last received your letter. I am hoping the last letter that I sent did not get lost as it crossed the water. I also hope all is well, not hearing from you has troubled my heart and I can not bare to think of anything bad becoming my dear family while I am so far away. I hope that it is a case of your letter not crossing as fast as mine arrived and that I’ll read your sweet words of endearment soon. I have great news Mama and Papa! Do you remember me telling you about the trouble at the docks cousin Vincenzo and our work was having? Luckily for us the owner of the rival company is no longer with us and because of that the rival company has withdrawn their position making us the main shipping and receiving company coming into the harbor! It was much cause for celebration and I, your son even got a higher position within the company cousin Vincenzo brought me into. Of course it took a great loss within our…. company to get there. Unfortunately, we lost our main boss during this time of battling for the right to the docks. Don’t worry Mama, it is all figurative of course… Your son is ok. Better than ok. Because this happened, cousin Vincenzo moved up to running the whole company, his Mama and Papa would be so proud. He has really made something of himself in this America and said he wants to make sure I get the most out of being here as well. Of course Papa, you know I never take anything for free. Just like you taught me. I put the work in. I fought hard for my place and worked harder to ensure the company came out on top. You taught me perseverance Papa and I’ll never forget your lessons. My sisters, I wouldn’t forget you. I have learned many words in the English since I last wrote you and received a letter from you. I’ve had to communicate quite a bit more during the troubled time my company was having and cousin Vincenzo said that if I were going to be a bigger part of the company with him at the helm then I needed to be able to talk about more than the Yankees of New York! I laugh about that now but he was right. One of my favorite things I’ve learned in English recently is “hot dog”. It’s a food! Americans use the name of an animal as the name of a food! I learned about it the first time I tried one recently. I was confused because I had heard people refer to the animal, like Giovanni our beloved pet growing up as a “dog”. And then one of my new friends told me we were going to grab a few hot dogs and I was worried he wanted us to eat someone’s pets! Of course it is food, though not very tasty and I’m unsure as to what is in a “hot dog” but my new friend assured me that it is not pets. Anyways, I am happy that with this letter I have finally been able to send not only money for you my dear family. In this envelope as I’m sure you’ve found upon opening is also a ticket for each of you. Your son, Mama and Papa has finally made it! I just purchased my first American home that is big enough for all of you. With all the hard work and the promotion I am able to afford much larger of a space for us to be a family again and for you to join me here in the America! I am very proud to be able to have you here with me finally and cannot wait until you arrive. My new address will be on the outside of the envelope and this is where you will find me when you arrive. I cannot wait to see each of you and be able to hear of your journey. Best yet, Mama I can’t wait to hug you in my arms again and for you to see what an American man your son has become. I hope to see you in the coming months. I shall wait as patiently as I can until I see you again. I love all of you, always, Frank Frank finishes his letter as the associates to the family again enter through his doorway. He places the pen back into the desk drawer before carefully folding the letter he had just penned and sliding it into the envelope. Frank then removed a few hundreds from his jacket pocket and slides the money into the envelope and then stands up and removes tickets for his family from his pants pocket and slides them in as well. Straightening himself up he seals the envelope, nods to the associates and points to the desk and walks toward the door. |
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