Part 13 (1/2)

”None in here,” Luca replied, tossing the paper aside in favor of La Gazzetta dello Sport. La Gazzetta dello Sport. ”But sit and watch. Maybe they'll tell us about something worth listening to on the television.” ”But sit and watch. Maybe they'll tell us about something worth listening to on the television.”

”We can only hope,” said Peppi.

”Ciao, Peppi,” said Filomena, taking a seat on the sofa. ”It's a warm night. Would you like a beer or gla.s.s of wine?” Peppi,” said Filomena, taking a seat on the sofa. ”It's a warm night. Would you like a beer or gla.s.s of wine?”

”No, thank you, Filomena. I'm fine.”

”Didn't see much of you today, Peppi,” said Luca from behind the sporting news. ”What were you up to today?”

”Shh!” shushed Filomena. ”I'm trying to hear the news.”

”I was around, doing a little gardening this morning,” Peppi said softly in reply to Luca's question. ”Got some mail today that surprised me.”

”A letter from America?” said Luca aloud.

”Hey, do you mind? I'm trying to listen,” said Filomena, flinging a sofa cus.h.i.+on at her husband. ”Sta zita!” ”Sta zita!”

Peppi stood and moved his chair closer to Luca so that they might talk more quietly. ”No, it was a wedding invitation from Pescara,” he whispered.

”A wedding invitation?” said Filomena, suddenly turning away from the television. ”Who from?”

”Would you mind not speaking so loudly?” said Luca. ”I'm trying to read the sporting news.”

”Watch yourself, Signore,” Signore,” his wife said menacingly before turning her attention back to Peppi. ”Who do you know in Pescara, Peppi?” his wife said menacingly before turning her attention back to Peppi. ”Who do you know in Pescara, Peppi?”

Peppi told them the story of how he had met Loredana and Claudio on the train from Rome. It was a nice memory and he laughed after telling them the story, for he never would have dreamed that the two would end up married.

”Well, it was nice of them to invite you to the wedding,” said Filomena when he had finished. ”Will you go?”

”No,” Peppi explained. ”I don't think so. It's a long way and I really don't feel like going alone to something like that anyway.”

”Who says you have to go alone?” she replied. ”Did the invitation say only you were invited?”

”Well, now that you mention it,” said Peppi, ”the card inside did say Signor Peppi and guest.”

”There!” said Filomena, slapping her hand down on the table. ”I told you, you don't have to go alone. Take somebody with you. It will be good for you.”

”Who on earth around here would want to go to a wedding in Pescara with me?” said Peppi, grinning.

”Don't even look at me,” said Luca from behind La Gazzetta La Gazzetta.

”Who's asking you?” said Filomena. ”Now, don't you worry about it, Peppi. Lucrezia will go with you.”

Peppi squirmed uneasily in the chair. ”Oh, but I really don't think...” Peppi began to say, but just then the door opened and Lucrezia herself came in carrying her usual load of paperwork from the office.

”Here she is now,” said Filomena. ”Lucrezia, come in here.”

Lucrezia dumped her work on the kitchen counter and came into the living room.

”Ciao, Peppi,” she said at seeing him. Peppi,” she said at seeing him.

”Lucrezia,” her mother began, ”Peppi has been invited to a wedding.”

”I know,” Lucrezia replied.

”You do? Well, good, because I told Peppi that you would go with him.”

Lucrezia shot a look at her mother that would have stopped a rhinoceros. She folded her arms and tapped her foot. Peppi was certain that hostilities were about to commence.

”Don't worry,” Peppi told her. ”You don't have to come. I knew you wouldn't want to. Please, don't give it another thought.”

”Of course she wants to go,” said Filomena before her daughter had a chance to open her mouth.

To Peppi's surprise, Lucrezia's scowl turned into a small but detectable grin. ”I'll tell you what,” she said in the tone of voice she might use when negotiating a new sales agreement or perhaps trying to finagle a better price from a vendor, ”I'll go with you to the wedding, but under one condition.”

”Which is?” said Peppi.

”You have have to let me help you buy some new clothes,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. ”I refuse to go anywhere with you unless you get a new suit and definitely some new shoes.” to let me help you buy some new clothes,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. ”I refuse to go anywhere with you unless you get a new suit and definitely some new shoes.”

”She's right,” said Luca, lowering the sports page for only a moment. ”I didn't want to say it, but I can't believe the things they let you Americans walk around wearing. It's appalling.”

”You know, you're not the first person in Italy to tell me that,” sighed Peppi.

”Then we have a deal?” said Lucrezia.

”Do I have a choice?”

”No, not really,” said Lucrezia playfully. ”Not if you want a ride to Pescara.” Then she turned and sashayed out of the room.

”Looks like you have a date,” said Luca. ”I hope your intentions are honorable. I don't want any mischief.”

”Well, I'll be taking her to church,” laughed Peppi. ”I don't think we can get into too much mischief there.”

No, thought Filomena, but it's a start.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN.

The morning of the wedding, Peppi arose early. The ceremony was to take place at noon, so Lucrezia had made him promise to be ready by nine-thirty to give them plenty of time to make the drive to Pescara. By Peppi's reckoning, especially taking into account the way that Lucrezia liked to drive, that would get them to the church a half hour or so early. He would have preferred to arrive just on time, but he supposed it was better to give themselves a little cus.h.i.+on. Peppi arose early. The ceremony was to take place at noon, so Lucrezia had made him promise to be ready by nine-thirty to give them plenty of time to make the drive to Pescara. By Peppi's reckoning, especially taking into account the way that Lucrezia liked to drive, that would get them to the church a half hour or so early. He would have preferred to arrive just on time, but he supposed it was better to give themselves a little cus.h.i.+on.

Peppi went into the kitchen and made himself some coffee. As he sat at the table with his cup, he nibbled a biscotti while he looked over at the new suit hanging on the bedroom door. Below on the floor sat the box containing his new shoes. The new s.h.i.+rt and tie were already laid out on the bed.