Part 20 (1/2)
”Well, who knows?” said Ralph, throwing his hands up. ”I was only asking.”
Just then the door to the shop opened and a customer walked in. Tony dropped the letter onto his desk and ushered the gentleman over to the barber's chair while the others settled down to finish reading the newspaper.
”Peppi, getting married,” mused Gino as he looked over the sports section. ”Who would have thought it?”
”I'm not surprised,” replied Sal, who was scanning the headlines of the business section. ”These things happen all the time.”
”I wonder if it will be a big wedding,” wondered Ralph. He looked at the others, expecting a reply, but by then no one else was listening. That being the case, he picked up a section of the newspaper for himself and perused the death notices to see if anyone he knew had departed this world. ”Weddings and funerals,” he muttered. ”What else is there to life?”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE.
Peppi and Lucrezia exchanged wedding vows at La Chiesa di San Giuseppe one Friday evening in late August. The simple but joyful ceremony was attended by Luca, Filomena, Costanzo, his wife and children, and a few other relatives who lived in the area. Despite their efforts to keep it a quiet, private affair, a rousing cheer greeted the newlyweds when they stepped out onto the church steps. To Peppi and Lucrezia's surprise, dozens of townspeople had gathered in the piazza outside to wish them well. exchanged wedding vows at La Chiesa di San Giuseppe one Friday evening in late August. The simple but joyful ceremony was attended by Luca, Filomena, Costanzo, his wife and children, and a few other relatives who lived in the area. Despite their efforts to keep it a quiet, private affair, a rousing cheer greeted the newlyweds when they stepped out onto the church steps. To Peppi and Lucrezia's surprise, dozens of townspeople had gathered in the piazza outside to wish them well.
Later, after a quiet celebration with the family at a local restaurant, the couple left to spend a long weekend on Capri. It was a short honeymoon, for both were anxious to return home to Villa San Giuseppe and start their lives over together.
Making a home of Peppi's apartment, however, would take a little while. For the time being, it was more than enough s.p.a.ce for the two of them, but the Spartan decor did not suit Lucrezia at all. That being the case, the two of them stayed in the main house with Lucrezia's parents. Luca and Filomena were more than happy to have them while Lucrezia directed the long overdue redecoration efforts needed to rend Peppi's apartment more suitable for cohabitation.
One October night, a few weeks after Peppi and Lucrezia had finally settled back into the apartment, Luca showed up at the door. Both were very pleased to see him as it was his first official visit since the two had moved out of the house. Though all of them saw each other often enough during the day, Luca and Filomena had been wise enough to keep their distance after work hours; they wanted to give their daughter and her new husband time alone to devote exclusively to themselves.
”Ayyy, finalmente,” finalmente,” said Lucrezia when she opened the door for her father. She gave him a hug and a kiss and pulled him inside. said Lucrezia when she opened the door for her father. She gave him a hug and a kiss and pulled him inside.
”I just felt like taking a little stroll,” said Luca when he stepped into the room, ”so I thought I'd stop by for a few minutes to see what you two have been up to.”
”It took you long enough,” said Lucrezia, giving Peppi a wink. ”We thought you and Mama might be mad at us for moving out of the house.”
”She's still upset about that,” joked Luca. ”She was just getting used to having the two of you around. But she'll get over it.” He looked about the apartment and gave an approving nod at the new decor. ”I like what you've done with the place,” he said. ”Nice and bright.”
”Go sit at our new table with Peppi,” Lucrezia told him.
”Very nice,” said Luca, settling into a chair. ”But what happened to all the old furniture? There was nothing wrong with it.”
”Heh, gone with the wind,” chuckled Peppi. ”Your daughter is like a whirlwind. She tossed out all the old stuff the first day.”
”Uff, che brutt'!” che brutt'!” shuddered Lucrezia. ”That bed and that rickety old table and chairs weren't fit for dogs to sit on.” shuddered Lucrezia. ”That bed and that rickety old table and chairs weren't fit for dogs to sit on.”
”They weren't all that bad,” offered Peppi.
”Oh, please,” she replied, giving the two men a dismissive wave of the hand. ”You're both the same.”
Lucrezia went to the kitchen to make a plate of dry sausage and olives for her father and Peppi to pick on while they talked. ”You'll note the new serving dishes,” she announced when she set them on the table along with a loaf of bread. ”No more eating like barbarians.”
”I hadn't realized I was so backward,” said Peppi.
Luca popped an olive into his mouth and sliced off a piece of dry sausage. While he chewed it, he looked about the apartment for a moment with a curious look on his face.
”Hey,” he said. ”I just noticed something. What happened to your bicycles, Peppi?”
”Banished to the shed out back,” said Peppi ruefully. ”She won't let me have them in the kitchen anymore.”
”Lucrezia!” her father chided her. ”What's wrong with you?”
”Sta zita, you!” she warned him, wagging her finger. ”And you too,” she said, turning to her husband. ”This is our home, not a bicycle shop. I'm not going to have dirty wheels and bike grease all over everything. I don't care what you two say.” you!” she warned him, wagging her finger. ”And you too,” she said, turning to her husband. ”This is our home, not a bicycle shop. I'm not going to have dirty wheels and bike grease all over everything. I don't care what you two say.”
In the face of such a hostile judiciary, Peppi and Luca knew better than to argue the merits of their case. Instead they both shrugged and resumed munching on the appetizers Lucrezia had set out.
”Filomena and I have missed having you two up to the house at night,” Luca told Peppi. ”What have you two been doing with yourselves lately?”
”Eh,” Peppi shrugged. ”We've been keeping busy.” He gave his new wife a nod. ”I put in some new plumbing fixtures this week and Lucrezia was looking around for some new cabinets, but we decided to put that project on hold.”
”How come?” said Luca.
Peppi shrugged again. ”We're not sure of what we want to do yet,” he said a bit evasively.
Lucrezia put a slab of cheese on the table before sitting down with them. She lopped off two good-sized slices and gave one each to Peppi and Luca. Her hand reached out for an olive, but then she changed her mind. Giving Peppi a sideways look, she settled back into her chair and let out a little sigh.
”What's the matter, Lucrezia?” said Luca. ”Aren't you going to have something? These olives are good. Try some.”
”Not right now,” said his daughter, suddenly looking a bit pale. ”Maybe later.”
”Ooh, and I like this cheese,” said Luca, taking a big bite.