Welcome back to Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday

Welcome back to Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday, where writers come together to share 8 sentences of whatever they wish. This is Week 5 for me.

 

The story continues from FORTY YEARS IN A DAY. To recap, Victoria and her four small children had been granted passage on a steamship from Italy to America. There was a terrible storm, and they were hoisted onto a lifeboat before the ship went down. Well, for those of you who were worried for the safety of Victoria and her children, they did make it to Ellis Island! Yay!

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Nervously, Victoria took out a piece of paper showing her brother’s name and address, and the impatient man informed her that she would have to wait for him to be notified. Now thousands of miles away from home, she was faced with a litany of unending misgivings.

After progressing through the dubious day, they were given a canvas cot in one of the narrow dormitories that ran along the balconies of the registry room—its capacity was stretched tenfold. Victoria settled the children on the flimsy padding. Their bodies were huddled together and their four small sets of feet were intertwined in the middle, creating a pile of jumbled limbs. The cold, tiled floor was the only spot for Victoria, and she sat down wearily. Her stiff joints ached, and she shifted awkwardly, searching for comfort. Tucking her legs tightly to her chest, she rested her head on the edge of the cot. It had been an endless day of interrogations, examinations, and patient waiting, and her contorted body was grateful for even the slightest reprieve.

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Thank you for your readership and comments!
Mona

 

 

Welcome back to Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday, where writers come together to share 8 sentences of whatever they wish. This is Week 4 for me.

The story continues from FORTY YEARS IN A DAY. In last week’s scene, Victoria and her four small children had been granted passage on a steamship to America. I couldn't resist posting this excerpt.

“Abandon ship! Abandon ship!” a crewman bellowed down to steerage. “She’s taken on too much water—the captain says she won’t hold up much longer!”

Wading ankle deep in the sloshing bilge, Victoria carried Catherina and Gabriella with the strength of a desperate parent while propelling Gennaro and Vincenzo behind the others toward the ladder. Her adrenaline battled the rushing waters as she hoisted her children one at a time into the grasping arms of two crewmen. The rain came down in torrents, obscuring her vision as she forged her way skyward.

When she stood on the deck, wind and water hurled through the air, further chilling Victoria’s sodden skin. She squinted against the pandemonium as waves pounded the ship, dropping it like a toy into the bowels of the foaming sea and thrusting it up to repeat the endless badger. Her arms laden with the girls, she had left their possessions behind except for a satchel tied to her waist containing their most treasured belongings. Vincenzo and Gennaro gripped tightly onto her saturated dress, banding together to navigate the menacing motion of the floundering ship as it listed to starboard. One by one, they were hoisted onto a careening lifeboat with the might of several sailors.

Thanks again for visiting!
Mona

 

Counting my sweet blessings...

Every day I try to count my blessings, one of which is that I work from home. I can work in my pajamas. I don’t have to comb my hair. I’m on my own schedule; no accountability, no rules. How lucky am I? To add icing to the cake, I live next door to this little French lady who loves to bake. This week’s confections consisted of warm peanut butter cookies, lovely little lemony muffins, and today, a creamy tray of tiramisu. Seriously, this is true. It’s like living next door to my private bakery. Her delivery method is always the same. She’ll call me on the phone, and in a rushed French accent, she asks, “Mona, do you like tiramisu? I just made it.”

I think to myself for a moment, is there really someone out there that would say no?  Before I can answer, she says, “I’ll be right there.” 

“I’m on a diet,” I stammer, but I hear a click.

She is in her late 80s, but has more energy than I do because what seems like seconds after she hangs up the phone my doorbell rings. I narrow my eyes and look down at her (she’s less than 5 feet tall), shaking my head in protest. She smiles at me devilishly and hands me my treat, fresh out of the oven. “Oh,” I moan, inhaling its sugary aroma, “It smells so good.”

“This recipe is from Bon Appetit,” she states casually. “Let me know if you like it.”

I want to yell at her and kiss her at the same time, but before I can make up my mind, she pivots around and flutters on her way, giggling to herself.

“Thanks,” I yell after her. “You’re crazy!” If I didn’t know better, I would think she’s trying to kill me one sweet delicacy at a time.

With my gift in hand, I head to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.

Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday.

Welcome back to Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday, where writers come together to share 8 sentences of whatever they wish. This is Week 3 for me.

This is another excerpt from FORTY YEARS IN A DAY. In last week’s scene, Victoria sneaks out of her home located in a small village in Italy with her four small children. In this scene, they have reached the seaport in Naples, Italy and are granted passage on a steamship to America. They are directed down a ladder to the cramped, windowless, steerage dormitories. Metal-framed, triple-tiered bunks lined the confining compartments that extended the length of the ship.

 

          They were entitled to three bunks for the five of them, and Victoria piled their belongings at the base. A wall of woolen blankets draped over a rope and narrow tables lined with benches, separated the men from the women and children.      

          Acclimating to the creaking, compartmentalized quarters, Victoria thought it was eerily quiet for the number of passengers who were crammed into the small area. She knew some were fortunate to be joining family in America, while others had no guarantee there would be a bed or a roof over their heads. Exhausted and bewildered, she sat with her children on the bottom bunk, absorbing what was happening around them. Her mind twisted apprehensively as she reflected on all that she had just left behind. She was suddenly struck with amazement how she had come this far, but simultaneously, she felt alarmingly alone in a room full of people. Hugging her children, she tried to draw strength from their naiveté.

        
          The engines vibrated, and the ship lurched forward, signaling the beginning of their lengthy passage across the Atlantic Ocean.

Thanks for stopping by!
Mona

Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday...and Tidbit Tuesday!

Welcome back to Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday, where writers come together to share 8 sentences of whatever they wish.  Also adding Tidbit Tuesday!
 

This is another excerpt from FORTY YEARS IN A DAY.  In last week’s scene, Angelina, with much trepidation, told her husband, Alfredo, that their daughter had already left for America. This week I decided to back it up a bit and post the scene where Victoria actually leaves for America with her four small children while her husband is in an alcohol induced sleep.

Italy, 1906

Never changing into her bedclothes, Victoria packed away their usual breakfast, bread and milk, along with other staples needed for their travels, and nervously paced away the rest of the seemingly endless hours. In the eerie black essence of the night, she nudged the children awake before the village stirred and dawn could shed light on her scheme.

           
           Opening his droopy eyes, Vincenzo sat up and looked at the large sack and basket by the door. When he started to speak, Victoria shushed him with a finger to her lips and handed him his clothes. “Don’t wake Papa, and dress quickly.”

Vincenzo fumbled with sleepiness as he put on his knickers. He tied his shoes and helped Gennaro while Victoria swiftly dressed Catherina and Gabriella.

With Gabriella dozing in her arms, she quietly ushered the children out of the house, maneuvering them around the squeaky boards that led to the front door. Stepping out into the early-morning fog, they were enveloped in a cloud of heat and humidity.

As she gently closed the door behind them, Vincenzo asked, “Isn’t Papa coming with us?”

“I’ll explain later. We’re going on an adventure.” Victoria kept her voice low and calm.

“Where?”

“America, Vincenzo, to America.”

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Mona