Even if Anna had a fairly large table in her apartment upstairs, she always had family lunches and dinners in the spacious dining room of her Trattoria.
This was the first Christmas after Luca’s death, and Anna had feared that she wouldn't be able to enjoy the holiday atmosphere, but Neil and Billy did their best to contribute to the cozy family dinner with some funny stories from their childhood and some adventures of their lives as policemen in the special forces.
Bruno had been invited with Sheila, and his joyous personality helped to cheer up all the people gathered. Anna realized that she was having a really pleasant and cozy evening. After dinner, they chatted and laughed until it was almost time to go to the Midnight Mass. Giulia was sitting on Neil’s lap, and she was leaning her head on his shoulder. Giulia and Mario were not used to staying up so late, but they had insisted on going to Mass with their parents and the two policemen.
Anna told the children:
“Giulia, Mario. Didn't you want to show Neil and Billy the Nativity scene?”
Mario stood up immediately, and he told his friends:
“Neil, Billy, our granny has the most wonderful nativity scene in the world. She brought it from Italy, and it is very precious because it is made of glass.”
Anna nodded and smiled. Neil said:
“Wow, it must be really beautiful. Have you already put Baby Jesus in his crib?”
“No,” Giulia answered. She turned to her grandmother, and she asked:
“Can we go now?”
Anna stood up and told them:
“Let’s go.”
She turned to the two policemen, and she said:
“The children have been waiting to show you my Presepio. Do you mind coming upstairs?”
Everyone stood up, and they all went to Anna’s apartment above the restaurant. Anna had already turned on the string of lights surrounding the scene, and she decided not to turn on the light in the room, so that all the statues and the houses could stand out in their beautiful colors.
Giulia took Neil’s hand, and she led him to the scene. She pointed at the various statues, and she said dreamingly:
“Oh, Neil. Next year you must come with Billy and listen to the stories our granny told us! Every figure has a story…”
Neil smiled and said:
“One thing is sure. This is really one of the most beautiful nativity scenes I have ever seen, isn’t it, Billy?”
The young man nodded. Anna went to a drawer in her cabinet, and she took out a little bundle made of paper tissue. She carefully unfolded it, and a tiny baby Jesus with a red shirt and his arms outstretched appeared. Giulia looked at her grandmother, as if she were afraid of touching it, but Anna said encouragingly:
“Take it and lay it in his crib. Be careful, Giulia, he is sleeping…”
Giulia was a little hesitant, and Mario took the little statue from the hands of his grandmother.
He approached the nativity scene, and he laid the child into the tiny manger with great care. Giulia caressed the little figure with her finger. Anna went to turn on the lights, and she intoned the song her son Luca always sang at this time. Her voice was a little trembling, but her guests joined her immediately:
Adeste, fideles, læti triumphantes, venite, venite in Bethlehem, natum videte Regem angelorum. Venite adoremus, venite adoremus Dominum. O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him born the King of Angels. O come, let us adore Him, o come, let us adore Him,o come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
“Gaudete, Christus est natus!”
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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU FROM ALL THE CHARACTERS IN THE SERIES:
“Mysteries at Anna's Trattoria” The first novel in the series: ”Crossing Paths” will be published on this platform soon.
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