Wednesday, August 27th
Flight Venice - Toronto
Looking out of the window, Miriam gazed at the incredible scenery below: the wonderful, unique mountain landscape of the Alps. She had never left her home country, Italy, in her life. Now she was not leaving for a short trip, she was starting a new experience in a country she had often dreamt of, Canada.
She opened once again the envelope containing the letter she knew by heart. She held the sheet of paper with trembling hands and a lump in her throat, and she started reading for the hundredth time in the last few months:
My dearest Miriam ,
First of all, let me tell you that I sincerely hope that what I am writing will not affect the remembrance of the years we shared as father and daughter, especially after my wife died twelve years ago. I have learned to love you and to appreciate your sweetness, your trustworthiness and your sincerity even more, but… maybe, because of this harmony we had created, I didn’t find the courage to tell you a truth that doesn’t lessen in any way my love for you as the daughter who has given me such comfort in every moment. When your sister was eight years old, Father Lucio called your mum and me — he knew we would have liked to have another child, but your mum had problems during your sister’s delivery, and she was scared. Father Lucio told us that a very young girl (she was seventeen at that time), coming from Canada, was in Italy on a student exchange when she discovered she was pregnant. She was worried and confused, and, at first, she didn’t want to keep her baby, but Father Lucio convinced her to renounce the abortion, promising that, once the baby was born, she could leave her at the hospital in complete anonymity, as the law in Italy grants. Father Lucio told us that the baby was due in three months and asked if we would consider the adoption. That wonderful little baby that was born in July was YOU, my darling.”
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Miriam had difficulty holding back the tears when she reached this point in the letter, and she had to stop for a few moments. On one hand, she thanked God that she had been adopted by her family and had been spared living in a foster home or an orphanage. On the other hand, only now she understood her mum and sister’s attitude towards her, some knowing smiles they exchanged, some harsh words they said to her… The constant hint of her not being like her sister, the veiled envy when she started to get good marks at school — better than her sister, to tell the truth! And the painful expression on her dad’s face when he noticed this behaviour. She was, in fact, very different from her stepsister in everything, from the physical aspect to the personality.
Miriam was slim but not very tall, she had shoulder-length light brown, wavy hair, a small nose and green eyes, which nobody in her family had. Her sister was tall like her dad, but she was not very slim, she had dark eyes and dark, straight hair. Miriam was very sweet, sensitive and generally cheerful, while her sister was pessimistic and often in a bad mood. Miriam didn’t like elegant clothes, she dressed casually, she liked wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt or a sweater, her sister liked dresses, high-heeled shoes and expensive bags.
Miriam resumed her father’s letter.
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“I was very happy to have you in our family, to give a sister to my child, I imagined you growing up together. Your mum, instead, was not easy to convince, she kept saying that she would never be able to consider you and your sister as her two children, and in fact, she was never able to treat you as her child — I know that. It was a cause of great distress and suffering for me, and, I know, for you too. Instead of growing fond of you and of teaching your sister to love you, your mum became more and more distant and hostile as the years went by. You can’t imagine how many times I begged her to change her attitude but she never listened to me. Then, when you were at university, I implored her to tell you the truth but she never agreed. In fact, she forbade me to talk to you about your adoption… After her death, I tried to find a justification for her behaviour, but in all these years, I have not been able to find any and it surely is not your fault, because you were always kind and considerate to her and you assisted her with great affection at the time of her illness.”
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Miriam was reliving all the harshness of her mum and sister and a great bitterness pervaded her…
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“You will certainly ask questions about your real mom, but I must tell you that we never knew her name and that Father Lucio has recently told me he lost all trace of her, when she went back to her family, immediately after your birth.
My darling, I hope you will forgive me for not telling you the truth in person… If only your mum had agreed for us to speak to you together! What I can tell you is that I love you with all my heart and I have always been grateful to Divine Providence for having adopted you, because you have brought affection into my existence… I hope God will help you to accept my weakness and that you’ll never doubt my love.
Your Dad”
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Miriam folded the letter and placed it once again in the envelope, thinking of her dad with great affection and longing.
The plane was flying high over Europe, but a thick blanket of clouds covered the landscape. The young woman rested her head on the headrest, and she closed her eyes. Instinctively, she wrapped her fingers around her father's wedding ring. She kept it hanging on a chain around her neck. It was a precious gift, the most precious gift she had received from her dad. He had given it to her a few days before his death, pronouncing words which still echoed in her mind: “Miriam , this is the most important thing I have. I would like you to keep it and to give it to your future husband, because I am sure you will find a wonderful man who will love you with all his heart…”
Holding the ring in her hand, Miriam could feel the warmth of her father's love, his calm voice, his reassuring personality. She firmly believed that he would always accompany and protect her, even now that she was starting a new life.
A stream of memories passed through her mind, memories of the twelve years she had spent with her dad since her stepmother had died.
When her sister, Raffaella, was in her early twenties, she had gone to live in Bologna where she had had one boyfriend after the other but she had never introduced them to her family. She had kept at a distance until her mum had become ill, and after a few months, had died, twelve years before. In those months, she had sometimes come home to visit her. After her stepmother’s death, Miriam had remained with her dad and they had seen her sister just a few times, even in the last months of her dad’s life.
She couldn’t help considering these years a time of grace, because Miriam and her dad had shared many pleasant and peaceful moments, especially in the evenings when they sat in her dad’s study to read or to discuss the events of the day, or at the weekends when they went together to visit a neighbouring town or a museum. They had really developed a deep understanding, and even if Miriam kept wondering why her dad had not found the right time to tell her about her adoption in person, she had already forgiven him in her heart, because of the precious years together she would always cherish. She had more difficulties forgetting and forgiving her stepmother and stepsister because their attitude hurt her more now than in the past. Why had her mother always refused to tell her she had been adopted if it was obvious she didn’t love her? The answer that came to Miriam ’s mind was because her mum found pleasure in teasing and tormenting her. This was a terrible answer but it was the only one that she could find.
She could still see her sister’s constant frown, she could hear Raffaella’s squeaky irritated voice when she spoke to her.
She remembered the last meeting in front of the notary. She relived that moment with sadness and bitterness. Raffaella didn’t know about her father’s letter to Miriam and maybe she thought her sister still hadn't learnt about the adoption. When they were ready to sign the papers for the inheritance, she had said sarcastically, “I think you must know that you are not my sister, because you were adopted at birth. I really don’t think you should have your share of inheritance after all the support you have received from my family.” Miriam had not answered and Raffaella had been surprised because she had expected a shocked reaction on Miriam ’s part, but the notary, who was an old friend of her father’s and knew about the letter, had stopped her immediately, and said, “Miss Raffaella, I think you should stop before saying something even nastier because Miss Miriam knows everything about her adoption, and you know, as everyone in Italy knows, that an adopted child has the same rights as a natural child, and…” here he had paused and looked at the troubled face of Miriam with sadness and sympathy, “your father recently told me that he had not seen you, Raffaella, or heard from you for a very long time, even if you knew he was not well, and how saddened he was by your behaviour.” Raffaella had not said a word, she had signed the papers and left, without even saying goodbye.
Now Miriam felt completely alone, facing a new life with no connection to her past since even the house she had shared with her father had been sold. If she decided or she had to go back to Italy after the one-year contract, she would have to find a new home for herself… But Miriam didn't expect anything less, because she knew her sister was always looking for money, she didn't keep a job for more than a year or two…
Now Miriam didn't want to dwell on these thoughts. She was completely focused on her new experience. She had spent the last days surfing the net in search of images and notes about the little town where she would live, she had avidly read tourist guides in order to get to know the area of Canada better. She was looking forward to landing in Toronto . She was sure that the Providence would guide her, as it had always happened in her life so far.
Trinity, 7 pm
“Don’t you think our friend is a little too nervous? I am afraid he will stir up trouble.”
“Yes, I noticed he is always late on Friday night. He won't back down, I hope.”
“I don't think so, as long as I pay for his debts. By the way, I will let you have the money tomorrow, ok?”
“All right, but keep an eye on him, because I tell you once again that I don't like his behaviour in the last few days. He must go on doing what we tell him.”
" Don't worry! I am checking on him, but so far he is following our orders. I don't understand what you worry about. If he becomes a problem, he can have an accident or something… don't you think?”
" You know I can’t do anything . I don't want to go back to jail.”
“Well, we’ll see, because you have a lot to lose as well, if he goes to the police and starts talking …”
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and then Add to home screen.