Chapter 2 of Leaving Pseumish

Hey friends! I've been a bit draggy this week. I have no idea if that is a proper word, but I'm using it! The crafting is finally fizzling to a stop and my house is much cleaner. I must admit to using my extra time to watch costume BBC movies online! I am forever a Jane Austen nut and will watch anything remotely similar. So, this week I've seen several versions of Mansfield Park, Persuasion, Emma, as well as some different non-Austen movies. My favorite was North to South by BBC. Excellent story and characters. I also rented the Jane Eyre which was put out last year. I have to tell you I was not impressed with that one. Anyway, that is my habit!
Alright, enough of my cinematic criticism, here is chapter 2!

2Bread

    The day after Roy’s funeral, John gathered the family so he could speak to them. “Joseph will not be with us for a long time, and as he was a major contributor to the family, he will be missed. This whole mess has cost us a lot of money. I want everyone to be thinking of ways to bring extra income to the family.” With that he dismissed the family to go about doing their chores. Rachel swept the living room slowly, deep in thought. “Perhaps the income and a way off the farm could go together,” she thought. Girls did not earn money in their family unless it was something they could sell at their farm. Then the thought came as bright as the sunshine hitting her from the window. She remembered a man from Morristown who had driven all the way out to the farm just to buy eggs. While he waited for his eggs he had asked if they had fresh baked bread for sale as well. They didn’t, but her mother had sold him some rolls they had made the day before. “That’s it! I can bake lots of bread and sell it in Morristown!” She picked up the pace of her sweeping so she could find her father and pitch him the idea. She found him tinkering with a tractor in the barnyard. “Dad, I have an idea to ask you about.” He stood up and acknowledged her. “Well, I was thinking about that man from town who came here and wanted to buy bread. I thought maybe I could bake a bunch of bread once a week and take it to Morristown to sell. I really think it would sell and once we get regular customers, we would just have a set route,” she finished and watched his face. She half expected him to just tell her it was a bad idea. He thought for a minute and then said, “Well, nobody else has come up with nothin’, so I guess I ought to consider it. I will tell you this; there is no way I am letting you go alone. You need to get one of your brothers to take you. Work with your mama to get the ingredients you need.” She stood for a moment unable to comprehend that he had approved her quickly hatched plan.

    She thought for a few moments about who should take her to town. She didn’t want anyone who would be impatient with her and make her hurry. Then she thought of David. He would probably welcome the break from the farm as well. David was the most sympathetic toward Roy; and had a better disposition than her other brothers. She found David cleaning out a cow stall in the barn. The smell of manure and old hay hit her face and she sneezed. “David, I need to talk to you. Dad said I could make bread and sell it in Morristown, but I need somebody to drive me. I was hoping you would. I mean, you would get to go to town once a week and just sit while I sell the bread. What do you think?” He rested his arms on top of the hay fork and said, “Alright, as long as it’s ok with Dad.” She was happy; the first part of her plan had gone smoothly. She ran across the yard to the house and found her mother in the kitchen. “Mama, guess what! Dad told me I could bake bread and sell it in town! He said you could help me get together the ingredients.” Her mother looked up with a smile, “That’s awful good of you to help the family.”

    Morristown was a little more daunting than Rachel had expected. She decided to stick to the small businesses on Main Street. The historic street is flanked by a skywalk. This enables the buildings to have shops on two floors with access to the top floors on the elevated sidewalk. Rachel found it exciting to walk the skywalk. She carried her large basket of bread and went door to door selling her beautiful loaves. Some places the employees acted like she was a bother, but others welcomed her warmly. She felt very self conscious about her attire, but there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. Her father believed women who didn’t dress like that would not have eternal peace. So, she focused on being as friendly as possible to move the emphasis from what she looked like to what she was selling. She made notes of the places that bought her bread, and of those who were less than hospitable. She sold out quickly and began walking back to where David was waiting with the truck. She paused to look at the money. There was not a dishonest bone in her body, but something told her that she ought to start saving some of the money for herself. Her first customer had given her five dollars a loaf and so she stuck with that number for the rest of her sales. She had told her father that she would sell them for four, but the generosity of her customers had given her a bonus. She decided that she would just leave him thinking it was four, and keep the remaining dollar. She had to think of a really good place to hide the money because her family got into everything and nothing was private. Her mind went to the rabbit hutch where she was the only one who visited. She wrapped her portion in a plastic bag and put it in her apron pocket. She was glad that their mandatory modesty apron was loaded with secret pockets. Then, she returned to the truck where David was asleep. She smiled and then woke him.

    Her father was very pleased with the money and told her she could continue to bake bread. After everyone got back to their own business, she went out to the rabbit hutch. On the back there was an extra support board running crossways and it formed a little pocket between it and the paneling. She stuck the plastic bag in a place out of sight and breathed a sigh of relief. “First National Bank of Rabbittown is open!” She was smiling as she returned to the house to help with supper.

    In a few weeks everything was very routine and she had established devoted customers. Her father commended her at supper after her bread run one evening, “Rachel, I’m very happy with your effort to help the family. I think you should make more bread; or maybe you could just start a bakery and have your customers come to buy from you here.” Rachel swallowed and tried not to react too emotionally. “Well, Dad, my customers like it that I come to them while they are working because they don’t have the time to go out and buy it.” She hoped that her answer had convinced him. He nodded and rubbed his beard in contemplation. Finally he said, “Yes, perhaps you are right. We would wish them to come here, but the world is very busy.” With him appeased, her thoughts turned to the back of the rabbit hutch. She needed another bag because the other one wouldn’t fit between the boards if she put any more in it. She began to live for her trips to town. She became more confident talking to those her father would call “worldly people,” and hope started growing in her heart.

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Chapter 1 of "Leaving Pseumish"

Hi friends! I'm excited to give you my second book, Leaving Pseumish! It is a sequel to book one, but about a different person. Beforehand I apologize because chapter one is very short! Oh well, it will wet your appetite!

1Heartache

    Rachel Muller’s throat felt tight as her father loaded his family into their large van. They had just buried one of her older brothers---murdered by his own brother. She wasn’t supposed to know, but she did. Joseph thought he had done the family a favor. Different was not allowed in their world of Platzville, Tennessee. Her father, John, had been Amish until his early adulthood and then created his own faction. His church consisted almost entirely of family members. He and his wife had eleven children; so he felt he had a large enough congregation on his own. Everyone in the family was to contribute their whole lives to the working of their own community. No one ever left the family. No one worked outside the family. No one was schooled away from the family. Until Roy. He dared to get a college degree and work out in the world, while trying to maintain his relationship with the family. Rachel respected him and thought he was being wise to cultivate the mind that God had given him. He had been shunned by the family for his decisions. Roy was her friend and connection to the outside world. Now she was trying hard to swallow the sadness gripping her because Mullers do not show emotion. Joseph was already in police custody and would soon go to jail for shooting his brother. Her younger brother, David, had been beaten for telling Roy’s wife about the shooting. She glanced over at him and saw the bruises and marks from that beating. She was afraid. Her father liked for his children to be afraid. “You obey the best when you are afraid!” he would say. She thought about Anna’s chastising words at the funeral as she eulogized her dead husband: “I cannot understand how people can put such senseless rules upon themselves and have such a small view of the world. I know that someday I will heal and not be angry, but I hope with all my heart that his family learns to love.”

    When she was alone in their barn following the funeral, she allowed herself to cry for awhile. She couldn’t let anyone see her cry and had to keep one ear open for footsteps, so it felt like a half-hearted cry. She didn’t feel her anguish diminish at all. However, she dried her face and headed back to the house. A woman’s place was to be in the home and always busy. Even though enormous pressure was put on the girls of her family to get married and have lots of babies, she knew that she would not get married because her father had cut ties to all the other families within thirty miles of their farm. This made her even more upset and she was choking on the tears that wanted to come again. A couple of years ago she had liked a boy from a family two miles away, but John had forbidden any contact between them because of doctrinal differences. She hated that they were so isolated. “Separate from the world!” her father always said. She wished she had someone to confide in who would not judge her for her show of emotion, but there was no one. Rachel was twenty-one and ready to get married. “I don’t know why I even bother to think about getting married, there will never be anyone Dad approves of close to here,” she thought as her mother directed her toward a batch of biscuit dough. She floured the large wooden countertop and rolled out the dough. She went to the cabinet and pulled out a glass with a two and a half inch rim and began cutting out the biscuits. As she placed them on the baking sheet, she thought again about Anna. “She seems so strong now. I’ve never known a woman like her.” She felt badly that she hadn’t been nicer to Anna when she visited them.

    After supper, she went out to check on her rabbits. They were her only outdoor responsibility. The Muller children could have hobbies if they profited the family. Rachel’s rabbits benefited the table and the garden soil. The rabbits were her sole responsibility and subsequently the only place she could go to be alone. She opened the door to a large doe’s cage and clicked her tongue. The beautiful New Zealand White hopped up to the opening and she gave the rabbit a small carrot. She pet her velvety soft ears and spoke to her, “I just don’t know what to do. I miss Roy so much and the fresh air he brought around here. I think I’ll just suffocate without him. I have no idea how I could ever make a new friend, or maybe get out of here, but I have to think of something. I’m going to go crazy living on this farm for the rest of my life.” The bunny just wiggled her nose contentedly, but Rachel decided that she was a good listener. Rachel latched the cage door and headed back to the house to get ready for bed. Her father was very firm on “early to bed, early to rise.” 

copyrighted

The craft of patience

Hi friends! Do you ever let your house go for a while just because the kids are in the middle of a project? You know that point at which you cannot stand to see another bit of paper or yarn on the floor? I am there. My girls have discovered a blog/YouTube poster who makes all manner of furniture and accessories for Barbies out of recycled materials. ...And, my daughters adore her! I have piles of tea bags, cereals, crackers, and other foods sitting around in my cabinets because my girlies have stolen the boxes to use for their crafts. I absolutely love the fact that they are making all these things because it means I do not have to buy them! However, the crafting has gone on for over a week and I am beginning to feel the neat freak in me start to scream.
 I must tell you, we live in a tiny two bedroom townhouse. Thus, there is not much room for the attack of the crafting supplies. My three girlies share a bedroom and there is no room for their Barbie stuff. We have a front door, but never use it, and a hallway with only a bookshelf leading to the door. I've designated that as their Barbie kingdom and they have managed to fill every nook and cranny with stuff!

Anyway, this week my nine year old made a boutique complete with clothes, purses, shoes, and jewelry. My ten year old made a kitchen, bathroom, school, and all sorts of other teeny things. (which I envision going in the trash in the near future. I know, bad mommy, but I can't stand little things all over the floor!) I am quite pleased with their tenacity and creativity. Can I have my house back now? Mommy is tired of stepping on beads and hot glue strings!


Coming soon!!!! Book 2!!!!

Final chapter!

Hi friends! To make your Monday better, I shall give you the final chapter of my book. I'm joking, it may or may not make your day better. Anyway, thanks to all my friends who have read this! Yesterday was Palm Sunday and my church did a live reenactment of DaVinci's Last Supper. My hubby plays Nathaniel and is seen on the far left. They all did a wonderful job!

15Home

    While Anna was still in the middle of her book tour, something she would never expect was happening in Trieste. A tall, British man knocked on her door several times. He waited and then knocked again a little louder and rang the bell. Amedeo finally came outside and asked what he wanted. He recognized James and got a concerned look on his face. “You, and everyone else, have every right to be angry with me. I am only here to apologize and see if she will forgive me,” he said with tears in his eyes. Amedeo was a compassionate man and he invited James in, “Come, James, you can stay with us. Anna has gone to the US to do something with her books.” Emiliana heard the conversation and added, “She is signing the books!” They sat James down at their little kitchen table and urged him to tell them his whole story. He spoke for two hours straight. Emiliana sat in tears and Amedeo felt pity for this man. “You will stay with us until she comes home,” Amedeo repeated. James gladly agreed as he had nowhere else to go. He was in despair to beat all other despairs. Nothing could be worse than what he had already been through; or so he thought. He stayed nearly two weeks with Anna’s neighbors and was beginning to feel a little more at peace. He had no idea if Anna would even speak to him; much less let him in her house. Her letter to him had been a little confusing. She said she still loved the man he was at Crofton. He knew in his heart he was still the same man, but the rigors of his job had clouded that. “It’s worth a try, “ he thought to himself. “I hope Anna gets home soon, Emiliana’s cooking is going to make me fat,” he thought after polishing off a plate of her famous pasta al pomodoro. “Are you sure she is coming back to Italy?” he asked Amedeo. “Yes, of course, she will be home soon,” he answered.

    The next day, late in the evening Anna arrived in Trieste. She and Gisella were exhausted and went to bed early. In the morning they felt a little better, though jet lag had bothered them a couple of times in the night. “Gisella, I need coffee. Do we have any?” she asked. “I will need to get some milk around the corner and then I can make your coffee, dear,” Gisella answered. She put on a shawl and grabbed her little basket. The little shop around the corner was run by a nosy, old woman. She wanted to hear all about Gisella’s trip to the US. She rolled her eyes and said, “I’m so sorry, I must tell you another time.” She bought the milk and hurried back to her house. They were both soon satiated with warm coffee and the buzz of caffeine. They sorted laundry the rest of the morning. Gisella tried to return the house to order from the tornado of chaos that had blown through the door the night before. Anna had paperwork to catch up on from being gone over a month. And so it was that when the door bell rang, they were both very busy. Gisella threw her load of laundry back into her basket and mumbled about who could possibly be coming to interrupt her work. She opened the door and stood for a moment trying to place this man’s face. Then she remembered; the small picture in Anna’s room. “Are you James?” she asked. “Yes,” he replied quietly. “I really need to speak with Anna.” She knew how angry Anna was with him, but at the same time she saw complete sincerity in his face. “Come!” she said. They went up the stairs and she pointed toward the sewing room where Anna had set up her office. James walked slowly to the door, an enormous knot forming in his throat. He knew he was just going to burst into tears when he saw her. Sure enough, he looked into the room and she was sitting at her desk. Her beautiful brown hair lying in waves down her back, her soft velour pants, and the way she was tapping her coffee mug, all did him in. He started to cry; which made her turn around abruptly. “James!” she whispered. He walked toward her and fell on his knees. It took all of his will power to quash the sobs that wanted to come out. “Anna, Anna, I need to talk to you. Please let me talk to you!” Anna could not deny him the opportunity when he was so contrite. “Okay,” she said. “I want to first say that I do not blame you at all for the divorce. What you did was right and what you told me in the letter was right. I love you, but I loved my job so much that I thought I could put you in my back pocket and have you as a talisman in my job. I realize that I cannot have both. It was not fair to you to picture you that way. You are an amazing person and I foolishly tried to put you in a very tiny box. I want to clarify a few things; just in case you wondered. I did not have any jobs with women, I did not sleep with any women, and I did not marry you just so I could sleep with you. A month ago, I resigned from the agency. I am a plain civilian now. I’ve found a job in internet security where I can work from home and never, ever have to travel. Anna, I will understand if you say no, but I want more than anything on earth to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you first forgive me, and second, marry me again?” he barely got his speech out before his tears began to flow again. Anna knew that in her heart there was an atom bomb’s worth of tears inside her. She chose to focus on her anger so as not to lose it in front of him. “James, while I appreciate you coming to talk to me; I really do, I need time to think about this. Can you give me one day to think?” He was encouraged by the fact that she only requested one day to think. That gave him a flicker of hope, but on the other hand, she might just need a day so she could tell him no. “Of course, take all the time you need. I’ve made you wait countless months for me. I’ve been staying with Amedeo for nearly two weeks. They’ve been so kind to me. So, whenever you are ready to talk to me, I’ll be there,” he said as he got himself off the floor and headed toward the stairs. After she heard the front door close, she suddenly felt the atom bomb start to crack open. She ran to her room and threw herself on her bed. She had never sobbed so much in all of her life. It felt as though her toes were crying. Gisella tried her best to be quiet and give Anna space. The baby woke and so she fed her formula and baby cereal to fill her tummy without bothering Anna. When Anna’s emotional tsunami had subsided, the sun was setting in the sky. She washed her face and then ate a bowl of soup that Gisella pushed forcefully at her. “What should I do, Gisella?” she asked. Gisella sat down beside her and said, “I think your heart already knows what to do, but I will say, I have never seen so much love in a man.” Anna broke a tiny smile and took a deep breath. She did not need a whole day. She didn’t need a few more hours. Her heart did know. She went back to her room and stood in front of her dresser. She slowly opened the wooden box and dug out her wedding ring. She called to Gisella, “I will be back in a few minutes. Have Amalia ready to meet her father.” Gisella let out a laugh and clapped her hands.

    Anna stood in front of Amedeo’s house for a few moments taking deep breaths of the cool evening air. She finally gained courage and knocked on the door. Emiliana answered and Anna said simply, “James?” She nodded and led Anna to their small kitchen. James was seated at the table staring at a teacup. Anna cleared her throat and said, “James, I am ready to talk to you.” He looked up in shock, “Really?” She sat down beside him and said, “Hold out your hand.” He did what she asked and then she placed her wedding ring in his hand. “Does this mean…I mean are you saying….Um…..is this a yes?” he stammered. She nodded with tears in her eyes and a smile on her mouth. He pushed the ring on her finger and looked up into her face with joy. “James, I need to tell you one more thing.” He looked like a ghost had just entered the room, but he nodded that he was listening. “You are a father. You have a beautiful daughter named Amalia Kate. She is nine months old and she would love to meet you,” she said as she stood and held out her hand. James took her hand and started to nervously laugh. This was more good news than he had ever expected in one day. She led him to her house and then upstairs. Gisella was waiting with Amalia. She had her dressed in an adorable frilly dress fit for a princess. Amalia was in a happy mood and was immediately curious about the new person in her house. Anna took the baby in her arms and said, “Amalia, this is your daddy. Daddy, this is Amalia.” James took her from Anna and held her close. “Hello my precious one, it’s so nice to meet you!” Tears started to flow down his cheeks again and Amalia began to pat his face and laugh. “My God, you are beautiful and I have missed too much of your life already,” he said. “I think she likes you,” Anna said with a wink. “Oh, I don’t know if you met Gisella? She has lived with me since the baby was born. It will take me all night to tell you about that and my books.” “All night? I like the sound of that,” James said and then he flashed one of his handsome smiles.

    James held Amalia until Gisella insisted on putting her to bed. He stipulated that he wanted to watch her go to sleep. Anna waited out on the chaise for him. When he came out of Amalia’s room, he had his hand on his chest. He sat down next to her and sighed. “My heart feels like it’s going to explode. I never knew you could absolutely fall in love with another human being in a matter of seconds. She is amazing, Anna, absolutely amazing. I’m completely smitten.” Anna replied, “I wasn’t sure that was how you would feel since you told me you didn’t want children.” He smacked himself on the forehead and said, “That was the job speaking and not me. I’m so sorry I said that. Well, I think you have some stories to tell me.” They went and sat on the sofa together. He held her tightly as she began to tell him everything he had missed in his absence. After she told him about the complications with the birth, he sat quietly for a while. “So you will never have more children?” he asked. “Not unless we adopt,” she replied. He did not look disappointed, but rather very sad. She thought that he looked so different from Roy at that moment. There was not a drop of blame in his eyes as he said, “I’m so sorry you had to go through that without me.” She then told him all about Carlo and his persistent attempts to win her over. He was greatly relieved that she had not given into the sneaky doctor. “I can’t wait for him to see us together!” he said proudly. She smiled and went on to tell him about her book success and the American tour. She told him about seeing her parents and that her mother would be coming to see them in the spring. “And I think that is pretty well all you missed,” she said. “No, my love, I missed so much more than that. I’ve missed your smile, your kisses, your gorgeousness, everyday for months and months. I was stupid to think I could live without you.” She thought about her James Bond marathon and laughed. He asked what was funny, so she told him about the movies and how they had terrified her. She believed him to be seducing other women as a normal everyday part of his job. “Oh no! I should have never told you about that! I forget how sheltered you were growing up. It’s really not like that at all; we just like to think we are cool like that. Life is not all car chases and women as those movies would have you believe. I wish I could tell you more about it, but you know I can’t,” he explained. Anna looked up at the clock and realized it was one a.m. and the extreme emotions of the day were catching up with her. They spent a good many minutes in saying ‘good night.’  Although each was exhausted, they had trouble sleeping for fear that they would wake up in the morning and it would have all been a dream.

    The next morning, James went to Anna’s house at six a.m. Anna was still asleep, but Gisella was up, so she let him in. He went to Anna’s room and lay down on the bed next to her. He just watched her and waited for her to wake up. He wanted to touch her so badly, but didn’t want to disturb her rest. When she did finally wake up, she was pleasantly surprised to see him there. “How long have you been here?” she asked. “Not quite an hour,” he replied, glancing at the clock. She cuddled up next to him and thought of all the mornings she had missed snuggling James. “I do want to spend all day here, but we ought to go file for our marriage certificate this morning,” he said as he kissed her face. They were not sure what to expect at the town hall, since all of their documents had come through the agency. However, their application process went through smoothly and they would be permitted a civil ceremony in two weeks. Anna still had her wedding dress from their first ceremony and she had enough time to get it professionally dry cleaned. They were giddy like children those two weeks leading up to their second wedding. Anna didn’t even care what the ceremony was like; she just cared that she could be with James again. Together they played with Amalia, strolled the streets of Trieste, and annoyed Gisella with their public displays of affection. Every waking moment was spent together. Because of their history, they both had an urgency to cling to each other like fly tape. One day they were walking through the market and Anna spotted Carlo. “That’s him,” she said quietly. James swept her off her feet in a very dramatic and powerful kiss. Carlo did notice and stared for a moment. When Anna came up laughing and petting James’ face, Carlo ran away as swiftly as possible. They laughed long after he had disappeared from sight. Anna loved how much she laughed now that James was back. There were no dark corners in her heart; no spot of residue from regrets and pains. She felt completely happy. “I need to write my mother,” she said the day before her third, and final, wedding.

“Mom, So much has happened since my last email. I hope you are sitting down! James came back home and we are getting remarried! He was all repentant for his absence and neglect and I have forgiven him. We are so very happy. He adores Amalia. Who wouldn’t? Our ceremony is tomorrow. It’s just a civil ceremony. I still want you to come visit on the planned date. You will be visiting a much happier home. Amalia is growing so fast. Today she said “mama.” Not that it makes me happy or anything. Ha-ha. Anyway, can’t wait to see you! Love, Anna”

Her mother smiled all day after reading Anna’s letter. She even printed it off so she could run over to the sawmill and read it to her husband. He was thrilled at the news and said, “You know, maybe I could leave the sawmill for jest a week so I can go see my grandbaby.” Clara’s heart was pounding with joy. It took a grandchild to get this man out of Tennessee. She would have to start the process to get him a passport. Later, she wrote Anna what her father had said. Anna got up and started dancing around. She swooped up Amalia and said, “Your grandpa is actually going to come see you!” Amalia didn’t know what was going on, but she squealed with delight for her mother’s attention. She turned to James and asked, “Have you talked to Beth and Peter, yet?” “Actually, I went to see them first after I quit the agency. They were very hurt, too. It took a lot to work through all of that. Anyway, I told them I would call them after I had talked to you and if things worked out between us, they could come visit us here. I called them several days ago, and they are thrilled that we are getting back together,” he replied. “We have family!” Anna thought with glee.

    The day arrived cool and breezy for the ceremony and Anna was glad they were going to be inside. Gisella dressed Amalia in a frilly dress that almost outshone the bride. Anna didn’t care, she wanted her daughter to know that she was so special; and part of the glue between her and James. Amedeo, Emiliana, and Gisella were their witnesses. Anna nearly cried thinking about how much of each of them meant to her. As the ceremony started, completely in Italian, Anna thought that it would all be very traditional. However, after James had recited the vows the officiator gave him, he grabbed her hands tighter. He said, “Anna, I swear to you that I will never, ever abandon you again. You and Amalia are the most important things to me now and I will spend the rest of my life building a strong family with you.” That was it. Tears started to flow down her cheeks and it was all she could do to recite her vows properly. The officiator just smiled and kept on reading the ceremony. When it was time for rings, James already had his on. He had never taken it off even though it was against the rules to wear a wedding ring in MI6. So Anna just held his hand as the man read her portion of the ring exchange. James was full of surprises and pulled out a brand new wedding set made of white gold with a large diamond surrounded by small diamonds in the engagement band and braided white gold for the wedding band. “To brand new beginnings,” he said and placed the rings on her finger. He later told her that he could not bring himself to give her the old ring set. He wanted the rings to represent starting over. He also wanted them to say that he was completely sincere and devoted to her this time. She thought that was the most romantic thing she had ever heard. After the ceremony, they went back to Anna’s house for a huge meal. Amalia slept through it all as the rest of them ate heartily, drank more heartily, and laughed the most. Anna was thinking this was the happiest wedding she had ever had. She also thought she was very glad this was her last. They wanted to wait to have a honeymoon until after Amalia was completely weaned.

    Two weeks after the wedding, Anna got a call from Bob. “Anna, Bob here. I wanted to let you know that the movie deal is on. The book is going to the screen writers as we speak and then in a few months they will start casting. Probably next year they will ask you to come put your stamp of approval on the screen play, casting, and story line. Anyway, that’s all several months away. Um, it might be wise to hire a financial advisor, my dear. This is going to take you way over the top.” She thanked him for handling all of that for her and they ended the phone call. James was sitting next to her and was going crazy wondering what the call was about. “I’ve got a movie deal for book one! A trip to Los Angeles is in our future,” she said excitedly. “Good God, you are so amazing!” he said. He took advantage of the situation to plant a few kisses on her.

    Amalia’s first birthday was celebrated similarly to the wedding reception and with the same cast of characters; except for two additions. Bill and Clara Nathan flew to Italy as they had promised. Bill could not get enough of his granddaughter and Clara fussed over her like she was a porcelain doll. Bill decided they would just have to come to Italy once a year to see her and of course, Anna.  They were glad to at last meet Anna’s husband who was in, then out, then in again. They put their speculations about him aside and found that they both loved James. Amalia was given homemade things that were crafted with care from each giver. She was a child who didn’t need anything, but everyone wanted to give her special things to remember her first birthday when she was older. She seemed happy with it all and bestowed an enormous gift on James by saying, “daddy,” when he gave her some cake. He kissed his little girl and thought he could never stop smiling with her in his life.

    The very next day, James and Anna flew to Crete. Bill and Clara were going to stay a few more days to spend time with Amalia. Anna tried the fish spa in Chania Town just for the fun of it. The garra rufa fish tickled her feet as they did their exfoliating jobs. James enjoyed the hike through Samaria Gorge National Park and was not even winded after the sixteen kilometer trek. Anna, however, found that she was out of shape and was gasping for air. She did enjoy the Botanical Park and seeing the exotic fruits and plants. They visited an archeological museum and a water park. James had intended to spend two weeks on their belated honeymoon, but when the first week was nearly over, they looked at each other and simultaneously said, “Let’s go home.” All they wanted was to be together at home, building their family. That was enough.

    Once they were home again, they decided to remodel the downstairs apartment into an office for both of them. The sewing room became their spare bedroom for visits from family. Beth and Peter established the same tradition as Bill and Clara; they would come to Italy once a year. It felt so good to be able to host family and let them know exactly where they lived. Their desks were side by side in front of the large front windows. Amalia could toddle up to them and get attention from both of them at once. They settled into a happy routine. Anna wrote books and James worked his internet job. They both adored Gisella and hoped she would stay with them forever.  Anna’s heart was full and she finally felt that life was as it should be.

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Chapter 14 at ya

Hey friends! I just had to go ahead and post 14 since tomorrow promises to be tremendously busy. My girlies are going to wave palms for 3 services at church starting at 8!!! ug. Then our church is putting on the Living Last Supper of Leonardo Divinci and hubby is a disciple and oldest daughter is an usherette. So, that means we get to be at church nearly all day!! Love these things, but I love when they are over as well.

14America

    When Amalia was nearly eight months old, Anna finished her third book, Darkness of Pseumish. This time she sent the flash drive by an insured, private courier. She called Bob several days later to make sure he had gotten it. “Yes! It looks great. I’ve only skimmed it a bit, you know. Listen, Anna, I’m glad you’ve called. I need to talk to you about something. I’ve been in contact with your American publisher and they think you should come and do book signings in several cities there. Like say, a ten city tour, or something like that. It would boost your reputation in the US and make your American publisher happy. What do you think?” She thought for a moment and then said, “That sounds fantastic! Will they choose the cities? I’m not sure how all that works.” Bob replied, “Yes, they will set it all up with important book stores in key cities and all you have to do is show up at the store at the right time.” “Ok, let me know when they have my schedule,” she said. They exchanged pleasantries and then hung up. She sat in silence for a long time. She had never thought that she would become a famous author doing a book signing tour. She was so excited! Gisella wanted to know what her publisher had said. When she told her she ended by saying, “I think we need to make a trip to Milan first. I want to make a good impression when I do my tour.” Two days later Bob called her back to give her the schedule. “All right, have you got a pen and paper? Well, never mind that, I can email you this schedule, but I just wanted to let you know I had it already.” “Gracious, that was fast!” she replied. He forwarded her the email while they were still chatting on the phone. “If you need anything else, let me know,” Bob said before hanging up. Anna looked over the list of cities and stores. Boston, Miami, Nashville, Austin, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Chicago were to be her destinations. She grimaced when she read Nashville on the list. She had no desire to set foot in Tennessee. But then again, perhaps her mom would drive to Nashville to see her and meet Amalia. Her tour would begin in a little over two weeks, so she had time for her Milan trip and any other preparations she wanted to make. Anna hired a car to take them to Milan and be her transport for her shopping trips. She didn’t want to mess with crowded buses or trains this time. She had so much fun buying smart looking outfits befitting a published author. She bought shoes and accessories as well. She also bought plenty of adorable outfits for Amalia, even though she didn’t really need them and she would always be at the hotel with Gisella. They raced back to Trieste to make sure Gisella and Amalia’s papers were in order for the trip. She had to make hotel reservations and transportation arrangements for each city they were to visit. She and Gisella spent several days packing the group of suitcases they would live out of for the next month. The day before their flight, Anna went to a hair salon. The hairdresser stood quietly behind Anna as she thought about what she wanted. Her long hair had never been cut other than a slight trim. She wanted a sophisticated look for her tour. “I think you can take off ten centimeters and layer it. Just make it beautiful!” she finally said. The hairdresser did her craft well and Anna walked out completely satisfied.  She had large wispy curls at the bottom of her hair and it all felt so much lighter. Gisella declared it a success when she saw her and said she was “bella, bella!”

    “Wish me luck!” she said to Gisella as she stood at the hotel door. They had landed in New York the day before and she was now on her way to her first signing. She noticed her old butterflies were back to doing their little dance. It actually made her smile because she knew she was embarking on a new chapter in her life. Her driver pulled in front of the large bookstore and she got out. She had to take in the feel of the environment around her for a moment before entering. She found a sales lady and said, “I’m Anna Nathan.” She used her maiden name on her books to avoid all the weirdness of her past. “Oh, oh, goodness. Right this way,” the lady told her. As she started to lead her to the back, Anna noticed a full length poster about today’s signing with a picture of her second book and a small picture of her. She was led to the back of the store where a large table was set up with a chair and a whole stack of Sharpies. “Now, we will cut off the line in an hour,” the woman said. Anna had no idea what she was talking about until they unlatched a cord at the end of a bookshelf and the hopeful customers began to line up at her table. She gazed open mouthed at the number of people here to see her and buy her book.  She gained control of herself and looked the first customer in the eye, “Thank you for coming! Who should I make this to?” Her hour was up before she knew it and there were still a lot of people. “I’m not in a hurry. I’ll sign some more if it’s okay with you,” she said to the nervous sales lady. They let her sign for another half hour and she was able to satisfy most of the waiting customers. “You have to be one of the nicest authors I’ve ever met,” the woman said as Anna was preparing to leave. They gave her the tally, she had signed over 200 books. Not bad for her first signing.  They spent two more days in New York and Anna wished she had saved some of her shopping for this city. Next on her tour was Boston. It was a very short flight. This was a much slower paced city and Anna enjoyed walking around its historic streets. The bookstore here was smaller, but had just as many eager customers waiting to meet her. Her American publisher happened to be in Boston, so she went to meet them the next day. She recognized one of the head editors from her signing the day before. Apparently, he had gone to get a sneak peek at their new author. She was happy with this establishment and thanked them for their interest in her. They arranged for her to have a photo shoot so that they would have pictures to put on her tour signs and books. That was a first for her, but she felt glamorous as the photographer snapped away hoping for one good picture out of a hundred. She rested for three days and then they flew to Miami. She began to notice what her publisher in England had told her; how the book was interesting to a “wide range of people.” In Miami, there were young and old, men and women waiting in line to have her sign their books. A young, classic nerd with black framed glasses and all came to her table. “Now, I’m just curious. Is Pseumish a Sci-fi place or not?” She could see he was completely serious, but she had a hard time holding her laugh. “Well, no, actually it’s more like a place of imagination; like Alice in Wonderland,” she answered. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and then stated, “You do know that Lewis Carroll was under the influence of opiates when he wrote that. Does that mean it’s a place of drug induced visions?” She couldn’t help laughing this time. “I can honestly tell you that no opiates were used in the creation of Pseumish.” She signed his book and was still giggling about that encounter several customers later. She signed books for two hours in Miami and her shoulders were so sore afterwards. She was happy to take advantage of her hotel’s masseuse. She was still incredulous to the fact that she had so many fans. 

    Her next stop was Nashville. She had two days until that appointment, so she called her mother. Her mother was glad she had called, but didn’t give any hope that she would come see her in Nashville. Anna became irritated, “Put Dad on the phone!” Her mother obliged. “You listen here, Daddy! I want you to put Mama in the truck and you two are going to come see me and your grandbaby on Saturday. Do you hear me? You can leave that horrible pit of depression for one day to see your own daughter.” He sighed loudly and then replied, “All right, I’ll bring her. Tell me where we have to go.” She emailed the directions to her mom and told them to come to her hotel in the morning so they could spend time with Amalia after she was gone for the book signing. She half expected them to back out, but early that Saturday morning, she got the call that they were in the lobby. She told them what room she was in and they came up. She cried and held them both for a long time when they entered her room. Finally she turned and picked up Amalia. “Mom, Daddy, this is Amalia. Meet your grandbaby,” Her mother threw out her arms and swept up the child in a tight embrace. “I am so happy to meet you, my precious granddaughter,” she said. “Don’t hog her!” her father said and he took a turn hugging her. Amalia seemed very happy with these new people. “Look here, sweetie, I’ve brought you a bear,” Anna’s mother said. It was a handmade patchwork bear sewn from different pink fabrics. “It’s adorable Mom,” Anna said and Amalia grabbed the bear and squeezed it. She let out a little laugh and her grandpa was completely wrapped around her little finger. Anna introduced them to Gisella and told them how much she had done for her. “Well, I know you’ve just gotten here, but I’ve got to go to the signing now. When I get back we can go out to eat some lunch. I’m sure you can find something to do here,” she said while smiling between her parents and the baby.

    Anna was greeted at the door of the large Nashville bookstore with a life size picture of her. It was the one they took in Boston. “Wow, now that is creepy,” she thought looking over her likeness. She would never have to introduce herself to a salesperson again; because they all knew exactly what she looked like. Sure enough, a man came walking swiftly up to her, “Ah, Miss Nathan, so good to see you. If you would please, follow me to the signing table.” She just smiled and followed him and his jaunty gate to the table. The line was enormous and there was a cheer when she came and sat down. Many of the staff had come to watch and there was a cameraman from a local news channel to document her signing. She put on her professional smile and went to work appeasing the mass of customers. In the back of her mind she still dreaded seeing anyone from Platzville, but she knew this was the last place on earth any of them would be caught dead. A professor type came up to her table and asked, “Can you tell me if Pseumish is based upon a place in real life, like an allegory or something?” She was thinking, “If people only knew who I was writing about…….” Instead she said, “Nope, just imagination.” This was mostly true since her stories had gone way beyond actual events in Platzville. She was so glad that these people didn’t know that Pseumish was inspired by back woods Tennessee, or they might not be here buying her book. She made it through the line of customers, the gawking staff, and the eager cameraman and headed back to the hotel. She was starving and ready to spend more time with her parents.

    They enjoyed a big lunch and she was happy to be able to treat her parents. “We ain’t seen nobody from Platzville since you left,” her father said. She hated when he talked like that, but it was his culture. Her father added, “You know that fella that shot Roy went to jail.” She figured he didn’t know what her mom told her in their emails. “Yes. How is the saw mill?” she asked. He told her it was the same as always. He missed the extra business from the Muller family, but that things were fine without them. She told them a little about Italy and how much she loved living there. The whole concept of living in a foreign country made her father uneasy, but he was genuinely happy that she had joy in her life now. “Well, Anna, I do hate to leave you and my grandbaby, but we’ve got to get on the road,” he said after they were finished eating. She loved that he had taken possession of her daughter as his own. “Daddy, you promise me you will at least let Mama come visit me in Italy. I would love it if you would come too, but I know that might be too difficult for you to manage. You have to promise me, though, that you will let her come. I’m going to buy the ticket. Promise me, Daddy!” she pled with him. He knit his brows together and then relaxed them, “You win, you and your mother can plan that trip. I couldn’t possibly come, you know.” She hugged him tight and thanked him. Her mother let a few tears of joy slip out. After many hugs and salutations, her parents left. She felt so glad that she had made them come to see her. She could now focus on the rest of her tour.

    Their next stop was Austin, Texas. She enjoyed the state where everything was big and laughed when the staff of the bookstore presented her with a plate of bbq from a famous smokehouse. She passed a rack of bumper stickers on her way to the table. One caught her eye that said, “Keep Austin Weird.” “What in the world does that mean?” she thought. She soon found out. The line before her consisted of every kind of person she could imagine. From dreadlocks to yuppie, she saw them all in the people waiting to meet her. A woman with green hair and two nose rings made her way to the table. Her clothes were all black and white and she had lots of makeup on. “Your books rock!” she said when she was in front of Anna. She could only smile and say, “Thank you so much. I appreciate you reading them.” Anna suddenly felt so sheltered even though she had lived across the ocean. “God loves everybody. God loves everybody…” she told herself over and over. She made it through the line and the staff asked her to sign her life sized picture for their store. She laughed while she signed her leg.

   They flew to Los Angeles during a rainstorm and the landing was a bit rough. Amalia didn’t cry at all and Anna was thankful. Their hotel was close to Rodeo Drive and Anna wanted to do some shopping when the rain stopped. However, it rained the rest of the day. So, they spent a quiet day in their hotel suite and she pulled out her laptop to work on ideas for book four. The next day she dressed up especially nice, it was L.A., and hired a car to take her to the store. It was really fancy. The manager escorted her upstairs and seated her in a plush swivel chair with a small side table. “This should be interesting.” As she made her way through the line of customers she thought, “I have never seen so many fake body parts in my life.” She wondered how the women could talk with their lips all pumped up. “Just get a bee sting, it’s cheaper,” she imagined herself saying. After the staff had turned away the end of the line, she noticed a man in a suit standing to the side waiting for her. She was a bit nervous when he approached her. “Hi, I’m Marshall Davies from Willow Studios. We’ve read your first book and think it would make a fantastic movie.” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Let me give you my card and if you are interested, give me a call,” he said. He then politely shook her hand and left. She turned to the manager and asked, “Have you ever heard of him or Willow Studios?” “Oh yeah, they’ve made a bunch of popular movies,” he replied. “Okay, thanks,” she said and then went out to find her driver. “I need to talk to Bob,” she thought. She called him while they were driving back to her hotel. “Bob I need to ask you about something,” she said when he was put on the line. She told him about Marshall and the movie offer. “Let me find out more about it for you. You should not be speaking with those people directly. I’ll let you know if it’s a good deal or not.” She felt better now that the matter was in his hands and not hers.

    Seattle reminded Anna of Austin, only colder. It was beautiful and she and Gisella enjoyed the views of massive cruise ships docked so close to the city. Anna wished they had longer than three days in Seattle, but alas, she had a schedule to keep. They flew to Minneapolis next. She did the book signing at the Mall of America. They gave her one hour to sign books, but the line had no end. She felt like she was being a little impersonal in an attempt to get so many people through the line. About forty-five minutes into the signing a mother with her little girl came to the table. The girl was wearing a homemade costume of one of the characters in her book. That made her happy and gave her the strength to make it through the rest of the hour. She finished and then wandered around the mall for a while. She was missing Amalia and Gisella, so she bought them a couple of presents and then called her driver. Back at the hotel, they spent a quiet evening together. The next day she took Gisella and Amalia to the mall because she wanted them to see it. Amalia was in sensory overload and Gisella wasn’t far behind her. They walked through Lego Land, shopped and ate until they were ready for the quiet of the hotel again. “Two more stops, I can do this,” Anna thought as she soaked in a warm bath that night. Kansas City was next and then Chicago. They would fly home from there. Home. It was amazing how much Anna felt at home in Trieste. She had not felt at home in any of the cities she had visited so far. She guessed it was because she had found herself in Italy. Everywhere else just made her curious, but uncomfortable. “Ah, must be my parents DNA at war within me,” she thought as she slipped into her night gown.

    Kansas City had more normal mid-western people and she actually found the signing to be a bit boring. The customers looked more like they had to be there instead of wanted to be there. She tried her best to be upbeat and gregarious. It didn’t make much of a difference and she was super glad when the time was up. “This was not my idea,” she said to her life size portrait as she went out the door. Chicago was a little more exciting and she was glad that she would be able to leave on a happy note. The staff was very friendly and brought her drinks and munchies while she was signing. She went to her hotel and announced victoriously, “Gisella, we are done! We can go home! We will have plenty of time before the Mittelciok Chocolate Festival!” Gisella let out a sigh of gratitude. She was as ready to go home as Anna was. The next day they were boarding a plane that would start their journey back home. 

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