Three Word Wednesday-The Christmas Card Part 3

Three Word Wednesday-The Christmas Card- Part 3

If you missed part one http://sheilaghlee.blogspot.ca/2012/12/three-word-wednesday-christmas-card.html

if you missed part two http://sheilaghlee.blogspot.ca/2012/12/three-wednesday-word-christmas-card.html

Prompts:

Idle; adjective: (Especially of a machine or factory) not active or in use; without purpose or effect; verb: (of a person) spend time doing nothing; be idle; move aimlessly or lazily.

Nagging; adjective: (Of a person) constantly harassing someone to do something; persistently painful or worrying.

Pace; noun: A single step taken when walking or running; consistent and continuous speed in walking, running, or moving; verb: Walk at a steady and consistent speed, esp. back and forth and as an expression of one's anxiety or annoyance.

The Christmas Card- Part 3

        Grace arrived in Stratford and had spent the night at Mildred’s niece’s Anna’s. Grace wanted to get to the other Grace’s sister Maria’s but when she called Maria this morning she’s gotten her answer machine saying she would be gone until the twenty fourth. Grace had a nagging feeling Maria tried to avoid her. Luckily for their quest Anna was excited to have more company and insisted Grace would stay for Christmas and share the day with Mildred and her.

       Grace didn’t like the pace that this took she wanted to give this card with the ring to the other Grace. Grace thought about how she would feel after all this time receiving a gift of this nature and she wished she could also give Grace Roberto’s whereabouts. She couldn’t remain idle and do nothing while waiting to see Maria. Maybe she could if she could get to the local library and use their computer and internet connections? She could do some research to find Roberto’s service records and then maybe she could pinpoint where he might live. She clearly wasn’t thinking she didn’t even know Roberto’s last name.

     “Grace dear, you looked troubled. Don’t worry we will see Maria on Christmas Eve and then she’ll tell us where to find Grace,” Mildred Donnelly said interrupting her thoughts.

     “I wanted to look up Roberto’s service records and possibly find him but I don’t know his last name.”

     “Let me see if I can remember. I think it was like some kind of pasta.”

     “Pasta? Like Vermicelli?”

     “No silly not vermicelli, something that started with an F,” Mildred answered.

     “Fedelini?”

     “No, I think it was Fus something,” Mildred replied trying hard to recall.

     “Fusili?”

     “Yes, that’s it. His name was Roberto Fusili,” Mildred answered happily.

     “I’m going to the library to look up some records then,” Grace responded.

     “If you find him you won’t go see him without me, will you?”

      “No, of course not.”

       Grace arrived at the library and began searching records online. Several dollars later paid out on her credit card and she searched through service records for Roberto Fusili. She found a lot of Robertos and Roberts but no Roberto Fusili. She began to think that Mildred had the name wrong when she found him. A record that Roberto Fusili had mustered out of the army in 1946 lay before her. But where had he gone after that? She scoured some more records and found that he had been sent to the army base in London, Ontario before he had left the army. While looking through those records she spotted a name she recognized Paul Knight. Uncle Paul as she called him was an old family friend of her grandfather’s, she would call Uncle Paul and ask him if he knew about Roberto and where he may have gone. She picked up her cell phone and called the number she knew so well.

       “Hello.” she heard as Uncle Paul answered the phone.

       “Uncle Paul, it’s Grace. How are you?

       “I’m doing well for a ninety two year old man. When will you coming to see me?”

       “Soon. I promise. In the meantime I have a question for you.”

       “Go ahead child, if I know the answer I’ll tell you. That is if I haven’t forgotten it,” Paul joked.

       “I’m trying to find the whereabouts of a soldier you served with.”

       “Don’t know why you would want to know about some old fogey like me but if I can remember anything I’ll let you know.”

       “Do you remember a Roberto Fusili?”

       “Roberto? What would you want with him?”

       “Please Uncle Paul, do you know him?”

       “Yes, I knew him...heck I still know him, though I haven’t seen him in years.”

       “You do? Where can I find him?”

       “Last I heard he lived in Stratford. He lived in one of those assisted living places. I hope he's still alive.”

      “Do you remember the name of the place Uncle Paul?”

      “Sure but before I tell you can you tell me why you want to know?”

      “I want to return a letter that came too late and hopefully he can deliver it in person.”

     “A letter that came too late? Explain this to me.”

      So Grace did and Paul told her that Roberto lived in the Kensington Gardens on Erie Street in Stratford. Grace hurried back to Maria’s to get Mildred so they could go see Roberto. She wondered if he still lived and whether he still wanted to give that ring to Grace. Unfortunately Mildred’s niece said she wasn’t feeling well and was lying down. Grace made a decision to go on her own. She could fill Mildred in on the visit afterwards.

©Sheilagh Lee January 3, 2013 

To be continued next Wednesday.