Easter, a Time for Family

It was an Easter morning just as I had imagined all Easter mornings since my childhood, with a clear sky and beautiful sunrise. I looked forward to Easter Dinner, as I had been invited to dine with Paolo and his family - including his four children, his ten grand children, his in-laws, and a few others. Easter Dinner was to be held at a party house in Sciacca, Reggio Kokolas, that sits on a hill overlooking Contrada Foggia and the sea. Fran and I had wanted to eat there at some point, however the one time we went to get pizza there made by a friend of ours who had just gotten a job there, it was not possible, as there were three birthday parties going on, and they did not have any place quiet for us to eat, and the pizzioli were too busy making pizza for the kids.
The restaurant lived up to its billing as being very good, and everything from the antipasta to the pasta to the meat or fish course to the deserts to the coffee were excellent. They served 500 guests that day (only about 25 of them were Paolo's), and the service was always polite, always on time, and always there to make sure that everyone was having a good time. Everyone indeed did have a good time.

I learned later that the proprietor was an old friend of Paolo's (I should have known), and when everyone was done eating, Paolo was able to get them to bring him ten kilos of left over fish for his cats. And the left overs really were for the cats. Oh my, they must have feasted.

Of course I missed Fran while I was with this wonderful family, and indeed I had to excuse myself from the table a few times so that they would not see my tears. But it was a wonderful time, and as we were walking out to the car, Ignatzia took my elbow and said; 'See, you are a part of our family.' She is so sweet, because that is just how I felt.

It was evening when I got home, but there was no question that I did not feel hungry enough to have anything for cena. Such a wonderful meal. I went to bed to read, and woke up in the morning with the book where it had fallen on the floor. The last I remembered was that it was nine at night. Oh well, there is always Pasquetta.