Sierra Albano
Mrs. Fleig
English 2 / Period 2
14 December 2013
Mila
I, Mila, am a sixteen year old girl. I tell you this story as I read it from my diary. My family and I are immigrants. We were originally from Italy, but due to World War II my family felt that we could have a better life in America. My parents were strong believers in the American Dream. I am the youngest of three children; my two older brothers, Marco and Luca, are like fathers to me. They mean the world to me. I feel most close to them. Many times I would come home from school and hear the bombs of the war. I was scared that a bomb would land on our house. That’s what my parents feared.
I miss Italy a lot. I really do. There is nothing quite like walking the cobble stone streets and smelling the bread from the nearby bakery. The town was gorgeous. It was on the outskirts of Rome, a small town called Siena. But most of all, the thing I miss the most, is my best friend, Carmelina. We have been best of friends since we were born. Our fathers worked at the same factory. Her nonna would watch us and feed us when we got home while our parents were att eh factories. I truly consider her family a part of mine.
My mama, Florentina, worked in the sewing factories. My papa, Antonio, worked in the machine factories. Both were very busy and rarely home. My brothers practically raised me. The thing about Italy is everyone is one tight knit family. All the neighbors look out for each other, especially when the war hit.
When the war began, things took a sharp turn from good to bad. My parents had to work even longer shifts. The supply demand needed from the factories was unbelievable. It started with just a few planes flying by, but quickly turned into bomb drills at school. When the alarm rang we had to get under our desks. It was so quite you could hear a pin drop, yet you could hear the sound of the fighter planes going overhead. It was no longer safe to walk the streets anymore. At every street corner there were armed guards holding large guns. The sight frightened me. At night the sky glowed orange from the bomb fires. Then, the draft began. They would not take my father because he was working in the factories. They refused to take factory workers because they needed what was produced from the factories. That left my brothers. Luca is eighteen and Marco is nineteen; both young and strong. My family refused to have their two sons enlisted in a war. That was when I knew we would not be living in Italy much longer.
Three days later, when I arrived home from school, that is, being taken to and from school by my brothers, my parents were already home. They are never home till after dark. I knew what was coming; I just didn’t want to believe it. They told us we would be leaving for America in the morning. The army was coming for Luca and Marco and would not stop at nothing. We were to pack our bags tonight and fill them with as much as we could. Eight o clock the next morning my family and I are on a ship to New York. I didn’t even have time to say goodbye to Carmelina. I just hope that her family can get out safely as well. It saddens me to see such a beautiful country as Italy be overtaken by something as dark and evil as war.
A week later we arrive at Long Island, New York. Papa says he knows he can find jobs at the factories for mama and himself. We move into a small town house in the middle of the city. It is close to the school where I will attend and the factories for mama and papa. A short time after arriving in New York, both Luca and Marco got accepted into college. This was huge. The only downside is I don’t get to see them very much. They still live at home, but they are so busy we don’t get to spend time together like we used to. I miss that a lot.
This new school I go to, unlike the all girls high school I attended back in Italy, has boys and girls. It is quite different to me, but that seems to be the American thing. The classes are the same though. We still learn the same things. The people are really nice. To my surprise there are many immigrants. Most come from a similar story, they left their home country and came here for a better life. I made friends really easily and got to know them really well.
When the bell rings at the end of the day, saying that school is over for the day, everyone goes to the courtyard, then out the front gates. One day I was one of the last people to get out. I had some questions for my teacher so I stayed later. I was on my way to the courtyard when someone caught my eye. To the far right, over by the fountain was a group of boys. They were wearing matching jackets and seemed to just be hanging out. I, coming from an all girls school, never paid much attention to boys before. But I couldn’t help myself. The one in the front of the pack took my breath away. He was tall, tan, and had brown hair and eyes. Everything about him was perfect. I wanted to go up to him but I couldn’t bring myself to do that. I felt that I should go cause I probably looked rather weird just standing there, drooling over them. I turned and headed out the gates on my way home.
That night I could not fall asleep, no matter how hard I tried. I could not get that guy out of my head. Everything about him played through my mind. Oh how I wish I could have summed up the nerve to go and talk to him. I wish I at least knew his name. I could not believe how indulged I was in him. I had never felt this way before. Something about him just made me feel like sunshine.
Day after day I looked for him at school but I never found him. I was beginning to think that I would never see him again. He was definitely a student though. He was wearing the school’s athletic shirt. I even waited after school on purpose to see him, but he was not there. It really put me down. It crazy to think like that. I didn’t even know this person’s name. How could I be so obsessed? I just couldn’t help it.
Two weeks had passed and at this time we had been in American for one month. Mama was working at the sewing factories and papa was working at the machine factories. Things were going well for them. Luca and Marco were doing well in college. They were always very smart, and this just showed it. We were starting to adjust to the American lifestyle. At this time, it was December in New York. The temperature was very cold day in and day out.
It was winter break at school. I still hadn’t seen the guy I saw after school that one day. It was eating my alive. Now that we were on break, I was almost positive I would never see him again. Maybe we weren’t supposed to meet, I began to think. That must not have been God’s plan.
Since we moved here, I hadn’t had much time to explore the city. I’d been so darn busy. I decided this cold, crisp December day would be a good day to do just that, explore. I headed downtown. I always loved downtown. This New York City downtown reminded me so much of the one back home in Siena. The road was made of bricks and the sidewalk was lined with tall, black light posts. Shops were on both sides with large display windows in the front. Something about downtown always made me feel real cozy.
I decided that I could go for a vanilla chi tea right about then. There was a tiny little coffee shop on the corner. It was so warm inside, you felt like melting. Up on the counter was a little bell with a sign in front. The sign read Please ring bell for assistance, so I did. At fist no one showed up, but to my surprise I thought I was in heaven. The guy I thought had fallen off the face of the earth was suddenly standing right in front of me. I was speechless.
“Can I help you?” he asked me. I had to sum up some words to be able to answer this question.
“Um, yes, could I please get a vanilla chi tea, please?” My heart felt like it was going to jump right out of my body it beating so fast.
“Sure. Hey, do you by any chance go to Medowville High? You look really familiar, like I’ve seen you somewhere.”
“Yeah, I do. I saw you one day after school with another group of guys.” I responded. After I said that, I wish I hadn’t. Do you know how creepy that sounded?
“I thought so. Sometimes I see you leaving school.”
I felt so clueless. For two weeks I had done my best to try to find him again, yet he saw me every day. I wanted to kick myself for it. He handed me my tea and I turned to go sit at a little table by the window. It had begun to snow outside. I always loved it when it snowed out. Something about it may me feel warm inside. Back in Siena I would sit by the window and just watch the white cotton fall from the sky.
I pull out a chair at a small round table by the window. As I sat down I noticed that he was coming over to me. He asked if he could sit and talk with me. Of course I said yes. How could I say no?
“So are you new here? I haven’t seen you until just a few weeks ago.”
“Yeah I am. My family and I just came here from Italy a month ago. We left to escape the war.”
“Seriously? I can’t even begin to image what that would be like.” He said .
“It was really hard. I was scared to sleep at night because I could hear the sound of bombs at night and see orange throughout the sky. The sirens rang constantly at school. One night parents told me that the army was coming for my brothers due to the draft. We weren’t about to let that happen. The next morning we were on a ship here.”
“That’s unbelievable.” He sounded so sincere and concerned. You could read it on his face. Something about his eyes was so soothing. “You are so strong. I don’t think I could ever go through that. I want to know more about you? Maybe you could start by telling me your name.” He urged.
“Well, my name is Mila, I’m sixteen, my parents are factory workers, and I have two older brothers, Luca and Marco. I have made a few friends in my classes at school, but I still don’t know that many people. I’m still trying to learn the American way. That’s about it.” I felt like such a boring person. I only hoped I didn’t seem boring to him. “So what about you? What should I know about you? Maybe you could start by telling me your name.” I smiled.
He laughed. “Well, Mila, I’m Austin, and I’m sixteen as well. I have one younger sister, she’s 10. My parents are really wealthy. My dad is the governor of New York. People constantly ask me what I’m doing here, working at a coffee shop. My answer is always the same. I don’t want to have money because I inherited it. I want to have money because I worked hard and earned it. I’ve lived here in New York my whole life. That’s about it for me.”
I had no idea what to say next. I was talking to the governor’s son. Getting to know Austin was great. He was perfect in every way. He was smart, humble, kind, and the good looks was the icing on the cake. We talked for about an hour just learning things about each other. We had a great time. I felt as if we had known each other for years.
“We should meet up sometime. I work here every day after school from four to six. When we are break, like this, I work the morning shift, eight to eleven thirty. You should stop by again. I really enjoyed getting to know you, Mila.” Everything that came out of his mouth was so sweet.
“I’ll definitely do that. I enjoyed meeting you too.” I said with a smile on my face.
I stood up from the table, threw my cup away, and headed towards the door. My gentleman that Austin is quickly came over and opened the door for me. He said bye and gave me a hug. Was I dreaming? I really felt like I was dreaming. My day was made. The rest of the day, all I could think about was Austin. He was so kind, but the thing I loved the most was he listened deeply to what I had to say and he was so humble. Here he is, filthy rich, and yet, instead of taking that for granted, he works to get his own money so he can buy his own things. That really touched me.
That night at the dinner table, everyone talked about their day. I didn’t mention meeting Austin. Mama talked about her day at the sewing factory. She said the other women there are so kind; they made her feel welcome. Papa said the machine factories were tough but good. Being a factory worker is never easy. Luca and Marco are out of school as well. Things were going great. Straight A’s for the both of them. I couldn’t be more proud.
It was that evening, while I was lying in bed, that I decided that I would right this story down in my diary. I had a gut feeling it would be a good one.
For the next week, every morning I would go to visit Austin at the coffee shop in downtown. He got so used to me coming, when he saw me show up, he already had the window table reserved and a vanilla chi tea for me. He always joined me and we always had something new to talk about. When it was time for me to leave, he always did the same thing. He would open the door, say bye, and give me a hug. Things were going really well. It was the same old same old every week until one Friday.
“So Mila, we have gotten to really know each other really well. I was wondering if maybe you would like to go the Christmas parade with me tonight. It starts at eight, beginning at McGregor and ending at 17th Street. Would you like to go with me?”
Was this supposed to be a date? Or more like two friends celebrating Christmas together? Either way, I said yes. I was so excited.
“Great. How about I meet you up here, at the coffee shop. It’s not that far from here and then we can walk there.”
“Okay.” I responded.
That evening I was trying my best to decide what to wear. I was supposed to snow so I put on a pair of jean, boots, a sweater, and grabbed my coat. Right outside the coffee shop is a little patio with tables and chairs. I decided I would wait there for him. About five minutes later, I see him walking up the sidewalk. He smiled from ear to ear. I did too.
“You look amazing.” He said.
“Oh thank you.” I replied.
“Let’s go. It starts in a half hour.”
We headed down the street walking side by side. Since I’m new here, Austin is always catching me up on things. He tells me about school, the city, American holidays and traditions and so on. I enjoyed it a lot. It really helped me feel like I was starting to fit in.
Austin decided that it would be best if we were somewhere in the middle of where the parade would go. The street was blocked off with a rope along the sidewalk. About five minutes later the music starts, the lights shine bright, and the beautiful floats make their way down the street. It was amazing. I hadn’t seen anything like it ever before. About twenty minutes into the parade, that was when the snow started falling. It landed in my hair and you could feeling it touch your cheeks. I was cold but it was worth it. I guess it was noticeable that I was cold, because Austin leaned down to ask me if I was cold. Of course, I said no when I really was. He offered me his jacket but I refused to take it. I didn’t want him to get cold, or worse get sick all because of me. However, he knew I was freezing. He reached around me and wrapped his arms around me. I was at a loss of words. All of the sudden I was beginning to feel warm again. I looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back. I was starting to think that we may become more than just friends.
I didn’t want the parade to end. I wanted to spend all night in his arms. I felt so warm and safe standing there. When the parade was over, Austin suggested we go back to the coffee shop and get something warm to drink. As always, I got a vanilla chi tea, and he got a hot chocolate. We sat at our usual table and talked about the night. As I drank the tea I could feel the warmth running through my body. It was a great feeling. I could tell that things were getting more serious between Austin and I. We sat closer together, leaned in towards each other when we talked and we began to feel more comfortable talking to each other. I had started to develop feelings for Austin. It was strange, but I got the feeling that he had feelings for me as well, especially after tonight. The way he put his arms around me and pulled in close was unlike anything I had ever felt before.
It was starting to get late and I decided that it would be best if I started to head home. He agreed and we headed down the street together. We walked together for as far as we could, until we had to go different ways. Before I could walk my separate way, he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me in real close. His arms wrapped all the way around my back. He told me what a great time he had and how much he thought of me. I felt the same way. Then, out of nowhere, he leaned down and gave me kiss. I was in shock. I stood there and let it last. He pulled back and looked me in the eyes. My smile was so big I could not control it. With a final hug, no words were needed.
I felt like I was on top of the world. This guy I saw at school one day, who I nearly drooled over, now, one month later, we were in a relationship. I was speechless. Things moved really fast, but I was okay with that. I still did not tell my parents about Austin, nor did I tell Luca and Marco. I felt like I could tell them before I told mama and papa, but I wanted to be sure things were right before I said anything.
The next morning, I had to go to see Austin. There was a fresh blanket of snow on the ground, and the sky was crystal clear. I walked into the coffee shop, sat at the window and table and within a minute I was greeted with Austin holding a cup of vanilla chi tea.
“Thanks” I said as I reached for the cup.
“No problem.”
“So listen, I want to talk about last night. It was amazing. I had never felt like that before, nor had I ever experienced anything quite like that.”
“I’m sorry if I jumped too fast,” He stated. “I just couldn’t help myself. Mila, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, your story touches me, and I just want to be with you.”
His words were so real.
“You didn’t jump too fast. I really enjoyed it. I remember when I first saw you. I thought I was drooling. Then, when I found out you worked here, I was even more amazed. For days I spent hours after school looking for you, but I never saw you. If I could relive last night I would, because right now I think I’m living in a fantasy.” I proclaimed.
He reached for my hand and took hold of it.
“I’m really glad you feel the same way. I love you Mila. I really do.
“I love you too.”
Four years later Austin and I got married at age 20. Who would have thought that we could be so lucky? He means the world to me. I don’t think I would have survived high school without him. He made my arrival to a new place less scary and really showed me what it is like in America.
By this time the war has been over for two years. We decided for our honeymoon we would go to Siena. I showed where I lived, the school I went to, and the little bakery I passed by every day. To my surprise, everything was still there. Austin was amazed. I looked for Carmelina while I was there but I never found her. It saddened me but I didn’t let it bring me down on our honeymoon.
When we arrived back home in New York I found that I had a letter from Siena. When I opened it, there were two letters from Carmelina. The first was from the day she found out that I had left Siena. She was sad that we didn’t get to say goodbye. She feared we would never get to see each other again. The second one was written not too long ago. She said that her family left Siena not that much longer than I had. Her family came to Massachusetts to work at the Boston Harbor. It brought tears to my eyes as I read it. I was so relieved that she was okay.
My life couldn’t have turned out better. I just had to keep telling myself that no matter how bad something may seem, you always to keep your head up high and think positively. Good things will happen if you believe.
And that is my story.