This is for all the Italians here on FAOL, or those who are lucky enough to
be married to an Italian, or even to be friends of Italians or even watch the Sopranos or even ever ate a pizza. Well anyway…
An elderly Italian man lay dying in his bed. While suffering the agonies
of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite
Italian anisette cookies wafting up the stairs. Gathering his remaining
strength, he lifted himself from the bed.
Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and
with even greater effort, gripping the railing with both hands he
crawled downstairs. With labored breath, he leaned against the
doorframe, gazing into the kitchen. Were it not for death’s agony, he
would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon
waxed paper on the kitchen table, were literally hundreds of his
favorite anisette cookies.
Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted
Italian wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a
happy man? Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself towards
the table, landing on his knees in a crumpled posture. His parched lips
parted, the wondrous taste of the cookie was already in his mouth,
seemingly bringing him back to life. The aged and withered hand trembled
on its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when it was suddenly
smacked with a spatula by his wife…
“Get out of here!” she said, “They’re for the funeral.”
[This message has been edited by Marco (edited 29 March 2006).]
I just sent this to my mom and her three Italian sisters. Within hours all 20-something of my Italian cousins and siblings will be choking on their biscotti and espresso will be flying out their noses, too! And we’re talking about Jersey Italians, here.
Thanks for the great story!
Diane
[This message has been edited by Diane (edited 29 March 2006).]
Thanks a WHOLE BUNCH!!! Had to put in the “aroma of his favorite Italian anisette cookies”.
I’m over 40 and I just ticked my Mom off by saying I wanted her to make and send me some
(kind of blackmailed her into actually with the but Mom I’m the only one who doesn’t live near home so I never get any)
Won’t print what she told me LOL but I’m waiting for my care package. And Mom says watch out Marco you’re on her list LOL.
