I Love You, Salvatore Read online

  “Where’s Papà?” she asked.

  “Gone out with your uncles.”

  “When will he be back?”

  “Suppertime,” I said, praying I was right.

  ***

  The sound of engines drew closer. I shot off the couch with Anna and ran for the front door, my heart in my throat. Seconds later, the door burst open, Ricardo stepping inside first. Sergio appeared second, then the twins: Dominic’s and Vinnie’s faces forlorn. My heart beat faster and faster as everyone but my husband entered. When Salvatore finally stepped through the threshold, I flung myself at him, knocking him back. The twins started laughing behind us as I kissed Salvatore all over his face, not caring that I probably looked ridiculous hanging off him, my feet not touching the ground.

  Salvatore wrapped his arms around me. “What a welcome home,” he said, smiling wide.

  I smiled back, so happy he’d returned SAFE and sound.

  No More

  Than two days later the Landi Don declared war against us.

  Today one of his spies planted bombs in our house.

  He had brought the war to our doorstep

  Taking me to the gates of Heaven

  That was the life of the mafia

  Happy one moment

  Dead the next

  My Last Breaths

  As I lay dying, my last thought was of Salvatore and how happy he looked holding our two bambini in his arms that day not so long ago. The coldness left me in that moment, warmth wrapping its arms around me. I imagined it was Salvatore holding me instead. He would be mourning me like Luciano mourned his wife. He would be in pain for months … years to come. But eventually, I hoped he would smile again. I prayed he could get through a day where my memory wasn’t just a sad hole inside his chest. I wanted him to smile like he had at our wedding or when Piero and Mia were born. I also wanted him to laugh again. But most of all, I wanted him to live up to what I wrote on his body: that if he found a good woman he would marry her, because I wanted him to be happy again. How could I not? I loved him more than life itself.

  Praying he heard me

  I opened my mouth one last time

  And breathed out

  “I love you, Salvatore.”

  Salvatore’s Viewpoint

  Coming in 2015...

  My wife died in a bomb blast six weeks ago, leaving me shattered and broken, struggling every day to cope without her. Then more tragedy struck; a vicious attack on a pregnant woman who was staying with my family. I went to Menna’s aid, doing for her what I wished I could’ve done for my Rosa. I watched over Menna as she healed from her injuries, making sure no more harm came to her. I thought I was helping her, but in the end she helped me. One line was all she needed to say:

  “Tell me about Rosa.”

  And I did.

  This is my love story, one that made me laugh, smile, and cry. But most of all, it made me honor my beautiful Rosa...

  L’amore della mia vita - the love of my life.

  About the Author

  Marita A. Hansen is from New Zealand. She loves writing, creating art, watching and participating in football, and running. She ran her first marathon in 2012 and is now planning on completing many more. For more information on Marita check out these links:

  Author Facebook Page:

  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marita-A-Hansen/113130742120676

  Blog Site:

  http://maritaahansen.blogspot.co.nz/

  Amazon Author Page:

  http://www.amazon.com/Marita-A.-Hansen/e/B005H5W79K/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

  Goodreads’ Author Page:

  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5129673.Marita_A_Hansen

  Artslant Page:

  http://www.artslant.com/global/artists/show/74433-marita-hansen

  Twitter Name: @MaritaAHansen

  Other books by Marita A. Hansen

  Graffiti Heaven (Graffiti Heaven #1)

  Behind the Hood (Behind the Lives #1)

  Behind the Tears (Behind the Lives #2)

  Behind the Lens (Behind the Lives #3)

  Don’t Peek (The Diaries of a Teenage Girl)

  My Masters’ Nightmare Season 1, Episodes 1 – 5

  My Masters’ Nightmare Season 1, Episodes 6 – 10

  My Masters’ Nightmare Season 1, Episodes 11 – 15

  Overwhelmed (Blurred Lines #1)

  Ricardo (The Santini Brothers #1)

  Italian / English Glossary for I Love You, Salvatore

  Accidenti – Wow, Damn it / Damn, Good Heavens

  Amore – Love.

  Bambina / Bambine – Baby girl / Baby girls.

  Bambino / Bambini – Baby boy / Baby boys.

  Bastardo – Bastard.

  Bene – Good, fine, well, okay, etc.

  Buon Dio – Good God.

  Cara – Dear, darling, beloved. Caro is the male equivalent.

  Casa – House, home.

  Culo – Ass.

  Dio / Dio Mio – God / My God.

  Don – A mob boss, the head of a crime family.

  Famiglia – Family.

  Figa – Pussy.

  Figlio – Son.

  Figlio di Puttana – Son of a bitch. Puttana also means whore.

  Grazie / Grazie Mille – Thank you, thanks / Thank you very much, many thanks. Literal meaning: a thousand thanks.

  Imbecille - Imbecile, idiot.

  Mamma – Mom, Mommy.

  Mafioso – A member of the mafia. Mafiosi (Plural).

  Merda – Shit.

  Nonna – Grandmother, Grandma.

  Papà – Dad, Daddy.

  Pronto – Used instead of hello when answering the phone.

  Prosciutto – An Italian dry-cured ham that is generally served uncooked and thinly sliced.

  Ragazza – Girl.

  Sì – Yes.

  Signora – Mrs. or Madam.

  Signore – Mr. or Sir. The “e” is dropped when the title is placed in front of a name.

  Signorina – Miss.

  Soldato / Soldier – a low level mafia member who protects high-ranking members as well as doing their dirty work, such as collecting outstanding payments.

  Stronzo – A nasty word with multiple meanings, such as asshole, turd, and bastard. Used as an insult

  Troia – Bitch, slut, and can also mean whore.

  Regarding SURNAMES and their PLURAL FORM:

  Due to the mix of English and Italian in the text, there will be some variations in the surnames.

  Santini and Orsini - The “i” at the end of these names already denotes the plural form in Italian, so they will not have an “s” added to them.

  The Rosso name will use the English rule, adding an “s” when it becomes plural, since the “o” in Italian is singular.