Waving frantically at the streetcar, I ran to greet Poppa, tears running down my cheeks.  He gave me one of his famous bear hugs and, once again, I felt secure in his embrace.  In the summer of 1835, I arrived, a frightened immigrant boy. 

I remember my knees were knocking that day when Uncle Bruno greeted me at the Bowery Street streetcar stop in New York City.  I was lonely for Poppa and wanted to go home, but Uncle Bruno assured me that Poppa would soon be with us. 

After Momma died from the influenza bug that swept through our village, Poppa decided that life would be better for us in America.    Uncle Bruno was doing well as a Superintendent of a brownstone apartment building on the upper eastside and he told Poppa there was plenty of work for both of them.

Now having Poppa at my side again was a dream come true.  We were family,   Poppa, Uncle Bruno and me, three men with dreams as big as America itself!  Maybe some day I'll even run for President of the United States.  Suddenly, life blossomed with possibility and I was eager to greet it.

are available from amazon.com, Borders, and Target.

© 2008 Angela T. Pisaturo. Original for CCF (Pisaturo grants CCF  first electronic rights for one month; CCF may archive the material indefinitely and include it in an eBook anthology).