The Sixth Legion

Chapter 11 - The La Palm

They had decided to stay in Palermo for a couple of days in order to get acclimated to the climate. The plan was they would forge out during the day and have the luxury of the La Palme Hotel to retreat to at night. There were loads of things to see on their list from open-air markets, to architecture, to a planned stop at the city Municipal in order to inquire about adoption procedures and purchasing a villa. They were still trying to have a baby, but after 3 DNC's there were losing hope, but Donny consoled Lesliea by telling her that God had their babies and would place them wherever they chose to adopt, and what better place for a Sicilian couple to adopt – then Sicily.

Once they were done with Palermo, they would hire a driver and make the journey inland to Alia where Uncle Santo was waiting. They had planned that junket to be another two-day excursion, as neither of them felt comfortable with the notion of staying much longer with a bunch of Sicilian relatives they didn't know very well. That would be too much on the first trip, so when they called to make arrangements Don told his uncle they could only stay a couple of nights. When Santo protested, Donny explained they were obligated to visit Syracuse on the eastern end of the island to see his mother's people... That invoked the snipe, "Why would you wanna do that?" But Don ignored that and actually understood his uncle's vehemence, given all the trouble his mom caused for his dad (Santo's brother...)

There was bad history there but it wasn't the time to open up old wounds, so he blew it off. After all, the whole purpose of the trip was to create family ties, not open up old wounds from long and forgotten family conflicts. Thankfully, Santo didn't seem interested in pursuing it further and he quickly changed the subject by commenting on how excited everyone was about their pending visit; but then, he added something very strange... "You know Donny, the Sicani have been waiting a long time for a Don, especially Eunus," Donny exclaimed, "What... who are the Sicani?" Santo just ignored the question, and changed the subject again by asking if they had any plans to visit the old family estate. Don told him it was a must on their itinerary, and that his dad had requested pictures, and Santo simply responded, "Good Donny. We'll make sure he's ready for you..." Don was taken aback again, "Make sure who's ready?" But his uncle just snickered and told him to get a pen and paper. He made sure Donny jotted down a series of instructions including directions, phone numbers, and addresses, and it seemed weird that as he furiously wrote, his uncle's accent suddenly cleared up. The conversation became very concise as if he were talking with some American ticketing agent of something... Don's dad warned him that Santo was a man of few words so this seemed like one more weird, out of character thing. However, once Santo was certain Donny had all the contact info right he made his goodbyes and abruptly hung up. The stuff about the old estate really irked Don and he made a mental note to ask his dad what the hell all the crap was about Eunus and the Sicani. He was certain a huge family mystery laid buried there and he was going to get to the bottom of it...

Of course, secretly... they had no plans to see anyone on his mom's side of the family. There were still a few of his mom's people on the island, but most of them had immigrated to America long ago. The real plan for after Alia was to gather information on adoption and real estate, and then, meet with a solicitor in Syracuse to look at a few seaside villas. It was to be the fulfillment of one of Don's lifetime dreams; to return to the old country (or at least have a residence there) and they both were enamored with the idea of owning their own Mediterranean hideaway. As far as his uncle went, it was just easier to tell a little white lie. The other option being to tell him, "Gee Uncle Santino, we'd love to spend more time with you and the folks, but we've got an important appointment with a real estate agent...."

Vincent had advised them their visit would be a very big deal for all of Alia. It was a huge honor to have family come all the way from America and they were to be very careful to not come off as aloof. He also cautioned that being too bashful or reserved would be bad too. Sicilians were a fierce and defiant people, and on their first visit they should be as courteous as possible and very careful to avoid controversial topics. Donny decided to act on that advice under the premise that less exposure on the first visit would be safer than a long stay. Less time meant fewer chances to screw up, so he made certain Santo understood from the beginning that their first visit would be brief, but followed by many more. Don's pop also gave them his version of Sicilian Village Life 101, making it clear that in the hinterland, Sicilians led a quiet existence. And that meant no partying unless they were invited to one. They were to hold off on any arguments until after they took their leave, and they were to be quiet and respectful in all things. His final bit of advice was a stern warning, "Whatever you do, never refuse a gift or kindness from anyone over there. They will be gravely offended...."