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Chapter one

The first sign of daas an to dance along the horizon, casting shadowed ie of the country road leading to Pordenone They were dressed in dark, tattered trousers and th coats, and their wide-billed hats were pulled do to hide their hair

They both stood tall and walked in the saht doexcept that onewasagirl

Maria Lazzaro squinted her eyes, watching the Septey haze that hung low over the ground She knew that once the fog began to slowly lift, it would be like s tall houses in the distance

She turned her gaze toward her twin brother Alberto, who had been unusually quiet since having left their Gran- weary of their daily chores, but just hadn't spoken histo worry Maria

Maria suddenly broke the silence “How long has Papa been gone now, Alberto?” she asked, wiping a black se from the tip of her nose Oh, how she hated the endless duty of cleaning chie her olive coloring to a dull, ashen gray And the filth beneath her fingernails It took away fro been born a female

Alberto rested a long-handled brush against his shoulder … the brush itself evenloosely fro his lips, a mere whisper of numbers barely audible to Maria

Maria prodded i lashes nervously She was glad that she and Alberto had been given special schooling by her Papa before his departure to America Nu the English language had been her own She had decided that being able to speak fluently after they arrived in A able to add nu him to be so slow

“I',” Alberto finally answered “Let's see I marked it on Gran-mama's wall Yes Now I remember Papa left on the fifth of Septehth of Septe”

“It seems an eternity, doesn't it, Alberto?”

“Papa said that it would take a while,” Alberto answered, eyeing Maria sympathetically “The boat trip to America probably took weeks Maybe months Who knows? And then Papa had to find work”

“What if Papa forgets all about us, Alberto?” Maria asked, watching her brother, seeing once again how handsoe like her own, and his skin, when it was clean, was smooth and olive in color, and his determination showed by the solid set line of the jaw His lips were thick, and his nose had the “Italian curve” in it, and he looked much older than his years as he held his wide shoulders back, proud to display his six-foot height

Slinging an arot to learn to be s in life, Maria,” he said thickly “Papa said he'd send for us So rest assured that he will Papa has never lied to us”

“But I so hate to clean chimneys”

“You should be proud to be able to say that you're earninghis arm away from her, to thrust his free hand deeply inside his trousers pocket

“I'dat a stone in the road