Something Is Lost and Can't Be Found

Awake past my bedtime on the overnight Alitalia flight, I scampered around sing-shouting a repertoire of theme tunes from television programs like The Friendly Giant, and Mr. Dressup.I added lines from my favourite toy commercial: "It's Slinky, it's Slinky, fun for girls and boys!"I was performing a medley, stringing the songs together and throwing in "la-la-la" to cover the lyrics I'd forgotten.I was dazzling, entertaining and destined to be famous.The Christmas before I turned five, my father took my mother and me back to Bonefro, their village in Italy.His decision made my mother happy.She'd left as a young bride and was depressed in Torontoprone to taking out her anger on me: the only child of a pair of mismatched characters whose arranged marriage would be a recipe for misery and madness-I was born to fix the mistake, to diffuse the tension and disperse the fog of gloom that permeated their home.I threw myself into the role with abandon, imitating the wrestlers on television, running through the backyard striking poses and yelling "ta-dah!"My father indulged me by applauding; my mother shook her head.No one knew where my tendency to burst into tears or song had come from-I was both a tragic thespian and budding comedian.Aboard the plane, my parents had grown sleepy but I was restless with excitement.Climbing over my father to freedom and fame, I promised not to wander far as he warned, "Don't be bother anyone."I sashayed up and down the aisle, hanging off armrests, batting my eyelashes like Darla in The Little Rascals-the Depression era comedy films that aired before Saturday morning cartoons-blowing kisses to amused passengers.My hard work was finally noticed by my dad.He stuck his arm out and caught me by the waistband of my polyester hip-huggers, interrupting my show-stopping finale, "Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?" "Basta, Eufemia.Sits down like good girl, or Mammanonna Femia will be upsets with you."His comment stopped me cold."But she's not here," I said.Though I had no memory of her, my paternal grandmother was my hero.I was jittery and jumpy about {77

Récupéré en direct depuis OpenAlex et désinversé. Les résumés ne sont pas conservés dans cette base de données : les index inversés représentent 8,6 Go des 9,3 Go de texte de la base, et le serveur dispose de 13 Go libres.