Elizabeth Street - Laurie Fabiano [108]
“There were these boys on line who’ve been on everything here! I asked them which was the best and they said the Musical Railway near Dreamland.”
“Clement, they’re making fun of you! A musical railway! That is something Angelina would like!” growled Rocco.
“Papa, I only have one choice. Please let me see about this ride. They say the Trip to Mars is only medza menz.”
“Okay, but we’re not going back to Mars if you don’t like this railway!”
Giovanna looked at Clement’s excitement. For years now he had functioned as a man. It was wonderful to see him acting like a boy again. Giovanna got up off the bench, and they headed back toward Dreamland. From the size of the line at the Musical Railway, it appeared that the boys were right. Mary decided to make this her ride and went off with her brother. The sunlight was infused with the warm glow of early evening. They found an open bench; Angelina sat on Frances’s lap, and Giovanna sat beside them. Rocco waited for Clement and Mary at the ride’s exit. Nearly an hour later, the trio walked back to the bench. When Mary saw Giovanna, she broke from her father and ran to her, flinging herself into Giovanna’s arms.
“Zia! We were in a train car, and it was completely dark, and then the train car fell straight down in the dark. I thought we would die!”
Rocco and Clement reached the bench. “Oh, Mary, don’t be a baby!”
“You screamed, too, Clement, right before that beam almost took our heads off!”
“It was great, Zia. Don’t listen to her.”
Mary still clutched Giovanna, who caressed her head. “We never did have a treat after dinner, and I saw something for us to try. Let’s go.”
Giovanna led them to a stand selling ice cream on a wafer that you could hold and eat at the same time. Rocco counted out six nickels. Leaning on the rail by the water, they all laughed at the sight of one another licking the ice cream. “Mary, guarda! Don’t lick too hard, it will fall off!” cautioned Giovanna. Clement was the first to make it down to the wafer and took a bite. “It’s good!” he pronounced with melted ice cream running down his chin. But it was Giovanna who seemed most taken with these new concoctions.
As they licked their cones, they surveyed the boardwalk’s goings-on. A barker in front of what was supposed to be a funny show did nothing but stand on a pedestal and laugh. Next door, a man outside a menagerie mimicked the sounds of wild animals to call attention to the attraction, roaring one minute and screeching like a bird the next.
A painting of a saint outside an attraction prompted Giovanna to ask Frances to translate the sign. “The Temptation of Saint Anthony,” answered Frances. “The man keeps saying, ‘See Saint Anthony avoid temptation!’”
“Giovanna, if you want, I will go with you.”
Giovanna was surprised at Rocco’s interest, but she figured it out when she saw the predominantly male crowd lined up for the “show.” Her curiosity got the best of her, though, and after threatening Clement with his life if he or his sisters moved from the spot where they left them, Giovanna and Rocco joined the crowd, paying ten cents each to see the Temptation of Saint Anthony.
They entered a small room where a curtain was drawn to reveal a large oil painting of Saint Anthony on his knees, praying. The man who sold the tickets disappeared behind the painting and in an exaggerated but disinterested voice, began to tell of the life of the saint. Within minutes, men were grousing under their breath, and a second panel was revealed picturing a blonde clad in scanty garments. In a few more minutes, the murmured complaints started again and the blonde was replaced with another painting, this time of a brunette in slightly less clothing. Saint Anthony’s life story conveniently ended after the third panel, of a near-naked redhead, was put in place. Giovanna was too amused to be offended and left simply shaking her head. “At least he knows a bit more about Saint Anthony,” she thought.
Waiting like obedient soldiers, the children asked for an explanation of their parents’ adventure. “It was