A Tuscan Boy

Antonio sat at his desk, quill in hand writing his account of the day’s happenings. In the grate roared a fire of scarlet heat, warming the winter’s harsh coldness. Frost had begun to spread over the windowpane clouding the light from the blood moon in a sheet of silver, turning it pink. Lighting his pipe, Antonio sat back to rest his eye’s for he was an old man and the ravishing of age had begun their viscous duties. Inhaling the tobacco smoke, Antonio sat and listened the fires soft crackling, as each splinter of wood popped and chuckled merrily. It was then that he heard a faint melody on the chilled air. Like angel’s song, it rose on the breeze, and so too he felt should he.

            Following the song he ventured out of his study and into the hall. Crossing it swiftly he entered a small gallery that lead to the parlour. The door was completely open, yet Antonio’s gentlemanly nature forced him to knock on the wooden frame before he would pass. Entering into the room he found his wife sitting in the armchair, feet upon a footstool, swaying her head with the music. There too, was Albiera di Giovanni Amadaithe, wife to his son, Ser Piero. Sitting in a corner the light did not touch, she sat in solitued, humbled by her needle craft. But she was not what Antonio had come for, it was a little boy who sat on the floor next to the fire that striked his interest.

            The boy had golden hair cropped neatly around his ears, dressed in a fashanble blue garb. His eyes shone like a dream in the fire light, casting a cheery sight on all who saw them. Sat on his lap was lout, whose strings he plucked with a merry enthusiasm and remarkable talent. It was from this boy that the mucis came, Antonios grandson, Leonardo.

            Antonio moved further into the room, waved in by his wife and took up a vacent chair by the fire side. Leonardo smiled at his grandfather and began to play a faster, gayer tune for his amusment. Leonardo love to play and had a very keen ear for melody. With ever note he plucked he also humed the tune, adding to the perfection of his art.

            Antonio smiled at the boy, proud of his determination and talent. But what made him proudest of Leonardo was not his skill of tune or poetry of voice but the way he would look at the world and see all of the wonders though a dreamers eyes.

            Leonardo finsihed his playing, got up and gently lay the intstument on a near by beuro before returning to his seat before his grandfather. Paintently he waited for his grandfather to speak, watching the old man with hawlk like eyes, emersed in the dancing of the rise smoke from Antonio’s pipe. Seeing the boys egerness to speak with his grandfather, Lucia spoke out to her husband to give her grandson the opertunity of conersation.

            “Antonio?” She asked. “While you be going into town tomorrow?”

            Looking up Antonio smiled, seeing his grandsons eyes beaming with hope he realised his wife cunning.

            “ I shall venture in tommorow, for I must send a letter overseas.” He paused for a moment before continuing to tease the boy beofre him. “Why was there something you needed, my dear?”

            But before Lucia could answer, Leonardo asked egerly:

            “May I come with you, Granfather?” He said. “Oh, please may I come! It has been such a long time since I last saw Mother and I have heard a rumor she is to be married. Oh, please will you take me to see her. Please!.”

            Antonio chuckled softly and was soon joined by a chorse of giggles from his wife. Only Albiera remained emune from the amusment of the boys plea. But try as she might she could not surpres a small sigh of displeaser, which soon receaved her a warning glance from her husbands mother. After all, Albiera, although very found of the boy couldn’t condon her husband allowing the child to vist his mother. She was a pesent after all, a thilfthy dirty creatuer, hardly better then a common horlot. But there was nothing to be done, nothing she could do or say would stop the boy from going. Her husband was still so found of Leonardo’s mother and would have married her if his posihion and famliy had allowed it. And while Antonio was found of Caterina also, he could not of allowed his son to marry below his station. So, Ser Piero was forced to marry another and raise his son without the women he loved.

            “Please Grandfather!” Pleaed Leonardo once again, waiting for his grandfathers response.

            “Of course you can drear boy!” Said Antonio laughting at the beaming expresshion on Leonardo’s face. “But if we our to go, you must be off to bed.”

            And with this Leonardo jump up from the floor and hugged his grandfather tightly and reapeating other and other again his thanks. Then he kissed his grandmother and hugged her also, and finally he even kissed his step-mother, whom he often disliked but nothing could damped his mood right now, for tommorow was worth the world. Leonardo ran up stair into his chamber, changed into his night gown, and climed into bed. Leonardo dreamed sweet dreams that night, and even as the moon emerged into the sun lighting the new day, Leonardo dreamed on.

 

Reviews

[lori c]

i do so enjoy these characters and can picture the settings without description. you have established some conflict and i am curious as to where it will go. i did have some trouble reading it; grammatical, typos, spelling issues, but those can always be polished. i am interested to read the following chapters to see how the conflicts develop and characters grow. nice job.

[Wolf]

This is a very good read, you did an excellent job of expressing the characters emotions.
I can't wait to read the next chapter, wonderful job.

[Sara Muschweck]

I loved the story here, giving a glimpse of the boy's life, being raised by a stepmother that does not like him, or the mother. Still wanting a relationship with the natural mother, even with the social differences. The grandfather who adored the boy. You have done a wonderful job here. I look forward to more.

[Nicole Renee]

I really liked this chapter and thought it was good. But there are some spelling errors in a few of the paragraphs...just read it over again and see the words that are spelled wrong. :] Otherwise, this is good.

-Nicole