The marriage proposal

An excerpt of the thriller An irretrievable step. .

An irretrievable step

An excerpt

'Senior Magdi wishes to marry our daughter Bianca. We know very little about him, he says that he's an American citizen.' With these opening sentences said Luigi Conti turned to Ray: 'Do you carry your passport with you?'

'Yes senior Conti of course,' Ray fumbled in his jacket's inner pocket, pulled out his passport and handed it to him.

'You may sit down senior Magdi.' He told Ray showing him a free chair, and started to examine Ray's passport. He has found the folded letter of introduction to the Pope of Alexandria, and kept it folded apart without reading it.

'Allora, Senior Magdi is twenty four years old five years older than our daughter. He's almost five months in Italy already; he stays in Rome and wishes to become an Italian citizen. He's Copt but he intends to marry our daughter in a civil marriage service, and he avows to honor our daughter's faith and to accompany her to church every Sunday and every time she'll wish to. He isn't a churchgoer himself and that's why he believes that the differences of faith won't disturb the marital harmony of our daughter and Senior Magdi.' Luigi Conti made a short pause sneaked a furtive look at Ray, and reviewed the faces of all his family members expecting their support.

'At his last Sunday in Florence, senior Magdi who was our host then, attended with us a service at the Duomo…'

He tries to persuade them all to support him, for he's on my side! Ray thought with much hope. He didn't ask me to come for nothing, he isn't trying to exploit me… he hasn't a suitor except me, and he didn't meet me in broad day light in case he'll have to reject my request… He wants me to take the load off his shoulders.

'We would like of course to know how Senior Magdi intends to provide our daughter with a suitable standard of living.' Luigi Conti added looking at Ray.

'I'm a son of a well to do family and I don't lack means. I've several options to start a business of my own, which I'm still checking…'

'Why haven't you asked our daughter's hand during your last Sunday in Florence I would like to know, why it took you so long to propose?' It was la Seniora Beatrice Conti, Bianca's mother that expressed openly her misgivings.

'I didn't think of staying in Italy at that time and I didn't believe that it's feasible I mean marrying your daughter, although I was and I still am in love with her. I planned to visit Rome's popular sites and the Vatican museum for two weeks and fly back home. I've met during the second week several businessmen that asked me to come to Venice to discuss a business partnership, I owe them an answer but I'm still checking it and several more options with the chamber of commerce; so I've decided to stay and that's why I'm turning to you, I want to raise a family with your daughter which I love dearly.'

This long monologue seemed to have persuaded them, he had sense enough not to mention even with a hint the engagement's annulement and Bianca bad state of affairs; and instead of playing the role of their savior, he was asking very humbly their favors.

A long silence ensued but several heads nodded with a mute acquiescence.

So the only one that had any objections was Bianca's mother Beatrice Conti but not anymore, she too accepts me... Ray realized encouraged it's going to end up much earlier than I thought.

'Well the only thing left is to ask our daughter's opinion, what she wants…' Luigi Conti declared clearing his throat.

Seniora Beatrice Conti left her seat and went to fetch their daughter. While Ray left his seat and stood up with a throbbing heart.

When Bianca entered the living room and saw him she rushed to Ray's arms and embraced him uttering sobs of happiness, and wetting his shirt with her tears. Ray shocked by his own emotions hugged Bianca's shaking body with shut eyes, feeling against his will how his own tears are flowing down his cheeks.

© Haim Kadman 2016 �" all rights reserved.

The thriller "An Irretrievable Step" is available to download as an ebook at Amazon.com.

www.amazon.com/Haim-Kadman/e/B009Z7XL8C

And as a paperback with Create Space:

  https://www.createspace.com/446767

The novelettes The Red Square, It’s God’s wish, A fateful opportunity and A preemptive strike; plus the short storiy collections: The unveiling, The gambit, The dream and its outcome and Blended Lit. Flashes are available > $2.99 each.

https://www.amazon.com/Haim-Kadman/e/B009Z7XL8CThe n/e/B009Z7XL8C