A Vignette from "I Double Dare You-A Rendezvous With Destiny"
*Author's Note: This is a sneak preview of a future chapter. *
When Billy entered parochial school, he came home from kindergarten and excitedly told Leigh,
"Ma, Sister Mary Margaret wants me to be one of the three Wise Guys in the Christmas program!" Leigh hugged him,
"That's wonderful, Billy!" She controlled her urge to laugh, not wanting to hurt Billy's feelings. When he went upstairs to play, she called Augusta Guarnere, telling her Billy's comment. Both women had a good laugh. When Bill got home, Billy gave him the good news. Guarnere chuckled,
"I ain't laughin' at ya, Billy. You said somethin' cute." Bill and Leigh thought that their son went upstairs to play and was out of ear shot.
"Baby, just imagine him sayin' his lines like James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson, the best wise guys in the movies." He launched into an impersonation of the actors, making Leigh giggle.
The night of the Christmas program arrived. Most of the Guarnere family and the Spencers were in the audience. Billy had two lines,
"We're the Three Wise Men. We have gifts for baby Jesus." The time came for Billy to deliver his dialogue and he proudly said, in a voice like Edward G. Robinson, bringing down the house,
"We're the Three Wise Guys. We have gifts for baby Jesus." The audience laughed and applauded. All Leigh and Bill could do was laugh. After the show, they apologized to the teaching nun and they convinced Billy to apologize, too. She accepted their apologies. Both sets of grandparents were still proud of him. Aunt Julia hugged Billy,
"Kiddo, that's the best Christmas show I ever saw."
A few days after the program, Leigh was cooking supper. Angelina was sitting in her high chair in the kitchen. The song, "Hold Tight" performed by the Andrews Sisters was playing on the radio. Leigh was singing. When she got to the verse,
"I'm as happy as can be when the seafood comes to me. Yadda da, yadda da, yadda da," Angelina spoke the lyrics,
"Yadda da, yadda da, yadda da."
After the song ended, Leigh decided to sing the lyrics again to see if she would repeat them. A big smile appeared on her face as Angelina spoke the lyrics again. When Bill got home from work, Leigh told him,
"I hope Angelina will do this. She learned something new today." Guarnere had a radiant smile as he heard his daughter repeating the lyrics to the song.
"Won't be long until this little angel is singin' like her ma." He hugged Angelina and kissed her cheek.
Angelina wouldn't always perform on demand and she showed a very determined and stubborn nature on occasion. Both Cal and Louise told Bill and Leigh,
"We've seen this behavior before. This little girl acts just like her mother when she was her age. The stubborn streak may remain." Guarnere told his in-laws,
"I can live wit' that. I love her ma an' that stubborn streak don't bother me. If Angelina wants to sing, that's OK an' if she doesn't, that's OK, too. I love my life an' I wouldn't change a thing."
Angelina got a round of applause at her Nonno and Nonna Guarnere's house when she repeated the "Yadda da. yadda da, yadda da" lyrics during the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
Leigh and her sisters-in-law were helping Augusta bring in various platters of food. Billy looked at Leigh. He innocently thought that he was giving her a compliment when he said,
"Pop likes that dress. He says it makes your ass look nice." Everyone burst out laughing. Leigh told her son that she knew he meant well, but his comment was inappropriate. She hugged and kissed him, saying,
"You're not in trouble, Billy. I was hoping that you would be like your pop. You're a smaller version of him." Bill commented,
"There's never a dull moment wit' my family, an' I love it!"
