Mr Destiny Read Online Free PDF Page B

have I.” She looked around the
     table. “Not one of your sisters married an Italian man. Does it matter? No. Family is family. This is the new mill-en-i-dome,”
     she said, sounding out the word carefully. “A smart boy like you should know that.”
    Millennium, Mama
, Tony thought, but he knew better than to correct her. Besides, everything his mother said was true.
    Theresa had married her romantic French-Canadian philosophy professor. Maria was married to a somewhat reserved Brit in the
     import/export business. Angelina's husband was an entrepreneuring Cuban-American, determined to make a success of his trucking
     business. Elaina had married a slightly overbearing German who was a big-deal architectural consultant. The baby of the family,
     Carlina, had somehow run across a Cajun straight from the swamps of Louisiana—the kid was currently working for the Sanitation
     Department and seemed to be taking big-city life in stride.
    When he thought about it, they could hold a damn United Nations meeting sitting right there at the family table. That thought
     gave Tony one more glimmer of hope.
    “I doubt this woman is Catholic, either, Mama,” he threw out, clearly grasping at straws now.
    Again, his mother waved away his comment. “I decided long ago I was leaving religion to God to worry about. All I can do is
     pray for all of you.”
    “Mama, please,” Tony said, trying to keep his temper in check. “Do you really expect me to go find a woman who has already
     told me to buzz off? And then demand she postpone her wedding because
I'm
the man she's supposed to marry?”
    “Why, yes,” she said, as if she couldn't believe her son was asking such a stupid question. “What other choice do you have?”
    Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
    Tony looked at his father for help, but his mother reached out and took her husband's hand. “Tell him, Mario. Tell your son
     how important it is to follow his destiny, just as you and his uncles before him have done.”
    “Mama,” Tony pleaded. “I already know all the stories. I've heard them all my life. But this is one time Nonna was
wrong.
“
    Damn. Did I really say
wrong
?
    Judging from the gasps at the table that sucked most of the air out of the room, he had.
    His mother even paled to the point that his father reached out and placed an arm around her shoulder to steady her.
    “
Wrong
wasn't a good choice of words,” Tony said, backtracking as fast as possible. “I meant Nonna's prediction for me is obviously
different
from the others. Maybe we should let Nonna read my tea leaves again,” he added, hoping to appease the angry looks coming
     from Mama and his frowning sisters. “Like you said, Mama, times change. People change.”
    “No,” she said flatly. “You have accused your grandmother of being wrong. The only way to prove it is for you to bring the
     blonde here, to the restaurant. We won't tell Nonna you've already met her in the park standing beside the Blessed Virgin.
     If she is the one you're supposed to marry, Nonna will know it the minute she takes the blonde's hand.”
    “I'm done here,” Tony said, throwing his napkin down on the table. “And I am
not
going to go find the blonde.”
    Forget keeping his temper in check.
    There was no reasoning with these people.
    He pushed his chair back.
    When he stood up to leave, his mother pointed a finger at him the way she used to do when he was a kid. The stern expression
     on her face froze Tony right where he stood.
    “Then you leave
me
no choice,” she said, standing up from the table herself. “I will go pray now.”
    Everyone sent Tony you're-in-deep-shit-now looks.
    “Mama, please don't do this.”
    She ignored him and pointed to the ceiling. “To the Saints in Heaven above I will pray. Day and night I will pray. Until you
     bring the blonde to meet Nonna.” She said this, being dramatic as only his mother could be. “But you have my word, Anthony.”
     She pointed her finger at him again. “If