________________________________________________________________________________________________
This photograph appears
on the back cover
of Mr. Vonnegut's
first post-humous
book
The title story of
inspired the poem
on the previous page
In this picture,
the sockless author
is flanked by
But this KV-lover
must be forgiven
for referring to
hydrangeas as "begonias"
because of
the smartest members
of my Grandparents' generation:
Paul and Pauline NUNZIO
sold their Italian
culinary concoctions
at their very successful restaurant
somewhere in Manhattan
•
Pauline
was the sister of
my maternal Grandmother
Sam and Grace Oliverio
visited the retaurant
on a few occasions
but
—wisely—
never brought their children
However,
as a full family,
we visited
Uncle Paul and Aunt Pauline
at their Rocky Point
summer home
frequently
Their driveway
was flanked by a beautiful bed
of hydrangeas
But
they lived on
Begonia Road
Between the ages
of five and fifteen,
I feasted often on
Aunt Pauline and Uncle Paul's
heavenly home-made
anti-pasta and pasta
For each feast,
somewhere between
ten and fifteen relatives
gathered on Begonia Road
for that Sunday summer
celebration
•
I also remember
the week in Whitestone when
Sam and Grace Oliverio
went to a ski lodge
and
Paul and Pauline Nunzio
"baby-sat" for
my two sisters and me
It was the first time
any of the three children
tasted "home-made pizza"
and we universally agreed
—to this day—
it was the best home-made pizza
any of the three Oliverio children
had ever eaten
As a qualified Idiot Panelist,
it was a rarity that
my sisters and me
agreed on anything
• •
Thank you, Mr. Vonnegut
for inspiring both
and this wonderful memory
of Uncle Paul and Aunt Pauline
and Begonia Road
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Too bad you didn't include images of Uncle Paul and Aunt Pauline
ReplyDeleteNor did I include images of Begonia Road,
Deletewhich I last saw in 1981,
the year I left Rocky Point
Many images of Begonia Road
are available from the internet
but they are all from Planet Zillow
However, The grandson of the Nunzios
is alive and well and I am certain
he would have may pictures to share.
He was extremely close with my mother
but I want to believe he is too busy
running his businee to return
my repeated phone calls
He is the owner of Dangerfield's
the fabled comedy club in NYC