Maria

By Lou DeCaro

This is an intense psychological romance that will examine every aspect of love in human beings. Maria will capture the readers attention from the very first page.

Lou DeCaro has once again crafted a novel that is an absolute must-read.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524550547

Lou DeCaro

Lou DeCaro is the author of In The Dim Light Of The Day (Xlibris, November 2012), Marshmallow Dreams And Bitter Tangerines (Xlibris, October 2013), Anthony (Xlibris. January 2014), The Blind Eye of Love (Xlibris, October 2014), Once A Widow, Ever A Wife (Xlibris, January 2015), The Champion of Love (Xlibris, April 2015), Forever and a Day (Xlibris, August 2015), The Rose of Cuba (Xlibris, November 2015), The Writer of Lies (Xlibris}, January 2016), The Lonely and the Disabled (Xlibris, March 2016), Like Father, Like Son (Xlibris, July 2016), Maria (Xlibris, October 2016), The Pharaoh Club (Xlibris, January 2017), The Love Armada (Xlibris, May2017), Infirmed (Xlibris, October 2017), The Anger of Love (Xlibris, January 2018), A Moment in Time (Xlibris, March 2018), Johnny Reb's (Xlibris, May 2018), Jar of Broken Hearts (Xlibris, September 2018),Tears from the River of Love (Xlibris, September 2018),and False Love (Xlibris, June 2019).

Book preview

Chapter 1

I first met Maria on a very cold day in January. I was taking the ferry back from visiting a friend in upstate New York. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Despite the abundant sunshine, a stiff north wind made it feel even colder outside. I had the heater in my car turned up as high as it woul d go.

While I waited to board the ferry, I caught a glimpse of Maria as she ran into the waiting room. She was bundled up in two winter coats, two scarfs, and a ski hat she had pulled over her head. All you could see was her eyes and mouth. What an injustice it was to cover-up such a beautiful face.

Maria did not drive her car onto the ferry. She was a walk-on. Apparently, someone drove her to the ferry terminal. In all likelihood, she would be picked up by someone on the other side. Fortunately, my car was third in line. I figured I would be able to board the ferry very quickly, pay for my ticket, and search for her before it got crowded.

To my surprise, there were only four persons on the ticket line. The second person on line was Maria. I became the fifth. She was still bundled up from head to toe, but took off the scarfs and hat she was wearing as she approached the ticket counter. Maria had absolutely gorgeous black hair. It flowed gently down her back. She also had stunningly beautiful brown eyes. Their radiance seemed capable of warming a person’s heart even on the coldest winter day.

As I approached the ticket counter, I saw Maria take a seat on the starboard side of the ferry. But, just as I starting walking towards her, she got up from her seat and walked to the port side of the ferry. As we passed each other, I said hello in a very soft tone. She just smiled at me as she went by. I couldn’t turn around and follow her at this point, so I took a seat right next to where she was originally seated.

It took about a half-hour for the ticket line to disappear. I didn’t want to get up sooner to search for her, so I waited long enough for my view of the port side to be unobstructed. It didn’t take me too long to spot her. But then my luck changed. Maria got out of her seat and started walking towards the snack bar. It was the opportunity I had been waiting for. Just as she got on line, I did the same. Suddenly, I found myself at a loss for words. That’s when Maria came to my rescue. Without notice, she turned to me and said good morning. I returned the greeting, and said something about how cold it was outside. Judging by the amount of clothes she was wearing, I didn’t think she was going to disagree.

After I paid for my coffee, I asked her if I could join her. There was no reluctance in her voice as she said yes.

Chapter 2

M aria was one of those women you waited a lifetime to meet. She came from an Italian family. Her parents came from Sicily, and my parents came from Calabria. I had always dreamed of dating an Italian girl. My parents made a very big issue about this when I was younger. They wanted me to marry an Italian girl, but Fate would have it otherwise. Yet, I was now divorced and free to do what I wa nted.

Maria was married to an accountant. He worked very long hours, especially during tax season. She had a daughter in college, and a son in high school. She told me she was on her way back home from spending the weekend with her daughter. She was very proud of her children, and told me they were able to succeed in life despite the occasional bumps in the road.

While drinking our coffee, Maria noticed my left arm shaking. At first, I thought I would say nothing. But then I realized that wouldn’t be right. So I told her the truth. I had Parkinson’s disease. I couldn’t believe the look of compassion on her beautiful face when I explained I had the disease for ten years. Then she shocked me with a revelation of her own. She had severe arthritis. I was very sad to hear that.

As sad as it was for both of us to be afflicted by such terrible conditions, they turned out to be the common ground of our relationship. Almost instantly, we developed a mutual respect for each other. We understood how difficult life could be. Both of us could be in excruciating pain one day, and fine the next day. The unpredictable nature of both diseases rarely allowed us to live a normal life.

Maria and I quickly realized our meeting was a blessing from above. We recognized how important it was to have someone in our lives that truly understood what we were going through. Her husband, despite being a good man, was too busy with his practice. Maria had to do the job of both parents, and as time went by they grew further and further apart.

I then told Maria about my situation. I had been alone now for almost ten years. I met a lot of women along the way, but when they found out I had Parkinson’s disease, they decided not to see me again. Even my wife told me she didn’t want to be burdened with taking care of a sick man for the rest of her life. Maria couldn’t believe her ears when I told her that.

Yet as sad as it was, I told Maria I lived a productive life. I became an avid oil painter, and began to raise a lot of money for medical research by selling my paintings at auction.