Broken Hearts On Boulevard Unirii novel Chapter 13

Mirella, sitting next to me, eating with much gusto, commented, "This tastes exactly like my mother's cooking."

I realized that this homemade food was worth a thousand times more than the fanciest gourmet restaurant in the big city.

I tasted all the salads. The roasted eggplant salad mixed with mayonnaise was delicious, and the skinless red peppers marinated in vinegar after being roasted over coals were superb.

We toasted each other several times and the pitchers were removed to be filled once again. The lightly effervescent young wine invaded our blood and began taking its toll. The atmosphere became very cheerful, the girls began to sing folk songs and the family of Doamna Sofia sang along with them. Suddenly out of nowhere, a man appeared with an accordion and began accompanying the singing and the atmosphere became magic and sentimental. Even the disabled daughter of the Doamna began dancing as the chickens and geese ran around her. Everything seemed hallucinatory, like something out of a movie of Emir Kusturica[ Serbian movie director and musician] and his Gypsy world.

I looked around and noticed Claudio and Roxana kissing and holding wine glasses in their hands and dripping it all over their clothes. Gert sat between Simona and Carmen and was hugging them both as their faces beamed. Fabrizio got up and invited the Doamna Sofia to dance while her husband joined in our applause. The celebration was at its best when the family members joined us at our long table.

It was finally time for the main course. The whole roast suckling pig was brought out on a large wood tray and placed at the head of the table. The Doamna began carving it with a long sharp knife and fork. As she sliced it, Elia passed her the empty plates which she promptly filled.

When I bit into the soft juicy piece of piglet, tears of happiness sprung into my eyes. I had never eaten such a delicacy in my entire life. Angelo noticed and said to me, "It was really worth coming here."

I got up from my seat, walked over to Angelo and kissed him on his forehead. I then walked over to the Doamna, bowed to her and said, "Complimenti cara Signora Sofia[ Italian: "My compliments dear Mrs. Sofia"]." She responded with an embarrassed smile.

Mirella put her hand on my shoulder. I looked at her in the light of the full moon, a beautiful young girl with big deep-set eyes. She reminded me of the Italian actress Virna Lisi when she was young. I wanted to put my mouth on her sensual and stimulating lips, when she noticed my eyes and pulled my earlobe and said, "Control yourself, you are stone drunk." I was indeed drunk. Not just from wine, but from the smell of Mirella. I yearned for her and was intoxicated by her.

I don't know how we got home as I didn't drive. On the trip home, I apparently fell asleep several times and when I woke, I found myself being dragged to our room with the help of Mirella.

"Stop it, it's not a joke. This is Romanian history from the fourteenth century. Dracula actually means devil. This is the source of the legend of the flying demons sucking blood."

When we got closer to the palace, I said jokingly, that I could feel the presence of this vampire, who was surely accompanying us by hovering over our car.

The castle, located in Bran on the border between the Transylvania and Walachia regions, was very impressive. Although Mirella told us that many claimed this was not really his castle and that it was located elsewhere, we preferred to believe that it was his, especially after we saw a canopy bed in the bedroom with blood stains on it.

"This is surely dried blood from one of his victims," I whispered into Mirella's ear.