b'There was not a day that i would not walk by itThe terrace before me was as big as our suitein the company of a friend, point to this fabulousmaybe biggerand it was all ours. i walked its building in the far distance, and say, one day,perimeter, and quickly i realized that i was there! i will come back from america and stay in theirThis was the terrace i had been fantasizing about biggest suitethe one on the left with that hugefor all those years, and i was staying in the very private terrace. room that i had dreamed would one day be mine. Like so many things from my past, i eventuallyi looked back at my wife, who was still sleeping. forgot about the hotel. Like the shifting sands ofi did not want to wake her up, as it had been a the desert, those youthful memories wafted away,long and stressful trip. i wanted to tell someone lost somewhere in the back of my mind. where i was and what it meant to me. instead, some 15 years ago, my late father had a hearti just pulled up a chair and sat there, looked out attack. i immediately left the book tour i wasinto the distance, and chuckled. sometimes on and flew to palermo. Through a series of dreams come true, i murmured to myself.unexpected circumstances, my travel agentsome people wish for their numbers to come booked me a suite in a hotel right outside ofthrough in the lottery; others find themselves palermo. chasing after someone or something that never My wife, nanci, and i arrived late at night. shell- seems to come their way; others, like me, are shocked, worried and jet-lagged, we were barelylucky enough to stumble into a moment like that. awake when we checked in, and when we gotMost of us do not even notice. into the room, we went right to sleep, with ouri dont know how many times i might have clothes on. missed some precious coincidence such as that, early the next morning, i was awakened by abut on that very day, in my early-morning call. it was my mom telling me that everythingdishevelment, staring out at the sights before was okay with dad and that the presumed heartme, i came to realize just how lucky i was.attack had been a much milder episode. i did notMy dad was going to be all right. i could breathe question the news. i was happy to know that theagain. and while i had not planned for it, i wasrascal would still be around for a long time tostanding in the very same spot i had always drive me crazy, as he always did. dreamed about. i closed my eyes and smiled.i felt as if i could finally breathe again. Muchits good for a man to know when he is lucky.of the fear left my anxious heart, and hope anda few days ago, i ran across some old photosthankfulness flowed through me. My pap wasi had taken on my previous visits. Looking at going to be all right! those photos and thinking back on my youthful i opened the windows to let some light into thedreams, i felt happy that when that moment room and stepped outside onto the terrace. Thecame to me, i was not too busy chasing another sun was warm and already up in the blue sky,one to fully appreciate it.and the white, sandy beach of Mondello stood right below me.149'