Nino: Awakening, #1

Sara-Lynn Pelegrin - 5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

February 18, 2019 - Format: Paperback

I cannot give enough praise to this book. It is a beautifully written story of a young man who has to find his place in the world and in a young lady's heart. The author takes you along for a ride by making you feel all the emotions he experiences throughout his journey. Reading this book has helped me through a difficult time in my life and gave me hope for the future. I am excited to see how the rest of the story unfolds in future volumes.

NB: THE REVIEWS WERE done before 2019. Indeed, the title of the novel was 'The path of Luca'. The author decided at the end of 2018 to rename his Roman 'Nino' in memory of his late father.

JULIE - 5.0 OUT OF 5 stars Five Stars

December 11, 2018 - Format: Kindle Edition

Incredible novel, Perfect from beginning to end. Exciting story and twists. The second part of the story in Canada is completely unexpected. This novel mixing the lived experience and the fiction you hold in breath with pleasure. Must be known.

Malika Djouder - 5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

June 2, 2018 - Format: Kindle Edition

The first part is very sad, Nino's dad is quite brutal with him. The story is exciting to the end. I absolutely wanted to know what happened to Nino all along his journey.

Anny Besson - 5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

March 1, 2018 - Format: Kindle Edition

Wow, what a beautiful and emotional story with a lot of twist. I'll see Nino in a cartoon movie.

Odile LEJUEZ - 5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

October 20, 2017 - Format: Kindle Edition

Exciting book. We can not give up reading. The end of the book is surprising and unexpected. The character is very friendly and the life of this young man, we revives some good moments of ours. MUST Read!

Stephanie - 5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

September 16, 2017 - Published on Amazon.com

Great story, nice to read!

Dan - 5.0 out of 5 stars SUPER

December 26, 2016 - Published on Amazon.com

Super story !! At the end of the novel, I could not believe that it was already over. Romance, emotion and humour !! I recommend it to you?

BIRTH........................................................................4

CHILDHOOD............................................................11

TEEN.......................................................................25

SEPARATION............................................................36

ESCAPE....................................................................49

FIRST NATION.........................................................59

LEARNING...............................................................74

OFFENSE.................................................................97

GUILTY..................................................................127

CONTACT.............................................................141

FUSION..................................................................165

AWAKENING..........................................................210

POWER OF LOVE....................................................252

DISTRIBUTION.......................................................293

BIRTH

- Every child is an artist.

Staying when you grow up is a challenge,

Pablo Picasso.

In the late fifties , in the maternity ward of a small village in Provence, a child was born with umbilical cord wrapped around the neck. Most of time this was harmless. But for this baby over nine pounds, this circumstance is going to seriously complicate his survival.

Exhausted after twenty-five hours of labour, Filomena caressed Nino on her belly, it was time for the baby to be separated forever from the alliance of creation. It was the end of suffering for one, and the beginning for the other. Welcome to the new world. It was the generation of baby boomers. And even in this small village of Provence, many babies were born. Christmas time, the hospital's staff was reduced, and they were nearly overwhelmed.

For more than five minutes Nino was laid in a kind of incubator, and nobody could imagine what was happening to this little boy. As he gesticulated in every direction, the doula thought he was full of energy and therefore he was playing. She decided to let him discover his new environment, while she was wrapping up another baby ten minutes older than him. But Nino was not playing, no, he was just choking. He was missing oxygen, and at each movement, the umbilical cord was tightening a little more around his neck. Minute by minute, the tint of his face darkened and was now shooting towards the blue. However this little angel was born for a reason! Even though he already had a rough fight to begin with. A final distress call, in one of the last breaths of life, allowed him to moan one more time. Nevertheless without supervision, no one heard. His only alternative was to rely on God Almighty because only a miracle could save him.

A man in his forties was walking hastily into the hospital hall. He seemed to be late or a little confused, he was looking for his sweetheart's room. He got lost in the hallways, and as he was walking close to the nursery, he heard babies grunting and moaning. This alerted his curiosity and he entered the room.

Pretty quickly, he noticed the infant with a pale blue face. Unquestionably, the baby was struggling with all it soul. Hand of death was already pointing out. From the delight smile of birth to a sudden death... there was only one step away. This man understood the danger that was happening for the newborn. Panicked, it's true, but without hesitation, and without even discerning where the baby's agony came from, he took him, the most carefully possible, and into the hall at the run, looking for a nurse in order to pass the baby in the good hand, he's exclaiming:

- The baby! the baby is not well! the baby is not well!

A cleaning lad heard the man screaming in the hallway. She left the room she was cleaning, in order to calm the mood. The nurse also went out the room in where she was meeting other parents. Suddenly she saw the cleaning lad heading for the emergency room at all speed, with Nino in her arms. The nurse immediately followed. The man, still in shock, tried to calm his emotions.

Five minutes later the cleaning lad came back from the emergency room. As soon as the man asked for the current health of the baby. But, she just smiled as a sign of gratitude and then, to avoid any embarrassing questions, she said that someone is coming to meet him, and she continued on her way. Suddenly, the doctor on duty arrived in the hall followed by the nurse. The worried man approached the doctor.

- How is the baby doing? Asked the man.

- Hi, please let me introduce myself. I am Dr. Aquilina, and this is the nurse Scott.

- Hi.

- We do not know yet, replied the physician. But thanks to you sir, he is alive. Certainly this baby is very weak, but he is breathing.

- I'm glad to hear that, said the man proudly.

- We sincerely wish to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your courage and your attention. Our staff was simply overwhelmed by all these births. I really thank you.

- Oh! That's nothing! it's quite natural, said the man resuming to join his sweetheart.

As he went in search of the room

- Sir! can we help you in any manner?

- Oh! I guess I'm fine. I'm just looking for my wife's room, whom I brought to your hospital this morning. I could not stay, you know, I... I had to go to work, said the man rolling the R with a small foreign accent.

- Of course, of course, I understand.

- How is she doing so far? Asked the man.

- Well, in order to better serve you, we would need to know your name. You are sir?

- Um yes! sorry, I... my name is Giuseppe... Giuseppe Spina, and Filomena Spina, she's my wife. She... she was in the room sixty-seven, this morning I believe, right!

The physician did not answer right away.

- Doctor! Giuseppe insisted.

- Mr. Spina you... you just... saved your son, said the doctor manifesting a different look.

- What!

Giuseppe was chocked, he's expression literally changed. He put his hands on his head, and let himself fall on his knees. He looked at the sky as he thanks to the divine, and sobbed a moment. Then he reacted and he started to curse, in Italian, the nurse and the doctor. The situation was degrading, he could not contain his emotion, he repeated aloud.

- What kind of hospital is about? bunch of incompetent! if I had not been there, my baby would probably be dead right now.

The doctor could not answer, he'd rather wait until Mr. Spina calmed down and that he is recovering himself. but it was even worse, Giuseppe approached the doctor as if he wanted to punch him. When suddenly he heard a voice rude and alarming, begging his name. He promptly realized, It was Filomena. These nerves had taken over and, he had completely forgotten.

Giuseppe let the doctor go and ran towards Filomena, guided by her voice. He saw her leaning in bed, stressed and tired. She had heard everything. They stared at each other, she smiles gratefully, dispelling her concern about the baby's health. Giuseppe hugged her with a lot of emotion. In the midst of the sadness and the uncertainty, Filomena could not contain herself and literally burst into tears.

CHILDHOOD

- Strength does not come from physical abilities,

it comes from an indomitable will,

Mahatma Gandhi.

Nino was now nine-years -old and, with his sister Camilla, one year older, they were getting ready to go to school of St. Helena, two steps from the sea on the very famous Promenade des Anglais, in Nice.

Nino was a little jealous of his sister. Indeed Camilla had everything for her, intelligence, the beauty, the respect of her parents, and because she was a brilliant student, she also took advantage to get many more things. Nino did not feel considered in the same way.

Indeed his father often said to him:

- You're not an athletic guy and most importantly, you do not do anything at school. You're the worst of the class and you are as dumb as the donkey. And donkeys do not need anything. Nino hated his father, when he put him back into place while still using his bad school grades as excuses. He was humiliated and devalued.

But his father was right. In fact Nino was really bad. He was part of the group who sits at the very back of the class in order to avoid to disturb the best ones. Yet Nino was not a disruptor, oh no! he was a dreamer. Always thinking of something else. As his teacher, Mr Vago informs Filomena during the many student parent meetings.

The school season was almost over. And in June, this last convocation was a chock for Filomena. In fact, Nino did not have the level to move to the upper grade. Next September he will have to repeat the same lessons with the same teacher, Mr. Vago. That was a nightmare for Nino, and it really pissed him off.

That night, at home, he went to his room which he shared with his sister and he lied down in his bed. He wasn't feeling very well. He didn't even eat, he was inconsolable. But it was worse when his father came back home after work and flooded him with insults, incompetence, good for nothing. And he constantly compared Camilla, which only increased his loneliness.

Therefore, Nino had tried to integrate the class at the beginning of the year, he knew that his task was complicated. Every year it was the same song, and as each year, it was going some way to the next level but, with Mr. Vago, it was a different matter. From all the teachers who had preceded him, this one was the most ignoble.

Actually, Nino had a small problem. He stammered so badly. He was unable to say a strait little sentence. Which irritated Mr. Vago. He played with this defect by making fun of him whenever Nino had to speak, he led the whole class into laughter. Which they did, most often to please Mr. Vago, or at least pretend to participate in spite of themselves in his stupidity, his comrades were cruelly abusing him. They were not really aware of it. The mixed schools did not exist at that time, girls would probably have had more compassion for him. So Nino literally stopped talking and as time goes on, he decided to avoid participating in any class discussion.

A few months earlier, Mr. Vago gratified Nino with a nickname that he will never forget since he could not pronounce a word correctly. In fact, a classmate had not buttoned up his pants properly and Nino thought it important to whisper it in his ear. Mr. Vago surprised him standing and talking with his classmate without permission. He asked him what he was talking about. Very embarrassed, Nino blushed then tried to pronounce the word pants button but he could barely said (Bu, Bu, Bu.) the following letters did not want to go out, so he panicked and accelerated, and the more he accelerated and the more he stammered (Bu, Bu, Bu, Bu.) Mr. Vago burst out laughing with such force that the whole class followed. This event gave the opportunity to his teacher to rename Nino Bubu. Actually he received this nickname as a humiliation. Nevertheless it will be used by his teacher and his classmates until the end of the season.

The last day of the school was a fun day. Students could play in all classes until the last minute. Nino stayed in his corner without really paying close attention to what was going on around him, except when he heard knocking the door. It was Miss Ricci, the teacher of the upper grade. She asked to Mr. Vago if it was okay with him to join the two classes. The main reason was the early departure of some students which reduced considerably the crew. He accepted with arrogance, like always he was nourished.

In the afternoon Miss Ricci noticed Nino at the back of the classroom. During several hours he was staring at the sea and sailing boats on the horizon. Miss Ricci asked the name of this boy to Mr. Vago, who also told her his feelings about Nino, and added out loud:

- You waste your time wanting to integrate him into a group of players. Anyways, he does not understand what the school could have brought to him, if he had merely made a small attention and participation effort.

After this statement, Mr. Vago left the classroom to go outside to smoke a cigarette while Miss Ricci was approaching Nino, who he was still staring at the horizon.

- Hello Nino, why don't you play with your friends? She asked.

But Nino did not answer, nor even moved his head.

- Let's see Nino! I'm sure you'd like to play with them. But you are probably a little too shy, or embarrassed, am I right?

Madame Ricci was right, deep in him, he drooled, he had never seen anything like those toys in his life.

There were some kind of nice vintage cars with the headlights lighting up. The James Bond's Aston Martin with rockets that ejected from the grille when the rooftop button was pressed, and stems tire slicks that came out on the sides of the wheels. There were also hundreds of lead soldiers, some on horseback with swords or rifles that some could move from their hand to their shoulder. Trailer trucks, cranes, electric tractors and even yoyos, puzzles, board games like Monopoly and Bingo.

Despite all of those, Nino did not move, and kept his everyday attitude, facing Mr. Vago.

But Miss Ricci had more than one trick up her sleeve.

- Well Nino, I have a little game for you.

She has laid some matches down to Nino's desk.

- Do you know the leapfrog game with matches?

- No Madame.

- No...? she wondered.

Miss Ricci did not pay attention to his stuttering and returned to the board to talk to all the students.

- Listen children, I'm drawing your attention here. Who knows the leapfrog game that is played using matches.

The students had never heard of that. One curious student asked her the rule of the game.

- Well, for those who want to try, I'll give them eight matches. They represent sheep walking in a strait line. Four sheep arrive from one direction of the trail and four from the opposite direction. To allows them to walk then, they need a space in front of them. At the beginning the gap is spotted in the center. There will always be one gap during the game. They have no way of getting around.

Hum... The trick is to pass all the sheep over those who come in the opposite direction, so that they can continue their trail. But here's the catch. A sheep can only jump over an other sheep that's coming from the opposite direction. And the sheep who is going to be jumped, has to have the gap behind it, in order to give a space to the sheep jumping it. Now, I've told you guys everything. Those who want to participate, raise their hand!

The students hesitated, the game seemed complicated. Think again! for the last day of school!

- Hum! Not a lot of courageous over here! So what! My group! Just three students! And just one of Mr. Vago's student! Hum! Actually I forgot one thing. The winner. I mean the first who will find the right formula, he'll win this big bag of candy with a ton of different colours. So!

Now