A Hot Summer In Villa Gerardi

As it frequently happened at the latest hours of the night, S felt the sudden desire to write. Not a reminder note of things to do or a catchy phrase her mind has just come up with, but a story, fully narrated in her mind that she knew, it would be forgotten when by the first rays of the morning.

With a snort, she stretched and sat on the bed. It was autumn, and despite the weather being quiet warm during the day, at night you could feel the winter coming, with the pierce cold wind trying to get between your clothes and your skin. Still in the dark, S tapped the end of the bed in search of her robe. When her hands finally found it, she put it on, slipped into her cat-shaped slippers with difficulties and sneaked quietly to the kitchen.

She didn’t check the clock, but she suspected it would be 2 or 3 in the morning. Everyone in the building was deep asleep and so was her eight-years old cat who didn’t even bother to look at  her as she switched on the kitchen light. Her eyes imediately closed, she squeezed them with her fingers, then waited. When she could opened her eyes again, she went to the sink and fill a small tea-pot with water and placed it on the cooker. She has always promised herself to buy one of those small water boilers, but whenever she browsed at them at the supermarket, she always postponed it to the next week’s shopping list.

She warmed her hands on the small pot’s heat then folded them under her armpit to keep the heat as much as she could on her hands. When she felt her hands were warm enough, she opened the counter next to the cooker and took a tea bag of green tea and mint. On the counter, on the opposite side of the kitchen, she looked at her mugs. She has always preferred drinking tea in a mug than a tea-cup; it could hold much more tea at once without having to fill it with water each time. Most of her mugs were of cities, with the classic capital I followed by a heart just above the city name. They had been souvenirs friends and family had brought back from their travels as gifts. The few ones she did buy while she was on vacation, were the ones with NY and Italia stamped on it. But as she took the white NY mug, she remembered she never used the one her brother bought her after a short visit to London. She put back the NY mug and took the London one instead and closed the counter. She leaned next to the cooker as she put the tea bag inside the mug and waited for the water to boil; she could already see little bubbles forming at the bottom of the tea-pot.

As she waited, her story hunted her. S never felt her stories were worthy enough to be read. Most of her stories were a pleasure for her only, as if her mind tailored them for her personal pleasure. Maybe that explained why when she sat down and started writing, or even drafting, they immediately lost the enthusiasm, that strong force that would wake her up and give her no sleep until something was done. For S, that something meant writing. She wrote smalls reminders of the story so, even if it didn’t turn into a full length-written story, she could still continue it and live it in her mind. Until she lived it so many times, it was of no interest anymore. Than she would have to wait until her mind would generate a new story.

Nadine … S thought as the water started boiling. She carefully took the tea pot from the handle and poured the water inside the mug until adequately full. The tea bag started floating as the water changed into a deep dark yellowish color. She put four full tea spoons of sugar, trying as much as she could to avoid the floating tea bag, then took her mug and headed to the livingroom.

She carefully put the London mug on her the desk and turned on her laptop and the small table lamp next to it. She sat on the wooden chair, her knees pressed on her chest and placed the hot mug on her knees in perfect balance to warm her a little, her hands near just in case. The laptop’s desktop image shined a picture taken some years ago. She stared at it for a minute, faintly smiled then opened a blank page and started writing.

****

Once upon a time … no, the story didn’t happen so long ago and it’s more real than a fairytale. It was a calm afternoon of an extremely hot summer. During the day, everything stood still, motionless as if the earth had been robbed of all living creatures. The only sound came from crickets hidden under leaves and bushes that surrounded the pool of Villa Gerardi. The Gerardi and their guests, seeked refuge inside the air-conditioned story yellow painted. The windows were big and white and the curtains have been visibly tighed aside to let the sun inside. The only movement came from the ground floor; people moved from one room to another sometimes with filled glasses in their hands. Surrounding the yellow villa was a huge perfectly green garden. Tall trees marked the stoned path that forked few meters from the villa’s entrance, just to meet again right in fron the huge white door steps.  At the back of the villa was the crytaline swimming pool where Nadine seeked her refuge. She had her big black sun glasses and bulky straw hat on and wore her favourite one piece swimming suit with the deep V neck that reached half her chest. She sat by the pool side, her legs half inside the water next to her a cocktail in a half coconut with a small green umbrella the butler, Alfredo has kindly brought her instructed by her father.

Nadine Gerardi Villani hasn’t visited her family villa since her marriage, two years ago to Riccardo Villani. After dating Ricky for one year while studying in the UK, Ricky, finally proposed to her after a fine dinner in one of the most luxurious restaurants in London. A day Nadine has always dreamed of since the day she met him. After the marriage in the catholic church she spent her childhood’s Sundays and the dress designed by her mother, a famous local stylist, the wedding reception was held at Villa Gerardi with the garden filled with pastel colors of pink and green.

Nadine never expected her first visit home as a married woman, would be for the another wedding reception, her father’s. Her parents divorced when Nadine was 16 and soon later her mother remarried to an Italian business man two years after the divorce. It took longer for her father, who always wanted to see her little girl happy and settled, before he could think of his own private life. Once his little girl was grown-up and settled, he decided it was time for him to think about himself again and on a vacation to Las Vegas, in a limp, married Vanessa Hacker.

When her father called her to announce his marriage, Nadine was furious and concerned about the real intentions of the woman and her son whom she never met or heard about and the hastily marriage he has agreed on. Even though her father reassured her more than once, she called all influential friends in America, for information about the woman only to find nothing, except for the son who has spent most of his childhood in and out from reformatory.

Nadine has pressed her father to meet the new family, and in order to please her, he arranged a late wedding reception back at his villa in Tuscany. So Nadine flew with Ricky, from her now home London, back to Tuscany in order to meet her stepmother and stepbrother.

She snorted checking the golden watch on her slim wrist. When she had arrived early in the morning, Vanessa and her son Bradley, were out apparently jogging, then would head downtown to buy some last stuff for the reception. When Nadine asked why she hasn’t sent someone to get them, her father laughed and said she still wasn’t used to be served. It was now 14:00 and there was no sight of the American duo. At 12:00 Nadine had suspected they couldn’t handle the whole Gerardi family questions, especially her questions that she kept revising in her mind, and decided to leave the country. At 13:00 it became a certainty to her and could imagine them back in their little apartment in Las Vegas.

As she turned to take her coconut cocktail, Nadine noticed a man sitting on her deck chair. She startled and the coconut almost fell from her hands. The young man sat with his legs parted, half bent his arms resting on his knees. There was no doubt he was staring at Nadine and Nadine noticed it with annoyance. But what she noticed even more, were the tattoos that covered both his arms and a few popping out from his white t-shirt.

Nadine took off her black glasses and addressed the man.

“If you are here to clean the pool, you can pass later, I’m not done yet.” But the man kept staring at her without responding. Nadine frowned and tried in English, then French but the man remained silent. Nadine shook her head and gave up, she put her sun glasses on and continued to stare at the endless garden.

Suddenly she felt a hand touching her shoulder and she immediately shook the hands off almost screaming in anger. She turned, ready to verbally assault the man sitting on the deck chair only to see it was Ricky.

“What’s wrong? I didn’t mean to scare you.” He asked holding his arm back.

“Well you did.” Ricky helped her get up then pulled her toward him and kissed her trying to avoid her straw hat.

“What is it?” She asked bending to take her cocktail and tiptoed to the table next to her deck chair, the ground was burning. She looked around in search of the man, who Nadine now suspected to be a gardener, but no one was there.

“They are here.” Nadine immediately perked at those words. She put the cocktail on the table and wore her transparent cover-up, one of her mother’s creation, and turned in search of Ricky who was already next to her. She took off her sun glasses and placed them on the table next to the cocktail. She went for her hat, then decided to take it off once inside the house.

“Everything will be alright.” He whispered as he rubbed her shoulder. She nodded took a deep breath and went inside the villa holding Ricky’s hand.

A Revealing Ramadan and an Exquisite Chocolate Fondant

Ahmed hastily wrote down the orders of the couple sitting a table three. He bowed sightly as he usually did when he was about to leave, and smiled courteously. The restaurant was full as customary during the summer; both in doors and outdoors tables were filled with couples, families and young women laughing loudly. During the last years though, the restaurant was full even more than usually and it was all thanks to the month of fasting, better known as Ramadan, that puts the whole Muslim population in agitation, bad temper and an irascible desire break the fasting in company of family they never see and friends they chat with everyday.

For Ahmed, and all the other waiters in every restaurant, it meant extra work, but also better and higher tips. The month of Ramadan is yes the month of fasting, but also an excuse to be generous. As he torn the paper and handed it to the kitchen, he check the clock. 18.15. There were still half an hour before the fasting was over so he decided to give a last glance to the soups and salads indoors. They were laid on a long table in the typical style of an open-buffet. Mushroom and lentil in large soups pots were first next to small white porcelain soup bowls . After the pots of soups started the salads. Some were put on a higher level than the rest to benefit more an esthetic sense than practical. He adjusted a bowl of feta cheese salad that didn’t really need an adjustment. He check the clock again. 18.16. Before heading outdoors, he decided to check if every table had a bottle of fresh water and with disappointment, and after scanning three times the room, Ahmed concluded that every table had a bottle of water. He glanced at the clock one more time. 18.16. He frowned thinking the wall clock’s batteries were probably dead and check his wristwatch for safety. 18.17. He sighed with relief of the minute that according to his watch did pass and headed outside to receive the guests.

Soon later a young woman, with short dark straight hair, came smiling toward him. He smiled back politely noticing her bared shoulder and asked if she had a reservation.

“Yes,” she said, half turned, trying to put something in her bag, “it should be under the name of Salma?” The waiter nodded remembering the young lady and her friend he accompanied to table number seven couple of minutes earlier. He showed her the way with his hands pointing at the table. The young woman thanked politely and as she went to greet her friends, Ahmed turned to give one last glance at her.

******

Sabrina hugged her friend Salma as she noticed Aya was also there. As usual in these situation, Sabrina felt awkward and embarrassed; she wasn’t sure how long a hug was supposed to last. And for some reason, she always cheek-kissed from the wrong side.

“How are you? Your hair looks gorgeous!” Aya said has she hugged Sabrina tight. Sabrina kissed her on her cheek, starting from the left side only to lately realize Aya was tilting her head toward the same side. Sabrina smiled and quickly changed the direction of her head.

“Thanks I just cut it” Sabrina embarrassed touched the back of her hair that barely touched the end of her neck. As Salma also joined the compliments, Sabrina sat smiling politely as she usually did when people complimented her. She took out her phone from her pocket at the back of her tight jeans, and put it on the table.

“We were doing some catching up,” Salma explained as Aya continued talking about her new career an the interior design magazine. Sabrina nodded as she laid the handkerchief on her laps. She put both her elbows on the table resting her chin on her fist. As Salma and Aya talked, Sabrina scanned the room and nodded occasionally. With her other free hand she adjusted her hair behind her ear, only to take it off from behind her ear almost immediately. The buzz of people talking and laughing was too loud and Sabrina had difficulties hearing her friends conversation. She heard how Aya still didn’t know whether or not to be excited about the position, and how Salma pushed her and suggested she could renovate the magazine in something targeting local readers more. Suddenly Sabrina felt she wore something too revealing. The reason she liked to check the room, was to see if someone was wearing like her or similar. She always felt she was either covering herself too much or too less and according to what she saw she was the only woman with a sleeveless white blouse.

“What about you?” Salma asked curiously. Sabrina perked and smiled trying not to give away that she wasn’t listening. Hoping her friends could her as less as she did, she started saying about her new career shift. Despite the three of them studied Journalism and graduated almost the same year, only Sabrina wasn’t feeling a journalist. She worked as a full-time editor and writer only to realize she liked writing more than reporting and that the job was too much a stress for her. Only recently she realized how teaching could fund her expenses as well as being a stimulating job. Unfortunately Sabrina was followed by indecision all her life, of only one thing she was sure, writing. But as she spoke about how her year spent teaching English in a nursery turned out to be quite interesting, she found herself much more content with announcing her decision to embark in the English teaching career, than telling she’s still doing some freelancing writing here and there.

After she was done narrating a part of her life, Sabrina gave one quick glance at the soups on the long table next to them. She hoped there would be her favorite, mushroom soup. But there were no labels on the large pots. She touched her glass already filled with water with her fingers now wet from condensation. As if burnt she immediately withdrew her hand, remembering that she supposed to be fasting. Or at least this is what she told her friends, and anyone that asked her apart from her family. Fasting in summer wasn’t easy for her. Fasting never is, but Sabrina preferred a much more relaxed serene month than a nervous sick one.

When asked about her summer, Sabrina said she just returned from a two month escape in her homeland in Italy. Despite the indecision of whether going and spend two whole months with her lamenting grandmother. She didn’t hate her, even if since childhood she saw her only once a year. But Sabrina had troubles resisting the continuous useless laments that every old person tend to increase as they get older. Spending more time outside her grandmother’s house though has made her days more fun than she had expected and no feared that, in order to revive her social life, she had to move there. As the thought stared taking shape in her mind, dragging anxiety and frustration along with a slight sense of sadness, Sabrina decided to shut out the thought by taking a deep breath and checking the time on her phone. 18.20.

“Even if I work in a managerial position in a newspaper, I sometimes feel so lost!” Salma started with a smile. Sabrina asked her what her job was and she explained she was responsible for the online version of one of the famous local newspapers. Salma also added how still now, she wasn’t sure whether she liked her job or not.

“I know I’m not supposed to do that,” she started with a small laugh, “But sometimes we receive so many bad comments of people who hate us,  I just go delete!” She mimicked it with her finger and they all laughed.

Suddenly, the table with the soups and salads was filled with people as usual coming from all directions rather than lining up and wait for turns and this irritated Sabrina a little, and hope her friends would wait until the table was clear before heading there. Sabrina had the tendency whenever things didn’t go right, to make it a personal matter. If she had a stronger personality she would probably have stood and asked everyone to stand in line. But she didn’t have that kind of personality, so instead she sat, looking at the soups and salads table, shaking her head.

Salma and Aya simultaneously brought the glass of water to their mouths and Sabrina did the same. The whole restaurant did. They emptied half the glass, then Aya suggested they head for the soups. Most people had gone back to their tables now and were avidly eating. Sabrina was happy to hear her favourite mushroom soup was there. A waiter was standing behind the soups and cordially serving the guests. As he poured the soup in Sabrina’s bowl, she noticed how few pieces of mushrooms were showing in the creaming pale soup. When her bowl was full, Sabrina carefully put the it back on the table. Aya and Salma followed her and then headed for the salads.

Sabrina and Aya went straight for the caesar salad. Sabrina tried, as much as she could, to take as much chicken strips as possible. After some digging with the spoon, she realized they had put only a few stripes of chicken or they had all been taken already. Luckily, she found one and placed it with triumph on the green salad. She went back to her seat, and as she placed the plate in front of her, she realized how too much salad she had taken. She gave a quick glance to Aya’s caesar salad and she realized she had forgotten the dressing. unfortunately she didn’t see going back to the table for the dressing as an option. They were all seat already.

After they had finished their soups and started their salads, a waiter brought their first courses they had ordered by phone. Sabrina wasn’t familiar with the restaurant, and had spent quite a lot of time deciding on what to eat. She was more concerned about the ingredients than what she wanted to eat. Not that she was selective with food. Not at all, in fact, in the last years she had found herself eating pretty much everything, and liking it, except for meat. More than the taste of meat, she didn’t like how it felt under her teeth.  Usually when eating in a new restaurant she thought first on the effect the food would have on her stomach; she didn’t want to have to go to the restroom.

Because of this, she decided to choose something simple that shouldn’t mess her stomach much; Chicken breasts filled with mushrooms accompanied by sautéed vegetables and french fries. As the plates were placed in front of them, Sabrina gave a furtive look at her friends plates. She didn’t recognize their plates; she guessed Aya might have taken fish, since if she remembered correctly she was a vegetarian that ate fish. While Salma, it looked like chicken covered with a dark sauce and accompanied by rice.

The girls spent most of the time silently eating though occasionally, someone would start a conversation. Half way through their dishes, Salma asked if they had any news about their friends who studied journalism with them. Sabrina shook her head first; she barely kept in touch with Salma and Aya. Aya thought a little, then admitted she hasn’t heard from any since their graduation. The conversation was quickly shifted to the tv series shown during the month of Ramadan. Sabrina shook her head saying she didn’t watch, or heard of any. The conversation continued between Aya and Salma, while Sabrina silently examined her food.

Not that there was something wrong with her food. It wasn’t tasty as Sabrina had imagined, but it wasn’t bad either. But this didn’t prevent her from picking at her food and examining what was on her fork before eating it.

When they were done with their main courses. Salma suggested they go outside for desserts since the weather seemed less hot now that the sun was down. When her friends agreed she stopped a waiter carrying some empty dishes to the kitchen if there was an empty table outside and ordered a chocolate fondant for three afer checking with her friends if they agreed. The waiter nodded and promised he will ask. Minutes later he came back and politely accompanied them to a table outdoors.

Sabrina felt much better as she sat on the steel chair in the outdoor dining area of the restaurant. It wasn’t hot outside and the refreshing summer breeze was much of a relief after dinner than the cold air condition. She looked around her and realized most have left from when she had entered the restaurant. But outside the restaurant it was filled with people walking in the street closed for cars.

“So any news on the boys related issue?” Salma asked smiling at both Aya and Sabrina. Aya lowered her eyes and shook her head.

“The thing is,” she started  a little bit embarrassed, “they are all taken! The left ones aren’t good enough.” Both Sabrina and Salma nodded in agreement. Salma started saying how most of her friends are getting either engaged or married, some are even pregnant. Sabrina nodded as she saying how an old school friend of her just had a baby. She considered telling about her small useless flirt she experienced when she was in Italy. Maybe spicing it up a little with imaginary details to make her story even more interesting. Or she could tell of her friend, she worked with once but never met, that almost incessantly chatted with her on Skype. As she decided which story to tell and narrate it first inside her head, the chocolate fondant was placed in the middle of the table and her story was of no interest anymore.

As the girls started eating, going deeper toward the center to see and taste the hot chocolate coming out of the cake, a woman followed by a man came into the outdoor area of the restaurant. Sabrina noticed her immediately as she was wearing a short sleeveless dress. Probably everyone noticed her in the restaurant as the woman followed the man between the table with her high wedges.She was no longer in sight but Sabrina suddenly felt less naked in her sleeveless blouse and straightened her back a little feeling much more relaxed and less watched. She was starting to feel at ease, comfortable and enjoying the night out with her two friends she hasn’t seen since last summer. She took a big piece of cake and rubbed it against the plate to coat it with the melted hot chocolate. She hesitated on the plate, then quickly put the fork in her mouth. She closed her lips tighten as she took the fork out of her mouth to leave in as much melted chocolate as possible. She smiled at the compliments her friends gave to the cake, and with the side of her fork, cut another piece of cake.

******

The woman wearing the sleeveless short dress following the man outside the dinning area noticing a young woman wearing a sleeveless blouse. As she mixed with the crowd, she thought how the despite that young woman’s tries, she wasn’t as revealing and nonconformist as she was. With her finger she adjusted her hair, up in an excellent bun, raising her head a little. As she walked through the crowd, she remained with her head slightly up, following her husband inside another restaurant.

The Prince, The Queen, Spry and Aut.

I have found this story in an old note-book. I probably wrote it many years ago when I was a kid. It made me smile, so I thought to edit it a bit share it. It’s probably one of the few short stories I actually finished.

- S

—-

The world was covered in ice.

The sky was gloomy over snow-covered lands.

Crops were dying and barely fed people. The waters were frozen and people couldn’t satisfy their thirst.

The world was freezing.

One day, Prince Su came from the south preaching of a star that could melt the ice and bring light. People started listening and asking about this new life.Soon they demanded for a new King.

But the queen decided to imprison the Prince and execute him in front of everyone. One of the Queen’s servants, Aut, was very kind with the Prince. She fed him the warmest food, the warmest water and covered him in the most prestigious wool.

The Prince fell in love with Aut and promised to marry her and make her queen one day. Aut went crying to her Queen begging for forgiveness for the poor Prince. The Queen got furious and denied Aut to ever visit the Prince again.

Aut wrote to her Prince everyday and secretly sent him her letters. She apologized for not being able to visit him and for his fate. The Prince was confident though, and reassured her that he will be alright and that soon everything will change.

On the day of the execution, the Queen asked all her people to meet at the frozen lake, where the Prince will be executed. Everyone was there; mothers, children. The Queen’s servants stood by the Queen’s side. Including Aut.

Everyone gathered around the lake. The Prince was brought in chains before Queen. The Queen ordered an anchor to be tied at the Prince’s waist. She ordered the soldiers to push the Prince in the lake, but before he sank, he smiled to Aut. Then he disappeared under the dark waters and ice started forming above him.

The Queen was about to start her speech, the lake’s ice started melting and the Prince emerged from the waters. The Queen furiously ordered his death, but the soldiers were too shocked by what happened.

The Prince started promising warmth and serenity. He ordered the Queen to be imprisoned in the same lake. The soldiers eager for some warmth tied the anchor to the Queen’s waist and pushed her in the lake. The water around her started freezing and soon she sank in her ice prison.

The Prince married Aut and she became queen and the lands started melting. Light replaced the gloomy sky and the lands were filled with colors.

But serenity didn’t last long. As the years passed, the colors were replaced by brown and yellow shades. Waters started evaporating and crops started burning.

Even the Prince and Aut’s happiness vanished. Aut couldn’t live in a place so hot. The prince ordered a castle to be built by the lake, the coolest place. They met occasionally as the Prince couldn’t be in a place too cold.

Soon the only water left was the one in the lake. But the Prince prohibited anyone from going to the lake as the Queen might be able to escape. One day, some though, decided to go swim in the lake. They felt the cool water and were relieved. But soon ice started pulling them down. Everyone was scared to go inside the lake. Even the Prince could do nothing. So Aut jumped in the water and helped the men out. The ice couldn’t pull her down.

Someone else also jumped to help Aut. A soldier named Spry. Together they helped everyone out of the water. The Prince decided to thank Spry by making him lord and was invited to every royal event.

Aut and Spry spent lots of time together by the lake, the only place they could be together. The Prince became furious and thought he was betrayed and banned both from the kingdom.

Aut loved her Prince and wanted to prove nothing was between her and Spry. So she went and lived in lands of her own, next to the Prince lands. Some followed her and soon realized the temperatures were becoming cooler in Aut’s lands. Spry also went to live in lands next to the Prince and there temperatures were also cooler.

As the years passed the Prince realized his mistake and asked Aut to come back. But she couldn’t live in his weather and couldn’t live her people. Still in love they decided to meet for one month every year, the only time they could be together.

People started missing the ice that preserved their food. They begged the Prince to make the Queen come back. The Prince accepted only if the Queen would take lands far from his.

He ordered his soldiers to take the ice block that imprisoned the Queen and before it melted completely he asked her if she agreed to the conditions. Crying for the loneliness she felt all those years she accepted and was given the lands next to Spry and Aut. Soon the ice started coming back again.

The rulers rarely met. Except for the Prince and Aut who loved each other. When the rulers died, they were buried in their lands to preserve their temperatures. Except for the Prince and Aut who were buried next to each other, in the borders.

The weather started changing. Now all lands were able to benefit from every temperature.

First came the sun of Prince Su.

Then Aut cool breeze.

Then the Queen’s Ice.

and lastly Spry warmness. And when the warmness reached its peak, it meant Prince’s Su sun was back.

The people thanked their rulers everyday and knew they were watching them from above.