by L. C. Maciel
I took three plates and put them on the table. Lorena took the roast out of the oven and the smell was really inviting.
- You can help yourselves. -Say Lorena was excited about the recipe.
I took the plate and first put the vegetables that Giovanna had cut. She had made a colorful salad, with some herbs that I didn't know about. The taste was exotic and pleasant.
The roast meat was soft and juicy. Lorena had used some bittersweet spices, combined with a well composed sauce, of a reddish tone.
As we had lunch, I began to think about what the senior year in Siena would be like. I hadn't talked about it with my aunt yet and arrangements should be made as soon as possible.
-Giovanna,does the school you go to have the classic high school option? -Yeah.
Before Giovanna answered, Lorena interrupted her.
-You have, Cecilia. I forgot to tell you that I already talked to the directors. You can start tomorrow.
-Seriously? -I asked in surprise.
-Yes, you don't have to worry about that. -Yes. Everything is already organized.
I smiled thankfully and continued to savor Lorena's recipe.
When we finished lunch, Giovanna and I washed and dried the dishes while my aunt cleaned the rest of the kitchen. I needed to unpack my suitcases and intended to do so as soon as the tidying up was done.
After taking the plates and cutlery back to the wooden cupboard, Giovanna accompanied me to my room.
I pulled the suitcases out of the corner and started to take off my clothes, between jeans, knitwear and winter blouses.
- When I finish I want to go out for a bit?- asked Giovanna suddenly.
-I don't know Giovanna, I'm exhausted because of the trip. Are you sad?
-Of course not. Why don't you get some sleep?
-That's what I intend to do as soon as I'm finished here. -Yes. I promise we'll leave tomorrow, okay?
-Okay. I'll watch a movie. If you don't go to sleep, I'll be in the living room, okay?
- Okay.
I folded the pieces of clothing one by one and put them in the vacant wardrobe space that Lorena had separated for me. The few shoes I took fit perfectly on the bottom, suitable for shoes. By the time I finished, thirty minutes had passed. After removing the contact lenses, I lay down on the bed and suddenly the door opened.
A tall, strong young man had entered my new room. He was wearing clothes that seemed to have come out of a movie, or a costume party. He had straight hair up to his shoulders, a golden shade and sun-tanned skin. He walked towards me, as if he'd known me for a long time, with a somewhat sarcastic smile that frightened me in some way.
The colour of his eyes was uncertain, passing through a shade of amber or a matte gold.
She pronounced my name a few times, until I woke up scared.
The room was the same way I had left it before bed. The closed curtain diminished the brightness leaving the walls with a slightly modified tone, being comfortable to the eyes.
My dress was now well wrinkled and I felt my head a little heavy.
I looked at the clock on top of a servant next to the bed that marked five o'clock in the afternoon.
-I think I overslept. -I spoke to myself in thought.
I got up slowly to avoid sudden movements in my neck that still hurt. I opened the curtain and put on my sandals again. With the clarity, now soft because of the schedule, I noticed that there was a small piece of paper in the desk that was not there when I arrived.
- Did Lorena and Giovanna leave any messages? - I asked in thought.
I took the piece of paper that was strangely yellowish. It was carefully folded into four parts. When I opened it, it was inevitable that I wouldn't get a fright.
HELLO, CECILIA.
The paper greeted me with my own handwriting. I blinked several times to see if I was really seeing well, although I knew that my close-up vision was excellent and the problem had always been seeing distant objects. Even so, I took the glasses inside the little box, which was in my leather bag.
I cleaned the glasses and cleaned it with the light pink flannel. I put it on and examined the paper again. There was no doubt about it. That letter was mine.
At this moment I felt like I was losing track of reality, or at worst losing my memory. I couldn't remember writing a note greeting myself. In fact, I would never do that.
But then what was that? And where did it come from?
- Did Giovanna write it to me, and was her handwriting so similar to mine, that it confused me? - I thought.
-Impossible. I concluded in a flash of rationality.
I didn't know Giovanna's handwriting, but I was sure it wasn't possible, two people having practically the same handwriting. Just a perfect forgery. But who would want to forge my handwriting?
The extremely confusing questions danced in my mind. Either I was going crazy, or someone was trying to scare me. But who?
The only people who knew about my move to Siena were Lorena, Giovanna, Giuseppe and the unfriendly Felicia.
I looked at the words again trying to find some meaning in it. But there wasn't. There was no sense in a note in my own handwriting that I had never written.
I opened the bedroom door checking to see if Giovanna and Lorena were home. The kitchen radio played some very old music.
My confused mind didn't know what to think or what to do. I opened the wardrobe door and put the note in a little box where I kept some earrings.
I couldn't just forget that paper. It was too strange to ignore. I decided not to ask anyone in the house about it. Lorena might have thought that my parents' death had shaken me to the point of hallucinating me or something.
No one would understand. Neither would I.
When I left Giovanna's room I was walking down the hall.
-Did you sleep well? -She asked serenely.
-Yes, but I think I slept too much. -Yes. - I said trying to hide my expression of concern.
-You okay? -You look scared...
-I am. -Yes. I just had a weird dream, that's all.
-My mom made me a snack. -Yeah. Shall we?
I followed Giovanna to the kitchen. Lorena was putting a basket of stuffed rolls on the table. The jar of frozen juice, it showed droplets on its surface like in TV ads that make drinks more attractive through photographic features.
-Did you rest, dear? -Lorraine's voice demonstrated a gentleness that reminded me of my mother.
-I did, Lorena, even too much. -Oh, yes.
-Then feed. Tomorrow will be a day full of news, you will need energy.
During the snack, I tried to get my thoughts away from me. The image of the note remained intact in my mind and I tried my best not to show off and cause questioning.
When we finished, Giovanna called me to watch the sunset. We both went to Lorraine's room which had a window to the west. The sky looked like an absurdly perfect painting that mixed shades of orange, pink and blue. Even before that image my thoughts remained restless and I could not forget the strange role that had been in my hands.
- Don't you like the sunset?
-Of course I do, why wouldn't I? -I answered still trying to scare the thoughts away.
-Your expression is tense, so I asked. - Giovanna said reminding me that I was terrible at hiding feelings.
-It's nothing. I'm just a little anxious about tomorrow. -I lied.
-Don't worry, I'll be around. -Oh. I'll introduce you to some friends, it'll be fun, I'm sure. - She said, making me smile in response...
When the farewell had ended, Giovanna and I kept talking about my new school. Although I couldn't completely forget the new contents of my earring box, the dialogue made me less uneasy. We talked about the teachers, about the subjects. We made plans for the weekend, and even for the next holiday.
Our conversation was so long that when we looked at the clock it was almost 8pm.
After dinner, we organized the materials for the other day. Then we had some ice cream watching TV. Gio
vanna decided to sleep right after the news.
Obviously I was not sleepy because of the hours I spent sleeping in the afternoon. Although I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep that night, I went with Giovanna and lay in bed.
In the room, now dark, I recapitulated the strange dream of that afternoon and asked myself about the origin of the note. The night would be long. The clock radio would mark the time when I would stay awake in the middle of the night. The letters identical to my handwriting hovered before my eyes, as if I were daydreaming. Giovanna slept serenely in the next bed. The next day she would introduce everyone, a girl with dark circles under her eyes and swollen bags.
I contemplated the dark of the room as my mind wandered in confusion. Again, I wondered if I wasn't going crazy or having hallucinations. No matter how hard I tried to get those letters away from me, they kept coming back to me.
When I closed my eyes superficially the sun was already coming back. Siena's soft morning rays penetrated the windows of my new home. The smell of Lorena's coffee made me jump out of bed before Giovanna.
I took my towel and my beige leather bag and went to the bathroom.
The image in the mirror was not the best. Although I slept the previous afternoon, my eyes were swollen as I imagined they would be.
I turned on the faucet and let the cold water run out. I made a shell with my hands and threw some of the liquid on my face. I combed my hair as usual, and attached it with a transparent elastic so it wouldn't get wet during the bath.
I opened the box and regulated the water so it would be comfortably warm. The steam fogged up the bathroom windows, bringing a humidity that made my breathing easier. After taking a quick shower I brushed my teeth and went to the bedroom. I opened the wardrobe door while Giovanna was still asleep and grabbed a pair of dark washed jeans. Despite Siena's spring heat, I would need a light blouse that had long sleeves for early morning. I wore a pink beige shirt for when the heat forced me to take off my knitting blouse. I carefully put on my contact lenses, put on my dark sneakers and went to the kitchen.
-Good morning, darling. How was the night?-Lorena had noticed that I had come in, even with my back to the door.
- Very well. - I lied.
-How nice. Now sit down and have a nice, strong coffee. - Her smile showed that she had woken up in excellent spirits.
From the kitchen I could hear the noise of Siena's alleys. The small town had woken up and the motorcycles were already rushing through the morning traffic. Although I wasn't hungry, I ate a bagel with half a cup of coffee. When I was finishing up, Giovanna appeared, carrying a bag of jeans and some books. -Cecilia, come on. We are already late.
-You won't eat anything Giovanna? -Lorraine's voice had the typical maternal concern.
-I eat at mom's school, now there's no time. -Yeah.
While Giovanna was waiting for me at the door, I went to the bedroom and got my bag with the materials I would have needed that day.
We quickly walked down the dark street that led to an extensive avenue. I looked again at the medieval, imposing and nostalgic buildings. As always the streets were full of curious tourists and enchanted with the gothic magic of Siena.
We followed in a straight line for about seven minutes until we reached the school.
I entered through the main gate next to Giovanna, regardless of the looks of others. A light-skinned, dark-haired young woman waved to her and smiled at me.
-That's Giullia, a friend who attends several classes with me. - Giovanna said as she waved back.
After we passed the board and found out what my first class was, Giovanna walked me to the room where I was supposed to stay.
-This is it. See you at break time, good luck! - She said goodbye to the sound of
signal.
I took a deep breath and went in. Some students were standing in the corner of the room and looked suspiciously while I occupied a table at the back.
The feeling of being the new girl was uncomfortable. I tried to be discreet when I noticed that a boy with disheveled hair was staring at me. A young girl with big cheeks and wavy hair entered the room and occupied the table in front of me. After organizing her material she turned and asked:
- You're the new girl, aren't you?
-Yes.-I answered timidly.
- My name is Giane, nice to meet you. I was the last rookie...- She said relaxed and emphasizing the verb.
-The pleasure is mine. -I said.
-Let's go outside...? Class should take about five minutes to start. I can show you the school.
I accepted the invitation feeling relieved to be away from the sight of the boy with the hair on his head. The cold stare chased me out of the room.
-You still haven't told me your name. -Giane said as we walked down the wide hall.
- I'm sorry, I didn't realize. My name is Cecilia, but you can call me Cecilia.
-Name's good. Are you from Siena?
-No, I moved in yesterday. I lived in Naples.
-And why did you move? -Yes.
-My parents died in an accident. -I'm living with my aunt. - I explained, trying not to let the anguish that was still in me since the day of the accident show.
- I'm sorry. -She said it changing her tone of voice.-I apologize for asking too much.
-Don't worry, it's okay. -I'm sorry.
The school was big. It had a large garden in the background, where the students pape before entering their classrooms. The sun was beating on the lawn, illuminating some flowers planted in a simple way.
-This is the part I like best about the school. -Oh. - She said looking at the place filled with plants.
-It's very beautiful.
We walked for a few minutes through the green area. Some students looked at us, recognizing that I was new there.
-It wasn't more than five minutes? -I suddenly asked.
-I don't think so, but we'd better go inside. -Oh.
-Yes, I don't want to be a late rookie! -I said smiling.
We went back into the hall and entered the room. Although the teacher hadn't arrived, most of the students were already sitting, taking their seats.
As I walked to the wallet at the back, which I had chosen when I arrived, I noticed that it was occupied by the boy who stared at me as I left. My leather handbag was thrown to the floor near a table next door.
I approached the boy, not understanding what was happening.
-I was occupying this wallet. - I said.
-I think you were wrong, because that's your wallet. -Yeah. - He said pointing to the table behind me. -I've always taken this place. -Oh.
-I didn't know. I didn't have to throw my purse down. I just needed to talk when I got here.
-I don't care if you didn't know. -The tone of voice overflowed with arrogance. -Yeah.
Without saying another word, I turned around and took the next table. I didn't intend to argue with such a thick boy on my first day at school. When I put my purse in my wallet, I noticed that Giane had heard the beginning of the discussion.
-Is everything okay? -She hissed softly.
-Yes. - I said with my head.
Before thinking about that situation was ridiculous, I concentrated my attention on the teacher who arrived announcing an extensive work to be delivered within a month.
-Good day students... I have something new that you'll love. -Your voice had a fun tone of irony. -Oh. - You will have to do a dissertation choosing a philosophical work as the central theme. You all have thirty days to deliver.
- How many pages? - A girl with big blue eyes asked, seeming upset by the novelty.
-At least five. - There was a whisper of disbelief. - Now let's get to class!
- Aren't you going to introduce us to the new girl? - Someone asked, embarrassing me immediately.
- Oh, yes, we have a rookie... Cecilia Fiorucci. - They all turned at once as if they had rehearsed.
-Would you like to say something, Miss Fiorucci? -Yes.
- No. - I said wh
eezing.
- You're welcome. – The accent was very strong as he said.
- Thank you. - I tried to smile while he thanked me.
When all the students looked forward again, the class began with the main contemporary philosophers and their thoughts.
The teacher would talk about Marx and Engels as I kept my thoughts wandering through the latest events. The presence very close to the arrogant boy bothered me and I wished I wasn't in that class. The class passed quickly while I remained restless, sometimes looking at the walls or the floor. I took off my thin knitting blouse when the heat was already intense and put it inside my bag making a discreet noise. My open notebook showed clean leaves waiting for the touch of the pen and demonstrating that I didn't bother to pay attention to the material written on the blackboard.
Two new teachers taught one after the other occupying exactly one hour and forty minutes of the day. Classes were given to the maximum, inviting students to a debate. I participated in a few moments.
I heard a long, shrill sign that hurt my ears. It was the lunch break.
I got up quickly while Giane asked:
- Do you want some company?
- Sure, I'd like some company. I'll introduce you to Giovanna.
- Who's Giovanna?
-My cousin. - We were already at the door when I answered.
The corridor was full of students making a messy noise.
- You didn't like the class... - The tone was more of a statement than a question.
- I know only you, Giane. I can't tell if I liked the class yet.
- It was Homero, wasn't it?
-Who's Homero?
- The boy you argued with earlier.
- I was a little bothered, but it's already passing. He's too thick, he didn't need that reaction.
-I got very strange... He doesn't usually behave that way. Something must have happened, he was in a mood...
- But that doesn't justify the rudeness. - I simply stated.
We got to the cafeteria when the lunch line was starting to form. I looked for
Giovanna, but she hadn't arrived yet. Giane and I took a tray and started serving ourselves. The menu for the day was light and balanced because of the heat. I chose a slice of pizza, orange juice and an apple. I accompanied Giane as she headed to a corner table, which was near the exit of the place. The center tables were already occupied and in one of them was Homero, sitting alone. At a glance my gaze crossed his. The brown eyes were glowing with a glow of their own. The serious expression contained traces of concern. I suddenly averted my eyes so as not to be noticed.