The Odd Couple in Paris

by Patricia M Swayze

  “She sounds like an interesting person. When do we leave tomorrow?”

  “Let’s take the bus at 9:00 a.m.”

  “Does Anna speak English?”

  “Yes, but she has a heavy accent. I don’t mind. I like her accent.”

  22

  Trip to Siena, Tuscany

  Lulu looked through the bus widows at the vibrant colors while Martin took a nap. The bus had stopped twice since boarding, and now they were almost at their destination. Lulu nudged Martin.

  “Looks like we’re stopping at the town square.”

  Martin looked out the window and saw Anna standing at the corner. “The lady in the blue dress is Anna.”

  “She looks chic.”

  “Yes, she’s always nicely dressed,” said Martin.

  “Ciao, Bella. You must be Lucinda. So nice to meet you. Good looks run in Mario’s family.”

  “You mean Martin,” said Lulu as she shook Anna’s hand.

  “He’s Mario to me. Sounds so much better. Don’t you think so, Mario?”

  “Yes, I don’t mind being called Mario.”

  “Perfecto. I have prepared a beautiful pranzo for you both. We just have to walk a little. Not too far.”

  “I hope you didn’t go to a lot of trouble for us,” said Lulu.

  “I love to cook. I had a restaurant for thirty years with my husband, John. He was Americano. I met him in New York while visiting my tia. We fell in love right away. He had a small café, and I insisted that he sell it and open a restaurant in Siena. My father was a chef, so I already knew how to make fabulous Italiano food. I taught him how to make Italiano food. We had a good life together. Making the food was better than making love. We had so much passion for our restaurant.”

  “What happened to your restaurant?” asked Lulu.

  “I sold it after John died—about six years ago. It was too much work for me. And it just wasn’t the same without working with him.”

  “Do you have children?”

  “No, I was not blessed with children, but it didn’t bother me. I enjoyed working, so maybe it was a blessing that I never had any. And John felt the same way. I have nieces and nephews. They will take care of me when I get old. Well, older. They are in my will, so they are attentive. You don’t want to get old and be poor. How long are you staying in Rome?”

  “After my stay in Siena, I have a few days left before I fly back to the United States.”

  “Why such a short stay?”

  “I was in Paris for two months already.”

  “Did you meet any interesting French men?”

  “Yes, I met one. He owns a bookstore with his father. A very nice man.”

  “Is he a good lover? That’s what is important. Well, in the beginning, anyway.”

  Lulu turned slightly red. “I haven’t gotten to that stage.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad. Now you return to your home, and you will always wonder.”

  Martin cleared his throat. He had a slight smile on his face. Lulu looked at him, not believing how Anna was talking.

  “I see your house. The front yard looks lovely,” said Martin.

  “The back is even nicer. It’s so much work. I have the gardener come two times in the week. Come in, this way. Your room is here, Lucinda, and Mario can have the next bedroom. My bedroom is farther down the hall at the end. Do you understand some Italiano?”

  “Yes,” said Lulu.

  “I will see you in a few minutes. We can eat in the kitchen.”

  Anna had the windows opened in the spacious kitchen. It was a combination of pale yellow and blue. There were pictures on the wall of when she and her husband worked in their restaurant. She had already set the table. She brought out the salad and tossed it with her dressing. A large pot on the stove held her famous osso buco. She poured mineral water in the glasses with slices of lemon. She was delighted to have company.

  “Sit down dear; let me get you a plate.”

  “This looks so delicious,” said Lulu.

  “Grazie,” said Anna as she put a plate of food in front of Lulu.

  “I remember your kitchen well,” said Martin.

  “When was the last time you were here, Mario?”

  “It must have been five years ago. I met Anna in her restaurant about fifteen years ago.”

  “Wow that’s quite a while,” said Lulu.

  “He was such a handsome man, and he still is. He caught my eye, and I sent over a special bottle of wine for him. Of course, that was before I knew his preference.” Martin laughed.

  Lulu was about to say something, when Anna said that she was only joking.

  “You look so familiar to me.”

  “Maybe it’s because I’m Martin’s niece.”

  “No, it’s not that. I gotta think. You remind me of someone who used to come here to this town a lot. She and her husband. I knew them when they were teenagers. Oh, Lorena and her husband, Raphael. Lorena’s mother is very rich. Well, so are Raphael’s parents. Funny, you look like Lorena, but you’re thinner and younger.”

  “What does her husband look like?”

  “Very good looking. So bello. But a playboy. He was such a good boy when he was young. I haven’t seen them in about two years. He is very charming and very attentive to his wife when he is with her. But one time she was here alone. She told me that he has a wandering eye. But the next day I saw her in town, and she was with another man. They acted like a couple. So maybe she has a wandering eye too.”

  “Did they come here to your house?” asked Lulu.

  “Yes, I invited them over. They stayed in Tuscany when they were children and ate at my restaurant often. You remember Raphael, don’t you, Mario?”

  “I met him a few times. It was some time ago. Your food is very delicious, Anna. You’re such a fabulous cook.”

  “Are you all right, Lulu? You look a little red.”

  “I’m fine, Anna. It’s just a little warm in here.”

  “Let’s take our salad out to the veranda. There’s a nice breeze out,” said Anna.

  “Were you born here?” asked Lulu.

  “No, can’t you tell that I’m from Sicily—with this dark skin?”

  “I wasn’t sure.”

  “Lulu’s father’s parents were from southern Italy. But Lulu is part English, so she isn’t as dark.”

  “You call her Lulu?”

  “Yes. She prefers that name.”

  “She should be called Lucinda. It’s a better name.” Martin laughed.

  Lulu didn’t think it was that funny. But because Anna was an older woman, she didn’t say anything.

  “Names are a funny thing. Sometimes parents give children such strange names, and then it affects the children when they go to school. I was always glad that I have a simple name. It doesn’t get made shorter. I didn’t like my darker skin. The children here teased me. But when I became a woman, I liked it. Men thought that I was sexy—especially the Swedish men who came to visit. They said that I looked exotic. I had some good times then. But I loved John. He did become fat when he moved here. He ate too much pasta. Americans don’t know how to eat pasta. They eat too much and eat bread with it.”

  “My father never let us eat pasta and bread at the same time. We had small amounts of pasta, so I know what you mean. My American friends would eat large amounts of pasta with garlic bread and lots of cheese.”

  “Tell me about your French boyfriend. Is he bello?”

  “Yes, but funny and smart too.”

  “Why did you leave him in Paris? You could have invited him to travel to Rome with you. You only live once. You think too much. You have to grab the moment. Your youth will be over so soon.”

  “I was invited to Rome by Martin, so I didn’t feel comfortable bringing someone along with me,” said Lulu.

&n
bsp; “Lulu is inviting him to visit her in the States. She wants to find a job teaching English,” said Martin.

  “Teaching English sounds so boring. Stay here, and I will teach you how to cook, and you can become a chef. You can open up your own restaurant.” Lulu laughed. She had no desire to become a chef.

  Anna excused herself and said that she would be back in a minute.

  “Is she always this talkative and opinionated?” asked Lulu.

  “Yes, but sometimes she is much worse. That’s why I took a nap before getting here. But I find her entertaining,” said Martin.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that you knew Raphael? I was so shocked. What did you think of him?”

  “I didn’t have the heart to tell you. I think you kept your composure really well. I liked him. I don’t think that he was so much of a playboy then. But I didn’t spend that much time around him.”

  “What if Raphael realized you were my uncle?”

  “He wouldn’t have made the connection because he doesn’t know that much about me, unless you gave him some details about me.”

  “No, I didn’t say much.” They could hear music coming from inside.

  “I love this Italian music. It’s good to dance to,” said Anna.

  “Yes, it is nice music. Sounds so romantic when the Italians sing. It has a nice beat too,” said Lulu.

  “Come, Lucinda, let’s dance,” said Anna.

  “No, ask Martin.”

  “Mario doesn’t want to dance with an old woman.”

  Anna grabbed Lulu’s hand and pulled her up from the chair. Lulu was surprised that Anna could dance as well as she could. She seemed to have boundless energy. Soon Lulu was laughing. Martin was clapping his hands. “Enough,” said Lulu.

  “Anna is a good fortune teller. She can read palms. Have her read yours,” said Martin.

  “Come sit at the table, Lucinda, where there is light.”

  “I’m kind of tired.”

  “Just sit here and relax. Let me see. You have a long life line. You will live a long time. You had a lover recently, but it did not work out. It was a secret. You will marry a foreign man and have two children. But first, you will travel for a while. Your husband’s name will start with the letter J. Like my husband’s. Not the same but similar.”

  “Thank you, Anna. I don’t know if I believe all of this, but it is entertaining,” said Lulu.

  “Tomorrow we can go for a long walk in the country where I have olive trees. Maybe pick some—if you like to. What do you think, Mario?”

  “Whatever Lulu wants to do.”

  “A long walk in the country sounds nice. I’m going to go to my room now and relax a little and take a nap. Thank you for the delicious pranzo,” said Lulu.

  “I think I will read for a while in my bedroom and join you in a few hours,” said Martin. Martin was glad that he had taken a nap on the bus. He was aware of how much Anna could talk and wear you out if you weren’t used to such high energy.

  23

  Dinner at Le Belle

  “Let’s have dinner at a restaurant in town,” said Martin.

  “Please, I can cook for you,” said Anna.

  “We want to take you out. I insist. I’d like to see something of the town too,” said Lulu.

  “Well, if you insist. I like Le Belle. It has Italian country food,” said Anna.

  “I think it would be nice to sit outside with a glass of wine,” said Martin.

  “Yes, Mario. That would be nice. I’ll get a bottle of white wine out.”

  Lulu attempted to help Anna open the wine bottle, but Anna shooed her away, laughing. She told Lulu that she has been opening bottles up since before Lulu was born. Martin looked amused.

  “You have a lovely patio and garden. You must have a good gardener,” said Lulu.

  “Yes, Franco is very efficient. My husband used to like spending time in the garden. It was his way of relaxing. He loved taking care of the roses. We had more roses then. Then I hired Franco to take over the gardening. I once found Franco making love to his girlfriend behind the cedar bushes. She must have stopped by to see him. He didn’t know that I watched.”

  “What did you see?” asked Martin.

  “Well, you know, the usual. She had her dress pulled up and was bending over. But it was a position that I would never do. So nasty.” Martin laughed, and Lulu put her hand over her mouth.

  “You certainly have seen a lot,” said Lulu.

  “Oh, I have so many stories that I could tell you about the people here. People come to me to have their palms read or the tarot cards read. They like to gossip. People have affairs. I know one woman, Donna, who was sleeping with her sister’s husband. I don’t understand how Donna could betray her own sister. Family should come first. But sometimes there is so much jealousy between sisters when they are growing up. They want to hurt each other. Do you have a sister?”

  “No, I’m an only child. I would have liked a brother or sister.”

  “Oh, poor Lucinda. You must be so spoiled.”

  “Do you have a boyfriend?” asked Martin.

  “No, not in a few years. Men my age usually aren’t good in bed anymore and the younger ones aren’t interested in women that are seventy. If I found someone who was fun and a good companion, I would overlook the lack of sex. I can always use something with a battery.” Martin smiled, and Lulu cleared her throat.

  “Do you think we should get ready and go for dinner now?”

  “Yes, we should go. I can call a taxi. Otherwise it will be a twenty-minute walk. We can leave in thirty minutes,” said Anna. They all went to their rooms to get ready.

  “You look so respectable and lovely,” said Lulu.

  “It must be this bun. My hair looks too old.” Anna took the bun out of her hair and let her wavy hair cascade to her shoulders.

  “Now you look a little wild,” said Lulu.

  “That’s how I like it. I don’t want to look so respectable.”

  Martin was looking out the window and saw the taxi. “The taxi is here.”

  “Hello, Orlando, these are my American friends visiting Siena. We want to go to Le Belle.”

  “Hello. Nice to meet you. Le Belle is a nice restaurant. Molto delizioso.”

  “Yes, it is my preferito,” said Anna.

  “Eccoci qui,” said Orlando. Here we are.

  “Grazie,” said Anna as she handed Orlando money. Orlando nodded his head to Martin and Lulu.

  “Nice ambience in here. I like all those old black and white pictures. There’s one that looks like you. Is that a relative?” asked Lulu.

  “Isn’t this your old restaurant with new décor?” asked Martin.

  “Yes, this was my restaurant. And some of the pictures are of me. This was my restaurant that I sold to Pierre. He’s half French that’s why he named it Le Belle. He used to call me Belle. He was my lover ten years ago. He’s several years younger than me. I was still hot then. He changed the menu but left two of my dishes.”

  “Wasn’t John still living then?” asked Martin.

  “Yes, but he wasn’t interested in sex then. He was too busy cooking and creating new dishes. He puffed out like a pastry. He probably would still be alive, but he ate too much. Pierre is married now. I like his wife. I never saw a future with Pierre because of our age difference. I knew that one day he would find me too old. But we are good friends.”

  “I think you look fabulous,” said Lulu.

  “Grazie. You‘re so sweet. If I had a daughter, I would want her to be like you. Were your grandparents born in Italy?”

  “My father’s parents moved to the States from Italy. My grandfather was from Sicily originally, and my grandmother was from Naples. They had a clothing business. That’s why my father knows how to dress.”

  “No wonder I like you,” said Anna
.

  “So what are we going to order?” asked Martin.

  “I recommend that you try my recipe, the cacciucco. It’s the best fish stew that you will ever eat.”

  “Well, I must have it then,” said Martin.

  “Me too,” said Lulu.

  Anna ordered three cacciucco and three glasses of red wine and asked the waiter if Pierre was in. She was a little disappointed that Pierre had the night off.

  “This place is starting to get busy.”

  Anna’s dark eyes sparkled with amusement. “Do you see that man over there in the blue shirt with the glasses on?” asked Anna.

  “Yes,” said Martin.

  “Oh, yeah. I see him,” said Lulu

  “His wife comes in to see me for her tarot card readings. Last month she told me that her husband has enormous balls. Bigger than any man that she has ever known or heard of. He wants sex every day too. But he apparently overdid it recently because his already big balls swelled up from too much sex. He couldn’t walk. She told him to go to the hospital, but he was too embarrassed. They had the doctor come over for a house call. The doctor was so shocked, that he told the man that he could only have sex once a week now, or he would have to be castrated.” Martin was laughing, and Anna joined him.

  Lulu was grinning but thought that the story was absurd and wasn’t sure if it was true or if Anna was just making it up. Anna excused herself to the ladies’ room while the waiter brought out the soup.

  “Has she always been like this,” asked Lulu.

  “Yes, but sometimes she’s worse. But I enjoy her company. She’s so interesting and amusing. You should be taking notes. This is really good writing material.”

  “I suppose so, but I find her a little crass. I would be horrified if my mother spoke like Anna.”

  “Italians here can be a little earthy and vulgar compared to Americans. She’s being herself, which is refreshing.”

  Anna returned, stopping off to say hello to a few ladies that she knew. She was calling out, “Ciao, Bella.”