One Step to You

by Federico Moccia

  “Dani, where are your folks?”

  “Pallina, what are you doing here?”

  “Answer my question. Where are they?”

  “They’re out.”

  “Good! Get off that call, and quick. You need to leave the line free.”

  “But I’m talking to Marcello. And where’s Babi? She came looking for you.”

  “That’s why I need you to get off the phone. Babi might call. The last time I saw her, she was on the back of Step’s motorcycle being chased by city traffic cops.”

  “No!”

  “Yes!”

  “My sister is just too cool.”

  * * *

  The dust had slowly settled. Low, gray clouds were floating up above in the moonless sky. Everything around her was silent. Not a single light. Except for a small spotlight in the distance, fastened high on the wall of a house.

  Babi stepped away from the wall and crossed the road. It was hard to walk on that uneven old cobblestone surface. She took a few steps.

  From a distance came the sounds of the countryside. She caught a strong whiff of manure scattered on the fields. A faint breeze moved the branches of the trees. She felt alone and lost.

  She was afraid. If for no other reason than that she really didn’t want to be forced to spend the night in this place.

  Who could say where Step was. Had he eluded their pursuit?

  Babi headed toward the little spotlight. She was walking slowly along the wall, with her hand flat on the fence, careful where she put her feet, among tufts of tall wild grass. Could there be snakes here? An old memory from her science textbook reassured her. Snakes aren’t out at night.

  But rats are. There must be plenty of them around there. And rats bite. Urban legends. She remembered someone, a friend of a friend, who’d been bitten by a rat. He’d died very quickly. Lepto-something. Terrible. She veered away from the tufts of grass, dangerous hiding places for death-dealing rats. Darn that Pallina.

  Babi walked to the center of the road, dragging her feet, her hands out in front of her. Suddenly she heard a sound off to her left. Babi stopped. Silence.

  Then a branch snapped. Something came moving fast toward her, running, panting, through the shrubbery. Babi was terrified. Motionless, paralyzed in the middle of that dark road.

  Out of the dark patch of vegetation in front of her came a big dog with a black coat, snarling. Babi saw its silhouette come barking toward her, moving at top speed through the night. Its baying bark echoed ominously over the solitary hills.

  Babi turned and started to run. She slipped and nearly fell on the cobblestones. She recovered, stumbling through the darkness, hurrying forward, unable to see where she was going.

  The dog was right behind her. It was galloping menacingly, gaining ground. Snarling and barking ferociously. Babi reached the palisade. She found a gap, up high. She stuck in her hand, then the other hand, and finally found a foothold. Right foot, left foot, and up and over. Leaping into the void, barely eluding the sharp white fangs behind her.

  The dog slammed against the fence. It bounced off with a dull, hollow thud. It started running back and forth, barking, searching in vain for an opening, a space through which to reach his prey.

  Babi got back up. She’d hit her hands and knees falling face forward in the dark. She’d landed in something warm and soft. It was mud. It slid slowly down her jacket, down her jeans. Down her aching hands. She tried to move. Her legs sank into the mud up to the knee. She almost tripped and fell. She regained her balance. She stood still. The dog was running far away along the palisade. Let’s just hope there’s not a way through. She could hear it barking, even more ferocious than before because it couldn’t get to her. Well, better this mud than a dog bite.

  Then, all at once, an acrid odor, with a hint of sweetness, swept over her. She put her filthy hand up to her face. She sniffed at it. For a moment the countryside seemed to envelop her and make her its property. A shudder ran down her spine. Manure! That turned out not to be such a great trade after all.

  * * *

  Pallina stepped out of the front door, letting it shut gently without clicking locked. Then she took the keys out of her pocket, bent over, lifted the doormat, and put them back in the agreed-upon spot.

  Babi hadn’t phoned yet. But at least this way she wouldn’t have to ring to get in.

  Just then, Pallina heard the sound of a car. From the curve in the courtyard, a Mercedes 200 appeared. She recognized it. It was the same car that often brought Babi to school in the morning. Her parents.

  Pallina let the doormat drop and ran toward the front door. She let it slam behind her. She took the stairs at a run, went inside, and shut the door behind her.

  “Quick, Dani, your folks are home.”

  Daniela was standing in front of the refrigerator in the throes of the usual terrible hunger that visited her at two in the morning. For that one time, she’d have to go to bed hungry. She slammed the refrigerator door. She ran to her room and shut herself in.

  Pallina rushed into Babi’s bedroom. She took off her shoes and hid them behind the curtain near the window. Then she lowered the shutter and slipped into bed, fully dressed. Her heart was pounding. She lay still and listened. She heard the noise of the roller gate in the garage being shut. It was a matter of minutes now.

  Then, in the dim light of the bedroom, she saw the school uniform draped over the chair. Babi had prepared her attire for the following day before leaving. She’d expected to be home early. What a good girl she was, poor Babi.

  But this time, Babi was definitely in deep shit—literally.

  Chapter 6

  Step raced down Via Gregorio VII at top speed. He shot past the Samoto dealership, the same place he’d bought his Honda. He shot past Gregory’s Jazz Club. The different sound of his tires gave him some information. He’d left the asphalt and was now running on cobblestones.

  He downshifted without touching his brakes. He quickly checked the traffic light. He looked right and then left. He shot into the tunnel.

  Right after him came the city traffic cops’ squad car. The siren howled louder as it echoed off the tiles, a prisoner of the rounded walls. The light blue flashing lights spread, alternating, across those horrible yellow walls.

  Step came hurtling out of the tunnel, practically leaping. He downshifted and hit the brakes before veering off to the right, along the Lungotevere riverfront. He accelerated and slalomed past two or three cars. Then he put the bike into third gear, accelerating and gaining speed.

  If Step could make it to Piazza Trilussa, he’d be safe. In his side mirror he could see the police car getting dangerously close.

  Two cars were ahead of him. He upshifted and poured on the gas. Third gear. The motorcycle lunged forward. He just managed to squeeze between the car doors. One of the two vehicles veered away from the other, frightened. The other just sailed along down the middle of the road. The driver, in a daze, hadn’t noticed a thing.

  The city traffic cops passed on the far right. Their cars rose, thumping and springy, on the low curb of the sidewalk.

  Step saw Piazza Trilussa straight ahead. He shifted again. He veered across the road, from right to left. The dazed driver slammed on the brakes. Step shot straight down the narrow street across from the fountain that joined the two riverfront roads, the two Lungoteveres. He raced between the low marble traffic barriers. The city police were forced to brake, marooned there by the barriers. They couldn’t get through.

  Step accelerated. He’d made it. The two cops got out of their car. They only had time to glimpse a pair of young lovers and a group of panicked youngsters hopping onto the narrow sidewalk of that side street to let the lunatic on the motorcycle with his headlights off roar past. Step appeared at top speed in their midst and then shot away to the far side of the Lungotevere. He curved to the left. He continued to race along for another short while. Then he looked into his side mirror. Behind him, all was clear. Only a few cars in the distance. The u
sual traffic at this time of night.

  No one was following him anymore. He turned on his headlights. That would be the one thing he needed: to be stopped for riding without his lights on. Then he took a deep breath. He’d done it.

  He just prayed that they hadn’t managed to read his license plate. But he didn’t think so. He’d almost never used his brakes for that exact reason. The brake lights would have lit up the license plate too.

  He upshifted again and twisted the throttle. Now he needed to turn around and go pick up Babi. He’d take the long way around. He didn’t want to run into that squad car full of city traffic cops again.

  After all, Babi could wait. She was safe.

  * * *

  Babi’s father, Claudio, opened the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of water. Her mother, Raffaella, went down the hall, to the girls’ bedrooms. Before going to sleep, she always kissed her daughters good night, in part because it was a habit and in part because it was a good way of checking up to make sure they’d returned home.

  That evening, they weren’t supposed to have gone out at all. But you never knew. Better to check.

  She went into Daniela’s room. She walked soundlessly, taking great care not to trip over the edge of the carpet. She put one hand on the nightstand by the bed. She put her other hand against the wall. Then she leaned forward slowly and let her lips brush that cheek. She was asleep.

  Raffaella tiptoed out of the room. She softly shut the door. Daniela slowly turned over. She sat up, her weight on one side. Here comes the good part, she thought.

  Raffaella silently turned the handle and opened Babi’s door. Pallina was in the bed. She saw the wedge of light from the hallway that slowly projected itself across the wall, spreading wider. Her heart began to race. And what am I going to tell them now, if they catch me?

  Pallina lay there on her side, trying not to breathe. She heard a sound of necklaces, pieces of jewelry hitting each other. This had to be Babi’s mother. Raffaella went over to the bed, bent slightly forward. Pallina recognized her perfume. It was her all right. She held her breath and then felt the kiss brush her cheek. It was a mother’s soft and affectionate kiss. It’s true. Mothers are all the same. Worried and kindhearted.

  But are their daughters the same to them too? She hoped so. At that moment, the one thing she hoped against hope was to resemble Babi as much as possible. To have her hair, her build. Raffaella tidied the covers, delicately tucking the edge of the sheets up around her. Then she smoothed them lovingly, eliminating even the faintest creases and wrinkles. But suddenly she stopped. Pallina lay there, motionless, waiting. Could Babi’s mother have detected something out of place? Had she recognized her? She narrowed her eyes, her ears pricked up, straining to detect every last tiny sound, even the smallest imaginable movement.

  She heard a slight creaking. Raffaella had bent over. Now she could sense her warm breath coming closer. But then she heard light footsteps moving away across the wall-to-wall carpeting. The faint light in the hallway disappeared, as if she were taking it with her until the last little click of the door.

  Silence. Pallina slowly turned over. The door was shut. At last, she breathed. It was over. She looked down. Why had Babi’s mother leaned over? What had she done?

  In the dim light of the bedroom, her eyes, accustomed to the darkness, immediately spotted the answer. At the foot of the bed, perfectly lined up, were Babi’s slippers. Raffaella had set them in their place, in orderly fashion. Ready to welcome her daughter’s feet, still warm from the night’s sleep, when morning came around.

  Pallina wondered whether her own mother would have done such a thing. No. It wouldn’t have occurred to her. On more than one evening, Pallina had lain awake, awaiting her kiss. She had waited in vain. Her mother and her father had come home late. She’d heard them talk, walk past her room, and continue on. Then that click. Their bedroom door shutting. And with that closing door, her own hopes vanishing.

  * * *

  Step emerged onto the narrow road. He pulled up to the gate where he’d left Babi, and applied the brakes. A cloud of dust rose behind him. It climbed slowly into the dark sky, spreading as it went. The taillight illuminated the cloud of dust, tingeing it a faint red.

  Step looked around. Babi wasn’t there. He honked his horn. The sound of the horn spread, echoing across the countryside. He switched off the motorcycle. No answer. He tried calling her name: “Babi.”

  He called her name over and over again. He turned his headlight so that it illuminated the whole area. Nothing. She’d vanished. He was about to start the motorcycle when suddenly he heard a rustling sound on his right. It came from behind the palisade.

  “I’m right here.”

  Step peered through the dark wooden planks. “Where?”

  “Here!” A hand reached through an open space between one plank and the other. It fluttered up and down, signaling her location.

  “Oh, there you are. I figured you’d caught a ride and gone home.”

  “Sure, I caught a ride all right!” Babi said.

  “What are you doing back there?”

  Step saw her big blue eyes. They were peering out, just a little above her hand, in the slightly wider space between two other planks. Those eyes were illuminated by the faint moonlight, and they seemed frightened.

  “Babi, come out of there.”

  “I can’t. I’m afraid!”

  “Afraid of what?”

  “There’s an enormous dog right back there, and he doesn’t have a muzzle.”

  “Where? I don’t see any dog around here,” Step said.

  “Well, there was one before.”

  “Well, listen, it’s nowhere to be seen now. So either you come out from back there or I’ll leave you here all alone.”

  “Even if the dog isn’t here, I still can’t come out,” Babi said.

  “Why not?”

  “I’m embarrassed.”

  “What are you embarrassed about?” Step asked.

  “Nothing. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “What happened? Did you fall and bump your head? Well, anyway, I’m sick and tired of this. I’m going to start my bike and go.” Step kick-started his motorcycle.

  Babi slapped her hand on the fence. “No, wait.”

  Step turned the motorcycle back off. “Well?”

  “I’ll come out now, but you have to promise not to laugh.”

  Step looked through that strange wooden palisade into those bright blue eyes. Then he put his right hand over his heart. “I swear it.”

  “You swear it, right?”

  “Yes, I just told you so…”

  “So, you promised, okay?”

  “For sure.”

  He heard an extended rustling sound behind the palisade. He saw a pair of hands pushing through the gaps, careful to avoid any splinters or chunks of sharp wood. A throttled “Ouch!” told him that those hands hadn’t been sufficiently careful though. Step smiled.

  Babi’s silhouette appeared at the top of the fence. She straddled it, then started down the near side. When she was almost to the ground, she jumped. Step turned the motorcycle’s handlebars in her direction. The beam of light caught her in full. Except for her face, Babi was filthy from head to foot.

  “What happened to you?”

  “I was running away from the dog, so I jumped over the fence and I fell.”

  “So now you’re covered with mud?”

  Babi remained silent. “I wish…No, this is manure.”

  Step burst out laughing. “Oh my God, manure…No, this just can’t be.” He couldn’t stop laughing now.

  Babi lost her temper. “You promised not to laugh. You promised.”

  “Yes, I did, but this is too much. Manure! I can’t believe it. You, falling into manure. It’s too perfect. It’s the best!”

  “I knew that I couldn’t trust you. Your promises are worthless.” Babi stepped closer to the motorcycle.

  Step stopped laughing. “Halt! Not
an inch closer. What do you think you’re doing?”

  “What do you mean? I’m getting on.”

  “Have you lost your mind? You think I’d let you get on my motorcycle in the state you’re in?”

  “Of course you will. Otherwise, what am I supposed to do, strip naked?”

  “Ah, that I couldn’t say. But you’re not getting on my nice clean motorcycle in the shape you’re in. You’re filthy, and what’s worse, you’re covered with manure!”

  Step burst out laughing again. “Oh God, I just can’t help it…”

  Babi looked at him, exhausted now. “Listen, you’re joking, right?”

  “Absolutely not. If you want, I’ll give you my jacket and you can use it to cover yourself. But get that clothing off you. Otherwise, I swear, you’re never climbing onto this bike.”

  Babi heaved a sigh of rage. She was beet red with anger. She walked past him, coming within reach. Step held his nose, overdoing his disgust. “Oh God…that’s just intolerable…”

  Babi smacked him and walked behind the motorcycle. “Listen, Step. I swear to you that if you turn around while I’m taking my clothes off, I’ll jump all over you with every ounce of manure on my body.”

  Step sat facing front. “Fine. Just tell me when you need me to hand you the jacket.”

  “Believe me, I’m not kidding around. I’m not like you. I keep the promises I make.”

  Babi checked one last time to make sure Step wasn’t turning around. Then she took off her sweatshirt. She pulled it off slowly, taking great care not to get any manure on herself. Under her clothes, there was practically no manure on her. She was sorry she hadn’t worn a T-shirt.

  She looked at Step again. “Don’t turn around!”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it!”

  Babi leaned forward. She took off her shoes.

  It only took a second but Step was lightning quick. He twisted the left side mirror, tilting it toward Babi so she was perfectly framed.