Upstairs, Downstairs

by Olivia Hart

  “Anita!”

  Something explodes in her head. That voice. She looks up and sees Daniel. It’s too late to escape. She’s trapped.

  Daniel is smiling. “Hi, it seems we’ve become neighbours…”

  “Unfortunately.”

  Now his smile has become embarrassed. “I’m happy to see you again, Anita.” He doesn’t remember much of the past, only that he really liked that girl; somehow she had been important to him. But something had definitely gone wrong.

  “I wouldn’t exactly say happy!” Her tone is cold and sharp.

  Daniel doesn’t know how to continue…

  “Listen, let’s avoid these little niceties like, how are you? It has been a long time. Let’s avoid hypocrisy. We can just try to be polite to each other. Let’s not get into polite conversation.” Anita tries to cut it short, telling him what she has to say as quickly as possible. But emotion, or rage, does a number on her. The phone, with the interrupted text to Mizuki, slips through her fingers. She tries to catch it and unintentionally throws her helmet at Daniel. It hits him below the belt.

  Daniel winces in pain.

  “So sorry! I didn’t mean to…” Anita stutters, retrieving the guilty helmet and her phone. She walks away quickly towards her building, hoping that nobody witnessed what just happened. She didn’t notice the furtive movement behind the third floor window.

  *

  “I knew it!” Pina is spying through the window. “Things are not what they seem with those two! You don’t need to be a genius to understand something like this, but I know I’ve always had intuition. I spotted it straight away; there was something strange between them. I’ve never seen Giovanna’s daughter so upset! And she even threw her helmet at him! Can you believe it, Carlo? Carlo! Where are you?”

  Carlo is taking a shower. When he gets out, Pina is ready, as always.

  “A shower at this time of the day? You just missed something incredible!”

  Carlo knows that it won’t be a conversation, so he’s ready to listen patiently to her story. In the meantime he opens a beer.

  At her first pause, he asks: “Are you sure she intentionally threw her helmet at him? Maybe it was an accident.”

  “I’m ninety per cent sure! Is that enough for you?”

  “It’s ok. It’s enough to keep my doubts… anyway, don’t worry, the truth will come out soon.”

  “Oh yes! Very soon. Paolo and Rudy’s party is on Sunday. You can already imagine the fireworks… I can’t wait!”

  7

  The Terrace Party

  Paolo is looking at the set table with a critical eye. “What do you think?” He asks Rodolfo who is filling little bowls with peanuts and roasted walnuts.

  “Perfect, like always. How could it be otherwise? You spend hours and hours selecting perfect plates and glasses to create a setting, but – I have to admit – this is one of your best.”

  At the house warming party they’d organised a while ago, they’d invited only their intimate friends. They weren’t sure yet about their neighbours in the building. But then they discovered they were all, in different ways, very nice. The new tenant, Daniel, was a good excuse to organise the party everyone has been waiting for. Paolo knows very well that there are at least two neighbours who can’t wait to see their penthouse!

  The table looks like a spring garden: bright green table cloth, plates decorated with wild flowers, and colourful glasses. The centrepiece is a bowl filled with fruit and flowers.

  “Perfect. Simply perfect!” Paolo is very satisfied. “Rudy, why don’t you take some pictures before the guests arrive?” He has an archive of dinner party photos – with dates, names of the guests, and even the menus.

  Rudy takes his iPad and starts shooting away. “Do you like these Armani jeans? A real bargain from a fashion show.” Rudy moves a few steps and turns around to model them.

  “You know, whatever you wear you always look great!”

  Rudy comes closer to kiss Paolo. The doorbell interrupts their moment of tenderness.

  Pina wears a light blue silk dress with tiny polka dots and a scarf over her shoulders. She has a long dark braid hanging down her back. She looks as if she’s just walked out of a sixteenth century painting.

  “Good morning! Are we too early?” Carlo hands a bottle of Vinsanto to Rodolfo.

  “No, no… come in, please!”

  Pina looks around. She was dying to see the famous penthouse after the renovation. When she’d seen the for sale sign, she’d called the agent just out of curiosity. Almost one million euros for a fairly small apartment, not counting the expensive renovation! Of course there’s also that amazing terrace with the panoramic view! “Think how they’ll transform it!” she had told Carlo, watching the comings and goings of the workers. “It’ll become a luxury apartment in the heart of the oldest group of buildings in Garbatella!”

  But now, looking around, she has to change her mind. It doesn’t look like Downton Abbey! The style is sober: neutral colours on the walls, a few large modern paintings and an incredibly large Liberty door dividing the living area from the dining room.

  “Welcome!” Paolo greets them warmly.

  “Architect, good morning!”

  “Carlo! I thought we agreed… call me Paolo!” He turns when he sees Pina admiring the Liberty door. “Pina, you’ve found the highlight of the whole house! I was renovating an apartment in the centre of Rome and the client didn’t want this marvellous treasure, so I took it…”

  “It’s beautiful!”

  “I’d say that today you are the masterpiece!” Paolo is always gentlemanly. “You’re beautiful, Pina…”

  Smiling to himself, Rodolfo thinks that Paolo always has to play the Casanova.

  They all move to the terrace. From there they enjoy the view of red roofs and gardens.

  “Carlo! Look how charming our vegetable garden is from up here…” But it’s only an excuse to whisper in his ear, “Did you see this place? I want to see all of it… how can I?”

  “Well, just ask them.”

  “Oh, for god’s sake! You’re impossible.” And Pina moves away to sit near Paolo.

  “Who else is coming?”

  “Daniel and his music teacher, who’s in Rome for business. Then Matteo Spina, Giovanna and Anita. Just us!”

  Sipping prosecco, Pina thinks, “Daniel and Anita together… hmmm, maybe this time she’ll throw a plate at his head!”

  Matteo Spina arrives on the terrace. A man of few words, with the usual cigar butt in his mouth, he puts two bottles of chilled white wine on the table. “I’m allergic to red wine, so I always bring some white with me. You never know.” Then looking at the space around him, he comments, “You did a very good job. I remember those two tiny, shabby apartments before they were made into one… you got a good deal.”

  “Right – an over one million euros’ deal!” Pina thinks.

  Next to arrive are Daniel and his mentor. Daniel wears jeans, a light blue shirt and brown loafers. A navy blue sweater is carelessly thrown over his shoulder.

  “Ready for sailing…” Pina whispers to Carlo – she can’t avoid noticing every detail.

  Daniel introduces his professor. “Maestro Valdo Rosis.”

  Paolo stands up. “Maestro! Such a pleasure to meet you. Daniel told me so much about you and how your life is dedicated entirely to music!”

  Daniel is stunned. He barely mentioned Rosis to Paolo, apart from to ask if he could bring him along.

  Rodolfo notices that whilst shaking hands, they look at each other with a little too much interest. He knows that last night Paolo looked up Valdo Rosis online. He always wants to know everything about his guests. Also, he wants to show how much he knows – and Rodolfo hates that.

  “You’ve met Rodolfo, right?” Paolo goes on without waiting for the answer. “It’s so wonderful to be with artists! A maestro of worldwide fame, a virtuoso of the double bass! And Matteo Spina is a major enthusiast of ancient Rome. Also Anita’s comin
g… she’s an archaeologist and tour guide!”

  While everybody is getting a drink, Paolo drags Rosis towards the railings. Rodolfo doesn’t let them out of his sight. He’s sure Paolo is showing the vegetable garden to the professor, probably saying it was his own idea and pretending to be an expert agronomist. He tries not to be overwhelmed by a sudden bad mood. “That’s the way he is. He always needs to be the centre of attention. Without other people’s admiration, he can’t display all the generosity he is capable of.” Often Rodolfo felt inadequate. Yet Paolo, educated, intelligent and rich, had fallen in love with him. His gentlemanly kindness charms all women… “And apparently he has also charmed Rosis, that asshole!” His growing frustration draws him closer to them. They’ve been talking intimately for too long!

  “Still no sign of Giovanna and Anita… what do you think, Paolo? Can we start?”

  “Sure!” Paolo sensed the tension in his partner’s voice. He takes Rudy’s arm. “Ladies and Gentlemen, lunch is ready!”

  *

  They’re in front of the door now. Giovanna is so excited. She loves the idea of chatting to her neighbours on that beautiful terrace, but she’s especially excited about Daniel – a prospective fiancé for her daughter.

  Anita on the other hand, has obsessed for hours about finding a good excuse not to go. She even considered the idea of telling them she was sick, but then immediately felt silly, like a teenager. After all, it’s a beautiful day… but her anxiety doesn’t seem to subside.

  Full of excitement, Giovanna winks at her daughter and mercilessly rings the bell.

  Paolo opens the door, smiling like a Hollywood diva. “Finally, girls! Did you get lost? Come in! We just started.”

  Giovanna hands him a bottle of white sherry and looks around, “This place is amazing!”

  Anita follows her, but she’s more interested in checking out the guests than the apartment.

  “Thank you, Giovanna. Let me introduce you to Valdo Rosis, Daniel’s professor.”

  “Nice to meet you. This is Anita, my daughter.”

  Anita shakes Rosis’ hand and feels increasingly nervous. She doesn’t see Daniel, but of course he’ll be there if his professor is among the guests! I won’t get through this… she feels as though she is suffocating, and thinks more seriously about going to live far away, by herself. “Shit! I don’t want to have anything to do with him, but I keep running into him. When Diego gets back, I’m going to strangle him!”

  Rosis is still talking in his chivalrous manner. “You ladies seem the perfect and improbable musical chord of two different notes… By the way, who’s the mother and who’s the daughter? Never mind. I will call you by your names. After all, identity is what counts. Don’t you think?”

  He has a magnetic smile and seems full of charisma. Giovanna is confused, but very flattered by the compliment. However, Anita is irritated, “Give me a break…”

  Paolo leads them to the terrace. Anita follows her mother, who greets all the guests while whispering comments into her ear. “Carlo and Pina are here. I’m sure she’s already examined everyone with her X-ray vision… it’s our turn now! That Rosis is incredible… what did he say? A perfect musical chord? Well, now I’ll have a glass of white wine… wow, look at the view!”

  Anita stares at the view, totally detached, but she doesn’t want to look around. She feels trapped.

  Suddenly she hears her mother’s raised voice. “Here he is!”

  *

  Daniel has just finished a phone call and he’s returning to the terrace. He sees Giovanna, and next to her an enchanting young woman. He hardly recognises her. Her usual mass of red curls is now smooth and shining. Her features are highlighted: beautiful glowing skin, high cheekbones, full lips. He can’t tell what she’s wearing: the low neckline captures his gaze. But the memory of the helmet hitting him below the belt forces him to swallow abruptly.

  Her mother is already dragging her towards him. Anita can’t escape. She feels all eyes on her and suddenly an eerie silence descends on the terrace.

  “Hi Daniel, how are you? Finally I can introduce you to my daughter, Anita.” Giovanna feels so proud. She’s talking about the jewel that she gave birth to, the most perfect creature in the world, who she wonders why is not married yet.

  Pina intervenes, “But they’ve already met! The other day, in the courtyard…”

  “Yes!” Matteo Spina interrupts her, and places a reassuring hand on Anita’s shoulder. “But our Anita had a business appointment and had to run…”

  For Anita that hand says: “I’m here. Don’t worry.” She thinks of all the good and wise advice she’s received from Matteo over the years. She should’ve been more open with him.

  “Ah…!” Giovanna is surprised and a little disappointed. “You didn’t tell me.”

  “Actually, we’ve known each other for a long time, from before I moved here.” Daniel says suddenly.

  Anita has an adrenalin rush. “Calm down. Keep calm.” She repeats to herself.

  At that moment Pina’s face brightens. She’s focusing intently on the situation now and doesn’t want to miss anything. She squeezes her husband’s arm, whispering, “Bingo!”

  “We were at the same high school, but not in the same class. We didn’t recognise each other straight away; so many years have gone by and we didn’t keep in touch.”

  Anita is terrified that Daniel may add more so she tries to keep it brief too. “Yes, same high school, and we had some friends in common, like Alessandra.”

  “Ah, the twists of destiny!” Giovanna tries to remember the faces of all Anita’s classmates. She can’t recall Daniel, but of course – they weren’t in the same class.

  “Excuse me. I’m going to get something to drink.” Anita leaves abruptly. She grabs a glass of wine and salmon toast and moves to the balcony railings. The tension has stiffened her spine. She doesn’t want to give Daniel any further personal information about herself. It would be like baring her soul again. She looks at the roof’s dragon heads. She always admires them from below, from a distance. From up here they look different, so close. She can see all the detail. It’s a completely different perspective.

  Matteo Spina appears next to her. “What an amazing view this is.”

  “Yes, enchanting.” Anita turns and smiles at him. The sea of red roofs, on the left the church of San Paolo’s steeple… her beloved Rome! At times this is enough to soothe her soul. Relationships are so difficult, so complicated… she wonders why she keeps hiding her relationship with Mizuki. “Why don’t I tell my mother about him? Everything would be much simpler. What is it that I’m worried about?”

  The atmosphere at the party is light and pleasant. Everybody seems to enjoy each other’s company. Anita makes an effort to be sociable and kind, yet she’s still on her guard. She glances quickly at Daniel and feels as if she’s seeing him for the first time. A new image overlaps with the image of the person she knew. Their gazes connect but Anita immediately looks away. Yet, something has struck her. She doesn’t know what.

  Daniel checks his watch. It’s about four o’ clock in the afternoon. “Sorry, I really need to go now.”

  “Already? We’re having dessert now…” Paolo sounds disappointed.

  “I have to pick up a friend at the airport. She’ll stay with me for a few days… Thank you! It was an amazing party.”

  “Ah, it’s true! Olga arrives today! Please, send her our love, and maybe one evening we can have dinner together.” Rosis stands up to shake Daniel’s hand warmly.

  “Olga? Who’s Olga?” Pina asks.

  “One of the best Russian cellists on the scene today.” Rosis explains.

  A chorus of witty remarks follows.

  “Ah! A Russian colleague…”

  “I bet she’s also beautiful!”

  Anita is annoyed by the pathetic, cliché comments about Russian girls. “Right! All I need now is to listen to Daniel telling us about his relationship with the Russian cellist including intim
ate details! Old habits die hard.”

  But he doesn’t. He tacfully avoids the questions and leaves.

  8

  Olga Arrives

  Daniel pulls the ticket out of the machine and the automatic gate lifts up. “Welcome to Leonardo da Vinci Airport!” A metallic voice announces from the speaker.

  He really enjoyed the lunch with his neighbours. He hadn’t expected to. Even Professor Rosis seemed to have a good time. In fact, he refused to get a ride with him to the station, preferring to stay longer.

  He ponders over the atmosphere in the Garbatella complex, so cheerful and informal. It’s like being in the countryside. It reminds him of his family home in rural Umbria. He recalls the time spent there with nostalgia. When he was twenty his father created a well-equipped recording studio for him on the ground floor of the house. Old wooden floors and big windows opened out onto the vineyards. He used to play there with his musician friends.

  “I should take Olga there one day.” In the meantime, he makes a sign with her name on it.

  But, he has to admit, the unexpected encounter with Anita left an impression. He feels a confused sensation: something unresolved seems about to resurface from the past. At the thought, he almost feels guilty when he thinks about Olga, who should be landing right now. He is impatient to see her again. He missed her…

  The airport is packed with people. Waves of travellers pour out from the international arrivals area, dragging wheeled suitcases and carry-on bags. He sees the group of Russians from a distance. He recognises Vladimir, the first violin, then Tatiana, the flute, and finally he sees the unmistakable platinum blonde bob. He lifts his sign with OLGA written on it. She’s always radiant and walks like a diva, carrying only a small bag on her shoulder. Following her is her faithful colleague, Dimitri, who’s carrying the cello and two suitcases – one isn’t his. He always helps her – everyone knows he is madly in love with Olga.