Angeline's Way

by Nathan Rider

  The trip along Tyrrhenian Sea on the Autostrada was marked by the rolling hills and little farms. Angeline let her mind wander at the sights as she thought of Mike. The long road gave her time to contemplate her immediate future. She had not seen Robert since Malta. She figured that he got his cheap thrill from her and that was it. Paul was probably in the casino. Mike gave her hope loving a man that could last more than a vacation cruise.

  "Alone on this trip?" her seatmate inquired with an English accent. The woman next Angeline was in her late 70's. Red and silver streaks of her hair intertwined like a favorite old mat. Her blue and white polka dot dress covered her large body in all the right places.

  "Yes. This tour I am."

  "Me too. My husband is a bit under the weather and insisted on me going to Rome by myself. Personally think that he wants to flutter while I'm off the ship. My name is Darcy, by the way," she revealed in introducing herself.

  "Angeline. Flutter?"

  "Gamble, my dear. Have you been in the casino while on board?", Darcy asked.

  "Not really. I was in there for the safety drill. Killed my sinuses and nearly ruined my cruise. So what are your plans for Rome?" Angeline probed.

  "Beyond a private tour of the Flavian Amphitheatre, not much. I suppose I could be a tourist and see the Trevi Fountain again. Not much fun in seeing it alone," Darcy assumed with a little pout.

  "Well, I guess you could come with me and see it together. At least until you have to go on your tour."

  One thing Angeline did not want to admit to a complete stranger was that she needed her mom to talk with. Between Mike, high-roller Paul, and absent Robert it started to take its toll on her cruise ship fun mentally. Maybe with Darcy she can open up to her like a mom without drowning her.

  "Splendid!" Darcy exclaimed. "Sort of a mother-daughter trip, if you don't mind me saying that."

  Oh brother! You asked for it, Angeline thought. She smiled weakly at Darcy.

  Darcy turned out to be a hoot for Angeline to get along with. Though she had birthed three daughters and a son, she and her husband Sheldon traveled extensively. Italy was their favorite spot to visit but never cruised around it. Too bloody time consuming with children involved, she said.

  As the bus came into Rome, her eyes became more focused on the sights. The wetlands along the highway, a huge ethereal building that she couldn't see the top of and many more. The City Gates came into view as well as advertisements for a James Bay concert and George Clooney movie along the way. This was much more than she expected as her eyes widened to the spectacle that was The Eternal City of Rome.

  Trevi Fountain/Colosseum

  Finding the Fountain with the map was useless like it was in Venice. Over and over again they looked for the street named on it and again they could not find the correct one. The duo then ran into a Australian couple looking for it themselves and teamed up. Through the winding alleys and side streets, they came upon the crowds in front of the Trevi.

  "Pose for the camera!" exclaimed Darcy. Pictures were taken of both of them with a foot on the ledge to enter the water. Careful not to enter, Angeline and Darcy posed as the Australian couple took their pictures.

  Darcy and Angeline noticed the police presence as they left the Trevi Fountain and back to the main fairway. A dozen or so dark men were standing together talking and wondering in place at the crosswalk corner. The police were standing in front of them in case of trouble. The women surveyed the situation for a way through the standoff. So they ducked through a wax museum to avoid the trouble brewing. The pair did not feel safe until they walked far away from the areas they had visited.

  They toured the Forum with its ruins and threw a few coins to the street musicians. Walked up and down the street and took selfies with a Roman emperor photobombing them. For lunch, they stopped at a café and ordered a brunch plate that included a ball of mozzarella cheese in the center. Topped off with a d'Gladiatore coffee and a sweet dessert, both were happy with the time they spent together.

  They walked and talked to the tour pickup site each were going on a few feet from the subway system entrances. The kiosk nearby was selling trinkets for the local soccer team, Roman soldier tourist vests, and postcards. Being 80F in Rome, Angeline passed over the scarf for a gladiator ceramic for Gabe. She did notice actual Italian troops armed around the tourist sites and police vans at the Colosseum.

  "I wonder what’s going on over there?"

  "Didn't you hear, Dear? They had a nasty scare by those IS people from the Middle East. Carabinieri I believe they are called ," she informed Angeline.

  It was 1:30 and the tour guides were calling out names of their charges. Angeline was wondering why Darcy was still around since she had a tour of her own to attend.

  "Dear, the Flavian Amphitheatre and Colosseum are the same building. Learn something new every day, don't we?"

  Angeline was glad that Darcy could be with her group. Though she did google her way around Rome, the actual seeing of the buildings and faces left her in awe. Darcy was her lifeline as though her mother was with her touring together. They were about the same age and build with Darcy's hair redder and curlier. The accent made Darcy mom with a smile on her face.

  "Darcy, may I ask you for some personal advice? Be a sounding board for me?" Angeline meekly asked.

  "Of course, Dear. Raised three daughters and tried my best to give them good advice. Sometimes they listened and other times they married the wrong man."

  Angeline did not exactly bare her soul to a stranger. As they passed through the gates listening to the tour guide, Darcy kept her attention to what Angeline was saying to her. The words came out of her heart of her doubts on Mike, cute Paul, and the ghost of Robert that he was.

  The tour went to the underground area of the Colosseum. With a few step lights, it was light enough to admire the keystones in the ceiling. A little farther the group walked to the ground floor of the arches that was once the main stage. Darcy said little to Angeline and Angeline felt a bit put off about spilling her emotions to her. So the rest of the tour that led up to the top of the Amphitheater ignorance and deep thought ruled.

  Together with the group, the two women trudged up the steep stairs as the tour guide explained the reason for the incline. Groups mingled and crushed each other as he opened a side door to another level of the building. Finally they reached the top level of the Amphitheatre. Darcy was out of breathe as Angeline held her up.

  "I'm not as young as I used to be," she smiled. Darcy walked over to the stone bench and sat down. At the edge overlooking the views of the Eternal City and the Vatican, Darcy motioned Angeline to sit down next to her on the bench. She took a slight deep breath and said,

  "Dear Angeline, I have been thinking of your plight since the beginning. You should not worry about Mike or Robert or whoever else comes into your life on this cruise. Love is three phases. Think of when we were near that stream in the bowels of this behemoth. That is your starting point in the love game. You are now drinking of the water to every gentleman you dated or will date. When you step up to the next level on the stage, that's when it is important with the person you love. You have the foundations and arches supporting you and your lover. You both will look up to the top together and see forever.

  "For me and Mr. Buquette, we are here at the top looking at the sights. We look down to the stage of where we once started out for ourselves. Look at the obstacles we both had to reach the top here? Steep steps, stairways up and down, people crashing through us to as though we were not there. My Dear, when you are with your life love and suffer through birthing children, spotty employment and cash flow, where you are going to sleep. You are only working your way to this point. That is life now."

  As she looked again over the city, Darcy continued, "You will look back and see, not your whisper boyfriends, but with your lover next to you. It will not be "Oh Michael" or "Oh Robert". It will be "Oh Pen Sesame" when you quit drinking the water from the Stream of Dreams and stand on
the solid foundation of life."

  Pisa, Italy

  Angeline had went to bed that night exhausted. With the walking done around the Colosseum and Palatine Hill, Angeline was grateful to be wearing her comfortable shoes. Going five miles a day for each of the tours had her feeling fit and napping on the tour bus kept her energy up. It was the pondering of Darcy's words kept her thinking about her future with each man.

  The words had struck her to the core. Love and life are stages to strive to make it through. Not a giant leap and fall over the edge if you miss. The reassurance she felt was the best feeling she had on this cruise. Angeline did love Mike and Paul for what she knew of them. With Mike it was hard to think of being with him when he has a family. With a small circle of vineyards the possibility of being labeled a home wrecker lurked in the shadows. Paul, for all she knew, was a gambling addict and marked her for big bucks. She closed her iPad as the messages started to pile up from Gabriel and Moniqa.

  The cruise ship made port in Lucca, Italy. From there, the tours of Pisa and Florence would commence. For Angeline she did wish to have Darcy back as a seatmate. Her words of comfort penetrated all the doubts in world and strengthened her resolved. Having a "mom" for the tour made her smile and relax when she got back to the cruise ship. She enjoyed the comedy club again and the dinner guests were lightened up when she talked about Rome.

  Instead, Mike decided to take a break from his "work" to come with her. Angeline's doubts about him came to the fore with this sudden interest in her again. The time at Mondello Beach seemed ages ago as they played in the sand, loved, and laughed with each other. The feel for him now felt forced and uneasy, as though a wall came between them suddenly.

  "Hey, what's wrong? You feeling okay?" he asked.

  "I'm a bit tired, that’s all. I think I should have taken this port off. Or at least done a better tour instead of sitting on a bus all day," she replied.

  He took her by the hand and squeezed it. His little hints at love towards her were sweet. Small pecks on the cheek, his arm around her, and his head on her shoulder. These made Angeline feel the wall was being chipped down to make her feel safe with Mike. Why do I feel so agitated being around him now?

  Angeline looked at her iPad messages while Mike was relishing the Tuscany scenery. Moniqa had several exclamation and question mark subjects. She opened the last email and scrolled down the chain. Her mouth was agape with the series of articles with her name in the headlines.

  Merger of Vineyards With St. Helena / Excelsior: DeLucas Mum

  St. Helena Merger Imminent With Excelsior

  Local Vineyard's CEOs Together in Europe To Talk Merger

  Angeline was turning pale as the headlines and stories were read. Each one had her stomach turning as what Gabe and Moniqa felt about her now. She had full confidence that such a rumor was false and Gabe would defend her in her absence. The need to call and tell them that no such meeting for a merger was ever on haunted her as the miles to Pisa rolled on. Did the family think she could be so underhanded to plot a secret meeting with Mike?

  Angeline did not know when the bus stopped in Pisa. Her mind was roiled with doubt and uncertainty. The bus finally pulled into a parking lot of other buses a few blocks from the Tower. The guide shepherded the group to café at the tourist site and left them to their own devices. Angeline looked around for a private spot to call Gabe. He is probably gnawing his knuckled as to the situation going on in with her.

  '"Hey, Mike. I need to make a phone call. I've been neglecting business. Felt like crap when I realized on the bus that I haven’t checked in with Gabriel," she said in excusing herself.

  "I'm sure Gabriel is doing what he can with the Vineyard. Moniqa is helping him, isn't she?"

  "Yes she is from what previous emails have said. But I'm the responsible one. Gabe practically threw me out the door for this trip," she said insistently.

  With that, Mike waived her on. He promised to meet her outside the wall entrance to the Tower and Baptistery. Angeline walked down the street from the coffee shop for privacy. Her mind was racing once again with each headline shooting in her head. Her balance was off either due to the stress or the slope of the city. She quickly figured the time it was back home was late.

  It's two in the morning in California so Gabe might be asleep, she thought.

  C'mon, Gabe, answer. His phone went to voicemail. Angeline left a pleading message that she was not merging with Excelsior or any other place. She tried Moniqa's cell and left the same message. Several times she tried different numbers to get their attention. Texted and emailed the vineyard's attorney as a last ditch effort. Nothing was going right for her now.

  She ran between people in the market to meet Mike at the entrance to the Tower. She felt dejected about the talk of a merger when all it was just that: talk. She did not want a merger at this time. She ruffled enough feathers with her advocating for more tourist things like the marathon runs. Angeline put on her best mask to hide the hateful feelings about Mike now. Business, my foot!

  "How did it go?" he asked sincerely.

  "I forgot it's early morning there. I left a voicemail, text, and email. Maybe I should have sent smoke signals or homing pigeon."

  "Yeah. It's common. I have had the same problem plenty of times myself when I went abroad," he said. " You can do so much to get to your people. It stresses you more when they don't respond quickly in a grave situation. All you can do is wait."

  The allure of actually touching the Leaning Tower of Pisa was not as sweet as she wanted it to be. Since going up to the top was out of the question, they both stood in front of both buildings for their selfies. Angeline and Mike walked further into the shops on the other side of the Tower. There she bought a silk tie for each of her brothers and then stopped in a pastry shop for the chocolate eclairs.

  They walked out of the protective wall entrance back to the meeting point for the group. There the little market shops were in full bloom. People were buying things they won't need at home. Angeline stopped as she notice a couple coins on the ground and picked them up. They were not the Euros currency but Italian system. Somehow she felt all the world better as she pocketed the currency in her purse.

  Florence, Italy

  Going from Pisa to Florence was agonizing to Angeline. Wanting to phone Gabe and Moniqa was out of the question with Mike next to her. She tried to gaze at the same mountain sides that Michelangelo harvested his marble. The castle walls and villages that grew around them did not appeal to her as much as before. Her thoughts were disturbed with the idea of losing her love of her vineyard to the man next to her.

  "Are you okay, Angeline? You look worried about something," Mike asked.

  She sighed and said with a straight face, "One of the update messages I received has me scared. It's why I had to make the phone call back in Pisa and no one has answered their phones. The Bug has taken root in acreage that we set aside for testing. Precautions that we do since it's in a rough part of the vineyard. For all I know, Gabe and Moniqa are in attack mode."

  Mike put his hand on hers and replied, "Sorry that is happening while you are on vacation. I'm sure that they can handle it with your field crews."

  "Thank you, Mike. I will call when we get to Florence. Until then, I want to be alone in my thoughts. I just don't feel like talking about this. Yes it's killing me inside. I do feel like crap that I can't be there to help them. The last time this happened we nearly lost it. This time, I don't want to know," she said as she threw hands in the air as if frustrated.

  The tour bus stopped along the banks of the Arno River. The river itself flowed through the city. What Angeline was surprised at was seeing the waterfalls that the river went down towards the Ponte Vecchio bridge. The passengers debarked the bus as the tour guide, Lucca, marshalled them through the streets along the river then over to the Santa Croce Basilica and piazza. There the group went its way.

  Angeline was counting backwards the time at the vineyard and excused herself from
Mike. With fast steps down the alley between the church and shops, her mind ran as fast so as to not be within earshot of him. Her shoes floated over the twigs and gravel as she ran away from him. She pushed the speed dial to Gabe's phone and awaited him picking it up.

  "God damn it, Angeline! You finally answer your phone and messages? What the hell is going on over there? Why the hell are you going behind our backs with this merger talk? " Gabriel yelling into his phone.

  "Good morning to you too," Angeline icily replied. "Gabe, I am not talking merger with anyone from Excelsior Vineyards. I never even thought of doing such a thing. Mike Morgan and I are on the same cruise ship. Yes, we did have some private time together. But I never said I would give up the most precious thing on earth to nobody, even him. I didn't even know he would be here. He's been on my plane, ship, and two of my tours. What more do you want to know?"

  "Well thank you for bothering to tell us. I have been telling our distributors we are not merging with Excelsior. I do not know where the idea came from or who perpetuated it. And it's been hell trying to put out the fires. Even Nathan is helping out," Gabe shot back. "Maybe read an email or listen to one of the many voicemails I left on your phone."

  "Did you call Excelsior on how this rumor came up?"

  "No. Our attorney was given a courtesy call when it first hit the news. Judy asked for more information but their attorneys told her to check the filing. There has been no filing as of yesterday, according to her. Did you get the articles Moniqa sent you? Has he mentioned a merger to you, off chance?"

  "I got them and tried getting a hold of the both of you. No one answered the texts I sent out. As for Mike, he skipped a tour for "business" reasons and talked nothing about a merger. I do take precautions. I've been at least a half block away from him when I have called home. He doesn't pry on my vineyard and I on his. When he does ask, I have been using the Rot outbreak as an excuse not to go further. That's the way it's been since Trieste."