by Fay Henson
‘Stefania, she’s the one who is lying,’ I said, ‘not me.’ I knew that I sounded angry that time. But it was useless continuing; Stefania wasn’t interested in me anymore, I was history and it was an understatement if I said that I hated that stupid jealous girl.
So I had no choice but to leave, and I definitely wasn’t in any kind of mood to look around Siena anymore and just wanted to return to my room. But I couldn’t concentrate in which direction I should take and the only way it was possible for me to find my room, was to keep track as to where the black and white marble tower of the Duomo was positioned because I remembered that it was situated a couple of rooftop rows away from where I was staying.
Back in my little room, I was so annoyed, I didn’t feel like writing any messages and I also couldn’t bear to look out of the small window to see people I could hear having fun outside in the street below. They weren’t laughing at me, were they?, nah, that would be too bizarre. I was becoming paranoid and laid awake for ages trying to convince myself that tomorrow would be different.
A different day; not. When I opened the bedroom door to go for a shower this morning, there was a note stuck to my door saying, ladro no welcome, no booking. Just great; another kick in the teeth. I must’ve been followed by Lula and her calculating ways, spreading lies about me to everyone I was having contact with. But what really sucked was the part at the bottom of the note, return painting or get police.
What painting was he speaking of? Being branded a thief wasn’t particularly funny, and now there was a threat about the police being called, I had to get out of there pretty smartish. So whilst I was sitting on the loo deliberating over what I should do, I came up with an idea.
Hey guys, lookee at me J What do you think?
I sent Em and Zoe a selfie I took. I was dead chuffed. Must’ve caught the girls at the right time.
Cay, have you gone off your trolley? Have your parents seen it yet? What about your Dad!!! You look great and all that, but, why? Em x
No surprise on Em’s reaction then, bless her.
OMG Cayeee!! black and goth, love it girl! Sooooo spiky 2. Get yaself some red lippy. Why? Zoeeeee xx PS got me thinkin bout doing it2, but don’t tell Em J
Ciao Guys, ta for your replies. I’ve been having a bit of a prob with Lula I told you about, remember my make-up and All Stars? Well, she’s a real psycho and I’m sure she’s been following me and telling people who I’ve met that I’m a thief L Me a thief! U know I’d never steal, daren’t. Anyway, this morning I had to leave the room I’d booked and now have to find somewhere else cause of her lies! Had enough of the mad bi... almost sure she won’t recognise me now J. Not told Mum and Dad bout my hair (yikes!) Cay xx
I was feeling heaps better knowing that Lula shouldn’t recognise me and that she wouldn’t be getting in my way any longer, and all I had to do was search for another place to stay and start again.
But the temptation of spending some of my lovely euros on clothes far outweighed looking for a place to stay, I’ll just have to do that later. And what perfect timing, it was the period of the summer sales. Loads of clothes and shoe shops had massive signs in their windows showing prices with fifty percent discount. The girls back home would have loved it in those shops; I could just imagine them now, taking over the trying-on cubicles and mucking around. That made me a bit sad; it would have been great having them here and helping me choose some things to go with my new hairstyle.
How hot it was trying stuff on, and even though some shops had air-conditioning, I was still sweating like I don’t know what, peeling my clothes on and off, and it was actually becoming more and more tiring. There was never enough room in some places, and sometimes I found myself trying to balance on one foot (not my right one) stepping into a skirt and then falling out through the curtain into the shop. Well, I was really pooped by lunchtime, but contented with what I’d found for the new me.
It was quite weird really, as soon as one o’clock came, the streets became oddly quiet, with a few people still wandering around the shops which stayed open during the strangely long lunch break. One thing, at least the coffee bars never closed. I knew that I was fairly close to the coffee bar I spotted yesterday, and after a couple of wrong turns, I found the triple-windowed place called Nannini and headed straight inside. The first thing that hit me was the scrummy display of cakes and stuffed rolls, the second, just how busy it was inside.
When I finished scoffing a type of bread, filled with delish tuna and even more delish tomato, all washed down with a cold orange juice, I went on a bit of a wander to find the loo. And that’s when, just before I followed the sign to the loo leading down a stone spiral staircase, I happened to glance through a side window and saw some publicity outside on a board which immediately caught my eye. It was something to do with a comic book store which surely had to be the one I found last night and was a perfect reminder to go and pay it a visit.
8
My new tattoo
My first morning in another bed and breakfast and I thought I’d try out the shower. Why did anyone ever think that it was a good idea to have a shower without a cubicle or curtain, in the same room as the loo and basin? I asked myself.
I’d just spent ages trying to clear up the soapy and watery mess after my shower even though there was a little round drain in the middle of the bathroom where the water could go, but it was near-on impossible to stop all the shower spray going everywhere else. I really hoped that it would dry out before another person wanted to use it.
There were a couple of rooms on this floor which I was certain were occupied because quite late last night I’d heard some toing and froing between the rooms and the bathroom. I had to cringe to myself because they could have heard me practicing saying arrivederci in the shower.
When I returned to my room, I checked my phone and voilà, I’d a missed call from Mum who’d left a recorded message and there was also a text message too. I dried myself a bit more and rewrapped the towel around myself then sat on the edge of the bed in anticipation of opening the message first.
Hello Caylin love, how are you? We tried calling you a few mins ago just to see how you are. We hope you’re OK and happy. I’ve also left a voice message we hope you can pick up. Where did you say you were staying? Love to hear from you very soon. Mum and Dad xxx
I’d better listen to the voice message.
Um, hi love, Mum and Dad here, sorry not very good making recordings. Have sent you a text message to check you’re OK there in Siena. Where did you say you were staying? Did you happen to see any shooting stars? Apparently every year in this period there’s the chance of seeing a lot passing over Italy, and last night a few of us laid on sun beds outside to watch out for them. Well it wasn’t disappointing, I counted at least eight. The trip to see how the cheese is made was quite interesting, except your poor Dad has had to go to the loo more often than usual, something to do with the strong cheese he took a fancy to, and of course, mixed with the rich wine, well you can probably imagine. Anyway, he’s a bit subdued this morning; said he’ll probably skip the wine at dinner tonight. By the way...
It was good to hear Mum’s voice even though she continued on quite a bit about various things. Twice she asked me where I was staying, and actually thinking about it, even if I wanted to give the actual address, I hadn’t a clue what the street name was. Oops, poor Dad.
Hi Mum and Dad, I’m sorry I missed your call. Great to hear your voice Mum and sorry to hear about the strong cheese Dad; hope you made it back to the hotel room in time!! J I’d liked to have seen some shooting stars too. You remember I said goodbye to those people I met recently, well I’ve found a nice room to stay in, and close to the city centre too. I can’t remember the name of the street but it’s steep and narrow! Great shops here Mum! Love Caylin xxx PS Dad, I’ll let you know when I need some more money. J Sorry Dad, just joking.
When I look at what I
’d draped over the back of the room’s single chair, maybe I did go a bit shopping crazy yesterday. I fell in love with so many things like the baggy cotton trousers with spirals, one black and white and another in orange and pink; really sixties, and strappy tops to wear over. Oh and a couple of long black gothy skirts which just about touched the ground.
One of the clothes shops I found was just like a boutique except it didn’t have the fancy and expensive gear. Actually, I wouldn’t have minded working in there; the woman behind the till was lucky. She had a brilliant view of that huge square where I first met Stefania, and she could whenever she wanted, look out through the single window and watch everything that was going on with the tons of people who were there again today.
And that was the shop where I spent much of my time falling in and out through the cubicle curtain and where I ended up getting most of my sales bargains.
I pulled open the small wardrobe door to check in the mirror if I looked OK because today I’d decided to go gothic for the first time ever in my life. It was like I could hide underneath the new me; it sort of gave me a confidence unlike I’d felt before. I even found myself doing a couple of poses and pouting my red lips as if I was on a photo shoot. Hum, not bad, I thought.
I remembered that the man said there was WiFi here, so time to suss it out before I went and got a late brekky somewhere.
Hey Cay, Em’s asked me to include her on this message cause her internet’s down at the mo. L Guess who we spied yesterday?? Miss Push Up Bra, and, wait for it, a bit of a belly on her which didn’t look like food had caused the swelling.....but b4u blame Matt baby, she was with some tother bloke with a full-on tan, shades, gelled hair, u no, u seen the type. Suits her down to the ground. Anyway, we hoped this would give u a bit of a smile J. How’s things there? Seen any gorgeous hunks yet? Zoeeeee & Em xx
Yes, I did smile. It must’ve been her who dumped Matt, not the other way round because I remember he was totally mesmerised by her boobs. He would never had left her that was for sure, and another thing; I definitely didn’t feel sorry for him. But thinking about girls and guys with babies; wouldn’t that mean that she’d be able to claim and get a council home for nothing and they could all live together? I wondered whether that was their plan. I wanted my own home but as I wasn’t particularly keen on children so it wasn’t an option I’d consider.
Ciao girlies, wow, she’s preggers! Would have loved to have seen those two strutting along together and he sounds right up her street too. It’s a wonder how she’ll cope when she gets all big J, and then there’s the stretch marks LOL. Poor Matt; not. You remember I had to find another place to stay? Well once I’d pulled myself away from a comic book store, a girl in a tourist info place helped me find another room, luckily; as maybe I was leaving it a bit too late. (Wasn’t all my fault ’cause the guys working in the store kept me talking, I reckon just so they could practice speaking English!) I just need something basic to keep the cost down as it’s expensive to stay here. It’s a bit like the other one with a shared bathroom and a little bedroom, but it’s OK. No brekky again though L. Oh, nearly forgot, here’s something to give you a bit of a smile too; Mum said that the food writer (remember?) had a glass of wine too many over lunch at the cheese making visit, and by the time they’d pulled-up at the hotel, she was out for the count. Apparently her face was squished against the window and wasn’t a pretty sight from outside. Then even more embarrassing for her, was that she had to be carried to her hotel room J . At this rate she’s not going to get much writing done.
Will send you a pic I took few mins ago, found some decent sales over here. What you doing tonight? Miss you guys, Cay xx
I closed the door and stepped down the stairs into the small hallway where I was immediately approached by the elderly owner.
‘Buongiorno,’ he said.
‘Bon jorno,’ I replied trying to imitate his pronunciation.
I had hoped that he didn’t want to see me for any particular reason and butterflies in my tummy were making me feel anxious wondering if Lula had been there too and he was going to ask me to leave. But he just gave me a nice smile which was such a relief to think that he was only probably monitoring who was coming and going. Unfortunately, I didn’t know what else to say to him except arrivederci .
This morning I felt so comfortable with myself going off into the main part of the city and mingling among the locals and pretending that I’d always lived there. And I was loving the feel of my long black skirt swishing around my legs and every step I took, in turn I caught sight of a sandal with bright red painted toe nails.
I couldn’t quite understand why, but this morning Siena seemed to have a different atmosphere; it wasn’t a bad one, but I’d say it was more like frantic chaos. Everyone had to be careful going along the streets and we all had to make sure that we quickly stepped into a doorway if we heard one of those little trucks belting along. There were loads of them passing by with tons of dirt, and then I found out why. As I was approaching Piazza del Campo, which I decided was my favourite area, I could hear shouting and short whistles as well as sounds of banging, and when I turned the last corner, it wasn’t quite what I’d expected.
What really struck me were the many men and boys who were working really hard in the square under the sun constructing barriers and stands, and laying the sandy dirt down like they were making some sort of track although it seemed a bit of a strange place to put one. Gone was the open space and tranquillity. Then it came to me. When I was hitching a lift to Siena I’d seen a poster along the way, I remember it was something about a bareback horse race. It had to be that.
It wasn’t a lie if I said that some of the boys looked truly gorgeous in their dark sunglasses and working without T-shirts on making it very difficult for me not to look at their sweaty mahogany coloured bodies which were glistening in the sun as they moved. Even some of them had those silky colourful scarves. Cor, I just had to take a pic for the girls; well if I was really honest, for me too.
I held my phone in front of me and moved it round until I spotted a couple of the strong and muscular workers, and took the pic. Hum, I wasn’t bad at pretending to take a shot of something else. In a way, it was a good job that Zoe wasn’t here; she’d be wolf-whistling at them and pointing her finger at me as if it’d been me who’d whistled. I could just picture her doing that and embarrassing me. Some policemen were constantly moving people away from the entrances of the square which started to make me feel that I could’ve been a bit in the way and maybe it was best if I left because I probably looked pathetic standing there gawking at the workers.
My ankle was feeling quite strong this morning, so I thought I’d take a chance and explore a different area of the old town. But how tiring and annoying it was to constantly dodge the never ending stream of tourists and shoppers along the narrow streets, and then continuously apologising to those I’d collided with. There were so many groups of foreigners wearing earphones following their guide and just wandering along behind taking over the complete width of the street.
It was like I was the one who was forever walking in the wrong place, tripping over pushchairs which were transporting red-faced hot and angry toddlers, or dogs with tongues out and panting. Those poor dogs who probably believed they were heading for a nice walk were instead cheated on, and had no choice but to be tugged along by their owners. Couldn’t they have been left at home? I wondered.
I had to get away from the main drag for a while and find somewhere less busy, so I turned down the nearest side street and followed along where it soon became much quieter. There wasn’t much to see except tall buildings and garages and entrance doors, and then I saw a little notice which made me stop and go back to read it.
Stuck to the outside of a closed door was a colourful and pretty design with tattoo written above it. Oh how lovely it would be to have a tattoo of Sora. I knew Mum and Dad wouldn’t agree with it, even though dear
Dad has a small faded tattoo of an English flag on the nape of his neck, but maybe I could keep mine covered when they were around, so they’d never know. I wondered what it was like having one done as I didn’t know a thing about tattoos, but I guessed it’d be OK, after all, loads of people have them. There was also a handwritten note. I took out my dictionary, mercoledì e sabato, that meant, Wednesday and Saturday. I had to think about what day it was today as I’d lost all track of time; today had to be Wednesday.
I could see that the shutters were open on the first floor, but it seemed all very quiet considering that the tattooist was working today; there were no voices or sounds of anything. I took a deep breath and pressed the door buzzer.
A noise like a window being opened made me look up to see a woman on the first floor peering downwards at me. It looked all the world to me like I’d woken her up because her short jet black hair was all dishevelled and you could see that her eye makeup was smudged, but I was sure it wasn’t so early, it was getting towards lunchtime more than anything.
‘Tattoo?’ she said with a smoker’s voice.
‘Er, yes, si.’
That was it, nothing else. I watched as she reached her tattooed arm out to pull the window closed again and waited on the street for a good five minutes when the door clicked open which I supposed was my cue to enter. I stepped over the pigeon poo-splattered doorstep and went up the stairs to the first floor and tapped on the door ahead of me. Mum and Dad would’ve gone mental if they could see me going inside alone and back at home we’re always being reminded of the dangers, but somehow I was choosing to ignore everything I’d been taught.
I heard the woman’s husky voice so I turned the handle and opened the door to go inside a front room. The woman looked a bit younger than I originally thought, more like forty now that she’d brushed her hair and touched up her makeup. I wondered if she was the tattooist. She said something to me, but I didn’t get it.