by Fay Henson
Next minute the entrance door to the loos flew open and smashed hard against the wall. In came Erica with another blow. She rushed out some words to Stefania which I couldn’t make heads or tails of except I think I caught the name of Sofia. Oh god, I thought. Stefania came quite close up to me at the same time as I noticed Erica stand by the door as if guarding it. Wasn’t she going to let anyone in, or out? I wondered. I didn’t like how this was looking.
‘Two purse gone,’ she said. What is it that’s going on? I thought.
‘Well, I’m sorry, you’ll have to get your facts straight before you start accusing me.’
My hackles were rising. I moved towards the door to leave, but Erica stood firmly in the way.
‘I can’t see the point in staying with you and your friends Stefania,’ I said with a sharp voice, ‘it’s a shame you don’t trust me, and instead you listen to that Lula. I’m leaving, so move out of the way please.’
Erica still didn’t budge from the door. What should I do? I wondered. I’ve never liked confrontation of any kind, but now I’ve found myself in a position which is forcing me to stick-up for myself, and which is something I’ve never been any good at.
‘Give me your bag,’ Stefania said holding her right arm out towards me.
‘Nope, in your dreams.’ Stupid comment, I thought.
‘That girl told a friend that she see you take the two purse,’ she said, ‘I want to see your bag.’
‘You mean Lula is here, in this pub?’
‘My friend says she gone, but the girl said you are the ladro, give me your bag.’ I tightened the squeeze on my bag under my arm.
‘Sorry no, and don’t you think it’s strange that she’s gone?’ My voice increased its volume, ‘don’t you think it’s obvious, can’t you see it?’
What was obvious was that Stefania and Erica weren’t going to be swayed.
‘We call the police if you don give me your bag,’ Erica piped in. Great, that’ll work, I thought.
‘Whoa,’ I said, ‘here, take it, have a really good look.’ I definitely didn’t want the police involved, and put in a cell or sent back to Bristol. That would be a big NO. To think of what Mum and Dad would do when they had to go and pay bail or what if they had to return to Bristol without me; the embarrassment I’d cause them.
I released my grip on the bag and tossed it directly at Erica seeing as she was the one who last spouted off.
‘Go on, take a real good look,’ I said trying really hard to hold back my angry tears.
I watched both of them go through my bag, all my little personal belongings, and after a long five minutes, everything was put back inside and Erica handed it back to me. Of course they didn’t find any purses.
‘OK,’ Stefania said, ‘you can go.’
‘Thanks and don’t worry, I’m happy to go.’
I pushed myself roughly against Erica still standing by the door where she sort of tumbled out of the way. I couldn’t grab the handle quick enough to let myself out of the loos and hurry weaving through the happy pub-goers to get outside before I burst into tears.
10
Under orders
Someone caught hold of my left arm as I was rushing to leave. I spun round to see who was trying to stop me and was utterly taken aback to be faced to face with Joe, of all people. So it WAS you who I saw on the escalators, I thought. Instantly I pulled my arm away from his grip then wiped my hand in turn across my cheeks to rid the tears I knew had escaped. What a mess I must have looked.
‘What’s going on?’ he asked me, ‘You OK?’
‘Er, yes, fine.’ It was my turn to dig around in my bag except I wasn’t searching for purses, just a tissue.
‘Not true,’ he replied studying my face. I’d forgotten just how tall he was, and just for a teensy moment, I imagined he could have been my boyfriend, and wanting to protect me, then I dispatched that thought as quick as it came.
‘I don’t really want to talk about it,’ I said blowing my nose, ‘anyway, what are you doing here, I mean actually here at this pub?’
‘I don’t really want to talk about it,’ he replied with a pathetic grin. Touché.
‘Actually, that wasn’t fair, I’m sorry,’ he said, ‘this pub was recommended to me as the place where everyone hangs out.’
‘Yeah I’ll agree with you there,’ I replied.
Joe looked across the street.
‘Who’s that big guy over there, the one with the long goatee?’
I turned and realised that Joe was referring to the bloke who I’d seen speak with Stefania inside the pub. It looked like he was watching us. It wouldn’t be that he thinks me and Joe are in some kind of scheme together, would he?
‘Oh, it’s a long story,’ I said, ‘you’d be bored to death.’
‘Try me.’
‘Nope.’
It was too late, we should’ve walked away from the area, because now the bloke with the goatee was walking over to us. He came right up and looked at Joe straight in the eye and said a few words to him. There was a long sweaty silence between the three of us. I could see Joe was puzzling over some unfathomable words; really impossible for me to understand, except I caught the word ladro. I too so much wanted to understand everything and to be able to defend myself. And then Joe pulled a surprise on me.
Joe was speaking Italian and I was riveted to the spot. Of course, now I remember Dad mentioning that lucky Joe could speak the language. I listened trying to get the gist of it all whilst watching their expressions; one in particular I found annoying when Joe glared at me. Must’ve been the bit about the ladro. And then,
‘Caylin, you didn’t steal from the two girls, did you?’
‘What would you think?’, now you’re rubbing me up the wrong way, I thought, ‘course not,’ I replied.
There was more discussion which I didn’t take part in; shame because I would’ve loved to have known what Joe was saying about me. For all I knew he’d told him that I’d escaped from a loony bin and he’d been sent to track me down and take me back. Cor, I’d kill him.
‘Come on,’ he said, ‘probably best if we went to another area.’ We?
‘Er, think I’ll go back to my room thanks, I’m really tired.’
‘Well, at least I could accompany you.’ Hum, please no.
‘I’m OK, really,’ I said, ‘you go on inside the pub, it’s really good.’ I tried to encourage him.
‘No, I don’t really feel like it now, perhaps I’ll give it a shot tomorrow.’
Tomorrow? Seemed like he’s going to hang around a while then. I pretended to yawn a couple of times.
‘Night,’ I said, ‘catch up with you again sometime.’ I didn’t want to be rude, but I was edging away and he caught me up.
‘Let me walk part of the way then.’
‘OK, part of the way.’ I couldn’t be mean.
We walked along a couple of streets and I was feeling a little more relaxed away from the accusations.
‘Hope you don’t mind me asking,’ he said, ‘but why did you cut your hair, even change the colour?’ And before I could open my mouth to respond,
‘I mean, it’s great and all that, but your auburn hair was stunning, unique.’ Oh for goodness’ sake, stop that, I thought.
‘I can’t divulge that information, I’m afraid,’ I said, interrupting him. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to hear what else he was going to say. Silence came after that, so we both continued to stroll along.
‘Hope you don’t mind me asking,’ I said, ‘but how did you recognise me?
Joe stopped and turned to me with a bemused look,
‘Recognise? Are you suggesting you wanted to actually change your identity?’
‘Not exactly.’
‘Does this mean that I have to ply you with lots of nice cold beer to get you to talk
to me?’ He was smiling. Why should I have to reveal my stuff to you? I thought.
‘Nope, and I’m not keen on beer,’ I replied, but this time I was smiling too. I quite liked his manner.
‘That’s not true either,’ he said. How do you know that? I thought.
‘Anyway, how did you notice it was me then?’
‘Well, it wasn’t that hard after I’d stopped to look inside the comic book store,’ he said, ‘at the hotel I’d seen you sketch at the table.’ Then he took out a wallet from his back pocket and opened it up pulling out one of my sketches of Sora I’d done when I was bored. He looked a bit embarrassed that I then knew he’d picked it up and kept it, and I was stuck for something to say.
‘You know, those guys working in there told me they’d been speaking to an English girl, and apparently she’d told them she was staying in Siena whilst her parents were somewhere else,’ he said, ‘so I took a guess they were speaking about you.’
‘Don’t tell me,’ I said, ‘they even described me, like my hair.’ I was being sarcastic as I was assuming he’d been pumping them for information.
‘They were the chatty sort, so I just let them carry on.’
Oh really, I thought.
Joe caught me glancing down at my tattoo.
‘Wow, I didn’t realise you had one of those.’
‘I didn’t have one,’ I said rudely.
‘Won’t your parents be upset about you having a tattoo?’
‘Dad’s got one,’ I replied while I admired Sora.
‘It looks a bit puffy doesn’t it?’ he said. We both stopped under a light to look at my skin.
‘Well, it’s bound to be a bit, it’s only the first day.’ I shrugged it off hoping it was a normal reaction.
Joe sat down on a wall and beckoned for me to join him which I supposed wouldn’t hurt, as long as he wasn’t going to interrogate me.
‘So you caught a train then seeing you were on the escalators,’ I said, ‘I didn’t notice a station near the hotel.’
‘No, no, I came to Siena on a bus and I got off somewhere near the station.’
‘Oh.’
‘Fancy a slice of pizza?’
‘Er, OK, if they have one with wurstel,’ I said, ‘if not, margherita will be good, thanks.’ Even though I’d already eaten earlier, I could probably fit something else in; anyway I was on holiday. I took some euro coins from my purse.
‘Here you are.’
‘No need,’ he said ignoring my hand with the coins, ‘I offered, back in a sec.’
I watched him walk with a confident stride across the little street to a small takeaway pizza restaurant. I hadn’t taken much notice that he’d left his phone on top of his lightweight pullover which was draping over the wall, until that was, it notified an incoming message.
I knew I shouldn’t do it, but it was just too tempting not to take a peek and see who was texting him at nearly midnight. Perhaps it was from a girlfriend, or his parents. I could see Joe standing next to the counter inside the takeaway and talking to the man serving him. Lucky him being able to speak the lingo. He turned and mouthed something through the window towards me which looked like he said he wasn’t going to be long. I stuck up my thumb to indicate that was fine.
I didn’t have long, so I double-checked he hadn’t moved, then ran my finger down the screen to reveal part of the message without actually opening it. ‘What?’ I said out loud. The words appeared in front of me, John here, any news Joe? Have you found Caylin? My dad. My dad had sent Joe to search me out and take me back to the hotel.
So, Joe had been spying on me, was that it? No wonder he wanted to walk me to where I was staying; just to find out where I was, not the fact that he was interested in me. Oh no. I was feeling so angry that tears were starting to well-up, again.
I was torn between wanting to stay and wait for him to return so I could hear what he had to say, and wanting to walk away before he came back. But it was too late, he was coming. He’d better have a good explanation.
‘Um,’ I said, ‘thanks.’ I reached out and took the huge triangle shaped slice.
‘Wurstel finished I’m afraid.’
‘No worries,’ I said, ‘this is good anyway.’
I waited until we’d both finished eating before I came out with my opening line.
‘How are my parents?’
‘Fine,’ he said shifting his position on the wall and picking his phone up. He wasn’t looking at me, but I was watching him closely.
‘Haven’t you been in touch with them?’ he said looking in another direction.
‘Because you know how they are, seeing as you...’ I stopped myself from continuing. He was then staring silently at his phone that he was turning over and over in the palm of one of his hands; he had a uneasy expression.
He slid his finger down the screen and clicked on the last unopened message.
‘You saw this?’
‘Some of it, I mean, I didn’t open it.’
He stood up to face me.
‘Caylin, you had no right,’ he said sternly, telling me off like I was a child. I got up off the wall and glared at him.
‘And you had no right to spy on me.’
It was just sooooo obvious it’d been his intention to search me out on behalf of my Dad and that the comic store had been the perfect place to get some info.
I didn’t think he’d planned on an outcome like this, probably hadn’t even thought what reaction he’d get if I’d discovered he’d been following me. Did he expect me to be over the moon he’d conformed to my Dad’s orders? No.
‘And for your information, I have been in touch with them, as a matter of fact,’ I retaliated, ‘anyway, I shouldn’t have to explain myself to you.’ Joe was staring at me with an annoying grown-up look on his face, as if he was waiting for the child to stop having a tantrum. If he’d grinned, I swear I would’ve walloped him.
‘And another thing,’ I was sure he raised his eyebrows, ‘you can go back to the hotel and report to my parents now that you’ve seen I’m absolutely fine. You’ve carried out Dad’s orders magnificently.’
‘You finished?’ How dare he.
‘Yes, good night and arrivederci.’ That was it, I was implying it was end of story, and now that I’d said it, I couldn’t go back without looking like an idiot. So I marched away from him in a girly kind of strop, when I heard him begin to shout something out, so I slowed down a little still keeping my back towards him.
‘By the way Miss Caylin,’ oh listen to you, I thought, ‘it was me who offered to check that you were really OK,’ he called out behind me, ‘your mother was upset thinking of you alone in a foreign city, I was..’, he corrected himself, ‘ am, happy to come to see you.’
I slowed my step down to nearly nothing; did he really say he was happy to come to see me? I wanted to check that I’d heard him correctly, to be able to turn round and say, sorry, but can you repeat that last bit? But I wasn’t brave enough. What if I only imagined he’d said it? I really didn’t want to run the risk of looking even more stupid than I already did.
I turned round and waited for a group of kids to pass so I could see him again, standing a few meters away from me. He was straight faced.
‘Look Joe, I’m sorry, I’m tired and I’ve a bit of a headache looming, I need to go to sleep, but I do appreciate that you volunteered to come here though,’ I said, ‘and thanks.’
Someone was closing a pair of shutters up above where he was standing making him look upwards where I caught a glimpse of that lovely silver whale tail pendant shining under the street wall light.
‘Oh yes,’ I added, ‘I’ll contact my parents in the morning to tell them I’ve seen you.’
I didn’t hear if he replied as I didn’t hang around long enough to listen, and walked in the direction of my accommodation.
‘Bye Joe,’ I called back to him.
Once I’d returned to my room, I went to the small window to close the shutter. Not everyone had gone to bed yet. There were still people going home and there was the occasional car driver trying to negotiate the turns at the ends of the narrow streets. It was a shame how the evening turned out with Stefania. I didn’t think that she’d ever believe me again, so I guessed it would be pointless even attempting to persuade her. But I was very curious to find out what the flip that Lula was up to.
And as for Joe; when I think back to how I treated him tonight, I did seem to be a bit cruel, after all, apparently he wanted to come to find me.
I drank the remaining water from a plastic bottle in my bag and turned out the bedside table lamp. I was keeping my fingers crossed that the lingering headache had disappeared by the time I woke up in the morning. Should I have been with my parents, they would have already given me some paracetamol. Mum always kept some with her just in case she would say. I laid on my left side and dangled my sore right tattooed wrist over the edge of the bed; there was no way I could let even the sheets touch it.
11
Motherly hugs needed
I reached for my phone on the bedside table to check the time as I could hear voices and movement outside in the street. It was nine thirty. Something must have been going around because whatever it was I’d picked up, was making me feel terrible. I thought that after I’d slept, the headache would have gone, but hey, it was still there and I wasn’t sure if I had a bit of a temperature too. I was going to have to buy some paracetamol as soon as possible, that was, if they sold it in Italy.
And what were all those bubbly-looking things on my tattoo? It all looked so ugly and red. What was happening to Sora? She seemed like a witch covered in warts; so monstrous. My poor wrist. I had to get out to find a supermarket which sold pain killers or anything to make me feel better.