Headstrong in Tuscany

by Fay Henson

  I knocked on the bathroom door to check nobody was inside. In fact, it hadn’t been long since someone had used it, the floor was soaking wet and the walls were running with condensation, and the stuffiness made me feel even more weird than I did already. Didn’t they ever learn when they were a child how to open the window? I pushed it open, then just about managed to find the effort to clean my teeth before returning to my room, for which I then had the hassle of getting dressed.

  I really couldn’t be bothered to mess around getting ready and so I put on what I wore out last night. I even hurt when I brushed my hair; it felt like flu or something.

  Well thankfully I was back in my room after tracking down a pharmacy. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought in the end but that was only after I’d discovered that the small supermarkets didn’t sell pain killers. I was lucky enough to find one after spotting the flashing blue and green sign hanging outside, the type which probably could have been seen from miles away, the neon was so bright.

  When it was my turn to go to the counter inside the sterile and cold air-conditioned shop, I tried asking for paracetamol but the woman didn’t understand me, so I wrote it down on a used receipt I found inside my bag. Apparently in Italy the spelling was almost the same except when she finally recognised it, she pronounced it really different to how I was expecting. She handed me a small packet called Tachipirina and pointed to the word paracetamolo, she’d taken from a cabinet behind her and zapped a scanner onto the barcode. As I didn’t catch the cost for the third time, when she told me, I had to look at the till and if that wasn’t a cure for feeling ill, I didn’t know what would be. The price sucked.

  In all, it took me around forty five minutes until I was back in my room with a packet of pain killers and a couple of bottles of natural water and within one minute of entering, I’d swallowed two tablets along with gallons of water. I pushed my sandals off my feet and climbed into bed with my clothes on and picked up my phone; I really had to make contact with Mum and Dad.

  Hi Mum, Dad, thanks for your message yesterday which I’ve just opened now, but I guess you already know that I’m fine here in Siena, assuming that Joe from the hotel had reported back to you! Dad, did you ask him to come here and search me out? He said he volunteered. It’s getting busier here now because I think they’re preparing for some sort of horse race in the middle of the city, strange I know. Sorry to hear Dad that you’d run out of loo paper and you had to wait an hour before Mum returned to the room because she got side-tracked by someone downstairs. Aw Mum, that was really cruel J. Anyway, it was good to hear that you’re finally able to go out again now. Love Caylin xxx PS Let me know about that Joe please. Love you lots xxx

  That was all I could conjure up for Mum and Dad. I missed them such a lot. Mum would always give me a cuddle and do things for me if I wasn’t feeling very well whereas Dad wasn’t a cuddly type of person, but he’d always make me feel safe because he was still strong.

  A huge wave of guilt engulfed me thinking about what I’d done to myself since being here in Siena mostly because of that Lula. I was sure Mum and Dad would be deeply upset and disappointed with me. How could they trust me after that? I was feeling so miserably low, I couldn’t stop myself from sobbing into the pillow. Oh how I needed a hug.

  Wow that was a weird sleep, all those strange dreams with Sora’s face appearing everywhere. My phone’s display showed that it was three thirty in the afternoon. Well at least I’d had a sleep and my head wasn’t aching as much, but I was still feeling yucky and I was very sweaty. I gulped down some more water. I laid on my back and decided to open and read Zoe and Em’s message.

  Hey Cay, Zoeeee speaking J, Em’s still without internet which is driving her (and me) nuts, only joking. Love yur stuff, we wish we could be there too, bet it’s tons more fun than here at the mo. Me and Em went out last night and ‘cause the weather’s been rubbishy (still is) hardly anyone was out. Sooooo boring. L Nothing much to report really, need your news to cheer us up. Luv Zoeeeee & Em xx

  I definitely wasn’t the right person to cheer them up, as much as I’d love to, but at least I could send them a pic of those guys putting up the stands.

  Hi there, great to find your message J. Sending you a feel good pic of some guys without shirts, clearly gorgeous, don’t you think? Took this especially for you back home so hope it brings you a bit of sunshine. Sorry this is going to be a tad short.... am on a bit of a downer too L. You’ll see from the next pic I’m sending....and I think I’ve got flu coming just to make things worse L. Starting to regret everything. Cay xx

  Through my window I could hear loads of noise, maybe it was people cheering somewhere in the distance, but anyway it was difficult to make it out with all the loud bangs and trumpets or something. I wanted to go and see what was happening but I wasn’t sure if I could manage it or not. Wait a minute, didn’t Joe say something about a horse trial? And if I can remember correctly, he basically suggested meeting near the florist at six o’clock, so I’ve still got plenty of time. I could have done with some cheering up.

  Perhaps if I took some more tablets they’d put me back on track and even though I didn’t understand the blurb on the packet of Tachipirina, I reckoned it was OK to take another couple of tablets by that time. Trouble was, I’d never bothered to read medicine instructions ‘cause Mum was always there to check it out for me.

  To think, it would’ve been so easy to call her and get all the sympathy and care I know she’d give me, but I hadn’t dare call her; I’d totally ruin Mum and Dad’s holiday.

  Anyhow, I took the pain killers and eventually got myself changed, finally pulling my room door closed behind me at the same time as my phone just warned me that a new message had arrived I’d decided to open later. It was all very quiet in the, I wanted to say, bed and breakfast, but as there wasn’t breakfast available, I had to say accommodation. No radio playing, no washing machine stuck on spin and no sign of the owner to check who was opening or closing his doors.

  When I stepped down into the street, the August heat hit me, it was really quite overpowering and the sun made my sore and warty tattoo smart. A group of kids all wearing the same club scarves, overtook me running excitedly together along the street. I could see them up ahead overtaking or dodging other people walking in the same direction.

  It was a massive effort for me to walk up and down the steep little streets and avoiding those who had stopped to window-shop along the way because the heat was really slowing me up. I was absolutely pooped. And what made it worse, was that I was trying to keep my wrist out of the burning sun.

  I was feeling confused; didn’t I read that the horse race was on the sixteenth? It wasn’t the sixteenth already was it? I tried to work out the date today which I couldn’t do, so I resorted to pulling out my phone to have a look. No it was definitely the thirteenth. As I got closer to the Piazza del Campo, there were so many people and so many voices intermingling with each other, it had become a mesmerising hum, for which I found myself being swept along.

  ‘Caylin!’ That had to be Joe shouting to me. I turned myself to look in the direction from which his voice came but there were too many people for me to pick him out and from where I was standing, I couldn’t even see where the Florist shop was. Then I spotted his blond hair and his arm stuck up in the air waving at me.

  ‘Caylin, wait there!’ He shouted again. I nodded trying to move to one side so he could catch me up.

  ‘My god, you feel OK?’ he said staring at me, ‘you look terrible.’

  ‘Thanks mate,’ I said forcing a smile, ‘it’s flu or something, anyway, I’ll get over it. What’s going on here?’

  ‘I found out it’s the beginning of the build-up to the horse race, apparently for three days they do trial races, then it’s the biggy on the sixteenth.’

  ‘Cool,’ I said trying to sound enthusiastic, which was totally difficult for how I was feeling. I took som
e mouthfuls of water from my bottle.

  ‘Someone told me that you can stand behind the barriers inside the centre of the square, and watch the race for free,’ he said, ‘otherwise, if you sit in the seats around the outside of the track, it’ll cost a fortune. Have you seen photo’s of the race?’

  ‘Er, can’t say I have,’ I replied naively.

  ‘Well, believe me, you’re crammed in, and so they say with thousands of other spectators,’ he said, ‘I’ve seen the photo’s so, yup you’re crammed in all right.’

  ‘Oh.’ I said with the height of intelligence.

  ‘I’m going to go into the centre, coming?’ he corrected himself, ‘I mean, if you feel up to it?’

  ‘Um, of course,’ I said. How could I be in Siena and not see anything that went on here. People pushed past us, I guessed they were eager to enter.

  ‘Even though it doesn’t start for an hour or so, apparently it’s recommended to get a standing place well in time before they close the entrances,’ he added.

  People were still pushing past us which was becoming more and more annoying; well, to me anyway. It was time to move away from where we’d met.

  ‘Come on, let’s go.’

  So he led the way through the crowds and into the centre of the Piazza del Campo. I could see from the tall tower behind me on the other side, that the time was five fifty in the afternoon and the sun was half in, half out of the square which thankfully would make standing more bearable in the shade, except that most people who like us, were heading towards the same shaded areas.

  ‘Joe,’ I managed to get out at the same time as tugging his T-shirt, ‘I don’t think I can stay here, I really don’t feel that great.’

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ he replied, ‘I shouldn’t have dragged you here, come on, let’s get you away.’ He put his arm around my shoulders and guided me back through the people. If I wasn’t feeling so nauseous, I think I probably would’ve enjoyed being taken care of by a tall, strong guy. But at that moment, all I could think about was leaving the square with all its noise and chaos and sitting down somewhere. The problem was, there were no seats.

  That was it, I absolutely couldn’t take another step and as gross as I would’ve normally found it, I slid down inside of a telephone shop entrance and sat on the dusty tiles with my back against a window. The shop door was open and inside I could see the look on the face of a guy as he was assisting a woman client. Thought he had a bit of a surprised expression.

  ‘Here, drink your water,’ Joe said, ‘don’t worry about the assistant, I’ll speak to him if necessary. How are you feeling?’

  ‘Horrible.’ I was really sweating, I didn’t think it was from the heat and my head pained me so much. I brought both my knees up to my chest and put my arms around them, burying my face into my long skirt.

  I felt Joe take my right hand which made me lift my head up to see what he was doing; he wasn’t holding my hand just in a caring kind of way, I realised he was peering at my wrist’s disgusting warty tattoo.

  ‘Caylin, you can tell me to mind my own, but I’d say you really need to get this looked at,’ he said, ‘and now.’ He was looking at me so seriously that he was actually worrying me.

  I glanced down at my wrist and well, yes I had to agree that it had become pretty bad. I didn’t remember seeing the redness going up my arm like that before, or the scary looking bubbles. Sora had gone.

  ‘Stay there,’ Joe whispered. Ha, he needn’t have worried, I wasn’t going anywhere, in fact I didn’t think I could’ve.

  As I watched the people rushing past the shop entrance, nearly all of them followed their eyes down to me sitting on the floor before quickly hurrying along again. I must’ve looked like someone of no fixed address, or a dope-head even. What had I done to myself? I wanted to cry.

  Joe waited his turn until he could speak to the guy behind the counter. I couldn’t hear what was being said, but they both turned and looked at me with concern. Oh please, come on, I’m not dying you know, I thought.

  Joe came back out of the shop and sat down next to me. He put his arm around me.

  ‘He’s calling the ambulance service,’ he said. Now you’re frightening me, I thought.

  ‘There’s loads of medics around because of the horse race trials and at least they can take a quick look at you.’

  ‘I’ll be fine in a few minutes,’ I responded sitting myself up higher against the window, ‘there’s no need to call anyone, I can get something from the pharmacy.’ But I knew that in reality, it was wishful thinking and I was trying to kid myself that nothing was really the matter.

  There they were, two of them. Thanks a bunch, Joe, I thought. A man carrying a big holdall and a young girl appeared in the doorway, both of them looking down at me. They were wearing the bright yellowy-green trousers and tops, the outfits which really stood out brightly.

  ‘Don’t go, Joe,’ I found myself saying quickly to him as he got up and stepped back to let them get nearer to me. He shook his head.

  They put on some latex gloves and crouched down next to me.

  ‘What you name?’ The girl asked me and I told her.

  ‘Have you had medicine today?’ I had to think. I told her I took a couple of Tachipirina, even though I was certain I pronounced it in a strange way, at three thirty or four that afternoon. All the while she was asking me questions and making notes, the man was checking me when he also noticed my wrist. More questions.

  It was explained to me that I needed to go to hospital to be checked more thoroughly and more than likely have a good dose of antibiotics. Great.

  Next thing, the man had returned with a seat thing and I was lifted onto it and strapped in tightly. There really wasn’t any need for that, surely.

  Off we went, passing the crowds of people gathering to watch the horse race trial and there I was being wheeled away with Joe by my side and the ambulance looming in the distance. I turned towards Joe.

  ‘Please don’t tell anyone.’ I exaggerated the anyone and I could tell he knew exactly who I meant when he put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

  12

  Guardian angel

  Well that was totally unexpected. I’d just spent a night and nearly all today in the big hospital, Le Scotte; first in the Pronto Soccorso where I was prodded and poked, then in another ward in another part of that massive hospital complex.

  It turned out that I had an acute reaction to the tattooing, more than likely the doctors said, to the coloured ink but they said it could also have been because the tattooist wasn’t hygienic enough. They asked me where I had it done, but I actually couldn’t remember where or which part of the old town. They even showed me a map, but it was impossible for me to recall where I went. Siena was a maze to me. Joe must’ve thought I was a really dumb person.

  Anyhow, I’d been given loads of antibiotics and other stuff which will help my body fight against the disgusting warty and bubbly infection.

  Joe stayed near me for most of the time (I spied him asleep once or twice), he must’ve been so bored, but he wasn’t allowed to stay overnight. Said he found some seats in another waiting area where he tried to sleep until this morning. Eventually I was allowed to leave.

  ‘I owe you for the shuttle bus to get back here from the hospital late this afternoon,’ I said, ‘I know, let me buy you a pizza this evening, in appreciation for all the help you’ve given me.’

  ‘Sure you’re up to it?’ he asked, ‘don’t you think you should rest?’

  ‘Nah, I feel a bit better and if I can get some shut-eye now for an hour or so, I should be in top form,’ I replied grinning.

  ‘We don’t have a lot of time left on this holiday so I definitely don’t want to waste any more of it,’ I added. And what I did next not only surprised him but also myself.

  ‘Mind facing the other way a sec,’ I sa
id.

  ‘Um, no...’

  I waited for him to turn round then I took off my long skirt and top leaving me in just my pants and bra. I flung my things over the bedroom chair, and feeling all giggly, I slipped under the bedclothes.

  ‘OK, now you mustn’t go getting the wrong idea, but you can turn around now,’ I said, ‘and if you’re as tired as I am, you’re welcome here next to me.’ Was it really me saying that? I tried not to smile too much because he was having some sort of difficulty undoing his trousers; think he was rushing. Cor didn’t he look sexy just in his tight black boxers and his whale tail pendant.

  ‘How could I refuse a request like that,’ he beamed, ‘on my way.’

  And so he got in beside me in the little single bed and turning on his right side to face my back he put his arm around me. I gently reached for my phone and set the alarm to go off in a couple of hours and nestled backwards into his warm body letting my bandaged wrist hang out over the side. Oh how comforting and reassuring it was to have him there with me, just like my guardian angel.

  The alarm sounded at the time I’d set for seven this evening and switched it off before turning my body to face Joe. He gave me a warm smile. I cuddled into him and rested my bandaged wrist across the top of the bedclothes which were covering his chest and we laid listening to the sounds of drums and trumpets in the distance.

  ‘How do you feel now? He asked me.

  ‘Well enough for pizza.’

  ‘That’s good to hear, come on then let’s go out and hit Siena.’

  I was really happy that he wasn’t making me feel embarrassed by watching me get dressed. Instead, he looked out of the little window allowing me time to sort myself out. I’d been worrying of how this was going to turn out, I mean, by getting into the same bed together and if he was going to expect me to have sex with him. And even though when we were lying there together, I had sensed his want, shall we say, but he hadn’t pressurised me, not like those others I’d met. He was a true gentleman.