All In Mid-August

by Nunzia Castaldo

  ***

  Trizia and Marco at the dock

  12 August, Friday afternoon

  Trizia and Marco got out of the taxi at the beginning of a long micro artificial isthmus leading to the Castle. It was an hour at the start of a tour so she informed him that she was curious to see the surroundings. They walked back and forth browsing. Young fished in coves, parents were walking with small children, kids playing in the yard. Groups of tourists moving slowly, while the elderly sat on the edge of the lava along the jetty.

  For the first time Trizia was in that part of the island and she was seized by the desire to look at the windows of shops in the streets, which branched off from the open space. She was greeted friends and acquaintances before leaving; they expected him to return with a present for them. She Marco informed. If you liked to go with her, otherwise the appointment was at the entrance. He was silent. He glanced at bay full of light. The sun was still up behind them and the warm breeze from the sea in intermittent gusts, to the rhythm of the surf and the waves on the shoreline driven by the many boats at sea, enveloped him.

  He was already there; his interest now was everything to her and deep thinking to find an excuse. He had to convince her to stay with him. Trizia waiting for an answer, she was visibly eager to do what she wanted. She had the face and watching him. For the first time she did he with care and it seemed nothing wrong with the pole signed that clung to his chest tucked into shorts blue sea captain. Then, with cotton pullover knotted at the waist, looked more casual. Its triangular face crossed with wrinkles on the forehead and at the corners of the eyes, gained intensity with the tan and his thin lips, vaguely reminiscent of those of a star seen in the movies. Definitely he do not lacking in charm.

  She stared at him for telling her what he had decided. The sunglasses hid his eyes a little and she did not fail to seize the blankly into his eyes and wanted to know if something had annoyed. He assured her that everything was fine; it was just hot and pointed to the bar. "Why do not we sit down to have a drink first?" It was not true that he was thirsty, but if he's shopping, bachelor project approach her.

  She agreed. The afternoon was still long. There was enough time for everything. They sat down and ordered the juice of lemons. They were silent. Now that they were face to face in a public place, there was among them embarrassment. She sensed in him the same dark vein of the first time he spoke to her on the plane. She wondered why he had agreed to sit down. The idea of staying there stops, exasperated her. Marco had just glossed over, puzzled expression on his face drawn in overlooking the sea. There was no time to stand in defense, but to go on the attack. She looked impatiently at his watch, and he seized the moment.

  "Trizia, its elegant jewelry is truly unique" watches were his passion. He wanted to also add that it was a big gamble to bring that object so luxurious on the island. He happened to read in the newspaper of a tourist snatched a watch of the same brand. She finally looked at him with intense flicker in his eyes that he had seen only by air, when they spoke of her father George, and he stopped. Pinned, in fact, that George would be the focus of the next conversation.

  "How do you know?" He saw her smile proudly. He wanted to surprise her and it was really successful. "The wrist watches and chronographs fascinate me; had good taste in the choice; if you do not mind me asking, did you buy?" "It's birthday "" Ah, I assume that is a person who should love her own very well!" "Yes," The assertion that he did not expect him froze his stomach, fidgeted with drops of water to the edge of the glass, while suffering: a gift of the value of a sports car, for a birthday, it is only for those who truly love.

  Trizia was amused to hide the truth for the right time to discover how much he cared to find out more. "I got a great present," she added, and already he unsheathed a smile. She also knew amaze me the clue and maybe it was accidental. He had to understand. He did not have time. A ball darted. He took his arms and grabbed him firmly in his hands as a goalkeeper valid; Trizia saved the nose and glasses on the table. They turned quickly toward the square. A little boy pushed another smaller. The bartender came out of the room; the boys disappeared in the narrow streets. He apologized several times and railed against those parents who are not educated their children. They accepted the apology and stated that it was not anything serious happened.

  Trizia now beginning to feel sympathy for him so athletic and agile, but the incident did not return nor did he praise. Marco in his youth was the keeper of a football team, but he nodded. They remained silent. She finished the lemonade and began to look around, she saw the window of jewelry store and thought of buying a cameo. Soon she would be gone. He had to hurry. "Having children is worrying today, they give so many problems, luckily I have not, I 'm free from family commitments, I have never been married; she is married?" Behold, he said, the intention was not to say too much, but he was impatient, and then, he was tired of turning around the argument, the holiday would not last forever. Of course, now had his attention. She had turned suddenly and looked at him with sharp eyes of three quarters as spearheads. He doubted her joviality.

  Trizia was conscious of his strange way of having fun with men. After the failure of the marriage , she could not take them seriously, to keep them amused on the rope and she liked to exercise more power over them calculated that her sensuality . She had discovered the weak point of Marco. He was brazen and insistent curiosity. She kept him on edge. With him amused, but it gave him to see. It was clear now: Duilio had left a scar deeper than thought. She crossed his legs and she saw the linen skirt above the knee climbing them to discover more sensual thighs.

  "He wants to know if I'm free, I understand?" With her it was better to be respectful, polite and a gentleman as ever. He had taken off his sunglasses after having saved the shot and now, being closed in the shoulders, looked at her with sweetness. "I'd like to know, we can become friends, without equivocation , I mean , I would not find out that I'm inviting a lady who is already involved with someone, maybe even jealous , that " He felt he had rid himself of a burden. Trizia was harder than she had appeared, but it was worth groped. The conquest was more grueling was worth more and the greater the pleasure. She now looked at him with expressive eyes and laughed heartily, had made him say what he really thought, conveyed a sense of fragility and felt the same pleasure he had in his hand the victory of the cause. "I'm free" She had laid her hand on his shoulder and, looking at him, shaking him gently. Only then could see the shades of green in the iris of his hazel eyes. She liked a lot.

  He was courting. She had not thought the least, and it would not do much. Be courted liked the same. She thought that he would become known a bit ' better, but on the condition that he would say something to him. She dropped the words lightly. "Why are you still alone?" He swallowed. He had a fairly turbulent love life. He had so many women, but only one great love: Laura, who had betrayed too many times and in the end she had abandoned him. He was not ready to bring up the past, but something of the same story had told her. He climbed from the small port over the stone blocks, a fishy odor, prevent him from opening his mouth. They decided to leave. They chatted for a walk on the pier. Divided in half and left the shopping trip in the saucer on the table. Trizia thought that the cameo could wait to buy; he wanted to know. "I was not married, but I've had a love; unfortunately taken a crush on a girl; my partner was unable to forgive and, on the threshold of forty, I found myself alone, I cheated, but no more than many other " He played the victim card, he knew also elicit tenderness in women, but not in Trizia beginning to view it in the role of conqueror.

  They stopped at the arc beneath which they passed the paddle boats. Among the sheltered waters of the bay they leaning against the side, silent absorbed in their own thoughts. "She has had a great love?" Trizia kept his gaze to the boats swaying on the water. Duilio tell him, would be a long story. Five plus seven years of marriage engagement, in essence they became adults together. Still had affection for her ex-husband, he was there when they found his fa
ther's lifeless, and did not forget that it was he who support her and encourage her in difficult times.

  Unfortunately everyday life, their mutual work commitments and the fact that they had not had children consumed their relationship. Their marriage was over for boredom. At least, she was greatly bored. Duilio was a couch potato. He loved his profession only. It was a romantic boring. And his character had made her fall in love with the romantic.

  She thought about what he should tell him. She established the bare minimum, as indeed she was used to always do. "I am divorced, I married a master of classical guitar, but the marriage ended; anyway we were friends, and I cannot forget that he was there with me when George died, " She noticed immediately that the information that last had escaped, she was not willing to tell him, she could not explain how it had happened. By now it was gone as well. He picked it up. George would be their link. "And so was his father George Stanzani "She dropped her sentence for her to gather. "You know what I miss most about him? ""What?" He looked into her blue eyes suddenly clouded with emotion. "It's discreet; loved me and supported me without imposing itself and was present when I needed it, always."

  "You knew of his attitude of openness to all, but he knew he was sick; how it happened?" "It was in care, then that day," She closed his eyes for a moment, pursed his lips and face, a face appeared. Then he continued jack need to be reminded again. "It 's in my memory like it happened yesterday was Sunday afternoon , my mother was from a friend, I went home with Duilio; I have in mind the unnatural silence; from the half-open door of his study, we saw filter the light of the table lamp on; I called him, no answer, entered and Duilio was, first, to see him lying on the floor next to the desk; looked towards the door, with his head resting on the pillow of the chair and clasped hands as if he were reciting a prayer, his eyelids half open, staring; I touched him , his hands were cold , while her back was still warm; even for a moment I thought to its end; I rushed to the phone to call an ambulance; the doctors said he was dead; agents arrived; kept us and I never saw him again; agents checked the papers, listened to our testimonies and those of the tenants of the building, took some photographs, and covered the body, called the car of the mortuary who came and took him away."

  Trizia told everything without pausing. Had spent more than a decade, but always remember him crying. Marco listened and almost could not watch her all the time. Just felt the anxiety in her voice, and gave himself an idiot for pushing her to tell. She was now back to that moment and continued. "You know what makes me suffer even today after so many years?" He wanted to tell her to stay there.

  "My father took the time to understand, there, on the floor, alone, without help; I could not stay with him even after, it is the practice, then the tenant under the plan ". Marco felt stabbed by two ice-blue eyes. "The evening was for the condolences, the tenant downstairs and told of having heard a sudden thud coming from our apartment, the testified; the tenant knew us well, there were forty years were in that building; my father had also helped in legal issues, heard and did nothing; are still angry, indignant and offended; a phone call would have saved him, perhaps." Marco meanwhile was leaning against the side of the bridge and continued to give himself an idiot, the hardened surface. By now it must have known the female universe, but he did not. He thought only that, when he saw a beautiful woman. And now he had panicked and did not know what to do. He looked up at the sky. If there was one thing he could not stand and that he had never wanted to learn was how to comfort a woman. He sighed and turned to her, but was surprised at her sudden metamorphosis. Trizia was putting on his sunglasses in hand with tissue paper, had dried his eyes and he hurried to check the time as if nothing had happened. "We're almost late for the visit to the castle!" She held out his hand, quickly walked the tunnel dug into the rock.