Chapter 20

Chapter 20 - The Challenge

As June faded into July Girotondo changed again. The warmth of June with it’s colours and flowers turned into the boiling cauldron of July. The soil became dry and chapped, the air heavy and the flowers weak. The wind instantly smothered anything it came into contact with, leaving a path of destruction, even at night. Water became the main ingredient for survival and the topic for men and women alike. The middle of the day was scorching and people remained inside or under shade. Animals too. In the evening the sun faded deep red and glowed over hills and mountains, hovering for ever, leaving everyone exasperated that the cooler night sky was not allowed to descend quite yet. And in this heat Angela grew to love Michael.

Every day they would find time to bump into each other quite by accident. In bars, on the road, in the market and in the shops. In the evening, once the sun had set and night fell they would steal away to hideouts where they would not be discovered. They read to each other and they talked about all means of things. And Angela finally had someone she could share each and every thought with. So she did. She told Michael all about herself and her life and her dreams and her fears and it was as if she had known him forever. But she rarely mentioned Bruno. And he shared the man inside too. He told her of his youth in England and his parents and his early trips to Italy and his writing and his wife and her death. He always went silent after discussing her death, as if in respect, and then he would tell her about Piazza Rimazza and Girotondo and his favorite view looking out to Monte Amiato.

And as the days and weeks went by they would walk in the evenings and hold hands. Then one evening she asked him. She asked him if he would sneak out of Girotondo with her one night and go and eat in one of the restaurants, by the port, in Porto Ercole.

The very next evening they fled Girotondo. Angela pretended to take a late afternoon stroll and Michael drove his car out to a secret meeting place. They felt like two young teenagers stealing away from their parents for the night. They left lights on and windows open in their respective houses to make it look like they were there all along.

And as Angela jumped into his car he leant over and kissed her. He kissed her hard on the mouth and she melted. She melted right there in his arms and she thought she was in heaven. Then they drove in silence down the hills to the sea, to Monte Argentario, and to its most famous fishing village.

They had forgotten that it was Friday night and on a Friday night in July Porto Ercole is packed. The narrow road that hugs the miniature beaches that lead to the old port stuffed with gomone, yachts and weathered fishing boats, could not have been busier. People from all over were walking and talking and laughing and eating early evening ice creams, or sipping early evening cocktails or Cokes. The bars that flowed out onto the road and the walkways and the beaches were loud and hot. The restaurants sat empty, waiting their turn to be invaded. Preparing themselves for the inevitable stampede and chaos. And providing the bars with the necessary break between early evening cocktails and late night espresso’s and liqueurs and cigars.

And Angela for the first time in her life had the night out of her dreams. And it could not have been more perfect. Every where they went, every sidewalk, every beach, every jetty and every bar, they talked and they talked. And they always held hands. And his dry humour had them endlessly giggling. And Angela could not have looked more beautiful in her simple white dress, elegant white shoes and silk tie holding her hair up high. Michael could not have looked more English in his smart navy cotton trousers and pink cotton shirt. His boat shoes and lack of socks gave away his new homeland and his heart. His heart that had been silenced by the death of his wife and that now beat harder than ever. And Angela noticed and she loved him more than she could possibly love anyone.

Towards the end of the evening Michael even told her the great news. That the publisher he had sent her works to wanted to publish her. And she smiled and then she shrieked and then she threw herself in his arms.

“Don’t thank me. It’s all you. All you.” Was all that he said.

And Angela looked up into his eyes and knew that he was a good man, one of this earth’s rarely good men that would remain honest and true no matter what. Like her favorite old mountain, faithful to the end.

So the rest of that night they blended into each other, body and soul. They never stopped touching each other and they never stopped staring into each others eyes and they never stopped smiling. Not once.

When the night finally ended they sneaked back into Piazza Rimazza and into their respectful homes and they shared one last embrace.

The next morning Angela awoke feeling groggy and full of life. The sun poured into her living room and she drank her coffee with a glow and a look that said it all. Then she needed to see her son. She got dressed and she ran over to her parents house and she spent the day with her Giuseppe and her parents couldn’t have been happier. She showed him around all her favorite places like she was showing them to him for the very first time. Then she took him down to the beach for the afternoon and she played with him and she tried to teach him to swim. He was useless and she laughed. His glasses and his twitch somehow always got in the way. But that was ok, she knew who he was and she loved him. She loved him more than ever.

And after that long lazy day with her son she returned him to her mother and then she went to her house to shower. They had all arranged to have dinner together later that night.

As Angela was making herself up she looked at herself in that mirror again. She did so often now, mainly to ensure she looked good for Michael. And she saw a light in her eye and a smile in her face. She couldn’t help but stare at herself. And as Angela’s contentment sank in deep she breathed out long and hard. Finally.

Her trance was broken by a knocking at the door. And the knocking just got louder and louder. Angela walked down the stairs and as she was about to open the door she heard the familiar growl of Signora Malaventa.

“Let us in Angela, let us in.”

Angela remained silent and tip toed to her front door and looked out of the peep hole. She was horrified by what she saw. Signora Malaventa was at the head of a small group of her neighbors and they all looked angry and determined. Angela stepped back in shock. Then she slowly and quietly backed up the stairs again.

“Open up Angela. Open up. We know something strange is going on in there. Let us in in the name of the Lord.” Signora Malaventa shouted out as she banged away at Angela’s door.

Angela reached the top of the stairs and then she sank hopelessly to the ground. And her world collapsed with her. Her dreams were shattered once again and her fate was finally destined to catch up with her. It was her lot and there was nothing that she could do. But then the strangest thing happened. Her mind and her body took over. They lifted Angela up and they led her to the balcony and they had her calmly and coolly tell the crowd that Bruno was sleeping and that they should come back tomorrow if they wanted to speak to her.

But Angela’s mind and body were not that strong. And the small gaggle of neighbors would not be so easily brushed off. They heaved forwards at her comments in a human wave of indignation, pressing against her door and pressing against her house. She recalled the lines; “I’ll huff and I’ll puff and…” She forced herself back to the moment. She pleaded with the group again.

But her neighbors were having nothing of it and they said terrible things about her and about what she must have done to Bruno. Then one of them started climbing the drain pipe up to her balcony. Angela scolded herself for replacing the drain pipe. Then she stepped back in fear. A breathless fear that told her it must be over. Her nine lives were up, or were just about to be.

“Hey, what are you doing!”

The Police Chief shouted out as he entered the Piazza with the il Dottore by his side. And Michael watched from his window opposite as the cavalry arrived. He could never have known just what a cavalry this would turn out to be. How could he. He just thanked himself that he was around to make the call to the police station. His instincts told him to even though his mouth kept telling him not to be so meddling and protective of Angela. But in the end his instincts won the day.

And the moment il Comandante heard the word from one of his deputies he called il Dottore and they ran over to the Piazza. Just like that.

“Get down off that drain pipe.” Il Comandante shouted out.

“No, no, Comandante. Tonight we have to find out what is going on. We have to know what she has done to Bruno. Eh basta!” Signora Malaventa screamed out.

Everyone stepped back and the man continued to scale the drain pipe. Angela remained frozen to her spot and mute.

“Aspeta, aspeta, wait. Calm down everyone. Come back in the morning. Come at 10am and I’m sure Signora Grimaldi will speak to you. But now is not the time. And in any case we have a special meeting of the writers circle tonight, to hear la Signora read Bruno’s latest work, before it gets published. But, please, please come back tomorrow.”

Michael spoke so forcefully and powerfully that the crowd froze for a moment. But it was long enough to change the tide. For the police chief sent one of his deputies up the drain pipe and he dragged the neighbor to the ground. One falling on top of the other. And il Comandante and il Dottore managed to assuage the crowd and disperse them and they all agreed to meet Angela again in the square at 10am the very next day. Angela nodded. She would have agreed to anything right then. She was trembling with fear and overwhelmed with panic. And then she knew for sure that this would be her very last night of freedom. She wanted to be with her son.

And a little while later Michael walked Angela to their fictitious writers meeting. He was tall and silent. He didn’t look at her. She couldn’t have felt more empty.

Then he spun round and grabbed her elbow.

“OK, you had better tell me everything.”

Angela didn’t know what to do.

copyright ©Philip L Letts 2007