I saw Uncle off at the dock; he was going to test out his new fishing net this afternoon. I gave him one final wave and headed back inside to get changed. Today I wore my frilly pink dress with white lace and trim. Part of the reason is because I thought it looked pretty and the other reason is because it would be easier to clean if it got dirty. Fixing my hair into some ringlets, I grabbed my parasol and walked myself down to the beach. The sight of Alberto already standing there waiting for me made me smile.
His face too lit up when he saw me. "Buon pomeriggio!" He waved excitedly in my direction. "Buon pomeriggio," trying to keep my refined composure, I walked up in front of him. "What's that for?" Alberto then pointed to my parasol. "It's to keep the sun off me," I replied, glancing back at it slightly. It was already open and resting on my shoulder. His head slanted a little. "Oh. Why would want to do that?" And of course I grinned, charmed by his innocence. He wouldn't know that ladies do not get tans; when it can be avoided, that is.
That's when I scouted around for his mode of transportation, only to blink in alarm when I saw none. "How…. did you get here?" "I swam," Alberto announced like it was no big deal. Oh, it was a very big deal. This wave of mild horror washed over my face. "You swam?! All this way?" "Yeah! It wasn't that far; I've swam much further." "B-But your island is miles away. You can barely see it from here. That must have taken you hours!" "Not really. I'm a pretty fast swimmer, plus I'm good at it. You might say I was made for the water, haha," he gave an admittedly awkward laugh. I still wasn't smiling, however- suddenly very concerned for his welfare. I mean, exercise is good but a swim that distance can't be good for or easy on the body.
"Would you like to borrow our boat for the journey back?" Alberto stuck up his hand and shook his head. "Nah. It'll honestly be faster if I swim. I'm not used to rowing, if you hadn't noticed," he said with a playful smirk. I giggled slightly. "Yes, I noticed. Well, alright then, but the offer stands if you ever change your mind." "Thanks, I'll remember that." We grinned at each other and then I stepped out further onto the sand, peering back his way over my shoulder. "Shall we?" I asked with a turn of my parasol. He didn't say anything but came right up to my side, ready to walk.
It was strange. Good, but strange. Usually when a man walks with a lady, he'll stay on the side of the elements or curb. It's his job to protect me from the unpleasantries of the road or other such situations. A gentleman would therefore walk on the side closest to the water so to keep me from getting splashed or what not. It was just so ingrained in me that I never thought twice about it back in Florence. But this made it painfully obvious when such expectations were not met. Alberto maintained a safe distance from the water at all times. I was the one walking in between him and the shore- a position I'd never expected to be in before. I was surprised but again, didn't address it. I was born in a city full of culture and refinement. And while I carried a parasol, Alberto didn't even wear shoes- something else I wasn't used to.
I didn't blame or judge him for any of this! Of course not! It's obviously not his fault. It's just something I noticed and it made me realize just how different we were, or rather how different our upbringings were. While he was free to roam about and do whatever he pleased, I was groomed to be a good high society wife. I had one job and that was to marry whomever my uncle and father decided was best for the family. Alberto, on the other hand…. He had a freedom I could never understand simply because I'd never have it myself. And with this freedom comes ignorance of some upper social customs, I guess. I suppose I was watching him a bit too long as he glanced at me and raised his eyebrow.
"What?" He asked this gentler than you'd think. "Where are you from again? I mean where did you live before the island?" His eyes tore away from me and he shrugged uncomfortably. "Oh, you know- around." "But you're not from Portorosso?" "No. I've only ever come to your backyard and this beach." "You've been on this beach before?!" I asked shocked. As if to catch himself, he flinched a little. "U-Uh, yeah; once or twice." I thought for a minute before grinning- or rather, trying and failing to stifle a grin. "Have you ever seen me on this beach?" And he peered my way, also trying to kill off a smile. "Maybe a few times…." My response was a laugh.
My face softened as I gazed on forward. He however, kept looking at me. "You're not from around here either," this was more of a statement than a question. Still, I nodded and gave him a teasing expression. "Is it that obvious?" "U-Uh, well, um….!" Alberto rubbed the back of his neck, unsure how to answer me. I laughed again. "No, you're right. I'm from Florence." "Flow-rants?" Of course I blinked in his direction wildly, shell-shocked. "You've never heard of Florence before?! It's one of the biggest cities in Italy, second only to Rome." "Rome?" His eyebrow lifted and that's when I realized he was being serious. Ok like honestly…. What Italian hasn't heard of Florence and especially Rome, the capital of our country? Was this boy raised under a rock or under the sea or something? His lack of education was astonishing, and not in a good way.
"You really haven't travelled much on the mainland, have you?" I heard myself ask. His shoulder gave another shrug. "I've always stayed pretty close to the water." "But don't you want to go abroad? See what the world has to offer?" "Well yeah, but….. I mean… It's not that simple," he muttered while gazing out in front of him. I considered this, also looking forward again. "No, I suppose it wouldn't be. And from what I hear most people don't leave Portorosso because they want to; they go to look for work, like my father."
Alberto peered at me curiously. "So what are you doing here, then? Why'd you leave the Floor-ants?" I hesitated a second, nibbling on my lower lip. I don't know why I was so embarrassed talking about it; it's the truth, after all. There's nothing to hide and there's no shame in moving across the country to help your family. Still…. I drew in a deep breath, summoning the courage to meet his gaze.
"You won't laugh?" "Never," he answered without hesitation. I waited a second before sighing softly. "I've been sent to marry a man who can take over my uncle's fishing business. It's been in the family for centuries, and neither he nor Papa have any sons to inherit it after my uncle retires. So a son-in-law will have to do…" Alberto mulled over what I'd just said quietly, shifting his eyes around on the ground like he was thinking. "So… you've come to get married?" "Yes, at my uncle and father's pleasure and with their permission. That's why I moved here…. Otherwise I'd still be in Florence," these last few words were filled with sadness. I didn't notice the boy watching me with curiosity again.
"Huh. I didn't know humans would do something like that." "I beg your pardon?!" "Uh, rural people! That's what I meant to say! I always thought you could marry whoever you want up… er, over here," Alberto immediately clarified. I inhaled longingly. "I wish that was true, but it doesn't always work out that way. Gotta do what's best for the family, you know," using his own favourite phrase, I gave him a little grin. He did not mirror my somewhat mischievous expression.
"Are you really going to marry someone just because they can run your uncle's fishing business?" "Yes," I nodded. A brief pause slipped in here. "What about your happiness?" "My happiness?" I asked, somewhat scandalized. No one ever bothered to mention my individual happiness before; likely because I was under the impression it didn't matter. But the way he said it just now….. It's like he believed what I felt had some value.
Alberto nodded resolutely. "Yeah. Don't you wanna marry someone who'll make you happy? Or you at least like?" "That doesn't matter. What's important is that my uncle and father approve of him." He made a "pfft" sound and waved his hand around dismissively. "There's got to be more to it than that." This brought a smile to my face. So naïve; his freedom was showing again.
"Well, at least I don't have to worry about it for some time it seems. No one in the village… likes me. Or anyone worth mentioning, that is." His head instantly shot over toward me in disbelief. "What?! Why not?! Who wouldn't like you?" This earned a warm smile; I don't think he realized how sweet that sounded just now. "I'm a foreigner, and what's more, I'm from a city. I'm a city-girl through and through. Consequently I stick out like a sore thumb in Portorosso. It's hard… to like someone who's so different than yourself," I explained with a sigh.
Alberto's head bobbed up and down in a contemplative fashion, gazing forward yet again. "I know what that feels like. It's hard to trust strangers…. Knowing how they'd react if they knew the real you." "But you're lovely! Who wouldn't want to be your friend?!" I gasped aghast. I understood why people would avoid me, being an outsider and all, but Alberto seemed like he'd fit right in here. Why would he think such a thing?!
He merely grinned at me. "I could ask the same thing about you. You may be a foreigner, but you're easy to talk to and be around. I don't understand why anyone wouldn't want to be friends with you." He said this, and I blushed. No one's ever said anything like that to me before….. I had to peek away, too shy to meet his stare just now. My lips parted a sliver before any words fell out of them. "Heh, maybe we see something in each other that others can't." "Could be," he scratched his chin casually. "Well I'm glad I met you, Alberto; even if it was heh, under dangerous circumstances. It's nice to finally have a friend in Portorosso." "Yeah, I feel the same way. I've never talked to a human like this before." "What?" I blinked to him, and he jolted upright. "Girl! I've never talked to a girl this much before." My eyebrow lifted. "Oh really? And how do you find it so far?" His hand rubbed the back of his head. "It's nice; not as scary as I thought." "You thought talking to ladies would be scary?" I laughed out loud. So adorable. His back arched. "No! I just….! I-I didn't know what to expect, that's all." I laughed more.
"Good! It's nice to know I'm not "scary". It would be quite a shock if I learned that boys found me intimidating." "Ha! There's nothing intimidating about you." "I'll take that as a compliment," my lips grinned back at him. "It is," he also smiled at me. Another calm lull in the conversation set in here. I took a deep breath in, shutting my eyes for a second. The salty sea air felt so good filling my lungs.
This smile naturally blossomed across my lips, spreading all across my face. "Though I may not fit in here, there's still so much to enjoy about this place….." "The way you say it, it kinda makes me want to explore around here more." "You can, if you want to. We can go together, if that'd make you feel better." Alberto looked my way and stared for a moment. His feet came to a halt in the sand and mine followed suit. "Really? You'd do that… for me?" Alberto…. I simply thought gazing back at him. He sounded so shy, genuine, and hopeful just now. So honest and true….. He's right when he says he's not afraid of me. Or should I say, he's not afraid of being judged by me. He felt secure enough to show me various sides of himself, including the vulnerable ones. Thinking about this made my grin unconsciously grow gentler.
"Of course! We can go into town together whenever you like. You can….. come see me whenever you like too. I'd like that." His eyes lit up. "You sure?" "Absolutely! Like I said, it's nice to finally know someone who doesn't actively hate me," or trying to seduce me after I make it obvious that I'm not interested. Alberto cracked a smile here- another real smile. "Alright then. I'll do that! You can expect to see me a lot more from now on," he remarked, trying to sound cool with his last sentence. I laughed, pleased by this. "I look forward to it."