Uncle opened the front door and we followed him inside; me first and then the still timid Alberto. I smiled back at him while Uncle set down his fishing gear. "Welcome to the Marcovaldo household," he said. "Have a seat," I pulled out a chair for him at the table. Alberto sat down and nervously peered up at Uncle's harpoons lining the walls. "What does he kill with those?" Alberto asked me in not-to-hushed whisper. "Anything that swims," Uncle apparently heard him. While my friend had this horrified look, I simply rolled my eyes and fetched him a glass of water.
"You'll have to forgive my uncle. He's an avid believer in sea monsters, just like everyone else in this town," I muttered under my breath. "For the last time, Ilaria: they are real! They're out there. I've seen them swimming around these parts," Uncle shot back at me. "Are you sure you're not just seeing really big fish? I'm still of the persuasion that if sea monsters really existed, someone would have caught one by now," I took a seat beside Alberto at the table. He snuck a peak over my way, rubbing his arm again. "M-Maybe they're just really good at avoiding capture?" His voice wasn't confident. I looked at him a bit taken aback. "It's possible, but I sincerely doubt it. If mankind can catch creatures from the deep which can't even be seen from the surface, then they should have no trouble catching sea monsters."
Uncle put some pasta into the pot of boiling water. "You know, niece; if anyone ought to be concerned about sea monsters, it should be you." "What?!" Both Alberto and I asked in unison. Uncle turned around so to look me in the eye. "They like you. I've spotted one in particular, sneaking around you, watching you at the docks and on the beach." I didn't see Alberto's face turn ghost white. I merely shook my head. "I told you, Zio; those were probably sea turtles or other such marine life. I've never seen a sea monster before." His eyebrow raised up. "I wouldn't be so sure. What about you?" He then pointed to Alberto with his wooden spoon. "Who, me?!" Alberto's shoulders perked up. "Do you believe in sea monsters?"
After gawking at Uncle for a second, Alberto waved his hand around flippantly. "What?! No! No, I… I don't believe in sea monsters!" His voice was high and panicked. I beamed in pride. "Well at last we hear some sense! I knew you wouldn't buy into all this nonsense." "Uh, yeah, uh, nonsense," he replied, not meeting my gaze. "It's not nonsense! You'll see someday, Ilaria. That science mumbo-jumbo can't teach you everything there is to know about the sea." "If you say so, Zio," I relented with a smile. He motioned for me to get Alberto's and my plate of pasta, which was now ready. "Dinner's ready. Trenette al pesto." Grabbing his own plate, Uncle joined us at the table, putting his napkin in his shirt collar.
Now, in polite society it's traditional to let your guest take the first bite, so Uncle and I waited. We were both watching the increasing intimidated Alberto, who didn't pick up his fork. I wasn't sure what he was waiting for; he kept eying Uncle in fear and confusion. Nothing happened for a minute, then- to my absolute shock and horror- Alberto grabbed a handful of paste. He stuffed it into his mouth, only to have an overjoyed reaction. He proceeded to stuff as much pasta as he could into his mouth, alarming me. Uncle's facial reaction wasn't so stunned as mine. "Where did you say you were from?"
"Oh! I'm from uh…. uh…." Alberto immediately looked to me for help. I grinned, picking up my fork. "He's from an island some ways from Portorosso." "An island? Sicily?" Uncle asked. "No. Further down the Italian Riviera," I said. "And what brings you to Portorosso? Looking for work?" He next asked Alberto. "No, Zio. He's just… traveling around, getting to know the countryside." Alberto's eyes kept shifting in between me and my uncle, not daring to make a peep the whole time. Uncle took a sip of his water.
"Are you here for the race?" "What race?" I asked, puzzled on Alberto's behalf. "For the Portorosso Cup. Every summer there's a race. Anyone can enter, so long as you can pay the entry fee." "I see…." My eyes wandered into nowhere while Alberto blinked up at my uncle. "What kind of a race?" "Riding, eating, and swimming. You have to finish all three first to win," Uncle explained. "What's the prize?" I ventured to ask, though I wasn't too interested. "A cash prize of a hundred lira." "A hundred lira?! They give that much for winning a race?" My jaw dropped gobsmacked. Uncle's head nodded. Alberto then grinned at me.
"You should enter!" "Me?! Certainly not! A lady wouldn't be caught dead taking part in an "eating contest". The idea! It's not refine." "Besides, we don't have money for the entry fee. And some local boy always wins every year anyway; fellow by the name of Ercole, I think." Oh god, don't say that name in front of me, I winced. Alberto scoffed. "I bet we'd win it if we entered together. You bike, I eat." "And swim? You'd also have to swim," I tacked on. His grin immediately fell as his eyes grew in realization. His head turned away from mine, somewhat defeatedly. "Oh… yeah; right. Maybe entering's not such a good idea."
Uncle sighed. "It's out of the question anyhow. Without the entry fee, there's no use considering it." "You're a fisherman, right? I've seen you out on your…. I mean Ilaria mentioned that you had a fishing business!" For some reason Alberto felt the need to alter his statement. I looked at him startled and Uncle's eyebrow lifted ever so slightly. "That's right, I am. Our family's been fishing in these waters since the Middle Ages. My father was a fisherman, as was his father, and his father before him." Alberto didn't say anything in reply to this but simply nod his head. Uncle gave him an intent look just now.
"Ilaria said you know the sea. Do you also know fish?" "Me?! Oh, yeah! I know lots of fish," my dear friend answered with a decent amount of pride. You could practically hear the wheels in my uncle's head start to turn. His stare drifted from Alberto back onto me, and then back onto Alberto. "Is that so?" He hummed, rubbing his thumb along his bottom lip.
Meanwhile I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "Too bad about that race. If only I wasn't a lady and we could afford the entry fee… A hundred lira could buy Papa a train ticket out here." "You'll see your father again when you get married, niece," Uncle tried to comfort me. Alberto, meanwhile, glanced at me beside him with wide eyes. His hand reached out to pat mine affectionately. "I'm sorry we can't enter the race, Ilaria. It just… can't be done." "Not unless we raise the money for the entry fee. But for that I'd need some extra help on my boat," Uncle remarked, looking straight at Alberto as he said it. Alberto perked up, not realizing the meaning behind Uncle's words.
"You need help on your boat? I'll help!" I instantly interjected, placing my other hand over top his. "Alberto, really; you don't have to do that. You're not here to work." "Neither are you, niece," Uncle unhelpfully added, making me shoot him a glare. My eyes kindly returned back to Alberto as I gave his hand a squeeze. "It's ok. We can forget about the race. I didn't know about it until tonight anyway. And Zio's right; I'll see my father…. when I get married. You should just enjoy your summer here!" "But I can help fish if your uncle needs it; I don't mind." "We're not going to take advantage of you like that, Alberto. You're just too kind- we can't except it," I said with a smile. Alberto didn't look so sure and Uncle…. Well, don't ask me how he looked just now. He slammed his glass down onto the tabletop unimpressed.
"Whatever my brother paid for your finishing school, it was too much." "Honestly, Zio! We're not about to put the poor boy to work unless there's a legitimate reason. Don't blame my academy education on that! It's an issue of morality." "Uh…. What are we talking about now?" Alberto winced a bit confused. I peered back at him again and grinned. "Nothing. We're just happy you're here, that's all. You don't have to do anything else." "A boy his age has no business wasting a whole summer. He should be working," Uncle pressed, but I shot him down with one sharp look. Then I smiled back at my friend. "It's fine if you want to fish with my uncle, but in time. There has to be a good reason for you to work for the family business, and I'm not about to sit back and let you get taken advantage of." It's not that I didn't want Alberto to work with Uncle. It's just that I thought it would be too forward to propose such a venture at our first dinner together, especially since we didn't have the money to pay Alberto a reasonable wage for his labour. But apparently my uncle didn't see it this way. His calculating eyes locked back on the two of us together, still smiling at one another with our hands resting on top of each other. Uncle motioned toward me with his fork. "You say he needs a reason to work with us, Ilaria? Well, what if he's looking at it?"