"You want to enter the Portorosso race?" Uncle's eyebrow lifted up. Alberto and I nodded resolutely. "With your permission, Zio," I added. He looked at us for a moment, a bit startled by the unexpected conversation. "I thought you weren't interested in racing." "It's… complicated. We've changed our minds," was my tactful reply. "We really wanna win," Alberto noted with a lot more ease than I. After shifting his eyes between the two of us, Uncle let out a long sigh.
"What about the entry fee? Money's tight." "Oh, right! The entry fee; we forgot about that," Alberto and I glanced at each other. "I'm sorry, but I just can't afford it right now." "What if I started doing the deliveries? That would give you more time out on the water," I offered, but Uncle merely shook his head. "I can't sell what I don't have. What I need is more fish in my net. I'm sorry, Ilaria."
Alberto's hand raised up a little. "What if I helped?" "You?" Uncle blinked at him, not as surprised as you might think. "I know plenty of fish," Alberto announced with pride, planting both fists on his hips in a power pose. While he thought this was a good idea, I looked at him with horror. What was he doing?! Going on a boat with my uncle, one of Portorosso's most fervent sea monster hunters? This could only end in tragedy. Too bad they didn't see it that way.
Uncle gave Alberto a once over. "You want to come fishing with me?" "Yeah! If it'll get us enough fish for the entry fee," Alberto replied without hesitation. After watching him another moment, Uncle grinned- almost like this was what he'd been secretly hoping for all along. "You want to work? I'll put you to work." "Alright!" Alberto fist pumped the air. I meanwhile gave him a worried expression. "Uh, Alberto…..?" "We'll take the boat out first thing in the morning. You, niece, can start making the deliveries tomorrow," Uncle interrupted me. "Deliveries? Oh! Yes, of course! Um, would it be possible to perhaps not… tell Papa about this? He would object to me doing manual labour," I inwardly bristled at the thought of another severe letter from my father again. Uncle nodded in an understanding fashion, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry; I've learned my lesson. This'll stay between the three of us," he assured me. My hand went to rest overtop of his. "Thank you, Zio," at least that makes my life a little easier. Just a little.
I was still anxious all night and into the next morning. My mind crafted every situation where Alberto might get wet in front of my uncle. Then what? He wouldn't butcher Alberto if he knew…. would he? There were just too many variables for me to be comfortable with it all. Unfortunately I was the only one in such a mood. Both Uncle and Alberto greeted the morning with enthusiasm, eager to get out on the boat and get fishing. I walked down to the dock with both of them bright and early. I'd go make my very first deliveries after they took off.
I hugged myself as they got the boat and gear all ready to go. Then Uncle untied the vessel and they both flashed me big grins. Uncle looked from Alberto to me; this sparkle in the corner of his eyes shimmer again. "Alright you two; you want an entry fee, you've got to earn it. Ilaria, you make the deliveries." "Yes, Zio." "You're coming with me," he then turned his head toward Alberto. "Alright! Let's do this!" Alberto rubbed his hands together. While Uncle went to get into the boat first I quickly grabbed hold of Alberto's arm to hold him back- just far enough away so that Uncle couldn't hear.
"Alberto, are you sure this is such a good idea? What if water splashes on you? What if you fall in the sea? This is dangerous." "No, it's not. Look, I know what I'm doing. I've been living among humans this long without getting caught, haven't I?" "That's not true! I found out the truth! And I don't know what Zio will do if he does too," my voice was overly-peppered with worry. Alberto looked at me a moment, then smiled. He put his hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Hey, nothin' bad's gonna happen. I'll be fine; trust me." "I do trust you. It's the situation I don't trust." "I get you're scared, but you don't have to be. It's my job to worry about you; not the other way around," he proclaimed as if he honestly believed this. My cheeks blushed a tad. "Y-You're… worried about me?" "How could I not be? What with all those hills you'll have to bike on in Portorosso by yourself. But I know you'll be ok, just like me. I'll see you when we get back to shore, ok?" I let out a sigh. "Ok."
With one last grin my way, Alberto ran with keenness to join my uncle in the boat. He waved back at me on the dock until they were far enough out of sight. Waiting until they were out a ways, I got changed into Uncle's old clothes he lent me and saddled the bike to make the day's deliveries. Of course the children teased me for "looking like a boy", but Uncle's friends were respectful. "It's very nice of you to make your uncle's deliveries, bambina," Ricardo told me when I brought him some fish. I didn't mind the teasing; I was just thankful I didn't run into Ercole during my trip.
By noon I had completed all my deliveries for the day. I rode back home and went to change into this lovely light blue dress with lace trim; I did my hair up with blue ribbons. Then I thought to make Alberto and Uncle a surprise batch of pink lemonade to greet them with on the dock when they returned for lunch. Pink lemonade was all the fashion in Florence and was one of the only things I knew how to make. It was considered lady-like for a lady to make and serve her guests liquid refreshments- it's actual cooking that's considered unlady-like.
I grabbed a basket and hummed to myself as I stepped out back to gather some lemons from a nearby local lemon tree. My feet came to a sudden halt, however, when I saw a man in our front yard. He sported a very elegant black suit and bowler hat with a clipboard in his hand. He was simultaneously inspecting our property and taking notes. He didn't seem to notice me standing there until I addressed him first.
"Excuse me, sir?" I ventured to say. The man stopped scribbling on his page to look up at me. "Oh. Buongiorno, signorina," his accent was distinctly Roman. Sensing he was from my part of the country, I set the basket down and made my way over to where he was standing. "May I help you, sir?" I asked in French this time. This immediately made him smile with obvious approval.
"Miss Ilaria Marcovaldo, I take it?" He asked, also in French. "Yes?" We continued the dialogue in French from this point forward. The man showed me a business card. "I am your father's solicitor. He's hired me to appraise your uncle's independent enterprise." "Oh… Oh! Yes, yes; of course! Papa mentioned something like that in his last letter. Well, welcome to Portorosso; thank you so much for coming all this way." "I won't be here long. This shouldn't take more than an hour or so," he said, gazing back up toward the house. As he did so I simply watched him.
He wasn't like anyone else I've met since I moved to Portorosso; he and I had more in common with each other than anyone else here. He reminded me of all those Florentine men back home, ones which I believed up until a few months ago I'd be marrying one day. He had this air about him, this well-educated, stoic, aloof presence. It was honestly like being in the company of someone you'd run into on the street back in Florence. He was a gentleman through and through. And to be honest… I don't know how I felt about that anymore. If you asked me soon after I arrived in Portorosso I would have been elated to have another city person around, just so I didn't feel so out of place. But I didn't feel that way so much anymore….. Slowly, slowly Portorosso was becoming my new home. My desire to return to Florence diminished a bit each and every day.
But old, entrenched habits are hard to break. This man was a proper Roman gentleman and I was a Florentine lady. My instincts which were drilled into me by the cane of my headmistress instantly took over. I began heading back to the back door, only pausing to give him a polite smile. "Let me make you some tea. You are welcome to come inside if you like." "My apologizes, young lady, but my train departs soon. Give my regard to your uncle." "I will. I'll be right back," I still went inside to fetch him something to drink. I made the lemonade and gave him a glass. Then I went to meet my men as Uncle's little boat returned to the dock.
To my utter awe, they returned with a boat packed to the brim with fish. Alberto was shooing the seagulls away while Uncle secured the boat to the dock. Both their faces immediately lit up when they saw me coming up the way. "Ilaria, look at all the fish we caught!" My dearest friend showed off the products of their labour animatedly. "Turns out Alberto does know fish," Uncle chuckled. I gave them each a great big grin. "Wonderful! Excellent job! Very well done, you two!" I handed Uncle a cup of lemonade and then Alberto one. They gulped it down like they were dying of thirst, not bothering to savour the exotic flavours. This didn't impress me but I said nothing. They must be thirsty after catching all that fish, I reasoned.
Alberto polished off his cup and wiped his mouth with the back of his arm. "So how'd the deliveries go? Didn't have any trouble, did you?" "Trouble? Oh, certainly not. No, it went well. We can make them together this afternoon if you want." "Are you kidding? We need to do all the training we can! Let's bike this afternoon, and then I'll give your first swimming lesson." "Sounds good," I nodded in agreement.
Uncle walked over to us, placing his hand on Alberto's back approvingly. "I'll process our catch after lunch. How does sandwiches with fresh fruit sound?" "Awesome!" Alberto announced. I smiled their way before my gaze rolled back up in the direction of our front gate. You would have missed him if you weren't watching but Papa's solicitor had shut the gate after him as he exited our property. He looked down in my direction for a single instance, and then he started walking up the hill toward the train station. My grin began to fade as I watched him go. That man…. Something felt weird about the whole appraisal thing. That's something families did when assessing a lady's dowery before a match had been settled or even forged. A large dowery was meant to attract a husband, and particularly a well-to-do one. The fact that Papa still felt the need to do that despite my already being here…. It's like I'm being sucked into this whole brand new world- one that isn't concerned with doweries or formalities- unconsciously by Uncle and Alberto, and yet Papa is fighting tooth and nail to pull be back into his world. The world I was banished from unintentionally…. The world I'm not sure I'd want to return to anymore.
But it was clear that's where Papa still wanted me to think I was. I was expected to be both Florentine and Zio Massimo's neice, and it was growing harder and harder to stay balanced. I was Uncle's niece- not his daughter. Uncle may be my guardian now but I still had a father which I owed my obedience to still. Until the day I got married I owed Papa that much…. Well if Papa wanted me to be a lady, then that's what I'll continue to be…. even if I didn't feel like one so much anymore. Not like I did back in Florence anyway. A part of me- a substantial part- was beginning to change, and at the heart of that change lay one man.
"Ilaria? Are you alright, niece?" I rapidly blinked back at Uncle and Alberto, who were both now looking at me puzzled. "Huh?! What?" "We're going inside for lunch now. Come on," Alberto waved for me to follow him. "Lunch? Oh, right; lunch! Yes, let's go," I quickly joined Alberto's side. Uncle eyed me for a second a tad suspiciously. "You sure everything's ok, Ilaria? You looked a bit pale just there." "Did I? O-Oh, it must have been all the exercise this morning. I feel fine now." Buying this wholesale, Uncle began to lead us up toward the back door. Alberto tapped my arm playfully, grinned at me, and started to walk as well. I watched them both momentarily, thinking to myself.
Yes, I belong in this world now. I've moved to Portorosso with the intent to stay. And it's here I want to stay. I want to stay here…. with them. My feet started to step in their direction, following them up the gentle slope; my hair gently swaying in the breeze out behind me. Wherever they are is where I belong.