Once again, Serena's thoughts/narrations are in italics.
1 pronounced core-va-match
2 Any conversation between Amy and her father is in Italian.
Serena and the workers slowly re-entered the house. Ceiling boards, cement blacks, and rubble covered the floor and dust wafted through the air, entering their lungs and raising coughs from the party. Small rocks and soot still fell occasionally from the doorway. Nino crossed himself and Nephrite picked a yellow construction hat out of the wreckage and tipped it over dust cascading from it like a waterfall. Out of nowhere, slowly the men began to laugh.
1"Kurwa mac!" exclaimed Malachite.
"Kurwa mac" means "Holy shit!" in Polish. I learned that that day. The fact that I am trying to speak Polish in Italy is just one of the many surprises around here.
They set to work fixing up the house. Zoisite cleaned the ceilings while Serena worked on removing the old, molding tile from the wall above the tub. As Malachite tried to fix the chandelier, something ignited and set a shower of sparks into his face when Serena walked by.
"Is he a licensed electrician?" she whispered to Ziosite.
"No, he's a licensed literature professor." he replied and continued on his way.
"Oh." Serena noticed a book resting under Malachite's wrench. She picked it up and held it up. "Cheslaw Milosz." she said motioning to the authors name. Malachite turned to her. "I like him. Cheslaw Milosz." Malachite gave a disinterested look and returned to his work. Serena sighed and set the book back down.
It is only natural getting to know people should take some time. Everyday, I watch the old man with the flowers…
He came everyday, the man with the flowers, and set the flowers in a vase next to picture that was set into the wall.
… and I wonder. Was he born here? Did he love someone here? Did he lose someone here?
The man looked up at Serena standing on her balcony. She waved and smiled at him. To her disappointment, he only walked away without any acknowledgment.
He doesn't seem as curious about me, but that's alright. These days, I'm something of a loner myself.
Serena sat at a small table in her backyard with a bottle of wine and a glass. She kept opening and closing each eye alternatively, making the bottle jump back and forth, left and right, in her vision.
I'm pretty good at staying entertained. Mostly, I like to hang out at a little bar I know, conveniently located in my backyard. Fortunately, there are some things here you just can't do alone. It's my neighbor Placido who's teaching me about olives…
"Today is okay." Placido said, pointing a finger at Serena. They were both on ladders in the olive trees picked the rip olives and tossing them to the nets below. "But never pick when is wet, huh?"
Serena nodded. "These look good." she said fingering on of the olives. She plucked it off the branch and popped it in her mouth. Immediately, she made a face and spit it back out, the bitterness of the olive racing through her mouth. "O-oh! Oh my God!"
2"Papa!" called Placido's daughter Amy.
"Si!"
"I'm finished!"
"Good. Gather up the net!"
Amy smiled. "Okay." She tucked a strand of her blue hair behind her ear and began to shake the olives toward the middle, taking up the edges. Suddenly, she bumped into Zoisite who was also gathering up the net. Their eyes met, leaving them staring in awe at each other. Zoisite smiled stupidly.
"Amy!" Placido called.
Amy snapped out of her trance and looked up at her father. "Si?"
"Go and see if Gianni needs some help."
Amy nodded. "Okay." She flashed a smile at Zoisite then took off running to help Gianni.
Serena straightened up trying to see Zoisite's reaction. Her ladder tipped to the side, nearly throwing her off.
"Oops!" A man with dark hair and handsome smile grabbed the bottom of her ladder, stabilizing her. "Everything okay?"
Serena smiled, relieved. "Si. Grazie."
"Serena," Placido began. "Are you busy tonight?"
"No." Serena shook her head.
"Then come to dinner with my friends and family. It is unhealthy to eat alone."
Serena agreed, wondering if her dark haired savior would be there to.