《Summer of '69》 1. Encounter I try the handle. It''s open. I walk inside the kitchen. Silence. Doesn''t seem like anybody is home. I look around. Not much has changed... The place just got older. I look at the pictures on the wall... The few that we managed to take... I''m hesitant. I carefully move towards my old bedroom. I try the handle and it opens. The south side, mid-summer, sunshine blinds me for a quick heartbeat. I blink twice. ¡°A woman.¡± I stick my head back out into the hall. ¡°These are my pictures here...¡± I stare at the frightened thing by the mirror. ¡°A naked woman in my bedroom...¡± I look her over... Not bad... ¡°Who are you!¡± She wraps the towel tighter. ¡°I live here. Well. Used to. This is my bedroom. So, I should be asking who you are.¡± I set the bag down and take another look around the room. I see she changed a few things... ¡°I rent this room now. Talk to the landlady.¡± ¡°Nobody''s home right now. Wait. Landlady?¡± I turn to the girl again. She nods. ¡°She never told me she was short on cash...¡± A noise in the kitchen tells me someone''s back. If it weren''t for my childhood pictures, I would have thought I had the wrong house, but now. ¡°Isaura! I''m back! Are you here!¡± Typical. I hear the fast steps approaching. I stand away from the door, facing it. It bursts open. ¡°I got lucky today at the market! You won''t believe what I got¨C¡° she freezes. ¡°YOU SON OF A BASTARD!! What do you think you are doing here! Out! Now! You¡¯re scaring the poor thing! Out! Out! Out!¡± She flogs me with the kitchen towel. I carefully make my exit. Isaura, huh? Not a very Italian name... ¡°Pardon the cretin! I''ll take care of him. Take your time, child. Don''t worry about anything. Be as you were.¡± She says, walking out, closing the door. ¡°Hi, mom.¡± I say. She ignores me and storms back into the kitchen. Right... I follow her. I don¡¯t miss the summer heat... I stand in the doorway, watching mom rustle with the groceries... ¡°You haven''t written in a lifetime and now! Here you are! What do you expect me to do now!¡± She moves around in the tiny kitchen like an electric spinner... ¡°Kick me out, of course.¡± I answer. ¡°Oooh that would be tooo easy for you! Then you could use me as an excuse for not coming back here again! Ever! I will not grant you such pleasure! You can stay on the couch. Ah. Isaura uses the room sometimes to write so DON''T TOUCH ANYTHING on the table!¡± She points a finger at me, warning me, like I''m five again. ¡°Understood.¡± I nod and slither away into the living room. A stack of papers sit on the desk, some scattered around, a few pencils... She writes, huh? I try to read some... Looks like she can''t decide on something... I leave the papers be. Metallic noises pick up from the kitchen. Ma''s as loud as ever. I smile. The wallpaper is coming off... The floors aren''t looking that great either... Well now. Isaura stares at me from the hall. I come over closer to her. ¡°I apologize for walking in on you like that. It was my mistake.¡± She shakes her head lightly. ¡°I understand you are the owner of the house, I''m sorry for living here. I will leave today.¡± ¡°He is no owner of nothing! I am!¡± Mom yells. ¡°And you aren''t going anywhere! You stay where you are. He''ll be fine on that.¡± She points to the couch. ¡°Well don''t stand there like a lug! You can at least introduce yourself!¡± She mumbles something in fast Italian. A habit of hers... I extend my hand. ¡°Leo.¡± ¡°Is that short for Leonardo?¡± ¡°No. Simply Leo. It can be short for anything. Call me Leonardelli, if it helps. My father had a weird sense of humor.¡± I smile. She takes my hand. ¡°Isaura.¡± ¡°A pleasure.¡± ¡°I''m sure.¡± She lets go and goes into the kitchen. I take a cigarette out. ¡°Do not even! Out!¡± Mom flogs her weapon of choice at me again. The kitchen towel. I step back out to the back yard. ¡°Why don''t you ever lock these doors? It was open when I got here!¡± I yell to her. ¡°YOU DO NOT GET TO TELL ME HOW TO LIVE MY LIFE!!¡± Mom''s pissed. I smile. Yet she let me stay still. ¡°Want one?¡± I ask the girl. ¡°I don''t¡­¡± I put the pack away. ¡°You rent my room?¡± She nods. ¡°I have today off work. I¡¯m usually out from early morning to late night...¡± ¡°Not the other way around?¡± I tease her. Her expression changes. She presses her lips together tight and grins at me with contempt. Her green eyes are glaring at me. The short sleeve shirt she has on is getting wet at the shoulders from her long, black hair. I finish my cigarette. ¡°Not a fan of jokes?¡± I walk back inside. ¡°Anything I can help with, Ma?¡± ¡°Oh NO! I managed thirteen years without you! Thank you very much!¡± Right. I walk away again. I go the room next to mine. The door''s locked. Huh. ¡°Why''s the study locked? If you''re renting rooms out?¡± I return to the kitchen and ask Ma. She takes a string off her neck with a key attached to it and throws it to me. I catch it. ¡°I use it for storage. Make yourself useful and clean it out. You have a better eye for valuables than me. I''ll sell whatever I can.¡± ¡°Are you having money trouble?¡± I ask slightly annoyed. ¡°Of course! I''ve had those even before I was born!¡± Such drama...Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me? I did write. I could have helped...¡± ¡°Ha! Once a year he wrote! Always from a different place! I don''t need your charity! If you wanted to help, you could have stayed and helped! Properly!¡± She''s in full flare now... I sigh and go get my damned bag from what used to be my bedroom, apparently. I toss the thing on the couch and plaster some notes on the table. Ma turns to me. ¡°Rent. Let me know how long I can have the couch for.¡± I step back. Ma waits a moment and takes the cash. She counts them and puts them into her apron. ¡°A month. With three meals a day.¡± She tells me turning back to the stove. ¡°And if I make it one meal a day?¡± I mock her openly. ¡°I will not have you spouting rumors about me and how horrible of a landlady I am! I said three! It means three!¡± Classic Ma. I quickly remember the girl and look around for her. I step outside. Nothing. I go back in and spot her by the desk. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a typewriter be easier?¡± ¡°It would. Don¡¯t have one. Nor the money for it.¡± She answers without stopping her scribbles. ¡°Why do you write?¡± She shrugs her shoulders. ¡°Gotta have some kinda hobby.¡± ¡°Wouldn''t you rather hang with the gals?¡± I ask crashing on the couch. Another shrug. ¡°Not interested.¡± Oh? Her face seems rather serious. I glance her over again. Sandals. Below the knee skirt. A belt. And the stupid shirt that''s clearly men''s. What gives? ¡°Where do you work?¡± I ask again. ¡°Post office. Sorting.¡± Hmm. ¡°Isa dear, would you mind giving me a hand?¡± Ma yells from the kitchen. Isaura gets up without a word more and goes out the living room. Noise outside picks up a little. Laughter. Giggle. Chatter. That''s right. The bus stop. I get up and look out the window. A bunch of ladies stand around. I move the vase off the windowsill and move it over to the desk. Carefully, I open the window and call out. ¡°Evening, ladies!¡± They scream, a little startled, and laugh loud again. ¡°Sly fox!¡± One says. ¡°You scared us!¡± Says another. ¡°He came out of nowhere!¡± Says the last one. All giggle again. ¡°Pardon me.¡± I smile. ¡°Where are you all off to, this evening?¡± ¡°Home.¡± The blonde smiles. ¡°To our husbands.¡± The redhead winks. ¡°All of you?¡± I look at the brunette. ¡°Yes.¡± She answers. I frown. ¡°Such a loss, for me... Tonight.¡± I add quickly. The women laugh again. The bus arrives and they leave me with my lonesome in the window, waving me off. I wave to them too. I stare out the window. Not much has changed here either... There''s the beach, the road. The bus. The people. The fence. The yard, and our house. ¡°IDIOT! LOOK AT WHAT YOU''VE DONE!¡± A towel smacks my head. ¡°What! I didn¡¯t...¡± I turn around and watch the water flood the desk and soak the papers, as the vase lays flat on its side... The window must''ve knocked it over... ¡°Well don''t just stand there! Get the towels! Grab the pages! DO SOMETHING!¡± Ma waves her hands around, trying to salvage the sunken ship. I pick a page up, the words are streaming down... The pencil lost the fight... ¡°Everything is ruined! This is all your fault!¡± Ma continues. ¡°How is it MY fault that SHE uses a pencil! Look at this? It''s bleeding ink!¡± I shove a page in Ma''s face. Isaura stands in the doorway. I petrify where I stand. The eyes... Her eyes... The face... ¡°Don''t worry child, we''ll save this! It''ll all be ok!¡± Ma tells her laying the papers down on the floor. Isaura stands there for a moment longer and runs out. ¡°Isa! Wait! ISA! Happy now? Three years of hard work. Ruined!¡± Ma mumbles something again to herself. ¡°YOU of all people should understand her...¡± ¡°Writing only brings you pain. Now she knows it''s pointless.¡± I say and get slapped in the face. With a hand this time. Mom stares at me with eyes full of anger and hatred. I hold her gaze. Thunder cracks and the sky pours open. Lightning lights up the room. ¡°Don''t stand there like a moron! Go find her! Apologize and bring her back!¡± Ma storms out of the room. I put the page back down and leave through the back door again. How the hell am I supposed to know where she''s at? Wouldn''t she just come back on her own? She couldn''t have gotten far anyways in this down pour... I walk to the middle of the street. Empty. Of course. I go to the beach. Empty too. Of course. I almost end up walking away when I notice something bright red. The shirt! I jump over the rail and walk. The wind hasn''t picked up at all. The rain will stop soon. This happens sometimes... Feels like I''m walking forever though. I sit down next to Isaura. ¡°You worked on that for three years?¡± She nods. ¡°I''m sorry. I acted selfishly and you got hurt because of it. It wasn''t intentional... I just...¡± ¡°It''s fine. It''s not like it was any good anyways...¡± She says. ¡°It was just a cheap way to pass the time.¡± She smiles and cries. The rain isn''t doing much to cover her pain up... ¡°I''m truly sorry...¡± I say again. She nods. The wind suddenly picks up, throwing the sand into our faces. I spit some of it out of my mouth. ¡°We should go back now.¡± I get up and offer her a hand. She stands up without it. Her brown skirt has turned dark from the rain and the sand. We walk back. I figured it would stop as fast as it started... Guess I was wrong... We come back to papers hanging around off the kitchen curtain wire. Isaura walks past it all and into the living room. ¡°You''re back! That''s good! Oh, you''re soaked to the bone! Wait here!¡± Ma runs out. Isaura walks over to the desk. She stands there looking at it... A towel lands on my head. ¡°Here, honey, dry off, quickly quickly. Go change. Don''t worry about this. I''ll fix it. It''s fine. I''ll get the water. You need something warm to drink.¡± Ma storms out again. Isaura gathers all of the papers up. She picks all of them up, even from the floor and stacks them all up. She opens the window again. ¡°What are you?¡± I watch her as she throws the pages out. The wind scatters them. ¡°What are you doing!¡± I close the distance between us in one leap. The papers fly away, land on the ground and get soaked... ¡°What did you do that for!¡± I grab her by the shoulders. ¡°I''m tired...¡± She whispers. I stare at her as she stares at the floor... The wind blows in. ¡°For the love of god! What is going on! What is it! Why is the window open! Where are the pages?¡± Ma comes over to us. ¡°Child!¡± ¡°It''s ok, Mama Maria. It doesn''t matter anymore.¡± Isaura smiles at Ma. ¡°I''m tired. It''s fine.¡± She walks away from us. Ma slaps me again. ¡°It wasn''t me! She threw them!¡± I yell. ¡°None of this would have happened if it wasn''t for you!¡± Mom yells at me again and leaves the room again. The wind blows again and I quickly shut the damn window. I throw the towel off me, take my stupid bag and walk out the door. ¡°DON''T YOU DARE!! STAY WHERE YOU ARE!!¡± Mom''s shouting stops me. I wait. ¡°You will stay here and find a way to fix this! I forbid you to leave till then! She is a good girl and does not deserve to have her dreams trampled on!!¡± Ma goes back inside. I return to the kitchen. ¡°Dreams? She said it was a hobby?¡± ¡°Nobody works that much for just a hobby.¡± Ma mocks me. ¡°How long she''s been here?¡± ¡°Three years.¡± Ma says setting the tray and takes it to the girl. I doubt she''ll eat... Ma comes back. ¡°Poor girl. She can''t even eat.¡± Called it. I roll my eyes. I take my bag again and go to the study. I take the key out of my pocket and open the door. Dark. Dusty. Gloomy. I set the bag down on the floor, open the curtains and look around. Storage... It looks exactly like it did thirteen years ago. She hasn''t touched a single thing in here. Even that broken thing is still here... I close the door and lock it from the inside. 2. Fever I wake up. My head hurts. It''s been a few days now since I''ve hallowed up in here. The damn typewriter has parts missing... I need to go look for them... I doubt anybody here has any... I change the sweaty shirt into another and leave the study. I''m down to my last cig. I stick it in and light it. Ain''t nobody home again? I look around for food. Some bread, some cheese, butter¡­ It''ll do. I look around for coffee. She even keeps that in the same spot. I get the water boiling and hear a thud. I put the mug down and step out. ¡°The hell.¡± Isaura sits on the floor in the hall. She''s pale and burning. ¡°You''re sick.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She breathes heavy. I pick her up. ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°Bathroom.¡± She mutters. I take her there. I set her down and she sways around in the doorway. I wait a moment for her to move and close the door for her. I stand outside the bathroom, waiting. The door creaks open, slowly. Right. I pick her up again and take her back to her room. I lay her down in the bed and tuck her in. ¡°How long you''ve been like this?¡± I ask checking her temperature. ¡°Since...¡± ¡°You''re a frail one.¡± ¡°Shut it.¡± She pulls the blanket over her. ¡°Stay put. I''ll get you something.¡± I tell her. ¡°You stink...¡± She whispers. I take a whiff of myself. Ooh. Ew. ¡°It happens.¡± I wink at her and go back into the kitchen. The damn whistle is blowing my ear drums out. I take the kettle of the burner. Some herbs, teas, all labeled. Ah. There it is. I make the tea. It should help. I rustle around for some real meds too. Maybe Ma''s getting them... There were some empty packs on her table by the bed. I take the cup to Isaura. ¡°Here. Drink this. It''ll help with the fever.¡± I tell her. She sits up and takes it. ¡°Slowly.¡± I warn her. She gives me a look. I leave her be and return to the kitchen. I scramble for the ingredients and make porridge. Same thing Ma used to make for me when I was sick. I take it to the girl again. ¡°You awake?¡± I ask standing by the bed. A mumble. ¡°Well, you should eat something too. You can sleep it off after. Here.¡± I hold the plate for her. She opens one eye and sits back up. I grab a pillow and put it down on her, setting the plate on it. ¡°Shall I feed it to you?¡± I tease her. ¡°No.¡± Isaura answers and eats slowly. Seems like she can handle herself here. I walk out again. ¡°Why.¡± Huh? I step back and look inside the room. Why, she asks. ¡°Why not? You''re not well. You pay rent here. It''s our responsibility to show hospitality.¡± I don''t wait for an answer and return to my coffee and the lousy sandwich. Coffee''s gone cold now. I''m surprised it managed to cool off in this heat. I finish my breakfast and go bathe. I open the tap and let the water run, strip the clothes off and take a good look in the mirror over the sink. I could use a shave. After. I get in the tub and rustle the pants on the floor for a cigarette. Right. I''m out. I soak and pout. Voices come inside. One''s Ma. The other? Male? They quiet down for a good ten minutes. Then pick back up again. So much for a good soak. I quickly soap up and rinse off, get out of the tub and change into the clean pants and shirt. I let the water out and walk to the kitchen. Ma''s back, making a racket, as usual. ¡°What was that?¡± I ask. ¡°For the love of! Don''t scare me like that!¡± She pants. Oh the drama. ¡°The doctor! I had to drag him here by the last of his hair! Tourist season! The poor girl might be dying!¡± ¡°And? What did he say?¡± ¡°You gave her this?¡± She holds the jar. ¡°Of course. She had a fever.¡± ¡°Good. It''s gone down now. Here.¡± She hands me a slip. ¡°Go into town and get this for her. Doctor said it''s nothing serious. But she needs meds.¡± ¡°Ok. Anything else?¡± I ask her. ¡°She''s asleep now.¡± ¡°She was asleep before you got here.¡± I put some power into that. ¡°I was asking if there is anything else you need?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ma doesn''t even look at me. Ugh. I go back into the study and take some cash out. ¡°I''m going now!¡± I shout to Ma and leave. It''s a about a 30-minute walk to the town center. I get a few packs of cigarettes at the first kiosk I see. That''s better. I light one up. The closer I get, the fancier it begins to look. Oh, so only our part of town looks the same. I stroll around the streets, making notes of the old and the new shops and stores. I stop by the first pharmacy I see. I wait in line. A young blonde stands behind the counter. ¡°Hello, how can I help?¡± She says to me, as soon as the old geezer finally stops hitting on her. ¡°Hello, I need these, would you have any?¡± I give her the note. ¡°One moment.¡± She walks away and gathers the things up. I put the cash down before she even tells me how much is it. ¡°Anything else?¡± She gets me the change with hopeful eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± I smile. She smiles back. ¡°Where could I buy a typewriter here?¡± I keep my smile whereas hers disappears. ¡°A typewriter?¡± She asks, staring me down. ¡°Yes.¡± I nod.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°No clue. There''s an antique clock shop a few blocks down from here?¡± ¡°Thank you. Have a good day.¡± I tell her and walk out. ¡°Good day to you too.¡± She says disappointed. Guess that ring on her finger is just for show... Not that it stopped me before¡­ I continue on with my quest for parts. I find the clock shop. Might as well try. I walk in. The bell on the door makes a soft ring. ¡°Hello?¡± I call out, looking around. Fancy. ¡°Hello hello! Come in! What can I do for ya today?¡± The geezer comes over and freezes. ¡°Marco!¡± Uh-oh. ¡°As I live and breathe!¡± I smile and wait for it. He comes closer and gasps. There we go. ¡°Leo... I''m so sorry.¡± I shake my head. ¡°No, no. It''s fine. I understand.¡± ¡°You look exactly like him...¡± I''m aware. Same blue-ish greys, same dark brown hair, same sharp jaw¡­ ¡°I was wondering if you would help me out?¡± I try to change the subject. ¡°Yes yes, of course! What is it? Tell me, tell me!¡± ¡°Would you know where I could find these?¡± I give him the other list. He puts his glasses on and mutters something. ¡°These aren''t for a clock.¡± He looks at me from over his glasses. ¡°No. I''m fixing a typewriter and I''m missing some parts. The town changed so much, I have no clue what''s where anymore.¡± I smile. ¡°Ah well, the new mayor really went for the tourist attractions.¡± He says. Like we ever had any... ¡°Like we ever had any!¡± He yells from the back. I chuckle. He comes out again. ¡°I have this. See if it works for you.¡± He sets an older model typewriter on the counter. Also in bits and pieces. I examine the scraps. ¡°Are you writing again?¡± He asks me. ¡°No. It''s not for me.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He sighs. ¡°Are you fixing this?¡± I point to the broken junk. ¡°No. I got myself a new one. This is just. I can''t bring myself to throw it away. Habit.¡± The geezer shrugs his shoulders. ¡°I''ll buy it from you.¡± I take the money out. ¡°Don''t be stupid. It''s a piece of junk. Take it. If you can use it. Just take it.¡± He shoos at me with his hands. ¡°Then can I buy a bag from you?¡± I show the paper bag and an empty pocket. ¡°Sure sure.¡± He walks back inside and brings the weird suitcase that the typewriter belongs in. He packs it up for me. ¡°Here you go.¡± He taps the thing a few times. I put the money down. ¡°I said I won¡¯t take any!¡± He gives it back. I take the handle and lift the case up. ¡°For the typewriter. This is for the case.¡± I smile at him. He waits a moment and puts the money in his pocket, mumbling something. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I nod. ¡°Don''t sweat it.¡± He waves me off again. ¡°If you need anything else, let me know. I order parts for the clocks¨C¡° a bunch of them start banging the hour. So loud... ¡°We can find something for you too.¡± He finishes after a long and loud minute. ¡°Thank you, Mister...?¡± ¡°Bartellini.¡± He smiles at me. ¡°Say hello to your mother for me.¡± He nods. ¡°I will. Thank you. Good day.¡± I leave the store. Well that was... An experience... I don''t waste any more time and go straight home. I hate the heat. I come back to a house smelling like grilled fish. ¡°What in the world took you so long! You should have been back ages ago!¡± Ma''s at it again. ¡°Mr. Bartellini says hello.¡± I tell her walking past the kitchen and into the study. I set the case down and go to see Isaura. I knock on the door. No answer. I carefully open it. Asleep. I put the meds on her table and leave the room. I take a cig out and go outside again. I sit down on the steps and enjoy the light breeze. ¡°You saw Mr. Bartellini?¡± Ma stands behind me. I nod, with my eyes closed. ¡°How?¡± Always with the interrogations. ¡°I was looking for parts.¡± ¡°What parts?¡± Ugh. I take the cig out and stand up. ¡°You told me to fix it, so I''m fixing it. Problem?¡± I tower over her. She glares at me and walks away again. I sit back down and finish my smoke. Ah. I forgot to shave... I feel the course hairs on the jaw. I get back inside. I find three plates on the kitchen table. I take one before Ma says anything and crawl back into the study. I set the plate down on the desk and open the old case. I lay the old model out on the floor and take it apart. A little bit of fidgeting gets me hungry, thirsty and itching for another smoke. I grab a potato and a piece of the fish. I already want to leave the room when I change my mind. I lock the door again and open the window instead. I scramble for an ash tray that''s nowhere to be found, of course, because he never smoked... I look for a glass instead. I put that on the windowsill and enjoy my cigarette. I put the bud out and remember that I have nothing to drink in here. I unlock the door again and go to the bathroom instead of the kitchen. Shave. Gotta shave. I take the shirt off and put a towel around my shoulders. I take the razor and the soap, get a nice lather and slap it on all over. Slow and steady. A stroke at a time. His voice rings inside my head every time I do this. I cut myself the second my mind wonders off. I finish, clean the blade, wash up and pat my face down. The cut''s not deep. I ignore it and put the shirt back on. ¡°Is there any liquor in this house?¡± I ask Ma. ¡°Not for you!¡± Ugh. Fine. I leave the house again and wonder around the neighborhood looking for a store or anything. I ask at the kiosk for directions. Should have gotten a bottle in town... Takes me forever to come back. Now I''m hungry again. What''s that? A man stands next to our gates. He''s about my age? Give or take. I walk up to him. Mom''s in the doorway yelling at him. ¡°Problem?¡± I ask. ¡°I''m sorry, I was looking for Isaura. She hasn''t been at work for a few days now.¡± He nods to me. ¡°She''s sick. She''ll be back as soon as she gets better enough. I''m sure the Post office can manage.¡± I stare him down. ¡°That''s what I told him!¡± Ma yells and walks back inside. ¡°I see. Well, can you let her know I was here?¡± ¡°And you are?¡± I give him an unimpressed expression. ¡°Vince.¡± He offers a hand. ¡°I''ll tell her.¡± I go through the gate and close it behind me. ¡°Good day.¡± I stand there. Waiting. Vince nods and leaves. I return to the kitchen. ¡°What was that about?¡± I ask Ma. ¡°A friend from work.¡± ¡°Not a fan of his, are we?¡± I mock her. ¡°He''s a sleaze.¡± ¡°You tell her that?¡± Silence. ¡°Ma!¡± ¡°No! I''m not her mother!¡± She yells ¡°She calls you Mama Maria!¡± I yell back. ¡°Everyone calls me that!¡± She waves her hands around. Oh the... I go back to the study and lock myself in it again. ¡°Right. Let''s get this over with.¡± I sit back down and drown in the repairs again. 3. Reality Another couple of days go by again when I emerge from the study. I go straight for the sink and quickly wash up. Just a bit longer. I almost got it... I yawn, putting on a clean shirt. Isaura''s door is open. I take a look inside. The bed''s empty and made? Huh? Laughter comes around from the kitchen. I step into the view. A bunch of ladies sit at the table. Old ladies. Well. Older. They stop the chatter and stare at me. ¡°Morning.¡± I nod. ¡°It''s noon.¡± Ma says turning around from the stove. ¡°Where is she?¡± I ask. ¡°Work.¡± ¡°Didn''t she have a fever till last night?¡± ¡°She left a note saying it dropped. Where are you going!¡± She yells to me, I return. ¡°To go check on her. Obviously.¡± I mumble. ¡°Comb your hair, you louse!¡± Ma disses me. I roll my eyes at her and stick my hands under the running water and through my hair. I wipe the hands off into her apron. She''s fighting a smile. She lost weight too... ¡°So this is the famous traveling son?¡± The younger old lady speaks to me. ¡°Why don''t you sit down and share some of your exciting stories with us?¡± I grin. ¡°The world is vast and beautiful. There are no words to describe it. One needs to experience it for themselves to be able to truly taste it.¡± I smile again and walk out. The chatter and giggles roar up again. I roll my eyes and go out. Where the hell is the damned office anyway? I ask directions again from the same kiosk where I got my smokes and get some more while I''m at it. I check the time on my wrist. It''s almost lunch time. I hurry. A bunch of men walk out of the office. I see Vince among them. Good. I walk inside and come up to the receptionist. It dawns on me that I have no clue what her last name is... Here goes nothing. ¡°Hello, I was wondering if you could help me?¡± I speak to the lady. ¡°It''s lunch time. Come back in an hour.¡± ¡°I''m looking for Isaura. She works at sorting? May you please get her for me?¡± How many Isaura''s can there be? I keep smiling like a moron. The lady points to the long corridor. ¡°All the way to the back.¡± ¡°Much appreciated it.¡± I nod and go in the direction provided. Sorting. The sign on the door tells me. I open them and step inside. A whistle slips out me. I''d choke in here after an hour. I start walking around. I stop a post worker and ask for help. He gives me a stupid grin and points to the side. I thank him and move on. I spot Aura amongst the other women. It''s barely noon and she looks worn out already. Idiot. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Working.¡± I grab her hand to stop her and pull her face to mine. ¡°You''re burning up.¡± I tell her with our foreheads pressed together. ¡°We''re going.¡± I pull her away from the stacks of letters. ¡°I can''t! I need to work!¡± She struggles. Adorable. "You''re sick and need rest. You can come back once you''re well again.¡± I pull her with me as I walk. ¡°They''ll fire me if I don''t!¡± ¡°Good! You''ll have plenty of time to get better!¡± I turn around and tell her. ¡°Now come on.¡± I keep pulling her and she keeps resisting. The hell with this. I grab her and throw her on my shoulder. ¡°Put me down!¡± ¡°No.¡± We walk back to the reception. I stop by the window again where the lady enjoys her coffee. ¡°Please inform whoever is in charge that Isaura...¡± ¡°Citranelli!¡± Oh? Good to know. ¡°That Ms. Citranelli will be returning to work as soon as she gets over her cold. Thank you.¡± I carry Aura out into the street. ¡°Put me DOWN!¡± She screams. Fine. I set her down, but not let go. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What the hell!¡± She yells at me. She''s pale. ¡°You''re sick. Get back to the house and rest. You''ll pass out any moment.¡± I tell her. She tries to shake my hand off and sways terribly. I catch her to me. ¡°Told ya.¡± I wrap her arm around mine and we stand still for a long moment. ¡°Can you walk?¡± No answer. Right. ¡°TAXI!¡± I wave and a car stops by the side walk. I open the door and let Aura in. I get in too, shut the door, give the address to the driver and pay up front too. ¡°Why where you working during lunch? You should''ve taken a break.¡± ¡°I missed too much work...¡± ¡°It''s sorting, not surgery!¡± I snap and quickly shut up. ¡°It''s all I have!¡± She snaps back. The car stops. I get out first and help Aura out next. She walks a step and tumbles. I pick her up again and carry her inside. The heat isn''t helping her condition. ¡°Ma! Get some cold water!¡± I yell, carrying the struggling kitten back to her bed. Ma stumbles into the room. ¡°Sweet child! What were you thinking!¡± ¡°Water! Towel! Now!¡± I tell her, taking Aura''s shoes off for her. ¡°I''ll do the rest.¡± She kicks me off. Fine by me. I step back. Ma comes back in and begins her ranting. She almost rips the shirt off the girl. I leave the soon-to-be-the-murder-scene and lock back inside the study. That''s all she has, she says. Tch. ¡°You''ll sing for me once again soon. You''ll see.¡± I tell the dismantled typewriter and hunch over the desk again. Hours go by. I reach for the bottle. Dry as a desert. Damn it. I take it with me and head out. A hammering noise reaches my ears. The bedroom? I step inside the room, that''s to the further right to the living room. Right across from the bathroom. Ma''s busy sewing. I close the door again and leave her be. I fill up the bottle with water straight from the tap and get back to my repairs. It takes me a lifetime to finish... It''s already night, huh? I stretch out in the chair. ¡°Ok. One final test.¡± I slip the paper in, adjust the settings and press down. Clang. Another clang. Another tap. ¡°It works!¡± I grin tapping away. I clean the grease and the ink up off the surface. I take some fresh pages and stack them neatly. I carry them, along with the typewriter, into the living room. I leave everything on the desk and pass out on the ragged couch in the study. ¡°Well, it''s not his best work, but...¡± I hear giggling coming from the living room. ¡°Does he write poetry?¡± Aura. ¡°He did. A little...¡± Ma. ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°More or less...¡± More or less... That''s a fun way to describe it... ¡°My husband, Marco, he used to love to write. Poetry was his secret talent. He had a dream to become a famous poet. He was going to change the world with his words...¡± ¡°How noble.¡± ¡°Yes well... Life had other ideas for him. Unfortunately.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The war. We were married for about a year when our son was born and when the whole world went mad... Again¡­¡± Ma pauses. ¡°It only took us three dates before we said yes. How silly.¡± I smile. ¡°How did you meet?¡± Aura asks. I cross my hands on my chest and lean back, with my back against the wall. ¡°A book store. I always loved to read. Not many boys or men like that trait in a woman.¡± ¡°Tell me about it...¡± They laugh again. ¡°But it didn''t bother him. He even brought a bunch of his poems for our first date to show me, asking for my thoughts.¡± Ma pauses again. ¡°I have to say, I too, thought he was a weird one at first, but soon I realized how the rest of us are truly weird.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Priorities. We give way to backward priorities. Marco asked me what I was afraid off the most on our first date. I stared at him, clueless, till I blurred out a single word: death. He shook his head to me and said that there are worst things in life.¡± ¡°Really? I find it hard to imagine.¡± ¡°That''s what I told him.¡± Ma laughs. ¡°He said: getting your dream stolen from you is a faith far worse than death. Something that you want more than anything in the world, reaching for it, working for it... To have all of that effort ripped out of you... That was his greatest fear... That and that some other smooth talker will steal me away from him.¡± Laughter again. ¡°I can''t say I disagree with your husband...¡± ¡°Neither could I. We talked so much about our inner worlds that by the end of date three he asked for my hand in marriage and I said yes on the spot. We both were 16... Fast or rushed aren''t the words fitting, to describe it. Of course, we spent the next four years dating and preparing for our lives.¡± Ma giggles. ¡°We spent all that time getting to know each other. Things we agree on and disagree on and learned how to compromise too... I learned so much from him... The more we talked the more I realized what was truly missing from my life...¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°What was it?¡± ¡°Depth. In a word. The more I listened to Marco, the more I tried to understand his way of thinking, the more I realized how shallow our lives are... Once you see that you can''t un-see it...¡± Ma dies down a little again. ¡°Of course, the sex helped too.¡± I smile at their girly giggles. ¡°But that alone is not enough...¡± ¡°Pardon me, but how did you know? What''s the biggest difference...¡± Isaura bites her tongue. I hear Ma smile. ¡°When you find yourself talking about things that you usually keep to yourself or restrain yourself from talking.¡± Hmmm... ¡°Thank you... So how did you manage?¡± Isaura asks again. ¡°Well, at the time neither one of us had anything. I was helping my mother at the tailor''s. As a family of immigrant-descend we always struggled. I knew how to sew at the age of five. I''ve been doing it ever since. More or less... I never earned enough to save up for anything except a book. So that''s where I put all of my money. We didn''t marry till later, because of reasons, but also because we had no place to go to or anything. So, we worked a little bit to save enough. Marco''s grandparents left him this house when they heard he wanted to get married. His parents and their parents never really got along. So, this did not sit well with them either, but he didn''t care. We moved in and lived with his grandparents for a few years before they passed away, one after another...¡± ¡°Sorry for your loss...¡± Aura says. ¡°It''s alright. It was nice to have them help with our boy, but to be honest between feeding five mouths and three...¡± ¡°I understand... My family is also of immigrant-descend, we never had it easy either¡­ Except that they never really tried to fit in¡­ I never understood that¡­¡± There we go. That explains the kindred spirits and the name¡­ ¡°Neither did I. My family always did everything they could to blend in¡­¡± They laugh a little again. "It¡¯s not easy adjusting your life to something you don¡¯t know, but you need to understand one simple thing: you¡¯ll need to put in extra effort to change your spots. Otherwise stay where you were. Don¡¯t try to bring your home with you into the new land. Rather build a new home in the new land¡­¡± Ha! True¡­ Ma continues. ¡°You know. Out of all the hardships, we never fought about us.¡± Oh? ¡°The problems we had were always from the outside...¡± ¡°Must be nice. To love someone this way.¡± ¡°It is. But love alone is not enough. He was matured far beyond his age. He liked to say: the years on the body do not matter if the mind does not catch up.¡± More giggles. I smile too, to myself. ¡°I learned so much from him... About life and values... He had only, but one weakness really. He was too weak, no, rather sensitive... He had a difficult time re-living the sadness and the troubles of others even if he wasn''t involved with the people...¡± Sensitive, huh? ¡°Anyways. The war happened.¡± Ma continues. ¡°Making it difficult to provide for ourselves. So, he put his dream on hold and did whatever he could to support us. On top of that, he couldn''t bring himself to ignore the madness outside either, which only strained him even more... I wanted to help, even if it were just a little bit, so I went back to sewing as soon as I was able again. I even did men''s clothes, which didn''t sit right with Marco.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°He didn''t like random men coming over to the house. It made him jealous. So, I stopped. It cut my clients and income in half, but women love clothes enough.¡± Another chuckle. ¡°As long as they could provide me with the fabric, I would make anything they wished. With a child on hands, I barely had enough time to cut and sew, let alone run around town looking for parts.¡± Ha! I smile to myself again. ¡°I can understand that.¡± ¡°The first thing we, well, he bought with our savings was a typewriter. The same one here... It took him a while to figure it out, but he never looked happier then when writing...¡± Another pause. ¡°Some time''s he''d get soo into it that he''d even speak an entire conversation in lines.¡± More soft laughter. ¡°Sadly, life had other plans for Marco... Soon enough he typed less and less... He''d work for days without coming back for whatever work he could get... It got worse each day... Even after the war ended, Marco''s spark for poetry did not come back... Till one day, our six-year-old son asked him to teach him how to use the typewriter... The smile on the boy¡¯s face breathe a little life into Marco''s eyes again...¡± ¡°But? I feel like...¡± ¡°A new factory came to be here and they hired a bunch of workers for good money too. Marco didn''t even think twice about it. He dived in head on. Our living picked up a little again but... But all of that hard work started eating Marco away again... Our son was eight? I think... When I found his poems in the study, while he was at school. They were beautiful... I told him to show them to Marco that same night, as soon as he got back from work. I was sure he''d be thrilled...¡± Ma''s tone changes there a little... I know what''s coming up next... ¡°I left the house to deliver a dress for a very persistent witch... To hell with that woman... She couldn''t wait till morning for me to finish so I rushed it and took the damn thing to her place. While I was out, Marco came back, drunk as ever... My boy, being as good as he was, did exactly as told. He showed his father the poems...¡± Another pause. ¡°Marco went insane. He beat our son up... Chasing him all over the place... He caught him in the study and beat him bloody... He even smashed this into the wall... By the time I got back...¡± She chokes up a little... ¡°By the time I got back, Marco had hung himself in the study...¡± A gasp and a pause. ¡°In a fit of rage and fear he did the unthinkable... In an instant of sanity, he committed suicide... He was too weak to handle the weight of reality. Poetry meant everything to him. Seeing someone be better at it... He couldn''t handle it... Reality had broken him... Perhaps if he had never stopped writing he would have been able to acknowledge his son''s work as something to be proud of, but instead he saw it as a threat to his one and only dream...¡± ¡°I''m soo.. soo sorry...¡± Isaura sounds weepy... ¡°The only thing I am sorry about are the idiots that don¡¯t know any better. Marco was a great man and a wonderful personality and even a better father. He loved our boy more than life... Yet the people only remember him as a suicidal drunk and a child beater... Worse thing about that part - Marco never liked alcohol in the first place. That time was the one and only when he drank in his entire life... I never stopped regretting being the one to cause the tragedy... If I had only been home then...¡± She gives in and breaks down... ¡°He would have never done it! He loved Leo! He loved me too! How I hate myself for it!¡± Ma cries quietly... He beat me up so much that I passed out. When I woke up, he was dead and gone... I never understood what happened... I figured he hated me... I thought that the reason for his death was because he was simply tired of living... ¡°Oh dear! What are you doing! Standing there like that!¡± Ma''s voice reaches me from somewhere. I turn to it. ¡°Are you crying?¡± ¡°Why...¡± My lips move... ¡°Why... Why did it take you so long to tell me?¡± ¡°You were a child... I thought it was too heavy for you to understand...¡± ¡°Well it ain''t any easier now...¡± I walk past her and out the door. ¡°Leo! Leo! Wait!¡± She runs after me... I keep walking... I walk to the beach, sit down on the sand, light a smoke and stare at the sea... ¡°Is this seat taken?¡± Someone sits down next to me. A slim hand gathers up my cigarette buds and puts them in an empty, metal tea box with a lid. ¡°Feeling ok, there?¡± The same voice asks me again. ¡°No.¡± I spit out. ¡°I''m sorry...¡± I finally look at where the sound comes from. Isaura. ¡°Sorry for what?¡± ¡°For what happened with your father and right now...¡± ¡°You and me both...¡± I take another cig. ¡°You shouldn''t be here. You''re sick.¡± ¡°The fever''s down. It''s fine.¡± She says, I don¡¯t answer and we sit in silence like a pair of idiots... ¡°Roses are red, Violets are blue, I am an idiot And so are you. It''s never too soon, Only too late, So begin anew, And move forward too...¡± ¡°Quoting me to me? Really?¡± I glare at the girl again. She giggles. ¡°Is that supposed to be an apology?¡± She looks at me. I look away. ¡°I''ll take that as a yes.¡± She says, dragging her hands across the sand. ¡°I liked the other side better though...¡± ¡°Whatever makes you happy...¡± I mumble. ¡°Why did you do it?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Fix the typewriter? Leave it there for me?¡± ¡°I''m the reason your work was ruined, I had to fix it. So, I did.¡± I shrug my shoulders and light another cig. ¡°Too bad all that hard work of yours will go to waste.¡± ¡°Meaning what?¡± I take the smoke out of my mouth. ¡°I don''t know how to use a typewriter...¡± ¡°That''s easy. I''ll show you.¡± ¡°Maria said you left home when you were fifteen.¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I figured I was being a burden on Ma, so I left to ease that for her.¡± ¡°She thinks you hate her. That''s why.¡± ¡°She never wrote back to a single one of my letters. And I wrote plenty in the beginning. I only knew she was fine cause of our neighbor. She answered to me.¡± ¡°She didn''t know what to tell you, your mother...¡± ¡°Her? Out of words? No way.¡± I mock the idea of my loud-mouth mother struggling for words. ¡°Why did you come back?¡± ¡°It just happened. I didn''t plan on it.¡± ¡°Were you ever gonna?¡± ¡°No. Maybe... No clue.¡± I take another smoke and light it. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Because Maria''s worried about you.¡± ¡°I mean here. Renting a room.¡± ¡°Family of five. I¡¯m the eldest. Never being alone or doing anything I want... I got sick of it and ran away.¡± ¡°Is that why you work at the Post office?¡± She shrugs her shoulders. ¡°More or less.¡± ¡°They pay you scraps.¡± ¡°It''s not like I can ask for more having no skills or experience... All I ever knew are simply jobs...¡± She''s just like me... ¡°Ever dream of something else?¡± ¡°Sometimes.¡± She answers. ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°I''m not telling.¡± She says and giggles. I turn to see her. She smiles, looking into the sea. A growl rumbles from inside her body. I laugh my ass off at it. ¡°Hungry?¡± I ask Aura, roaring. ¡°I was on my way to breakfast when I saw Maria by the desk and...¡± I get up. ¡°Come on. Let''s go.¡± I offer her a hand. She takes the box and my hand. I help her up. We go back to the house. Ma''s missing in action. I take a bite from the pan and put the rest for Aura. ¡°Aren''t you hungry?¡± ¡°Got these.¡± I shake the empty smoke pack. I make some coffee next. ¡°Thank you.¡± She tells me as I switch her plate out for the cup. ¡°Come with me. I''ll show you how it works, before I pass out again.¡± I nod to her and go into the living room. She follows me. ¡°Sit.¡± I point to the chair and the girl sits down. I stand behind the chair and lean over her. ¡°Right. Here. Insert the paper like so. Adjust it like so." I move the knobs a bit. "And write like so.¡± I type "Isaura - Aura" five times. ¡°Aura?¡± ¡°Better than "Isa," no?¡± I wink at her. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because the first word that kids learn to write is their own name.¡± I smile at her again. ¡°Once you get to the end, you just slide it back and repeat.¡± ¡°Very funny.¡± She rolls her eyes at me. I laugh and step back. ¡°Play with it a bit and you''ll learn.¡± I leave her. ¡°Just don''t break it!¡± I yell closing the door to the study. 4. Change A loud hammering noise wakes me up again. I step out and stand there in a daze... Ma''s sewing... I crawl back inside and look for a smoke. I''m out... I drag myself out again. I make a quick stop by Aura''s door, but move along. Hate it when I run out of them first thing in the morning... I get three packs and a lighter. Lucky me my feet know the way... ¡°Leo.¡± I stop and return to the kitchen. ¡°You haven''t called me by my name since I got back and now you won''t stop?¡± Ma doesn''t say anything... I wait an agonizing moment longer and return to my cave... The images haunt me ever since. I can''t remember if it''s been two or three days now... Nightmares came back too. I''m hungry yet thinking about food makes me sick. I''m tired yet I can''t fall asleep. I take a cig after cig and continue to poison myself... If it weren''t for the damned heat, I''d be satisfied with cigarettes only, but water, sadly, is essential, whether I like it or not... I go out of the room and run into Ma by Aura''s room. ¡°What''s this?¡± I ask. ¡°Had some left-over fabric from a bunch of clients. Think she''ll like it?¡± ¡°Show me even one person who didn''t like something you made for them.¡± I tell her and go into the kitchen. Wait. ¡°She ain''t here?¡± ¡°No. She was feeling fine the past two days so she returned to work this morning. I''ll be going now.¡± Ma says and leaves. I shrug my shoulders. Whatever. I get the coffee and hallow up again alone with my misery. I wake up again from a major headache... I managed to pass out, huh?... My head pounds... Ugh... I drag myself out. Something catches my eye and I return to the living room. ¡°Can I help you?¡± A woman stares at me. The younger old lady from before... ¡°I was looking for Maria.¡± ¡°She ain¡¯t here.¡± ¡°Yes, I noticed. Mind if I wait for her?¡± She comes over closer to me. ¡°Yes. I''m about to leave too, so, come back later.¡± ¡°Oh, but we are always welcome here...¡± ¡°As you can see nobody is home right now. Nor the tenants, nor the owner. So, if you would.¡± I gesture to the exit. She leans in closer. ¡°Such a cold attitude, perhaps you need someone to warm it up for you?¡± ¡°Leave. Now.¡± I tell the woman. She stares at me upset and walks out. What is wrong with me? Any other time I would have had her split open wide, right there on the kitchen table... This place is dulling me. I gotta get out... I drag myself to the liquor store and get a couple of bottles. I come back to the kitchen and shove one bottle in the fridge. I walk back to the study when something else catches my eyes... The dress is gone. The colorful, patchy dress with no back... I step backwards and notice a crack. I peek through the slit in the open door. That''s the same dress alright... Isaura stands in front of the mirror, admiring the dress... ¡°The hell is that!¡± I burst in through the door, startling the girl. She turns to face me and guards her back. I set the bottle down and grab her by the shoulders. I spin her around and hold her straight. ¡°What are these.¡± I repeat the question. ¡°Nothing. I got them when I was little...¡± ¡°You did not.¡± ¡°I grew up on a farm, we had some chicken wire in the barn, I fell on it and struggled to get out!¡± She yells at me through the mirror. Her entire back is carved with scars... I lean over her shoulder. ¡°If that were true, you would have scratches only. These are holes you got here... You were pushed down on it and held there with brute force...¡± Her expression changes... ¡°You don''t want to tell me the truth. Don''t. You have no reason for it. But don''t lie to me. You have no reason for it either.¡± I slip out of my shirt and put it on her shoulders. I take the bottle and leave her room again. That explains the stupid male shirts and pants with other less revealing clothes... Too bad though... It''s a lovely dress for a nice body... It suits her too... ¡°Leo?¡± Huh? My mind wonders back to reality. I take the book off my face. Pitch black... Was that my imagination? ¡°I''m coming in!¡± The same voice again. I quickly get up and open the door. The light blinds me. ¡°I... Here.¡± I feel something metallic press against my skin. I crack an eye open. Food. Huh. My hand moves for me. I take the tray and balance it. ¡°What''s this?¡± ¡°You haven''t eaten much these past three days so I... This is for the typewriter!¡± ¡°Don''t want it.¡± I give the tray back. She changed into her usual attire... Shame... ¡°I owed you. We''re even.¡± She hesitates. ¡°Then take it as a thank you for taking care of me and helping when I was sick.¡± ¡°Where''s Ma?¡± ¡°Out working. She babysits sometimes when someone has a night shift...¡± She catches my look. ¡°It''s edible. I''m sure you''ve had worse.¡± She mocks me and walks away from me before I say anything else. That works. I grin and take the food inside the study. I try a bite... It''s not bad... Suddenly my hunger picks up. I bite into the meat like a starving animal... The vine drips down my chin and down my chest. That''s strange. Just this morning I was dead sick just from the idea of food and now... I wipe my mouth off with the back of my hand. I take a good look at myself. Such a mess. I smile and go wash up. The reflection in the mirror. Oh boy... I smile like a lunatic again and make an effort to really wash up, from head to toes. I stand naked in the middle of the bathroom, all squeaky clean when I realize I didn''t bring a change of clothes with me. I slap a towel around my hips and leave the bathroom. I barely manage to stick my head out the door and quickly step back in. I open a tiny crack and watch Aura leave her room as quietly as she can. What''s the towel for? OH! I wait for her to disappear from the hall and quickly rush over into the study. I tumble around the room in the dark, getting dressed, stubbing my toe a few times and run out like crazy. I run to the beach, hoping my half-assed-quick-witted assumption was right. I stare into the night''s darkness trying to make out anything that would resemble a woman''s figure... I notice a lump of fabric on the sand. I stare straight in the same direction as it... Minutes go by and, finally, a dark figure emerges from the water. She takes the towel, drying herself off and slips back into her thick dress. I crouch down by the rail and quickly crawl away, far enough to be able to stand up again and run back to the house. I crash into the study and listen. Small footsteps enter the room, next to the study. Well well... I grin and slip out of my clothes and go to sleep, properly this time. I spend the next week pestering Ma about anything that needs fixing or helping, or anything at all. She fights it at first, but gives up. Aura hasn''t gone to another night time skinny dipping since that one time. She has been practicing how to type each night after work. The sounds the machine makes with a rookie using it are hilarious. I got in trouble a few times because of it. I chop the wood in the back yard. Getting ready for winter in this heat seems like a bad joke, but that''s what makes it easier when winter comes. Even though it never gets that cold, but as long as it eases Ma''s mind...Stolen story; please report. ¡°Stop that chopping!¡± Ma comes over to me with a note. ¡°Here! Go to the market and bring these back. I have a delivery to make.¡± She says walking quickly away from me with a bag on her shoulder. I take the towel and wipe the sweat of my face and body. I go back inside and put a shirt on. I take a bag too and stroll down to the market. On my way there I find myself to have forgotten my cigs on the kitchen table. I swear and keep walking. The market is as loud as ever. I try my best to get everything I need and get the hell outta there. The old ladies there are vicious... I return to the house. I walk through the gate and freeze at the sight in front of me. Aura, on the steps, with a cigarette... I quickly snap out of it and walk past her and into the kitchen. I set the groceries down, sorting them out to their rightful places, I wash the vegetables and the fruit and walk back over to the open door. I sit down on the steps next to Aura. ¡°I''ll get you a new pack.¡± She says showing me last two cigs inside this one. I take one and light it. ¡°Don''t sweat it.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± She asks, taking a smoke. ¡°Chopped some wood, went to the market...¡± I play with her on purpose. ¡°You''ve been here for over two weeks and you haven''t worked a day. Where do have the cash for cigs and vine?¡± ¡°I saved up. I worked as I traveled. Had to eat something.¡± ¡°What ya work?¡± ¡°This and that... I learn fast.¡± ¡°I see...¡± She takes the last cigarette. ¡°Aren''t you going to ask?¡± ¡°Ask what? I already know the why and the how. It''s written all over you. The messy hair, the ripped-out shirt button, the missing shoe... All I need to know is the who...¡± I tell her, putting my cig out. ¡°Oh no, wait. I know that too.¡± I look right at her. She doesn''t return my gaze. I sigh. ¡°Get changed before Ma sees ya or she''ll riot.¡± I tell Aura, taking the smoke out of her lips. She gets up and does as told. I finish the cigarette and get back inside too. I start fidgeting with the food. I have a pretty good feeling what Ma''s thinking of making with these ingredients. ¡°Can you help me?¡± I turn around. ¡°With what?¡± I ask the girl. ¡°Learn how to type faster...¡± ¡°How fast you wanna be?¡± ¡°Hundred words per minute?¡± She says and a laugh bursts out of me. ¡°Start with 10 per minute. Right now, you barely type ten letters per minute.¡± I tease her. ¡°Work your way up from there. Speed ain¡¯t good to you if you make mistakes.¡± I look at her. ¡°If you really want to get better at it, I know one way.¡± ¡°What''s that?¡± ¡°You need to type by sound. Someone needs to read or tell you what to type. Spoken words are faster than written. If you can learn to keep up with that then you have a chance.¡± I rinse the knife off. ¡°Why the sudden interest?¡± I look at Aura again. ¡°Why sudden? I''ve always wanted to learn to type. I just never had anyone who could show it to me.¡± Her face tells me there''s more to it... ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You''re not being honest with me. I have no obligation to help you.¡± I go back to cooking. Aura persists to stand in the doorway. ¡°You have the time so why not!¡± She pouts at me. ¡°I want the truth.¡± I stare at her. She bites her lip and squeezes her fists quickly a few times. I look away from her again. ¡°I want a better job!¡± She blurs out. I stop. ¡°I''m sick of scraps...¡± ¡°That wouldn''t have anything to do with how you got back looking tonight?¡± Silence. ¡°A little...¡± A whisper. I set the meat down and glare at her. ¡°Vince made a move on me, but I refused. He keeps asking me out every few days. Today he ran out of manners... He said that a mere sorter like myself should be thankful to him for even taking an interest in me...¡± She looks away from me and her voice quiets down. I wait. ¡°I lost the shoe cause I beat him up with it as he got busy groping me!¡± I fight a smile and a laugh. Nice going there... She continues. ¡°I want a better job. I want to learn how to type so I can have a better job.¡± She looks right at me. I wash my hands and walk past her and into the study. I take a few books and return to the living room. I set them on the desk and step back out into the hall. ¡°Well get in here already.¡± I tell her and she tumbles in. ¡°Sit.¡± I point to the chair. She sits down. I take a book and a pencil. I open it at random and pick a paragraph. I mark it. ¡°Here. Practice typing while looking first. If you struggle to come up with words on your own then this is one way to do it. You''ll also be able to learn grammar too. It''s one thing to read it and another to write it. Once you''ll learn how to type without thinking of which button to click - then we''ll talk more. Do a sentence at a time. Get a rhythm going. Practice with these three first.¡± I put another marker down. ¡°Of course, it''ll take you too long since you barely have time...¡± ¡°I''ll quit.¡± Aura looks me right in the eye. ¡°My rent is covered for the next month! I have some savings too! I''ll learn fast and find another job!¡± Her eyes tell me everything I need. I smile. ¡°Type away.¡± I lean back from her and return to the kitchen. The clumsy, but firm clangs echo through the house till late night. It''s a nice addition to the hammering sounds of a sewing machine. The house turns into a steady cacophony in no time. A noise from the outside catches my attention. I crawl out from under the sink. The typewriter doesn''t stop. Good. I step outside. ¡°What do you want?¡± I call out to the bastard by the gate. ¡°I''m looking for Isaura.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°She hasn''t been at work for a week.¡± ¡°She quit.¡± ¡°What''s going on?¡± Aura steps out too. ¡°What are you doing here!¡± She stands next to me, with a step behind me. ¡°I was worried about you! You stopped coming to work so...¡± ¡°I quit and I''m fine.¡± She answers cold. ¡°Yes, um, I see. Good.¡± Vince fidgets. ¡°If that''s all then get lost.¡± I tell him, staring him down still. ¡°Can we talk?¡± He asks Aura. ¡°About what?¡± She''s scared. I feel it. That bothers me for some reason... The idiot gets more restless. He''s losing his manners every second he''s not getting what he wants. Oh the pleasure of torment... ¡°If you have nothing more to say then leave! Now!¡± Aura pressures him. ¡°You SLUT!¡± Vince yells waving his arm out. I manage to take two steps when Aura hangs herself off my neck. ¡°Don''t!¡± She screams out. My arm wraps around her waist on its own. ¡°Why.¡± I growl. ¡°I''ll do it.¡± She whispers into my ear. I let go. Isaura walks over to the gate and slaps Vince. ¡°Get out of my sight.¡± She hisses at him and walks away again. The idiot bursts through the gate into the yard, going right for her. I grab her arm first and pull her to me and behind me. I step forward, stopping Vince in his tracks. ¡°Move!¡± He yells at me. ¡°No.¡± I hold my ground. Stepping forward. I signal to Aura to step back. My hunch is right on the money. Vince takes a swing at me. I step back, drop into the stance and hammer in a few jabs right into his gut. A gasp reaches me from behind. A few loud groans escape the bent over Vince. I crouch down by him. ¡°Get. Lost. Now.¡± I tell him and he fumbles out the same way he came in. I straighten out and go back inside. Aura follows me. I wash my hands. ¡°What was that?¡± She says. ¡°Boxing.¡± ¡°One of the many skills you picked up on your travels?¡± She mocks me. I smile and come over closer to her, as I put my shirt back on. ¡°A man should know how to protect his woman.¡± I whisper. Her eyes are about to pop out of her skull. I grin more. ¡°I''d like my reward now.¡± I tell her. ¡°I held back. I deserve it.¡± I whisper, leaning in. Aura closes her greens and waits. Adorable. I seal my lips with her forehead. She snaps her eyes open, staring at me confused. I can''t hold it anymore and a giggle twitches my shoulders. ¡°By the way... You''re blushing.¡± I whisper into her ear and get a slap across the face with a gasp. Isaura covers her mouth and stares at me again. I laugh out loud. ¡°I am so sorry...¡± She says with a frozen startle on her face. I walk out of the kitchen. ¡°Come on, you have more tap-dancing to do. You still suck at it.¡± I call to her, picking up a page. ¡°How rude! I''m getting better at it!¡± She says, pouting. ¡°Alright, then try typing from sound alone.¡± I flip the book and pick three sentences. Aura quickly sits down, adjusts the paper and readies herself for it. I read the first sentence. She types two words and stops. I read it again. She types two more... This will take a while... 5. Beginning Aura sticks to her word. She works hard to learn as fast as she can. I speak my throat hoarse each day... We haven''t really talked about anything since before she quit the Post office. The sleaze hasn''t been back either. He''d need to be brain dead to try something more... I set the book down and take a look at Aura''s page. ¡°Well?¡± She stares at me with hopeful eyes. I sigh. ¡°Not bad.¡± She smiles. ¡°Not great, but better, for sure.¡± She pouts a little. ¡°Isaura! Isaura dear! I have some wonderful news!!¡± Ma bursts in on the scene. ¡°I was just at the market and!¡± ¡°Quit yer shouting! We''re not deaf yet!¡± I tell her rustling for a smoke... Wait. When was the last time I had one? I stare at the empty pack. ¡°There''s a pregnant woman in the town hall!¡± ¡°Great! What of it?¡± I mock Ma. She waves me off. I step back, rolling my eyes. ¡°She needs a replacement! But! She said she would teach her replacement before leaving! She has a few months for that! Would you like to try?¡± Ma''s hopeful excitement would make even a dead man say yes. Aura can''t possibly refuse. So why is she quiet then? ¡°Town hall?¡± She mumbles... ¡°I don''t know...¡± ¡°What happened to all that fighting spirit? Don''t tell me I''ve been going mute for nothing all these days.¡± I hold her gaze. ¡°You can try. At least. She''s not quitting tomorrow. It''ll be like working part time till you learn everything. No reason not to try it.¡± I look away. ¡°Besides. You can always quit at any moment. No hard feelings.¡± ¡°Yes! Exactly! We can go there tomorrow, I''ll introduce you and you can see how you like it. It''s Friday tomorrow, so it won''t be as busy. You can even wear the dress!¡± Ma¡¯s about to hurt herself with all the excitement. ¡°No, she can''t.¡± I cut in. Ma throws me an angry glare. ¡°What''s wrong with it?¡± ¡°Nothing. It''s a fine dress. For a date to the beach, not the town hall.¡± I let her figure it out. ¡°Right. Ok. No worries. I''ll dig something else up!¡± ¡°Hold on, Ma.¡± I step in again. ¡°She needs to be the one deciding.¡± We glance over at Aura again. ¡°I''ll try...¡± She says in a tiny voice. ¡°Then take the rest of the day off.¡± I walk out of the living room. ¡°Take a bath or something!¡± I call out, stepping out. I take a stroll around town. I end up wandering around the rest of the afternoon till late evening... The situation does not die down later in the night either. Ma keeps going back and forth her bedroom, dragging dresses and skirts out. Aura throws me a quick ¡°help me¡± look, but I just smile and leave her to fend for herself. I already did everything I could. It''s up to you now. Thunder wakes me up. I shake my head and snap out of it. I can''t tell if it it''s night or day. The sky is too dark. It pours like crazy too. Something smells nice though. I take a peek into the kitchen. ¡°Aren''t you celebrating a little bit early there?¡± I ask Ma, yawing. ¡°She''ll get the job, I just know it!¡± ¡°Who says she wants it?¡± I sit down rubbing my face. ¡°She can not even like being a secretary in the first place. You know how those geezers are...¡± ¡°Well if you''re so worried about her, then why don''t you marry her and go to work in her place instead!¡± I roll my eyes at Ma. ¡°Hilarious.¡± ¡°I''m being serious.¡± ¡°So am I.¡± I tell her. Ma doesn''t look at me. Another thunder roars. I notice the umbrella in the corner. ¡°She didn''t take it with her?¡± ¡°Take what?¡± Ma turns around and looks in the direction of my finger. ¡°Ay! She''ll get soaked!¡± ¡°Maybe it''ll stop raining till then.¡± I shrug my shoulders. ¡°They said they don''t need her for a full day. She''ll be done in an hour or so!¡± Ma scrambles around frantically with the cooking. I get off the chair. ¡°Relax. I''ll go.¡± I tell her, dragging myself to the bathroom. I wash up, change clothes, grab a sweater too, just in case, take the umbrella and leave. Why in the world there''s still only one umbrella in this house is beyond me. I take the shortest route there. Ma was never big on taking the long way... Luckily for me the town hall has stayed put in the same spot as always. I stand on the side walk, outside the main entrance out of sheer habit... A couple of young women come over to me for a chat. I''m so not in the mood for this. A few others join them. I haven''t made a sound still. ¡°Maybe he doesn''t speak Italian?¡± ¡°But he looks Italian!¡± ¡°Maybe he''s a tourist?¡± ¡°Some sightseeing he''s doing here!¡± One says and they all laugh. I continue to smile, staring at the door... Their lunch hour must''ve ended long ago... Hurry... ¡°Aura!¡± I call out and barge my way through the women. She sees me and runs over and into my arms? Isaura throws herself around my neck. My body responds out of reflex. The disappointed moans reach my ears, but frankly I don''t give a damn. I set Aura down. ¡°I take it it went well?¡± I let go. She nods, blushing lightly. Almost matching the short sleeved, red dress. ¡°Thank you.¡± She finally says as we walk back. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°For teaching me to type...¡± ¡°Don''t sweat it.¡± I hand her the sweater. ¡°You''re shivering.¡± She puts it around her shoulders. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You like saying that a lot.¡± ¡°Is there something else I can say to show my gratitude?¡± I shrug my shoulders. ¡°Say? No? Do? Maybe?¡± I tease her. We don''t talk much on our way back. The rain does not let up even after lunch. ¡°Mama Maria!¡± Aura calls out, as soon as we return. ¡°In here! In here!¡± Ma yells back from the kitchen. ¡°Well? How was it? Tell me, tell me!¡± ¡°It was ok. There''s much to learn, but I think I can handle it. There''s plenty of time for that.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Great! Wonderful!¡± Ma''s excited more than the girl herself. ¡°Great. Then I can leave tomorrow.¡± Both of the women turn to me. The horror... I shrug my shoulders. ¡°I already fixed everything that needed fixing in this house. She''s all set too. If you keep practicing, you''ll be fine.¡± I add, catching the look. ¡°I got no reason to stay any longer. My rents coming up to its end too, isn''t it?¡± I don''t ask to get an answer. ¡°Yes. It''s been a month.¡± Ma says, turning away from me again. ¡°Great.¡± I nod and lock myself back inside the study. I stare into the ceiling... I wake up from the quiet. I try to see what time it is... The hell with it... I get up and slither out to look for food. A hand grabs me in the dark. I focus my gaze on it. It sticks out from the open door. It pulls on me and I let it. I step inside the room and the door closes behind me. ¡°What is it?¡± I ask. Aura stands in front of me. In that dress... ¡°You need help with something?¡± I ask again. She stays silent. I turn around to walk out and get stopped by a kiss. I pull the girl off me. ¡°Don''t.¡± ¡°Why.¡± ¡°There''s no reason for you to do this. I was only kidding earlier.¡± ¡°It''s not to thank you.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°I want you.¡± I exhale with a half-smile and push her away from myself again. ¡°No, you don''t. You don''t want this.¡± I point to myself. ¡°I¡¯m a grown woman! I chose what or who I want!¡± She pouts firmly. ¡°I''ve been restraining myself plenty not to taint you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I shrug my shoulders. ¡°If I only knew.¡± ¡°Then why not?¡± She comes over to me again. ¡°Because no.¡± I step around her, closer to the table. ¡°What if I want you to taint me?¡± I laugh again for an instant. ¡°Don''t you know I''ll say the exact opposite no matter what you tell me right now?¡± Persistent, aren''t we. I throw my shirt off me and to the floor. ¡°Alright. Come here. Let''s do this.¡± ¡°Finally!¡± She exhales hard and comes into my arms. Wait, what! ¡°Weren''t you suppose to say the exact opposite?¡± ¡°Only till I got what I wanted...¡± She breathes on my skin... Gliding her fingertips down my chest... I grab her hands. ¡°Don''t tease a sleeping beast.¡± I stare at her in the faint light of the night. ¡°Then eat me...¡± Aura lets out a moan. Enough. I turn us around and pin her back to me. I undo the button on the collar and the dress falls down half way, revealing her chest. I watch Aura in the mirror. Eyes closed. Breathing hard, but slow... Zero resistance. I trace my fingers around her breasts, between them, under them, carefully, purposely avoiding the nipples... I kiss her neck, her shoulder... My hands slide down to the fabric and my lips glide down her back... I pull the dress down, it hits the floor. Oh? Aura stands completely naked. I caress her legs. A tremble. I kiss her thigh. My lips trace the curves from behind to the front. A quiet moan... I stand up and face her. She opens her eyes. She''s breaking. The look... It''s not the same any more. Her hands work fast, undoing the belt and the pants. Aura sticks her hand down my pants and strokes it. I grab her by the neck and pull her closer. Our mouths lock. Tongues eagerly mingling inside the warm wetness. I bend my knees a bit, grab her by the ass and pull her up to me. I set us down on the bed. Gorging myself on her body. Thrusting hard yet slow. Her body wraps itself around mine, nails tearing into the skin. ¡°Leo...¡± Is all I need to lose the fight with myself... When was the last time I was so careful? When was the last time I paid so much attention to the woman? Showed concern for her needs? Likes? When was the last time I actually enjoyed doing it? I stroke Aura''s back with my fingertips, as she lays on me. The day breaks. The breeze picks up through the open window... It flips the paper over, that hangs by the side of the mirror. Dreams are meant to be chased and caught. They make the reality worth living. True life begins after the dream starts. Everything till then is a journey And getting ready to set out. Your hunt starts here. I stare at the words. What in the hell possessed me to write that? ¡°Hey...¡± A whisper. I look down. A smile. ¡°Hey.¡± I answer with a kiss. ¡°How do you do that?¡± ¡°Which part?¡± I grin. ¡°I did plenty last night.¡± She grins back. ¡°Trace around the scars...¡± ¡°Figured you don''t like them touched... Or seen. Isn''t that why you only swim at night?¡± She rises up from the bed. ¡°Following girls at night? Have you no shame?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± I smirk. She smiles back. I get a shrug a moment later. ¡°It''s not like anyone tried it before...¡± Aura lays back down next to me. ¡°May I?¡± A nod. I brush my fingers down her back again. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°It''s fine. If it''s you...¡± She opens her eyes again to me. ¡°Will you stay?¡± I adjust myself in the bed. ¡°Do you want me to stay?¡± Aura lifts herself up again and looks me right in the eye. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh? When did you get so selfish? Huh?¡± I tease her gently. ¡°Congratulations. You''ve created a monster.¡± She grins at me. I laugh quietly. "By the way, how old are you?" I ask her. She giggles. "25, why?" "You look younger..." "That a problem?" She looks up at me. I shake my head. ¡°Not at all." I look at her too. "Come here.¡± I reach for her. She leans in. We kiss. ¡°Hungry?¡± A nod. I get out of the bed and pull the pants on. I pick up the shirt and see a hand asking for it. I smile and throw it to Aura. She slips it on. I take another look at her and go to kitchen to rustle up something edible... I''m almost finished when Ma walks in and places herself next to me. ¡°She waiting for breakfast in bed with that shirt of yours?¡± ¡°That the reason you kept her hostage for three years?¡± ¡°Ha! You wish.¡± Ma says. ¡°I liked her. It was nice having someone around the house again, after ten years.¡± ¡°Good call.¡± I kiss Ma on the side of the head and take the tray back with me. ¡°Daddy, daddy! Daddy''s here!¡± Our kids cheer, surrounding me at the door. ¡°Alright, alright. Calm down now! Let me through!¡± I fight my way over to my wife. ¡°Hey.¡± I kiss her. ¡°Hey.¡± She smiles. ¡°How was work?¡± ¡°You sure it''s ok for you to move around?¡± I ask, taking our youngest girl into my arms. ¡°The due day is next week and I haven''t been doing...¡± I hear a splash. ¡°Uh-oh.¡± ¡°What?¡± I set our child down. ¡°Aura?¡± I come over to her and slip in a puddle. ¡°It''s coming. The baby is coming...¡± She whispers. ¡°The baby! The baby!¡± Our three boys cheer again. ¡°Alright, let''s move. Move!¡± I wave the kids away. I help Aura to the living room. ¡°Mama Maria! Mama Maria! Guess what! The baby is coming!¡± ¡°Blame your father for that!¡± Ma comes into the room. Aura screams out, clenching my hand again. ¡°Alright, you know the drill!¡± Ma calls into action our eldest and second sons. The youngest pair huddle up and get sent away. ¡°Hee-hee-hoo-hoo. Hee-hee-hoo-hoo. Wait, why am I doing this too?¡± ¡°It helps!¡± Aura yells at me. I smile. ¡°Ok ok. Breathe. Together now. Look at me.¡± I hold her face to me. We breathe together. ¡°This ain''t your first time, now.¡± Ma kneels down on the couch next to Aura. ¡°It hurts each time plentyyyyy!!!¡± She shrieks. I giggle. ¡°Child! How long! You didn''t feel anything till now?¡± Aura shakes her head. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Brace yourself.¡± Ma nods and Aura screams again. A soft clang reaches my ears. A picture of my Father sticks in through the door. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask the rascals. ¡°Letting Papa Marco watch too!¡± Laughter. I roll my eyes. ¡°Knock it off!!¡± I yell at them. More laughter. ¡°They get that from you.¡± Aura stares at me with a strained expression. I smile. ¡°Says you.¡±