Sicilian Serenade

Later, when Alessandro would succumb to the first stirrings of adult love, he would remember his first crush.


It happened in the midst of a war game. Alessandro and his older brother Gianni were shooting rocks (just like their biggest brother Nuncio who was playing for real up in the Alps). Gianni, Pied Piper that he was, made a pouch out of the bottom of his shirt, filled it up with rocks and began running with the pretend cannon balls, six other boys, along with Alessandro, running after him. Down the busy road, they all scurried, Alessandro slowing down because he had a stocky body that wasn't suited to running long distance. It was then he saw her.

There she was, standing in her open doorway. He had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't in a dream because she looked as if she wasn't real. She was a thing of exquisite beauty. Her skin was like powdered snow and her eyes were pools of pink wet fire. Alessandro's mouth dropped. This was the Albino that the street women talked about in amongst their gossip and tales. She was allowed outside only if she wore a sheet that covered her face, arms and hands. The priest had to bring communion to her up in her kitchen because it was too much for her to go to the church on a Sunday.

Because the girl looked as if she was shivering in her light shift, Alessandro immediately went to take his coat off and throw it on her to protect her. Instead, an elderly woman came to the door and closed it.

...

The next day in that quiet time between the midday meal and pasagiata, Alessandro dressed himself in the only suit he had - and stepped out onto the hugeness of his cobbled street. As he strode he kept his shoulders high to appear confident, his strides soft to the ground so not to draw attention. He passed another terrace and heard a rushing behind him, like a scampering cat. He stopped and turned around. Nothing.

Basta, he said to himself. Stop. You're hearing things because you're nervous. Nervoso. He walked and he heard it again. Dai he said without turning around this time. Just get on with it.

Outside the terraces front he stood. Its blinds were down. Unaltro cosa, he thought. Another thing. As he filled up his chest like a bird and sang his first high note, he heard a sweet twittering behind him and thinking it was a bird, he turned around with a smile on his face.

It was Gianni. His soft sniggering was becoming a guffaw.

Lascami! Alessandro gruffed.

The window opened above and instead of the girl, there was her nonna waving a broom in the air. You come here again and I'll bring out my rifle! It has real bullets in it!

Gianni grabbed hold of Alessandro hand and both of them took off, running all the way home.


Amorata