The ponies followed me as usual to the field but this day they started to eat the foliage on the citrus trees. This is a big no no. They were quickly lashed together, tied to the tractor beast and after we finished harvesting they were brought to the barn. Ninette, my favorite, protested when we got to the door. she kicked it and whinnied like mad. My eyes were a little damp watching her. Janne looked at me like I was being ridiculous, gave me an "oh dear, you silly thing," pat on the shoulder and wrinkled her nose. "They will only stay here for a week then we will put them in another pasture." I was a little embarrassed.
Dinner was the usual and no one even mentioned that it was my last dinner there. It all passed in a low key way. I think they will forget my name in a few months and then maybe recall me as that American that was pazza for animale when speaking with a future WWOOFer, perhaps. In the morning I needed to go to the hardware store. I was still struggling with the luggage configuration and I thought that bungee cords were the answer. I wanted four of them. I was hoping that strapping some things to the outside of my rolling suitcase and lightening the load in my backpack would make the moving part of my life more pleasant. The plan was I would go with Janne to drop Sophia off at school. Go to the hardware store, come home, pack and travel to Syracusa with a family friend that lived there.
The car was packed in the back, crates of fruit, boxes to be shipped and Massimo's massage table for physical therapy patients. Sophia sat in the front with her mother and I was wedged in the back. "Are you comfortable?" Janne asked. "Well if we were driving to Catania I would not be but I am okay for now." Looking around at all of the things wondering why she even needed to ask such a thing, astounded by my diplomacy, feeling a little puffed by my wittiness. "well it is a shame that I have to drive because I could fit there comfortably without a problem." Wow bye bye witty puff, are you kidding me Janne. I thought.
When we arrived at school Sophia said good bye to her mother and slammed the door behind her. She did not even glance in the back seat at all. This departure and the ponies felt like a confirmation. Silly maybe but I found it reassuring. I was not sure what I had done to these women but it seemed like leaving them was not a bad idea. Perhaps it is simply that I am happy. Sometimes people smell happiness on someone and they want to smear crap all over it. I have my crap guard on but it did burn a little and made me want to eek out a little ouch.
Christina is a family friend. She was born in Germany but has been living in Sicily for 15 years. She lives in Syracusa but spends lots of time in Noto. She planned her day around helping me with a ride to Syracasa instead of taking the bus. She was always chatty and like Janne, spoke beautiful English. I enjoyed her company. She was spirited and when she was in the house Janne seemed lighter and Massimo was not. This I enjoyed observing. A quiet vengeance, a little evil of me but satisfying. The car ride was not a language lesson like it was with Massimo. Christina talked about her work as a Shiatzu therapist, her training, the misery of her relationship, the joy of her friendship with Janne and Massimo and her love-hate relationship with Sicily. The love was the warmth, the sun, the flowers, the sea, and some of the people. The hate was the ruthlessness of robbers that murdered her dogs by kicking them in the gut until they bled to death, and then robbed her and destroyed parts of her property. "I am telling you these stories Marianne because I do not want you to leave feeling like this is a perfect place. When people are angry with you or think you have something they should have they can be ruthless and cruel, especially when you are a foreigner and you live in the country" She squeezed my arm as she told me looking straight into my eyes like she was trying to burn the information into them.
This was not the first set of stories I had heard about vengence and crime. Janne and Massimo had acres of property distroyed by fire, loosing hundreds of trees including carob trees that were 200 years old.. The fire was set on a neighboring property by a disgruntled worker. The man was angry with their neighbor and as a result the fire traveled over the mountain and distroyed thousands of acres of farm land, including land of Janne and Massimo. Today the roots of the ancient trees have offered new growth and are producing again. The fire reached the man property ironically and also took a few of his buildings. This man was sentenced only to two years in prison. TWO! Basta.
We arrived in Syracusa and I found my finger tips were far from my palms. I was feeling relaxed. Some of the conversation was her concern that I was going to the North. When I told her that I would like to go to Friuli, a region in Italy that boarders Croatia, she said Sicilians almost don't consider that Italy and continued with a concern for the cold. I reasurred her that I was a master at warmth and managed to live for five years without running water and electricity in a state that is very close to Canada. I was certain that I would figure out how to stay warm.
Before bringing me to town she wanted to give me a tour of her house. She had purchased an abandoned villa with a barn. The barn had been turned into a therapy room and a yoga studio. Two additional buildings were built with bedrooms and another as a central kitchen. The property was purchased with the idea that it would be shared with several other families. It turned out that the other partner, also her boyfriend at the time, doesn't really like people that much. The plan was derailed, the money ran out and now she is mortgaged on a half finished property with a cranky misinthrop that loves the land and gardening but is a misery to be around she claims. I smiled politely at all of this information, my insides soft with empathy and tried enjoyed the view. In the end she handed me a sweater belonging to the misinthrop and asked me to try it on. The sleeves were a mile long and I had room enough to carry a child to term. "Oh that fits you perfectly," she said. Are you not seeing what I am seeing here. This thing is down to my knees. I took it and thanked her, not saying a thing but assuring her now I would be very warm in the North. My finger tips greeted my palms and buried themselves in.
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