Syracusa: The Last Day

 We all had to be out by noon.  the baggage could stay but the bodies and the goods had to be out of the rooms and in the closet by noon.  for me this was no problem.  i tried a new formation for my belongings hoping that the combination of strapping on the outside again with soft things on the rolly luggage and then hard things like the computer and books and shoes in the backpack.  the difference-none.  the discomfort-huge.  Still a problem. I  made two trips down from my room steadying myself the best I could.  I wobbled from side to side a little when I placed my pack on my back.  I was disgusted.  The disks in my back felt like they were touching and my brain was rubbing up against the top of my skull.  I moped down the three flights of stairs anxious that I had arrived sweaty and already tired. 

I had a full two days of little interaction with people so when Alan and Kate asked me to meet them at the Elephant in Catania at 8 I said yes.   I was certain that I saw all that i could so  just wanted to have another short walk near the water.  I was planning on staying in the same hostel in Catania that I had so there were no worries or arrangements that needed to be made.  Max and I chatted briefly about my plans and his for the hostel.  Max was an attorney.  He had a practice in Catania was giving hostel ownership a go.  He seemed tired and overwhelmed.  He smiled a lot but when he spoke he was breatheless, like nervousness was claiming space inside like an rhinosorus on a bench.  I don't know how I ended up here, he said.  What I really want is to take a year off and just do some quiet work or spend a month not talking, just in a quiet place with monks or something."    I listened empathetically as he continued.  He talked money, the number of clients that he needed per month to make the bills, the pressure of a bank note, the costs and politics of renovations, the reliablity or unreliablity of help.  I could only think of how happy I was to be picking worms and shoveling shit to put around plants.  I felt so lucky that I was not in charge anymore.  I was so happy I was not working late staring at a computer screen hoping that the numbers would be flush that month.  Happy to not have dead lines staying late making things shiny and pretty for people when the rest of my family and friends were home and in bed. Happy to not be the interpreter of customers wants. Happy that when something was wrong someone else was being told.  Happy to wear rubber boots and holey t-shirts and jeans.  Happy to wear leather gloves and use a shovel or a zappa.  Happy to be the lovely assitant to wake the tractor beast and not in a dark basement melting metal and throwing it into a stinking hot flasks.  I was happy not to doing any of it.  "You could try WWOOFing.  Give it all up and sell everything, get a backpack and some rubber boots.  It is good for you I promise."  he smiled with sparkly eyes maybe because he agreed maybe because he thoguht I was completely out of my mind.  "My favorite thing though that keeps me going is meeting people like you.  You are from so far away and had I not owned this place we would have never met.  I love that the world comes to me a little here." 

I walked to the little city beach past the pier watched men fish and others walk small dogs.   I made my last stop for a sweet treat and said my good byes to Syracusa.  "Bye Bye dancing music selling man in the trailer on the sidewalk, bye bye ear sucking waiter, bye bye all you happy couples and your public displays of affection, bye bye light fluffy baked good, bye bye woolly mammoth,  bye bye fish guy in the big rubber boots, bye bye Caravaggio, bye bye all you well suited old men in hats, bye bye obedient horticulture.  See you again."  I thought as I walked. 

When I returned Max greeted me at the door.  "Remember Marianne to return here.  Remember that is I have an amazing cook and she will be happy to teach you what you want."  "Okay then I will."   A polite handshake and one kiss on each cheek sealed the deal.  I loaded up the goods on my torso and grabbed the handle to my luggage and was out the door.  I went first to a little bar to buy my bus ticket.  entering felt a little like moving a sofa, angling myself to clear the side, then switching my position a little to clear the back.  The rolling luggage last.  The waiter looked a little horrified, I actually looked down at my chest to see if any really personal  part of  me was hanging out of my shirt and then I checked my fly.  After finding that everything was still covered, I realized that it was probably just the usual what the hell is in there look.  I asked about a ticket and was told that I had to go to the bus station to buy it.  He explained the where and the bus line. I was pretty certain that I understood. 

It was all very easy to find.  I greeted the young man in the ticket booth in broad day light. "Buona Sera"  which means good evening.  "Buona Sera Signora, Prego."  "No NO  Buon Giorno."  "Ah uguale. Dove vai?"  (the same were do you go?)  "Catania"  "Catania? Quanto tempo"  (Catania for how long) Looking at my luggage.  Oh I am here for months but not just in Catania.  Dove sai?  Where are you from?  The United States.  Wahut dew yewe dew here?  He asked in English.  I answered in Italian.  "I work on farms and agritourismos in exchange for food and a room."        "W H A U T!" he said holding his mouth and spinning around in a chair.  "Ti piace? No per to get paid"  (you like, )  "Si si."  No me. Me no like this whork.  Americani always they whant to help."  "Eye lieke America and Americani."  He said patting my hand.