Vacation in Naples

Note

To my Beloved, my family, friends, and faithful readers.

Thank you for always being at my side.

The following story is a work of fiction. The characters of the novel are of my own invention, but have been living “within me” for a while now. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

The captain could not find his crew. They had hidden themselves somewhere, and the helmsman had simply abandoned ship. They were caught in a violent storm which was destroying everything. What use is the statue if they lose their lives? Suddenly, a voice resounded over the raging tempest. “Posa! Posa!” it said, meaning, “Put down! Put down!” The crew immediately appeared. Everyone understood the message. They had to get rid of the Madonna statue. They had to put it down on dry land if they wanted to survive the devastating storm. The Saracens put all their weight into heaving the oars so they could deposit the stolen icon on dry land as soon as possible. As soon as they put it down, the fury of the sea abated.

The statue was found by local fishermen who had heard the mysterious, booming voice coming from the ship. They named the settlement Positano and erected a church on the spot where they had found the statue.

Centuries later, during the restoration of one of the church’s paintings, a restorer found an old inscription on the back of the canvas. He copied it and took it home. He gave it to his wife, who didn’t understand it very well, so she tossed it into the crate she used to dry citrus peels for holiday pastries.

Many years later, when the family estate was being liquidated, an heir of the restorer from generations past found it among the dried–up Sorrento lemon peels. He understood most of the text, and what he didn’t, he supplemented with his own knowledge.

Thus, his life took a new turn.