In Summer We Started

2.

Valentina

I'd already made up my mind. I wasn't going to stay here any longer. Since dad left, mom had been a shell of her former self. Although she pretended to be okay, going about her normal duties around the house, she looked exhausted. There were heavy pocket bags under her eyes and her hair, which she'd loosened just the day before, was packed up in a lazy bun, leaving wisps to frame her pale face. There wasn't much to do around here. With dad home, I usually looked up to our family breakfast and dinners where I got to chatter excitedly about how my day went, but without him, the home-more like a house now-felt empty. I couldn't go on like this. Sitting on the edge of my tiny bed, I dialed grandma's number and waited pensively for her to pick up. My plan was to visit grandma and spend some time with her, just enough to clear the heartache and tension of my parent's divorce. Besides, grandma had always been disturbing me to come and see her. This was a good time as ever.

Grandma picked on the third ring, and I could hear noise in the background. She must be at work. Grandma loved working. She owned a small coffee shop which was popular, because she was nice and entertaining to the people in Italy, and also because she made the best pie in the area. "Val, what's up? What's been going on?" Grandma had that rich southern accent I always envied in the movies, and I could picture her flipping a pancake over the stove.

"Grandma..." I wanted to tell her everything that had been going on, but my voice broke down, and I was barely able to restrict the tears which flowed down my cheeks. She tried to calm me down, telling me to take a deep breath and release it through my mouth. I did as she'd said, feeling better in a few. With my body curled up tight on the bed, I recited what happened (as I knew it) to her, and she threw in a couple of sympathetic words so I could feel at ease. I was smiling by the time I was done telling the story. Grandma always had that calming effect on a person, it was why everyone loved her.

She made a sound with her tongue. "Oh, I'm sorry, hun. That sounds messy. You can come over to Italy and live with me, it's nice and cozy here. And you don't have to worry about your parents for a while. I've always told you to come visit. You know these doors are open whenever you want. Okay?"

I nodded as if my grandma could see me. Then, I replied in the strongest voice I could muster. "Thank you, grandma. I'll have mom book me a flight."

When I arrived, Grandma was so happy to see me and introduced me to all her friends, and everyone in the coffee shop she owned. I didn't let my smile slip, mostly because I didn't want to come off as too rude, or someone who carried a lot of her problems on her head. I could see why people loved Granny as such. She wasn't like me. I mean, aside from the dark brown hair and petite frame, we didn't share many features. But I loved Granny and I was excited to finally be away from home, and breathe some fresh air.

Grandma also introduced me to her waitress who was a young girl that had just finished high school and promised to take me on a little walk around town together to acquaint me with my new environment. She seemed nice and friendly, with gingerbread hair that looked like the harsh sun. She had a creamy brown complexion and wore a pink apron. I chatted with her for a little while, talking about mundane things like the weather, and the living conditions here, and within a brief period, I'd gathered some knowledge of the area. The sun was as hot here as it was back at home, which meant they were in summer. I didn't like summer, but I didn't hate it either. I hoped the memories I would make here would help to clear my parent's ugly divorce from my head. It made my chest ache and at times, I was lost in conversation with grandma and her friends, thinking back to the fun moments dad and I had. They were gone now, all of it. Tucked away in a safe space at the back of my mind. Was he really gone? It felt like one silly dream, and I would wake up and find him home, chatting and laughing with my mother when he returned from work. How had the love disappeared?

I shook my head, catching myself going down that same road I'd been on countless times. I told myself not to, but every time, my thoughts strayed there. Grandma noticed my sour mood, and rubbed my back, asking if I wanted a slice of her freshly baked apple pie. That seemed to perk me up. The following week, I volunteered to help grandma run the shop since I didn't have much to do. In the morning, after doing a few chores, I would be left with the rest of the hours to myself and I regretted not bringing one of my novels along. I wanted to sit by my room window, and read a book, enjoying the warmth of the setting sun on my skin. Instead, I left for the shop early in the morning, deciding to take care of things during my stay here. Grandma's hop was just a stone's throw away from the house, and it didn't take long to get there. I opened up and did a little cleaning before the waitress arrived. It was Monday, and the birds tweeted happily on a tree branch, which shaded the shop.

I noticed that we'd run out of cupcakes, and I phoned Grandma to tell her. She told me to quickly run to the bakery a few blocks from the shop to get some before the customers started coming in.

"What did she say?" The waitress asked, batting her long eyelashes at me. Today, her gingerbread hair was in a ponytail, stopping at the nape of her neck.

I shrugged. "She wanted me to run along, and get some pancakes from the bakery before we officially opened."

"Ooh. Well, goodluck with that." She smiled faintly at me, before going about her duty. I stared at her for a second, before quickly doing what I was told to do. When I arrived at the bakery, which was painted in splashes of gold and white, shining against the blistering sun, I noticed there was an argument going on inside. Taking a moment to gather myself, I stepped in cautiously, taking a casual look around. There was nobody around yet. The owner of the bakery seemed to be in a heated discussion with a guy dressed in all black-a black leather jacket, black pants, and a black t-shirt. He was the one yelling, and threatening to burn the place down, while the lady kept calm, the angle of her chin defiant. She wasn't a person to back out easily. I just stood there, unable to do more than stare wide-eyed at the scene in front of me. I didn't know the cause of their argument, and I wasn't sure I cared. This guy-whoever he was-was irritating the hell out of me. What was his problem? You didn't go around harassing someone on their property. It was wrong. I was about to speak up when the guy eventually stomped out of the place. He'd brushed shoulders with me, nearly jolting me off-balance, but I had my grip tight on a chair. His stare was menacing and even when the door slammed behind him, I still felt goosebumps sprouting on my skin.

I released the breath I didn't know I'd been holding, obviously shaken by the incident. "Who was that?" I asked the owner carefully, not giving anything away from my voice.

"Someone you shouldn't be worried about. The dude's just a troublemaker." Even as she said that I couldn't shake the feeling of dread sinking into the pit of my stomach. The owner righted the collar of her dress and tried to appear as calm and unruffled as she was before.

"Can I please get some cupcakes?" I was eager to get out of here already.

"Yeah, sure." The lady said distractedly and went about fixing my order. She packaged it in a bag, and I paid cash, turning around to leave when she called out.

"Valentina... it's Valentina, right?"

I gulped and nodded. "How'd you-how'd you know me?"

"Well, everyone knows Grandma, right? Welcome to Italy. I hope you do enjoy your stay here."

"Thanks," I muttered, putting on a fake smile. And then, I was out the door, making my way down the sunny street, with the flowers in full bloom.