Love in the Venetian province

Chapter 2

Anna, April 2011That Sunday morning wasn’t one of the sunniest, but Marco was determined: after two weeks with no physical exercise he would go to the mountains for his run in the woods.

As a psychologist in a large company in Vittorio Veneto, during his working days the other employees’ frustrations weighed on him. Having overcome the initial distrust, a few months after he’d been hired every person in the company, from the receptionist to the managers, wanted to speak to him. Marco was always available, he was good at listening to people.

Today would be dedicated to himself, though.

At six a.m. he slipped out of his apartment, put his trekking boots and backpack in his Golf and started the engine.

The morning was wet and slightly foggy. He drove through the city center and at the end of the road he turned right. After a few kilometers the road started to ascend. One, two, three hairpin bends and the sun came out. The higher he went, the more strongly the sun shone, while the plain and the hills below were still covered in a foggy blanket.

After the last bends through beeches and birches Marco drove across the valley where the dark green pines took over. He continued upwards, toward the Alpago, then he took a right turn and after a few minutes finally arrived at a green clearing.

It was the parking lot of an old hotel, built almost entirely in wood in the 1950s. Even though it had been closed for many years, the stone and wood building still showed its elegance. The parking lot was empty for now, even though some hikers would surely be arriving soon.

Marco put on his boots and backpack, locked the Golf and started up the climbing road at a good pace.

The road scrambled into the woods, narrowing into a path.

At the end of the slope Marco sat on a trunk next to a wood-pile, admiring the sun rays penetrating through the branches. A few minutes went by as he listened to the sounds of the forest. Then the got ready to descend: he stood up, put his hand on the wood-pile and did a few knee bends, he carefully cleaned the soles of his boots with a piece of bark, and then he felt ready.

He took a deep breath, concentrated on the steep path, and down he ran!

He knew that path by heart. The slope was increasing, and so was his speed. It was essential to keep an eye on the ground to avoid rocks and roots protruding from the earth. He was panting and his heart was beating faster. “This is more exiting than driving 200 km/h on the highway!” - he thought. Occasionally the path became more narrow and a pine branch would hit his body. As he ran downward the forest changed and the dry firs gave way to green beeches.

The headlong run through the trees continued for twenty more minutes, and then the thick forest opened up to the sunlight. Here, the path split into several smaller ones, which all took to the beautiful Cansiglio Plain, also known as ‘the Doge’s woods’.

Marco didn’t want to leave the woods right away so he turned left under the shade of the trees and ended his run in a little clearing. In front of it a dark rock wall stood, unusual for that place, and on its left a landslide next to a cliff was visible, while in the distance on the right the paved street that crossed the whole valley could be seen.

He slowed his pace and then stopped at the bottom of the rock wall, leaning against it. He lifted his arms to fill his lungs as much as possible, then he slowly started to walk again, moving toward the cliff. Suddenly he heard a cry for help. He cautiously started walking in that direction, and after moving some branches aside he kneeled. Leaning forward he saw her: a woman was hanging onto a root, the tip of her left foot touching the rock wall while the right one was dangling in the air. She was desperately, and apparently to no avail, trying to find some kind of balance.

Marco lay on his stomach and tried to lean as far forward as he could. It was then that the woman saw him and stopped screaming.

She stopped writhing, too: - I slipped, please help me! - she said.

Marco stretched his arms, but he could only brush her fingers. He stood up, took the backpack off, and lying down again told the woman to grab it. When she did, he started pulling it carefully until he was able to grasp the woman’s wrist. Luckily, the woman didn’t weight much, and while she pushed on the root with her left hand he used all his strength to pull her up. Once she was sufficiently close he shouted at her to let go of the root and hold on to his neck. Now that the woman was secured he started sliding backward on his stomach for about thirty centimeters until she was able to place her knees on the ground. Marco then stood up and lifted her to her feet.

The woman held on tightly to him and repeated: - Thank you, thank you! - as the tears flowed from her eyes.

During the rescue she had been strong but now her legs failed her. He picked her up and, turning his back to the cliff, made his way to the open area where he helped the woman sit on the ground with her back leaning against the rock wall. Only then did she start feeling safe. He sat beside her, breathing deeply to catch his breath. It had been an enormous effort for him. He put his arm around her shoulders and held her tight.

After a few minutes she calmed down and she started talking: - My name is Anna Coltran. – she said. – Thank you so much. I was so afraid! I really can’t thank you enough, you saved my life.

Marco smiled and for the first time he really looked at her: she was wearing faded jeans, a light blue sweater, and just one black shoe over dark tights, having the other one likely fallen into the cliff.

Her hair was dark and long, her eyes an intense green.

Marco stretched his hand and introduced himself: - Marco. – he said. – Marco Palieri. You were very lucky I was around.

- You can say that again! - Anna replied, looking into his eyes for the first time.

- So, tell me, – he went on, – how did you manage to fall over the edge of the cliff?

- It was so stupid of me. - Anna said, breathing deeply and brushing her hair from her forehead.

- Today the weather wasn’t great, and at first I just went out to look at the sky, you know, just to get some fresh air, so I wasn’t dressed for a hike in the forest. But the sun came out, it wasn’t windy anymore and the path looked clear, so I walked into the woods until I reached the rock wall. I was just about to turn back when I spotted some strange white flowers on my right, so I decided to go around the wall keeping my back to the cliff, and at the end I didn’t realize I had gotten so close to it.

Anna continued, a little tense: - All of a sudden my left foot wasn’t touching the ground anymore, I lost my balance and I got scared. Panicking, I leaned over and fell to the ground, but at that point I realized my legs were dangling over the cliff so I instinctively tried to get hold of something, anything, while I was fatally sliding. I found a root sticking out and I grasped it, then I managed to put my left foot down. I understood right away I would not have been able to climb up again. I started screaming and screaming… thank goodness you finally heard me!

Anna looked at him with gratitude, smiling.

In the meanwhile the weather had gotten worse. After the early morning fog and a little sun, the sky was now full of dark clouds and rain was already falling on the plain.

Marco was wearing waterproof boots and clothes but Anna, who had just gone out for a short walk, was only wearing her light sweater so, as the temperature changed, she started shivering.

The rain had slowly begun to drip through the thick trees. Anna tried to stand up but realized that she was wearing just one shoe. Marco noticed her predicament and came forward to help her.

- Lean on me! – he told her, – We have to find shelter.

- Thanks! - she said, putting her arm around Marco’s neck and doing her best to keep her bare foot off the ground. They started making their way out of the woods and she pointed him to the direction to take.

- I inherited a small house from my maternal grandmother a few years ago. It isn’t far. I like coming here on weekends, leaving the city to stroll in the nature.

Out of the woods the path broadened and continued for about a kilometer on their right, in the open fields.

The rain was falling heavily now, so they were forced to quicken their pace. She had no choice but to put her foot down on the grass; her arm left Marco’s neck and their fingers intertwined.

They went on, hand in hand, walking faster up to the house.

It was almost noon when they arrived. Dark clouds kept gathering around Monte Cavallo while in front of it the peak of the Pizzoc had already disappeared into the clouds. It didn’t look as though the rain would stop anytime soon.

Anna opened the door, which wasn’t locked, and invited Marco in. The first thing he did was take off his wet sweatshirt, draping it over one of the chairs, while Anna went to the wood stove and immediately lit the fire, which in no time would warm up the room and the water for the shower she so desperately needed.

Marco was sitting on one of the six chairs around the cherry wood table, looking around. The kitchen was spacious, and had just two windows: the one on the right of the door opened onto the fields they had just crossed, while the other one, on the same wall as the kitchen cabinets, looked into the forest. Marco noticed the rough stone floor and the walls, built with stones for half of their height, while the upper part was painted white up to the ceiling. The wall where the cabinets stood was lined with wooden panels.

The bedroom area was about twenty centimeters higher than the kitchen and it consisted in a wrought-iron queen sized bed with a thick mattress and a blue-striped bed cover. It was flanked by two cherry wood nightstands, barely touched by the light that came in through the kitchen windows, and two mustard yellow table lamps. As a complement, two little Arabic rugs were spread on both sides of the bed. The overall impression was one of warmth and simplicity.

Anna was still wearing the wet sweater and stockings. She bent over the stove and blew on the fire. When the flames finally started blazing she turned around and smiled at Marco.

He was watching her; their eyes met, and he returned her smile. Anna sat on a chair next to him and took his hand:

- Thank you again. - she said.

He looked at her and didn’t reply, but he held her hand in his for a long time.

After a few minutes the kitchen had filled with a comfortable warmth and the crackling sound of the wood burning in the stove. Anna felt more relaxed, at last. Everything was going back to normal as she waited for the water in the boiler to warm up. She was feeling uncomfortable with her wet clothes and hair.

Anna let go on Marco’s hand and stood up.

- I’ll go get ready for the shower. Then, if you want, you can take one too.

- Thanks, I’d love to! - Marco said. He was both wet and sweaty.

Before going into the bathroom Anna brought out a bottle of red wine, Cabernet Franc, and two glasses.

- Help yourself! – she told him, – There isn’t much else in the pantry at the moment, that’s all I can offer you.

He smiled and replied that he appreciated the offer, but that he would only drink the wine after the shower, in her company.

After a couple of minutes he heard the water splashing in the other room, so he stood up and went to the window, opened the plaid curtain and looked outside.

It was dark in the valley now and the rain fell lightly. He moved around the room, checked on the fire, and threw a log into the wood stove. Now the temperature was perfect. He took a few steps toward the bed to feel the mattress: “Not very soft.” - he thought, just as he liked.

Sitting on the bed he turned his gaze to the bathroom, which had probably been built at the bedroom’s expense. The door was open and the big and modern shower-box was visible.

Marco could see the outline of Anna’s body moving in it.

She had already washed her hair and was now lathering her neck, shoulders, breasts…

Marco kept watching: her petite body looked well-proportioned.

She turned around to rinse, and as she lifted her head she noticed he was looking at her through the glass door. She simply smiled at him and carried on. Then she put on her bathrobe and went into the bedroom.

While they waited for the water to warm up again she sat on the bed next to him and they started complaining about the weather.

Then it was Marco’s turn to take a shower. With the hot water running down his body he could finally relax, and let it wash away all the tension of the day. Meanwhile, Anna had taken some white flannel pajamas out of her the drawer near the bed and pulled them on. The drawer didn’t hold much, just the basics: a couple of pairs of jeans, two sweaters, a sweatshirt, some underwear and some socks.

She hadn’t kept any of her grandparents’ clothes other than two of her grandfather’s checked flannel shirts that she couldn’t bring herself to throw away. Sometimes she wore them to do gardening, like when it was time to plant new geraniums in spring or cut the grass outside the barn, and she never forgot to take them back from her city home washed and ironed.

She took the two shirts from the drawer and laid them on the bed.

Marco was still in the shower, humming. He felt happy and relaxed, at ease as if this was his own house. When the water turned cold he got out.

Anna offered him a clean towel, smiling, not at all embarrassed by the sight of his naked body.

- Thank you! - said Marco, blushing.

- There are two clean flannel shirts on the bed. They were my grandfather’s… go get one so we can put your clothes to dry on a chair near the fire. - Anna replied.

He chose the white and blue one then went to his backpack to retrieve the extra pair of pants he always brought with him when he went hiking.

By now it was dark outside and still the rain fell heavy on the roof of the little house.

On his weekend tours of the area, he was used to sleeping at Pensione Ciclamino, a guesthouse owned and run by an old couple. For them Marco was more than a customer, he was a friend, and he often dined with them at their table.

Marco drew back the curtain, looked outside, then turned to Anna and said: - It’s time for me to go, I have a room reserved at Pensione Ciclamino.

To get to the parking lot where he’d left the car he would have to walk under the pouring rain for about three kilometers. Anna joined him at the window, looked outside and said: - Why don’t you stay here for the night? We’ll have some pasta, there’s some in the pantry. The bed is big enough for both of us, and tomorrow morning we’ll get up early. I have to be at Conegliano station by eight o’clock, so I can take you to your car whenever you want. -

Marco looked at her and answered: - I’ll have to be at work by nine, that means we’ll need to leave by seven at the latest.

- No problem, – Anna replied, – I’ll set the alarm clock at six-thirty, we’ll have a cup of coffee and we’ll be ready to go.

- All right, but I need to inform the owners of the guesthouse. Let me call them to let them know I’ll stop by and pick up my things tomorrow morning.

Anna nodded and put a pot of water for the pasta on the stove.

The pantry didn’t include anything other than butter, some cheese, salt, pepper and olive oil, some pasta and a few bottles of wine. During the year she rarely came to the house, and when she did she was almost always alone. Her husband was often busy during the weekends and their son, Andrea, had turned eighteen and preferred to spend time with his friends rather than follow his mother here.

The water was boiling so she set the table, and when dinner was ready they sat facing each other. Marco poured some red wine for both.

- This remodeled hayloft is very nice. – said Marco, – Stone, wood, not much else. I like the fact that it’s so simple… functional, but cozy.

Anna replied: - As I was telling you earlier I inherited it from my grandparents, but it wasn’t in good shape. My parents didn’t like the mountain and preferred to spend their holidays at the seaside. I, on the other hand, have never been a fan of crowed beaches and begged them to let me spend my holidays here. And my grandparents were so happy to have me here for a few days every now and then!

She continued: - They were of Cimbrian origin, so they had many relatives and friends here. In summer we would go walking in the woods for hours and they would teach me the names of all the local flowers and trees. Some cousins of mine had a riding stable near here, so one summer I even learned to ride a horse.

Unfortunately, when they got older they began having health problems so they decided to move to a small flat near the center of Vittorio Veneto. After that, this little house was almost completely abandoned. Only my father came here once or twice a year, to mow the grass or to fix the roof, but nothing else. The house was neglected for years.

Anna paused, sipping the wine, and then continued.

- When I got married my parents asked me what I wanted as a wedding gift. I didn’t even need to think about it: “I’d like to have Grandma and Grandpa’s house.” I replied. It took me a few years after we were married to convince my husband, Sergio, to remodel the house; he wasn’t interested at all. I, on the contrary, have always loved this place, ever since I was a child: the mountains, the forest, the long walks, the horseback riding tours. Sometimes, if it snows, tourist come up here in winter as well.

Marco hadn’t interrupted her; as she spoke he’d continued eating and had poured himself more wine. An immediate spark connected him to this green-eyed, black-haired woman.

Anna wasn’t speaking anymore and seemed to be waiting for him to tell her something about himself.

He looked at her and started talking, with his warm voice:

- I’ve only been coming here for a year and a half, more or less. It’s the place where I come on weekends to run in the forest and relieve all the stress from work.

He paused briefly, then continued: - After my diploma I enrolled at the University of Padua to study psychology. My parents weren’t wealthy, so my university years consisted in a lot of studying and a few odd jobs to try and relieve the pressure on them. After graduating I started looking for a job right away, I sent resumes to many companies and I always enrolled in open competitions. I actually met my wife, Matilde, thanks to one for a teaching position. Now, though, I work for a private company in Vittorio Veneto. I was employed in Human Resources, but currently I’m a psychologist for the entire staff. My wife, instead, has finally obtained a tenured position as a literature teacher in a secondary school in Conegliano after years of subbing. We have twins, Alessia and Alessandra, who are seventeen.

So, as you can see, I have a very busy life, and that’s why I come up here whenever I can: running through the woods is something that I do just for myself and it gives me a feeling of freedom. Nature makes me feel good and allows me to recharge my batteries.

He stopped and smiled at her.

Anna returned the smile, but now she could feel the long day weighing heavy on her.

In fact she replied: - I would really love continue talking, but I’m so tired. It’s been a long, tiring day to say the least, and I almost lost everything, including my life.

Anna whispered these last few words, her voice trembling. She could still picture herself hanging on to that root, dangling in the void. She would probably have started crying, had she been alone.

She stood and, keeping her gaze low, hastily put the plates in the sink. Marco got up too, moved close to her and tenderly put his hand on her shoulder, comforting her:

- I know it was tough, but it’s over now. What you need is a good night’s sleep and tomorrow you’ll feel as good as new, you’ll see.

Anna slowly turned around and hugged him.

- Thanks, Marco, you’re probably right. I’ll feel better tomorrow.

He held her tight. She could feel the warmth of his body, but slowly moved away from him.

- I’ll go get ready for the night. - she told him.

Marco went to the window, pulled back the checked curtain and looked outside at the pitch black night. After Anna had finished her preparations and gone to bed, he went to the bathroom, checked on the wood stove in the kitchen and then, after carefully folding his pants, he finally slipped under the blanket, on the right side of the bed.

Since the day of his wedding he had never laid in bed with another woman apart from his wife.

The last thing Anna felt was Marco laying down, before falling into a deep, restful sleep.

For Marco, on the other hand, falling asleep wasn’t as easy; the flannel shirt bothered him, so he took it off, put on a t-shirt he found in his backpack, and went back to bed.

The meeting with Anna had thrown him into a state of confusion. Her presence in the bed made him feel as if he had, so far, lived his life in a bubble that now was ready to explode. As he tried to fall asleep, his mind wandered and filled with memories from a hot summer many years ago when, at twelve, he’d fallen in love for the first time.

Back then he’d known nothing about love and, above all, he couldn’t imagine that this first childhood love would accompany him for years to come. Restless, he tossed and turned in the bed; eventually, he hugged Anna and finally relaxed as his memories took over.