My Italian Romance
… her name was Rossella. We met at the wedding. She had big beautiful brown eyes, and the kind of smile that makes you blush and feel like you’ve never talked to a girl before. She asked me to run away with her to Malta. We were going to learn Maltese – she’d help me with the Italian roots, and I’d help her with the Arabic influence… and we’d take long rides in brightly painted boats out of the Valletta bay and watch the sun set and rise again having counted every star in the sky… in Maltese, and on our way home I’d routinely shock her by jumping out to swim the last kilometre in the hot early morning Mediterranean sun. She would row to shore in time to lie next to my dripping, tan, muscular body in the sand and dote on me because of my calm strength and sexiness…
… I might be slightly reading into our conversations that evening, but it was mostly implied…
Though eternal love didn’t blossom in the end, she did say one of the best things that I will take away from my trip. I told her I was travelling with my mother in Venice – since mom didn’t come to the wedding – and she immediately responded, “oh wonderful! Venice is such a romantic city” at which point I thought maybe she was being sarcastic and patronizing. But she continued, “... your first visit to Venice was with a woman that you will love until the day you die, and have loved every day of your life.” I thought it was a rather beautiful thing to say given it was our first meeting. And so it was that I had that trips greatest realisation over canapés and champagne on the terrace of the reception, sun setting over the vineyard… The highlight of my trip was travelling with the only woman that I have known even longer than I’ve been on this earth. The real 'love' story was the companionship, fun, and new friendship that I’m finding increasingly in my adulthood with my mom. As fun as wild romance and far off Mediterranean Islands would have been, it was perfect as it was… and I wouldn’t have been there with anyone else. We’ve never had a trip together like that before, and it’s exactly how I’d want to see romantic Italy for the first time if I could do it again. We make good wandering buddies, and I like that.
4 comments:
Hello Travis,
well, it's really strange for me to post this message and maybe I shouldn't at all... I won't tell you how I found out you had this blog because it's just too crazy a coincidence...
But I just wanted to tell you that I found really quaint what you wrote about Italy, Venice, the wedding and well, our meeting, and I really hope to meet you again one day, in London, Malta or wherever our destiny brings us.
Take care & all the best,
Rossella
Ha Ha... Rossella. I never thought in a million years you’d find your way to this blog. It makes the story just that much better. I hope you don't mind me using our meeting and conversation so tongue in cheek – I recently told a version of the blog story to someone when asked if anything wonderful and romantic happened on my trip, then added ‘when life doesn’t exactly yield the excitement and romance you’re looking for – sometimes its best to just make it up and let yourself dream.’ I find it works best when there’s a grain of truth or real live person to attach to the dream. I hope it doesn’t embarrass you – I’m certainly blushing.
I am intrigued by the crazy coincidence… and yes, perhaps we will meet again someday.
(if this isn’t really Rossella and someone’s having some fun – I commend you – it’s a great gag!)
Hi again,
I swear it's the real girl writing this to you... the Rossella who played the Wedding March at the church, told you about the worst interpreters' nightmares and about her love for Malta (and Budapest!) at the party...
I'm not so sure about the brown eyes and the smile, but I had to blush, too, that's for sure...
No problem about being part of your blog's tales - as long as it is in such a sweet and romantic way, I really could not be angry at you!! ;)
But maybe it would be better to continue this conversation in a more private way?! Otherwise your friends could get embarassed too... or perhaps too much intrigued from the whole story! ;)
Any e-mail address I could use to write to you?
Greetings from the Black Forrest,
Ross
Okay, I believe it is you. But now I feel a bit like I’m rather awkwardly and conspicuously trying to slip out of an intimate party of friends for a private room. It can’t exactly go unnoticed. I laughed so much today when I read your comments… and, for the record, I think it’s to late to avoid intrigue.
Still, to spare more embarrassment (though I have a hunch my friends would get a kick out of this conversation continuing exactly where it is)…
TravisRandall@mac.com. I’ll talk to you soon.
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