Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2005 04:55:58 -0400
From: SSch191950@aol.com
Subject: The Lizard, part 4, chapter 3

THE LIZARD, part 4: Inverno
by Stefan

Comments are welcome

______________

3
______________


Marcello and Dante were sentenced to two months imprisonment and two years
probation with the condition to meet each month with the probation
officer. They were sentenced to social hours at an almshouse, and, as
Raniero once had, to work at a AIDS-station. In December the rapists of
Tristano and Alfredo were sentenced to two and a half years. The judge
didn't use the Children and Young Persons Act and so they had to serve the
sentence in Florence.


                  *


"Hello gioia,

How's it going? I've got used to it. Imagine, one and a half months of my
sentence is already over. It's crap that you can't come for my
birthday. But I understand. I'll tell nobody and have a celebration on my
own (Yeah. I think after those damn three years my hand will be suffering
from tendonitis).

The room is OK. It's rather as I always assumed a youth's room to be, you
know, with a narrow bed and a pine wood wardrobe and even ugly
wallpaper. I've pinned the drawing of you on it. It has made the rounds
that I'm gay quicker than a firestorm. It has earned me the odd stare and
nasty comments. But it has also given me acceptance.

Tell me about Firenze. I miss the exhaust fumes. I miss the tourists. I
miss the snow.

I miss you.

Alessandro"



Luca gathered up Alessandro's letters. He'd sorted them by the date and
bound them with a ribbon. A package for each month. He stored them at
Palazzo Gondi although there was nobody disturbing him at home. The
brothers were still in jail. He did it nonetheless, like he gathered all of
his treasures there: his leather suit, the Gondi-cross, the remains of the
Lapis Lazuli, the CD-player with the disc, his drawings of Alessandro.

One day he had opened a book and stared at a dried white lily. With a jolt
he remembered that this was his gift to Alessandro at the very start of
their relationship. He almost cried. Who would have thought that Alessandro
would dry the flower. Cautiously he took it from the book and glued it upon
white cardboard. Days after he visited a copy shop and got it protected
with a laminate. Perhaps this would be the start of a collection thinking
about next Spring when he could walk up to Fiesole, gathering flowers and
herbs. He needed something to do. Leoni would give birth to her child
then. And Alessandro would still be in jail.

Luca was very aware that Alessandro didn't tell him everything in his
letters. They were probably censored anyway. On Alessandro's birthday, the
5th of December, they had made arrangements to think of each other at ten
o'clock. Which was ridiculous because Luca thought of his boyfriend every
minute.

Luca was bent over his palm-sized Lapis Lazuli-lizard that he had wanted to
give Alessandro for his birthday, but he hadn't made it. With the help of
Coppo it had a nice twisted shape and Luca was busy polishing it with
sandpaper and a marble-stick. He had learnt that the polishing needed twice
as long as the carving and he wanted to create a perfect lizard. Even the
green eyes were still missing. The cutters had got used to Luca Montori
sharing their workshop occasionally because Professore Coppo had allowed
him to do so.

The small yellow bird shot from the cuckoo clock and called ten
times. Startled Luca looked up and stopped the machine with which he had
given his lizard the final cutting. Instantly he conjured Alessandro's face
before his inner eye and in his thoughts he dug his fingers into his locks
falling over his ears down almost to his shoulders. What if he had to cut
them? He surely wouldn't tell him. Anyway... he sensed a warm feeling and
knew Sandro was thinking of him too.


                    *


"Carino,

I'm so happy you're able to come. You need to take the train and then the
bus. Otherwise it's always the same. The workshop has started and I decided
to learn how to sew a button. Funny, isn't it. Perhaps I'll become tailor
and will design my own collection. Just kidding. Well, it's actually
interesting and useful. Mario said in a jail in Germany the prisoners have
created a collection of clothes and sell them well in the shops. Mario is
the leader of my group. He takes care of everything. I guess he's gay. I
caught some stares from him, but otherwise he's pretty all right. Oh, and
Franco has sent me my stuff from Pisa and is willing to ask if I can
continue my studies from here. Just my laptop I had to give away.

I wait impatiently for you,

Alessandro"



                *


Luca opened his travel guide. Outside his train the landscape passed by
without Luca noticing it. Poggibonsi had always meant a town that was
completely destroyed by the German Wehrmacht in the second World war to
him. As he read on, this was obviously a shameless exaggeration:

"Whoever arrives in Vald'Elsa, rarely stops at Poggibonsi to admire the
artistic treasures that are still here. Other guides speak little of this
centre known more for its industry than for its history. In reality, "there
are two Poggibonsi..."; there is a modern, industrial and commercial
Poggibonsi and there is an antique, historic and artistic Poggibonsi. The
first is a slightly boring and industrialized town; the second is more
charming, tranquil and conducive to recollection and meditation. The two
Poggibonsi for all their differences do not intrude one another; being
relatively well separated from one another permits them to live "together"
peacefully. In fact, the more antique practically needs to be conquered,
being situated on higher ground, while the more modern is reachable simply
by stepping off the train..."

So... he would probably only get to know the modern town, but he wasn't
sure. It was too bad Sandro wasn't allowed to pick him up. Luca's heart
pounded. He regretted that he still hadn't finished the lizard but his bag
was full with gifts anyway. It was a one hour journey by train from Firenze
to Poggibonsi and he yearned for the time when he could drive the red
Ferrari. But he wasn't old enough to get his driver's licence. He had
started to take lessons, just for the bike, although using it in winter was
too dangerous.

It was a gloomy day where the clouds didn't seem to lift but instead
hovered a metre over the pavement and landscape. The lovely valley of the
river Elsa looked miserable and wet when Luca's train arrived at the
railway station. He quickly orientated himself and stepped onto the right
bus leading to the youth's detention centre. But then Luca's face lit up,
he wasn't driving directly into the dirty, grey and boring industrial town
that had been built up after the war, but into the outskirts where the
splendid castle Poggio Imperiale greeted him from afar. He passed an
ancient looking monastery with monks working outside, and saw a church even
further away.

Luca left the bus in front of a yellow washed building which looked more
like a Tudor-castle than a prison. Probably Sandro was right when he
thought it to be more of a boarding school. He wasn't the only one who had
left the bus, but a group of about eleven people gathered now at the
entrance, each one laden with bags and flowers. Together they passed
through a yard with a guard sitting in a cabin, then they had to show their
identity cards and were put through the scanner. Their bags were examined
as well and Luca was relieved when he was given his OK to enter the
visitor's rooms.

He saw him instantly and he couldn't speak with pure excitement. The room
had reduced to Alessandro, his dark locks and his blue eyes, light up like
a sea of stars; his lips, red and luscious and to his body that meant the
world to him, but there was the table between them Alessandro had to walk
around it before he could touch and embrace him.

"You look like Babbo Natale himself", Alessandro teased him when he had
broken free from his body. "Come, let's go out into the garden. You can
leave the bag here and shower me with presents afterwards."

"Garden? Are we allowed there?"

Alessandro pulled him along behind, out into a piece of a garden that was
protected by a wall with barbed wire. This was the only thing that reminded
Luca of a jail, except for two guards who walked up and down, and those
distinct smells of floor polish, disinfectant and loneliness. "We have a
greenhouse" Alessandro told him. "It's quite great. Next Spring I'll be
with the gardener to seat the plants and sort them out when they are
older." He pulled Luca further and chattered, "And we've already made a
trip to the Paleontology museum, imagine", Alessandro said. "It's like
being in boarding school." Then he swallowed and looked into Luca's
eyes. "I'm babbling. But I can't stand the sight of you without being
allowed to lay down with you here and now."

Luca burst into his pearly laughter and some tears were mingled
within. With ease Alessandro pulled Luca to his chest and started to kiss
him so that he didn't know head nor tail when they parted. They earned a
whistling for they weren't the only couple or people in the garden. "Do you
see them?" Alessandro pointed at a group of three, standing aside without
visitors. "Sentenced because of theft, burglary and bodily injury. I guess
I can't get rid off the Riefoli-type of guys."

"Have they harmed you?"

Alessandro laughed. "No. They wouldn't dare. Luckily we all have a single
room. They don't want too much fraternization here in case you learn
something from the heavy guys."

Luca watched him warily. Sandro was lying. He knew him well enough to sense
it. Or at least Sandro wasn't telling him everything for fear of scaring
his boyfriend. Well, Luca was old enough to take the truth. But then, he
didn't want to spoil their meeting. "Was it wise to out yourself?" he
asked. "And do they know what you've done?"

Alessandro tugged at Luca's scarf. "You can't hide anything. here If they
hadn't known at first - they know now. And of course they know why I was
sentenced here. Actually I seem to have gained some acknowledgment", he
added. "The worse you are the more they admire you."

Luca was shocked. "Then this is the wrong place for them."

"They need time", Alessandro objected. "We meet in a group for
integration. We have to talk about the things we did and what we felt when
we did them. Listen, can you send me my warm clothes? And gloves and a cap?
It's getting cold this winter."

Luca swallowed. His mother had packed him three pairs of woolen socks for
Alessandro. "Of course." He felt Sandro shivering in his thin anorak when
he leaned against him. He put Sandro's face between his palms and rubbed
his cheeks. Then he unwrapped his scarf and wrapped it around Alessandro's
neck. "Let's go in."

Alessandro pulled two hot teas from the automat in the visitor's room. They
both sat in a corner near the heating. "Who's this Mario actually?" Luca
asked.

"He's there." Alessandro pointed across the room. Luca saw a youngish man
sitting in the other corner with his legs crossed, watching the prisoners
and their visitors. His hair was straight and black like raven wings, his
face pale. He gave the impression of a student having sat too long in a
library though his amber eyes were vigilant.

"He looks good", Luca said, sipping at his hot tea. "Like a night
flower. You fancy him? You said you thought he was gay."

"Perhaps he is." Seeing Luca's jealous facial expression he laughed and
stroked his blond hair back behind his ear. "It's great you're here. We
aren't allowed to show you our rooms unfortunately, so you'll have to kiss
me here and now." He brought his lips close and engaged Luca in a wild kiss
that stirred the parts well hidden in his jeans. Luca caught a glance from
Mario, then he slid restless upon his chair. Though the governors of the
place had put in all efforts to make this a home for criminal youths Luca
didn't feel comfortable here. Perhaps it was the claustrophobic feeling of
being locked up. Alessandro was still looking into his face. "How are Tris
and Vito?"

"Fine. Tris confessed to being in love."

"Oh. And for once not with you?" Alessandro teased him and pressed his leg
against Luca's. "No, for once he isn't. Vito's great, you know. So... grown
up."  Alessandro rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Oh come on, you aren't
keen on sugar daddies, are you."

Luca nudged him. "Vito's hardly twenty six and Tris eighteen. What do you
expect?"

"That Vito can teach Tris even more than the callboys could", he whispered.

"You only have sex on your mind", Luca whispered back, pressing his knee
against Alessandro's. "How often do you jerk off?"

"Hmmm", Alessandro counted in his mind. "First time after I wake up, second
time when I come from the shower having seen all the naked boys, the third
time after I've seen your face upon the drawing and the fourth time when I
creep into bed again. Not to mention all those wet dreams."

Luca snorted with laughter. "That's not funny", he said then. "What if
you're raped too?"

"You shouldn't even think about that."


                        * * * * *


Christmas had come and gone as had the new year. Luca had been invited to
Villa Kazar to celebrate New Year's Eve. It had hurt like hell to watch
Tris and Vito happy together, despite that he had been so happy for
Tris. It had hurt to see Giano and Celestino and all the couples wishing
each other a happy new year. He counted how many lonely starts of a new
year he would have to endure. But Rosso, sensing his sorrow, had filled him
up with champagne, saying that Alessandro wasn't dead. He just was not
there.

He dragged him out to the steaming river that was covered with ice floes,
floating upon the dark, glistening water. Since his childhood he hadn't
seen this spectacle and like everyone else he watched it with astonished
eyes. Behind San Miniato the fireworks started shooting up into the
cold-crispy air. "Happy New Year, Sandro", he whispered, wrapping his arms
around himself. He was cold. Then he felt himself being turned around and
kissed by Rosso on each cheek, then he lent over to all of his friends and
acquaintances.

Sergio was there, still the centre of attention. Despite the tragic events
he didn't seem to have lost his cheerfulness and carefree attitude. Though
one thing was significant: his relationship with Alfredo had become
stronger.


              *


"Carino,

I'm allowed to continue with my studies. It will be a sort of
correspondence course to become a certified guide. It contains a heavy test
in the history of Arts and languages. Will you do me a favour and go to
Arrigo? He will give you money for buying me things. I need a refresher
course on CD in English and French for my final examination.

The winter's hard this year. Are there still ice floes upon the Arno? Too
bad I can't be with you and watch them. They say it snowed.

Well, I don't know what to write actually. Life is hard. I'm supposed to
get up at seven each morning and then the day is filled with work and
therapy groups and sport. They probably want to make better men of us. Tell
me about Tristano and Vittorio. I've had a letter from Giano and from
Anastasia. Leoni refuses to write me, well, understandable I guess. When
will you come to visit me?

Take care, XXXXXXXXX

Alessandro"


Was this the cheerful Alessandro he had learnt to love? He sounded
depressed and Luca hoped for the Spring to improve his mood. The package of
Alessandro's letters had increased and filled two shoeboxes. The lizard was
almost finished and was well protected in Coppo's office. Luca planned to
give it to him at his next visit.

Sighing he put Alessandro's letter between the pages of a book that he
stowed away into his rucksack, then he left his room and entered the
kitchen. Since his brothers had been released from jail he was only seldom
at home. Niccolò was understanding, though he saw that his mother felt
unhappy about the situation.

The window panes were steamed up from heat and the scent of wafers tickled
his nose when he sat at the table, next to his father. Dante was there
already. His face looked haggard and he had lost the most of his beefy
stature over the past months. Luca knew that he was working on the ward of
an AIDS-hospital. By and by Dante had ceased his comments about Luca's
sexuality. Luca thought he knew why although he couldn't be sure what was
going on in the mind of his big brother.

"What does Alessandro write, gioia?", Clarissa asked, putting a wafer upon
Luca's plate.

"Nothing important. He wants an English and French language course that I
will need to buy."

"What from?" Dante throw in. "Gondi's certainly rich enough to buy it
himself."

"In jail?" Luca said sharply. "Yeah, sure, he can go into the next shop and
buy the things he needs."

"I thought this so-called jail was a better youth's hostel compared to my
stay."

Luca glared at him over the table and found him worth no answer. Niccolò
looked alternating from one to the other. "It seems as if you think of
yourself as being a martyr, Dante", he said then. "You've got yourself into
this trouble. I thought a Montori was man enough to take that."

Luca inwardly rolled his eyes. Again those odd conception of what it meant
to be a man.

"I did nothing", Dante objected with firm voice. If possible he had become
even gloomier. "Those few pills we sold at the gym were ludicrous."

"Pills? Amphetamine and doping pills", Luca said. "Look at you. You looked
like a pumped up monster." He leaned forward. "I've heard they make you
impotent. That's the reason you don't have a girlfriend?"

Dante flung his body over the table, ready to slap Luca, but Niccolò held
his arm. "Basta."

"And you kidnapped me and brought me to that ... obnoxious woman", Luca
continued, happy to spit it all out. It was a relief for his confused soul.
Dante howled with false laughter. "That was the first time you've seen a
cunt close up. Did you like the taste of it?"

Clarissa stepped quickly to the table and boxed Dante's ears. Her palm
burned like the cheek of her son. "Another word and you can pack your
stuff, Dante, I swear. It's bad enough you did this to your brother. Watch
your language, son."

Dante, surprised at Clarissa's serious tone, shut his mouth. Luca glared at
him. "You knew about what happened to Tristano and you covered up for
Raniero and the other two culprits. You are guilty as well. They just
couldn't prove it."

Niccolò patted his arm. "Enough, Luca. What happened, happened."

"And your boyfriend's a murderer!" Dante shouted.

"I said basta!" Clarissa said sharply. "How often shall we continue to chew
on this issue. Luca said Sandro defended himself. We believe him. That the
judge didn't think so was unfortunate but it only affected the penalty. I
don't have to talk about morality, Dante, do I?"

"Morality", Dante spat out the word. "That's just a word. Gondi deserves
more than what he got."  Luca looked down at his wafer and started to
eat. It was useless to start a fight; Dante would never understand.

"You still don't understand why I did it, right?" Dante continued now more
calmly. "Because I wanted to part you from him. He's bad. I would have done
everything for you."

Niccolò rose. "Come, Luca. Time to go to work."

Luca took his wafer and his bag and followed his father. It was good to
feel his presence but he felt the urge to move into Alessandro's palazzo,
to be alone. He couldn't live with his brothers under the same roof.

The next day he visited Arrigo to pick up the cheque. It was more money
than Luca had expected, so he had a shopping spree, buying not only the
language course, CD's that Alessandro had wanted but also books he thought
useful, warm pullovers, trousers and underwear.



On his next visit to Poggibonsi he watched Alessandro unwrapping the box
and opening the lid. Between a bed of cotton wool the blue lizard sat and
stared with green serpentine eyes. Alessandro's eyes grew large. "That's
the lapis lazuli?" he asked and set the lizard carefully upon his
palm. "It's beautiful." He looked at it from all sides. "How did you do
it?" The figure weighed heavy in his hand and tugged at his heart.

"With Coppo's help. The rest of the stone I'll work into something
different. You like it?"

"It's brilliant. Thank you, gioia." He leaned in and gave Luca a deep
kiss. Again Luca felt the eyes of Mario Giacomelli on him, sitting in his
corner of the visitor's room. This time he had spectacles on his nose which
fortified the impression of him being a student.

"I'll protect it well. It's really precious. And it means a lot to me."
Alessandro closed his fingers over the figure. "As always, I have nothing
for you."

"Except your presence. How are you getting along?"

Alessandro seemed to have lost weight. Instead he appeared to be firmer and
stronger. His blue eyes were a bit shaded which stressed the crook in his
nose.

"Oh, I'm fine. They've accepted me as their captain of the
handball-team. And I know how to sew a bag. Now I will learn how to design
a suit."

Luca grinned involuntarily. "Design a suit? Emilio Pucci won't like the
idea of you being his rival."

Alessandro grinned as well. "What else shall I do here? It's boring
enough. When Spring starts I can be busy in the garden, but otherwise..."

And this all because of me, Luca thought. His bad conscience was sometimes
unbearable. The wounds of late October hadn't healed. He felt Alessandro
being cut off from all the things moving Luca and the world outside. He
didn't belong to them anymore. Luca felt helpless.

Silence spread between them while Alessandro was stroking the lizard and
Luca was watching him.

"Giano had his first visit to the pathology lab. He almost threw up."

"Indeed so? I can't bear to see blood either."

"It's not only the blood, you know", Luca said with low voice. "He said
instead of this he'd rather fight through microbiology, neurology and
history of medicine. That though is rather boring but not as nasty."

Alessandro nodded. "And I'd rather fight through the archives at the
library. Does he still want to become a surgeon?"

"Apparently not. Well, he doesn't have to decide yet."

Silence grew again. "I have to go now", Luca said finally. Alessandro
didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell Luca so much, but there were no
words forming upon his tongue. There was no words for what he felt being
locked up in this place. It was so much harder than he had imagined. And
the hate for the people responsible grew with each day.

He rose when Luca stood up. Together they went out. "Thank you for
everything", Alessandro said. Still holding the lizard in his fist he
embraced Luca for a long time.


                 * * * * *

The "Scoppio del Carro" [*] was the most exciting event on Easter
Sunday. Like at the Gioco in June festively dressed groups paraded through
the streets, horse-riders at the front with trumpets and drums, flag-wavers
and groups in colourful, traditional-costumes following them. In the middle
of the train was a carriage dragged by four white, flower-decorated
oxen. Upon the carriage was set up a painted, wooden tower of green and
brown with ribbons and a frame that hid the pyrotechnics.

Luca and Rosso had waited since the early morning at the place in front of
the cathedral to watch the spectacle. Both had done so since they were kids
in school and today was no exception, except that today Franco was with
them. He had come over from Pisa for the holidays and was staying together
with Luca at Palazzo Gondi. Rosso had his camera ready and Seppe upon his
shoulders. Luca clutched the shoulders of Dani standing in front of
him. All of this was Greek to Franco. Well, he could understand that the
light of the new day, celebrating Jesus' resurrection had to be carried out
of the churches to enlighten the world. But what had the tower to do with
it? "When does it start?", he asked.

 "Noon", Luca said. He scanned the people gathering. Somewhere Vito had to
be to check with the crowd. And in consequence Tris of course. Both were
hardly to be separated except for Vito's odd working times. Surely Tris had
told none of this at home. He still hadn't come out and this demanded white
lies from Luca and Rosso as well.

"So, could anyone please tell me what's this all about?" Franco - meanwhile
with a long shock of hair that stressed his fine face - eyed the
flag-wavers with their colourful costumes demonstrating their skills upon
the wide piazza in front of the Baptistery. "It's made from the stones at
Santi Apostoli", Dani cooed smart-alecky.

"Right, briciola", Rosso answered. "It's a long ceremony that begins at the
crack of dawn in the church of Santi Apostoli. The tradition dates back to
the first Crusade in 1099. There was a Florentine nobleman by the name of
Pazzino de Pazzi who was the first to climb the walls of Jerusalem carrying
the flag of the crusaders. For his courage the commander and chief of the
crusade, rewarded Pazzino with stone splinters from the Holy
Sepulchre. When he returned to Florence he donated these splinters to the
city. And since Santi Apostoli is the oldest church in town, they are still
kept there."

Luca shivered briefly. He remembered the attack last Spring near the
church, when he and Alessandro had been beaten up by a group of
attackers. Dante and Marcello still hadn't admitted that they had been
involved.

"The priest takes the ancient flints and rubs them together to produce
sparks to light the Easter candle, which in turn is used to light coals in
a fire holder" Rosso continued. "And then these coals are handed over by
the civic authorities to the archbishop, who celebrates Mass at the high
altar of the cathedral."  Franco looked astonished. "And then he lights the
cart?"

"No! First they sing!" Dani throw in, chewing at an apple, Rosso had
provided from his rucksack.

"Right", Luca remembered. "They sing the Gloria and then the archbishop
lights the fuse. But you'll see."

 Two men, dressed as mercenaries with wide trousers and blue feather plumes
upon their helmets fixed a wire rope at the pyre and went with it into the
cathedral where Emilio Gondi-Lucertola, the mayor, waited side by side with
the archbishop of Florence who donated incense and sprinkled the cart with
holy water.

People pushed from behind for a better view. Tourists and locals had
mingled and everyone was armed with video and still cameras to watch the
actually pagan ceremony with which the people of the middle ages had bound
the fate of their town.

It had become quiet over the place. Singing sounded from inside of the
cathedral. Then, after a long time the commander of the troops shouted a
command and the drums started. Luca saw a flickering light buzzing through
the cathedral. The Colombina - a rocket hidden in a white paper-dove - had
been lit at the altar and was now rushing through the dark nave towards the
exit. Like a flashing light it shot out of the open doors and hit the pyre
that exploded with a crack of fireworks, releasing clouds of smoke and
setting off Catherine wheels and crackers.

A loud cheering swept over the place, mingled with the crackers on the cart
and the tinny sound of the trumpets. The archbishop lifted his hand in
blessing and Emilio Gondi applauded.

"Florence will have a prosperous year", Rosso shouted over the noise and
winked, "and the harvest will be great." He referred to the fact, that to
guarantee that the show goes off successfully, a fireman hides inside the
cart and, if the dove plays up, lights the fuse of the first cracker.

"Amen", Luca mumbled.

"Wow", said Franco. The cart was twisting and turning with the light and
noise supplied by fireworks.

 Seppe upon Rosso's shoulders started to bawl. The air was sticky with
thick smoke and stank as if they had burnt old socks. Rosso put his brother
on to his feet and crouched down. "No need to cry, briciola." He wiped
Seppe's tears. "Look at the oxen, aren't they pretty?" He pointed to the
animals, standing safe enough aside.

Seppe sniffed and beamed then. "Their ears are closed with wax so they
aren't startled like little boys like you", Rosso said, stroking Seppe's
red corkscrew locks.

The crowd parted to give way for the procession. "And what are we doing
now?" Rosso asked. The sun on this last day of March was warm and burnt
down upon Luca's head. He looked up into the blue washed sky.

Perhaps Alessandro would be out in his garden to care for the plants in the
green house.

"Let us have ice-cream", Rosso said then. "The first this year." Dani
jumped with excitement and took his brother's hand. Luca thought it
touching how Rosso handled his little brothers. Some time he would become a
great father.

"Look, there's Vito", Luca said suddenly. Vito looked really posh in his
blue uniform. To celebrate the day he had flowers in a buttonhole and a
bunch of pink ostrich feathers fixed on his uniform's hat. Luca
chuckled. The appropriate colour for him. What if his colleagues knew he
was gay? He saw Tris waving next to him. "Let's see if Tris's coming with
us", Luca said, fighting his way through the crowd.

The air was still filled with smoke that gathered slowly around the
cathedral's cupola and vanished as grey haze in the azure-blue sky.

One hour and two coppa of ice cream later Luca's mobile started to
ring. First he couldn't recognize the quiet voice. It was Anastasia calling
from hospital to say that Leoni had given birth to a son last night. She
sounded somewhat unaffected and controlled. No wonder, Luca thought
immediately. Who knew how much Leoni had picked on the old woman. At the
same time he felt bad that he had never visited her after all that had
happened with Alessandro.

There must have been a large gap of silence from his side because Anastasia
asked if he had understood what she had said. Instantly reality hit him
with a hammer. Leoni had given birth to a son! He almost knocked his
half-empty ice cup over Seppe, to add to the strawberry-red blotches
already upon his shirt. "A son, you say?" he almost yelled into the tiny
loudspeaker. "Have you told Sandro yet?"

Rosso watched him curiously. He was informed about the faked marriage and
the reason behind it. Now surprise was painted upon his face and a tiny bit
of satisfaction. At least all this had paid out. Luca cut the connection
and slid nervously upon his stool. "Sandro doesn't know about it yet. She
doesn't have the number of the institute. Damn. I need to visit her, how
could I have forgotten?" He pushed his coppa over to Seppe and Dani. "Eat,
I have to make a call."

While Luca tried to get Alessandro on the phone Rosso mumbled "So he's a
rich man now, yes? What did you say? Twenty million?"

Luca nodded absentmindedly, then his face was washed over with
disappointment. Sandro couldn't come to the phone right now. He was with
his person in charge, Mario. A twinge of jealousy stung Luca's heart. Well,
he had to try again this evening.


"What would you buy with twenty million?" Rosso asked lost in his thoughts.

"A red fire engine", Seppe said seriously, spooning the remains of Luca's
ice cream. Rosso and Luca laughed. "Red as your hair, eh? Well, you can buy
a lot more than a fire brigade", Rosso said. "You could buy the fire
departments of the whole world. Hm, probably I would give most of it
away. Why would I need such a mountain of money? Have you both ever talked
about it?"

"Not at all. At least it's the money of the Gondi's and Alessandro will
hardly give it away for nothing."

Rosso's green eyes rested upon him. "And you?"

"Me? I think I'd open a foundation for AIDS. Research, help, care and
prevention. I'd do it in the name of Sandro's brother." The same moment he
realised what he had blabbed out. But what the hell... "Sandro's brother
died of AIDS."

Rosso's eyes widened. "I hadn't the slightest idea that he had a brother."

"Sandro was little when he died."

"Gay?"

Luca shrugged his shoulders. At the same moment someone tapped upon his
shoulder. Luca looked up into Tristano's beaming face. "I knew you'd be
sitting here in the sun, eating your third coppa of ice cream", he said
grinning.

"The second", Dani hurried to tell him.

"I see that", Tristano answered. "Let me guess, you had vanilla with
strawberries, right?"

Dani pouted. "How do you know?"

"From the blotches upon your shirts, easy enough."

"Where's Vito?" Rosso asked.

"Working. He must supervise the clearing of the carro and then his job's
done. Where's Franco? I saw he was with you."

"Sightseeing. We shall meet again in the afternoon." And nobody's here to
play the guide for him, Luca added in his thoughts. Sandro would have loved
it.

"Someone's got a new baby", Dani cooed, satisfied to carry over the hot
news. Tristano looked blank.

"Leoni, Sandro's wife", Luca said. "A son, imagine!"

"Fine, then he can finally file for his divorce. Oops", Tristano rolled his
eyes. "Sorry, I didn't want to make light of it. But this Leoni girl had
accepted the arrangement, right? So, no reason for us to feel pity for
her. How much will she get?"

Luca shrugged. "Don't know. Enough, I guess."


Luca and his friends spent the whole with more sightseeing for Franco,
roundabouts for the kids and pizza for the adults Luca thought about Sandro
and the baby. How would he feel? He wondered if Arrigo had been able to
call him to tell him the news? Absentmindedly he watched Rosso's face which
had changed colour when he saw Carolina, Tristano's ex-girlfriend. They all
got the message and left them alone.

--------------------------------
[*] ital: explosion of the carriage

to be continued