Live to Tell (3 page)

“Olivio,” he shouted.

“This is my second cousin Flavio.
E
Flavio,
I have brought an English friend for supper.” They embraced, clapping each other round the shoulders and after greeting me, Flavio said, “Olivio, I have a surprise for you. Some of your other English friends are here, camping in the lower field. They are inside. Come and see.”

Joe caught hold of my hand and the three of us walked together to the veranda, but as we approached a shout erupted from within.

“That’s my great uncle,” Joe smiled, as an elderly man with bowed legs rushed out waving. “He’s just brilliant.”

“Olivio, Olivio,” the uncle said, throwing his arms around my companion and kissing him on both cheeks. He looked me up and down and embraced me too. “
Bella,
” he said softly. “
Bella
figura.
”

“That means, very pretty face,” said Joe. I think he approves of you. But keep an eye on him. He might try to kiss you.”

“
Siete
una
coppia
perfetta,
veramente
una
coppia
di
hippie,
” his uncle added, making Joe blush.

“Just don’t ask,” he said, “but he likes you. As I said, sometimes he gets carried away.”

We went inside and seated at a round table in a corner were three young men, who stood up when we approached.

“Look,” said Flavio, “Danny’s here. Danny, come and meet Olivio’s new girl friend.”

“Olly! Great to see you mate. Hi, er, nice to meet you.” The young man called Danny politely shook my hand.

“Olivio, you need to teach your friend the Latin way of greeting a young lady. This hand shaking is too cold, too English,” said Flavio. “A kiss is a much more natural way, especially with a pretty girl.”

“Shaking hands with her is quite good enough for him,” said Joe, draping his arm around my shoulder protectively and pulling me to him.

“So, what are you doing here mate? Not that I’m not pleased to see you at the family seat, just surprised.”

“We’re finally on that camping trip I told you about. I remembered you said to stay here if we were in the area, so here we are. Have a beer.”

“That sounds like a good idea. Don’t mind if I do. What would you like,” Joe asked, turning to me.

“A glass of white wine would be gorgeous. I don’t drink beer. But Coke’s fine too, if wine’s difficult.”

“For you,
Cara
, anything. Let’s see, what we’ve got.”

“What a smoothie,” said another boy, grinning at us and nudging the third one, in the ribs.

“Hi, my name’s Ed,” the recipient said. “and this is Mat. Don’t worry, he’s harmless.”

“You won’t believe it,” Joe said, ignoring them, “but Danny here is planning to join the Army. The Army! Mad!”

Danny smiled at me shyly and blushed. “At least they’d take me as I am. He’d have to lose that mop of hair and build up his muscles to stand any chance of getting in.” He tousled Joe’s head and everyone laughed. Danny’s hair was blonde and cut short and I could imagine him in uniform. He looked pretty fit and was nicely tanned.

“How many miles have you done today,” Joe asked.

“Only ten. Just a bit of exploring. Yesterday, to get here, we yomped twenty. Lucky I rang ahead. Surprised you didn’t know we were coming.”

“Looks like he’s been too busy elsewhere, to bother about us,” said Mat leering at me.

In order to meet Aunt Jess’s command that I be back by ten, Joe said that we had to leave just after nine. We took off once more, leaving the estate in a small
Fiat
car that Flavio insisted was more appropriate for me than the scooter.

“There’s something I want to show you,” said Joe. “A place called Eden Rock.”

He stopped the
Fiat
at a parking space on the main coastal road, next to a wall overlooking the sea. “It’s a place I’ve always dreamed of visiting,” he said. Leaning against the wall, he turned me around so that I was looking back up the hill we had driven down. A breeze ruffled the night air and you could still hear gulls calling in the dark. Joe put his mouth close to my ear.

“There it is.”

By day I might have thought the view pleasant enough. No doubt there was a cliff with trees and bushes clinging to it. But by night it was spectacular. The rock stretched magnificently upward and was illuminated by strategically positioned floodlights. Near the summit multicoloured bulbs must have been hung in the trees and I even thought I could see the traces of fountains shining green and blue in the dark. I caught my breath in wonder.

“At the top, there is a casino,” he said, “with a very expensive restaurant. It is only open at night so they need to make the appearance dramatic, or tourists won’t know it exists. Do you like it? When my boat comes in I intend to pay them a visit. Until then, I’ll just have to keep on dreaming.”

He put his arms around me from behind, holding me against his chest. I nodded, unable to find any suitable words in case this apparition disappeared into the ether. I just stared back at it and listened to the surf pounding below.

On reaching the town, Joe parked the car in a dark side-street, around the corner from my hotel, away from prying eyes. He kissed me and started to squeeze my breasts, but feeling anxious, I stopped him before he went any further. The last thing I needed was to be arrested.

“Look, this is a small catholic town,” I said. “We could be in trouble with the police, if someone sees us like this, here.” I thought that this was a real possibility and tried to straighten my clothes, imagining Aunt Jess’ reaction to a call from the police.

He sighed and, even in the dark, looked dejected.

We left the car and walked back to the hotel. Aunt Jess was sitting on the candlelit terrace, sharing a drink with Signor Alfonso.

“Ah,” he said. “The pigeons return. Would you like a glass of wine young man?”

“Better not, sir, I’ve had a couple of beers. I was wondering.” He turned to Jess. “If you had nothing planned tomorrow, I could take you both to visit San Marino.”

Aunt Jess had not yet seen the
Fia
t and she looked surprised. “Do you think all three of us will fit on the
Vespa
?”

“My uncle said I could use his car for a few days if I wished, but if you’d rather not, I’ll understand.”

She smiled at him. “That sounds very nice. I’ll look forward to it.”

When Joe bade us goodnight and left, Sig. Alfonso said, “What a charming boy and how polite. It’s good to meet someone so well brought up.”

Our final few days flew by and I hadn’t the heart to tell Aunt Jess I didn’t want to go home. I could imagine the trouble she’d be in with my father and mother if she went back without me.

Instead, I arranged to meet Joe on his return to London at a cafe in Carnaby Street. If he lets me down, I thought, at least it won’t be as bad as waiting on a street corner.

Since the early sixties Carnaby Street was the hub of London’s fashion industry and there was always something outrageous to see there. Even now, in the nineteen eighties it still had a zingy atmosphere, and I could wander there for hours. Surprisingly, although I reached the cafe early, Joe was already there, sitting in a window seat, gazing out. He looked pale and his hair seemed even longer and more Nazarene than before, and his eyes had lost their sparkle. We kissed.

“You look unhappy,” I said. “What’s wrong?”

He looked down at the cappuccino he had been stirring and shrugged. “Let me get you a coffee. Then I’ll tell you what’s happened.”

He came back and kissed me again. Sitting down beside me he asked, “How have you been?”

“Oh, well, it’s always depressing coming home from holiday, isn’t it? And Mum and Dad are fussing about college. They keep interfering and want me to go to a local one and I said no way. And Dad blew his top because he doesn’t understand why it’s important for me to get into the best one I can, especially in the Art and Design world, where it’s all so competitive. And I’ve missed you. How about you?”

“They’re sending me away!”

My jaw dropped. It was the last thing I was expecting.

“Away?”

“That’s right. I’ve only been back two days and they’ve booked me on a flight to South Africa the day after tomorrow. I almost feel as if they’re trying to get rid of me completely.”

Being put on a flight to somewhere exotic was so far out of my range of experience that I could not imagine what set of circumstances could initiate it. I stared at him, wide eyed.

He pulled a face and shook his head. “It’s a joke isn’t it? Your father seems determined to keep you close, and I can understand that. Honestly I can. While mine wants me to go as far away as possible. Remember, I told you we have relatives there? Well I’m being sent to stay with them, to study in Cape Town. I still can’t believe it. They arranged it all behind my back. Yet I feel I have to go because they say they want what’s best for me, and if I don’t like it I can come home after six months and go to a university here.”

I felt desolate. Although I tried not to make plans for us, this was a body blow I was not expecting. “It’s not fair,” I gasped. “I’ll speak to them; tell them how much this is a mistake.” I almost said “how much you mean to me,” but felt it was a revelation too far for all of us.

“It wouldn’t do any good. They’ve taken the decision. That’s it. Would you like another coffee, or would you like something to eat?”

“I’m not hungry now.”

He ran his fingers through his hair.

“Neither am I. Let’s go for a drink.”

We stumbled out of the cafe with our arms around each other, and made our way to a pub in Great Marlborough Street. It was large and crowded with tourists but we found a table tucked away in a dark corner. There we sat with our heads together, holding hands for two hours, discussing the world and how unfair everything was. In this time we only consumed two drinks each, but we managed quite a few kisses. Joe felt too depressed to drink much and I wanted him, not alcohol.

After he emptied his second glass of beer, he waited while I finished my wine. Leaning even closer, his lips brushed my cheek and he kissed the back of my ear. “Are they expecting you home tonight,” he whispered.

“No,” I said. “They think I’m staying with a friend.”

“Well that’s alright. You are then. My uncle has a house in West Kensington he rents out as bed-sits and he keeps one for me. When my dad gets too heavy it’s somewhere I can go. I’m staying there tonight. Will you come back with me?”

He didn’t need to ask, did he?

“We can get the District Line. Then, it’s just a short walk from the station. I don’t think anyone else is in the house at the moment, as the tenants are probably mostly students. As I’m his family, I don’t have to share a bathroom, like they do. I’ve got an en-suite.”