he lingers
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009Capitolo, Italy
We cut the breakfast rockmelon into eleven slices.
Rob ate two, as Grandpa was out of reach, somewhere over the Indian Ocean.
He joined us for lunch though – we discovered two emails from Dubai in the inbox just as we were slicing into our semolina bread and bright blood red tomatoes.
When we got to spreading mascarpone under the strawberry jam, Mboy6 announced, “I’m glad Grandpa’s gone.” Wondering eyebrows raised as we waited for further explanation. None was forthcoming and so we pried deeper.
”Well, now there’s more room to sleep. It’s so hot up in the alcove, but it’s cooler with only two people.”
True enough.
And thankfully he added, “I’ll miss him though.”
Others reminded him of the ancient’s propensity to buy icecreams and all agreed, that *that* too, would be missed!
”And remember when we were in Malaysia and he always bought us cans of fizzy coz it was so hot and we were all thirsty?”
”And remember how he got icecream if we went out with him on our own?”
”And remember…”
”And remember…”
Grandpa might not be here, but he has certainly not gone.
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Last night we slept on the side of the road. A quiet, well-lit safe-feeling residential street. With no adult in the van to ward off possible intruders, the big kids were under strict instructions to leave the windows locked (yes, even though it’s still 30 degrees), and not open the door to anyone. At any hint of trouble they could push their dog button – the alarm, sounding like a miniature poodle, would not scare off even a cat, but at least it would alert The Protective Daddy to danger. If all else failed, there was the van horn. But that really is a last resort. It takes three pushes before it even makes a sound, and then there is not a word croaky or feeble or weak enough to describe the pathetic cough it sputters.
Fortunately, there was no need for any of the precautions, and no-one woke until Rob’s alarm went off signalling yesterday’s need to rise early to get to the train station on time! We enjoyed the sunrise. And rockmelon.
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Now we are stationed at a camper park. In addition to our favourite facilities (toilet and waste water dumping and a potable water supply), we have real toilets, a cold shower, an outdoor kitchen (sink and BBQ), shadecloth overhead as well as trees, and the beach is no more than a minute’s walk away.
We were going to travel down to Gallipoli and Lecce before catching a ferry from Brindisi, but there is something very appealing about the thought of just staying here for a week and going nowhere! The sea is so blue-green, the sand hot, the sun shining….bread, pizza, vegetable and fruit sellers wait at the gate…it’s safe…..most holiday-makers have gone home….and it’s quiet apart from the lilting Italian, which makes beautiful background music.
We are thinking of staying here. Whether we end up back on the free street, or just put down paid roots, I don’t mind. The thought of not driving for a few days is an attractive one! Besides, we need to take some time to plan our northward route, to pore over maps, choose some places to visit, read up on road rules and refresh our memories regarding the Cyrillic alphabet. Lecce may be the Florence of the South, but we missed the Florence of the north too so we would not be able to compare. Gallipoli has an important ring about it for Kiwis, but it’s the Turkish one that features in our history, not the Italian one!
So a week on the Adriatic Coast might just be in order.
We just know Grandpa would approve of the decision!
rayres