Now or Never

by Ruth Hay

  The kitchen was redolent with the scents of sauce preparation and pasta making and Maria inhaled memories of her childhood in every breath. She never seemed to have the skill or the time for such elaborate feasts at home in Canada. Her preferred method was a call to one of her favourite Italian restaurants, but that did not compare with this total immersion in the art and science of cooking. She watched and listened and thought a lot about her life choices while her hands performed the routine tasks she had been assigned.

  In the late afternoons she made calls to Nova to check on progress at the store. It seemed so far away despite the excellent phone reception. It was hard to conjure up the busy mall in London with customers browsing through the racks and the sound of their distinctive carrier bags being popped open to receive a new, tissue-wrapped purchase.

  The news was good, however. Nova reported that sales were steady and the cruise wear specials were drawing in their usual clientele plus some new, younger women who were planning ladies’ fun weeks in exotic locations. Maria did not know whether to be pleased at this success, or sad that she was not needed at the helm.

  She made other calls to Milan to save time when she eventually made the trip there. Her BlackBerry could receive photo files and although these pictures of current stock were useful, they could not supply the feel of texture and the detail of clothes’ construction that was essential to a buyer.

  Lucy, meantime, occupied herself upstairs at the villa with projects she would not discuss in any detail. To her mother’s enquiry if she would be spending more time with Maurizio, Lucy responded in a dismissive tone, “Oh, his girlfriend was with us in San Gimignano. He’ll be seeing her now.”

  Maria had to be content with this. She was glad Lucy had found something to keep her busy and that she was no longer complaining at the change of plans resulting from the arrival of Susan and Jake. Maria determined to reinstate the Verona trip for Lucy as soon as the weekend celebration had been observed.

  Sunday dawned bright and clear, promising a lovely day for eating outdoors at the huge wooden table on the terrace. Maria set out places and found extra chairs. She was unsure how many relatives were coming to welcome back the family from Canada, but she decided to use the space on both sides of the table rather than have to rush at the last minute.

  In the kitchen, activities had risen to a fevered pitch. Maria could only marvel at the energy of the three sisters whose heads and hands seemed to be in five places at once. Maria helped to prepare insalata and stirred pots of redolent minestrone while platters of antipasto were sliced and laid out appetizingly. Some of the dishes defied Maria’s description. She had to ask for names, even when she recognized some of the ingredients like osso buco and veal.

  Every Italian dish she had ever tasted or heard about, was prepared, or in preparation, and the smells drew Lucy down from their bedroom.

  “My Goodness!” she exclaimed, “what is this? I have never seen anything like this amount of food. Who’s coming? The whole town?”

  Maria chuckled. She had no idea who had been summoned but she knew both of them, as well as Susan and Jake, were honoured guests. The prime positions at the head of the table in the shade, were reserved for the titular heads of the entire family, la nonna and il nonno.

  Maria had visited her elderly grandparents soon after she arrived at the villa, and had been amazed at the bright brown eyes peeping out through a network of wrinkles in the two faces, so alike now in old age that it was difficult to tell one from the other. The couple sat together with linked hands, the voluminous black skirts of nonna overlapping the wide, black pants of her husband, and Maria wondered if they walked together in the same way so as to support each other’s bodies. They were cared for by Maria’s oldest aunt, a retired nurse who devoted her time and energy to the old couple.

  The thought occurred to Maria that this role could have fallen to her own mother, had she remained in the family home. How different her life has been in Canada, she mused.

  What caused her to make such a huge change in her life? It struck Maria that she had no answer to this question and she determined to ask her mother when she returned to Toronto.

  All thoughts of home vanished when the family began to arrive. Maria and Lucy were greeted warmly by everyone, as were Susan and Jake. Much animated conversation ensued in both Italian and English. Switching between both languages was easy for most of the younger family members and Maria realized again what she had lost in not pursuing her language heritage.

  As the laughter and teasing grew in volume the birds that usually spent the afternoons roosting on the old tiles of the villa’s roofs, flew into the air protesting at the noise below that disturbed their peaceful slumbers.

  Maria, Lucy and Susan were seated together with Maria’s English-speaking cousins bracketing them on either side. Jake’s chair was rolled into position near that of the family doctor who was anxious to know all the details about Jake’s experiences in the Ferrera clinic.

  As the rich red wine was poured into waiting glasses all conversation halted until toasts were made saluting first, the oldest family members, then the Canadian contingent, and lastly a young cousin who was about to be married.

  As soon as the formalities were over, the eating began in earnest. Platters were passed around and even Lucy sampled a variety of dishes with ingredients she could not identify.

  There was much laughter as the wine flowed, but every now and then the conversation became more general and the atmosphere was more serious. Lucy had been watching these episodes and listening intently.

  “Mom!” she whispered, “I can hear words repeated often but I’m not sure who or what is being talked about. Is Napoli Naples? And what is the ‘berlu scone’ they all seem to be upset about?”

  Maria wiped her mouth to conceal her amusement from Lucy and replied as discretely as possible, “You are right about Naples. There’s another garbage strike at the moment and the whole place stinks to high heaven. The name Berlusconi refers to Italy’s Prime Minister who is often in trouble for his behavior with underage party girls. They say they won’t put up with his disgraceful attitude much longer.”

  “Ah, now I see what makes everyone throw their hands in the air. You have to be watching out for that here or you would get a black eye pretty quickly.”

  Maria agreed with her daughter. She listened again as the conversation turned to the topic of Pompeii. Lucy’s attention was alerted by the familiar name. She had studied the wall paintings in Pompeii for an art project and tugged on her mother’s arm until there was a break in the conversation that allowed her to interpret.

  “It seems there has been a wall collapse in one of the houses. Silvio Berlusconi is being blamed for that too. Apparently not enough money has been assigned by the government to preserve the archaeological integrity of the structures.”

  “That’s such a shame! I’d love to go there and see the town that was buried by the Vesuvius eruption.”

  “It’s a wonderful place, caught in time, Lucy. We’ll definitely add it to our list.”

  Susan had been listening in to Maria’s comments. “There is so much to see in Italy. I am sorry I have not had the chance to explore some of the amazing sites here. This villa is incredible! Such a lovely location and it sits right into the hillside as if it had been here forever. Perhaps we can come back together some time and you can escort us, Maria?”

  “I would love that, Susan. Listen! Would you like to come to Verona with Lucy and me? We are leaving early tomorrow. Would you be comfortable leaving Jake for a day?”

  “Just look at him Maria! He is revelling in the weather, the food, Angela’s treatments and the fabulous company. I doubt he would even notice I had gone.”

  “I know that’s not true, Susan, but if you are sure, we’d love to have you with us.”

  Leaning in more closely, Maria added, “I think it’s going to be a teenage dream day with the Romeo and Juliet connection. I’d be delighted to have some adult compan
y.”

  “It’s a deal then!” pronounced Susan, “but lunch is on me, if I can ever eat again after this extravaganza!”

  After what seemed like hours, the wine carafes were emptied, the platters cleared of food and most of the family members were slowing down considerably. The grandparents had left much earlier in their daughter’s care, and the remaining relatives were sipping strong coffees and venturing down the hill to inspect the quality of the grapes.

  Lucy excused herself and went upstairs “to work” without explaining what she was doing there.

  Maria turned to Susan and asked her to find out what Lucy was up to.

  “She won’t tell me what she’s doing, probably so I can’t object, but at least it’s keeping her happy for the time being.”

  “I’ll see what I can do tomorrow,” replied Susan. “She might come clean to her old Aunt Susan and it would be a chance for me to thank you, in a very tiny way, for what you have done to rescue Jake and me.”

  “Please don’t mention it, Susan. It was all Anna’s doing and I have been delighted to be able to help you, for once.”

  Susan turned a solemn face to Maria and replied with unaccustomed seriousness, “I have never taken our Samba friendships for granted, Maria, but now I truly understand how important that connection can be for all of us.”

  The two women linked arms and smiled at each other in that special way when nothing more need be said.

  It was time to check on Jake and hear how the afternoon had gone for him.

  Chapter Ten

  The trio set off early for the taxi and train ride north to Verona. Maria knew the city was large with many interesting sights to see and it was the first opportunity for Lucy to explore a Roman-styled city with treasures to rival those of Florence and Rome itself.

  Lucy had borrowed a leather backpack from Maurizio and pulled from it a guidebook for Verona she had found, nestled between cook books in the small library at the villa. She immersed herself in its pages as soon as they were settled in their seats on the fast train.

  Maria and Susan were free to admire the passing scenery. Before long, Maria took the chance to ask Susan questions that had been on her mind.

  “Stop me if this is too personal, Susan, but what do you see happening when you two get back home?”

  “I can’t tell for sure. He’s so much better right now that I will search out someone in London or Toronto who can continue the type of therapy Angela is using. Beyond that we will have to wait and see what comes from the MS society’s research projects. I think the public interest right across Canada will mean those projects will get a boost of money. I certainly hope so.”

  Maria considered, not for the first time, how difficult her friend’s life must have been, living with a syndrome that affected everything and had an uncertain outcome. She decided the moment was right to ask Susan to reveal a confidence.

  “Susan, this may be a question that crosses the line and if so, I apologize and withdraw it.”

  Susan’s attention was now fully on her seat companion and the rumble of the train disappeared into the background as she grasped the younger woman’s hand and said, “Ask away, Maria!”

  “Well, you and Jake have been married for over 40 years. That’s longer than anyone else in the Samba group. You’ve dealt with more problems than any of us but you are still together. What’s your secret? “

  Susan took a moment to consider her answer. Over the years she had occasions to ask herself whether staying, or leaving the marriage, would be best for her. Probably everyone in a long-term relationship had asked the same question. What she said now to Maria might have an effect on her marriage to Paul.

  In the end, honesty was the only choice Susan could find.

  “I don’t know if there’s a secret, Maria. Any long-term relationship has its ups and downs. With luck, you learn as you go, although I must be a slow learner as adjusting to married life took me far too many years.”

  “But, you had so much to deal with in health issues, Susan. I don’t know how you coped.”

  “You have to remember, Jake was a fit, handsome young fellow when we first met. I was amazed that he wanted me. I was an up-tight, control freak even then and he was the free-wheeling catch of the college. They say people get together because they recognize something in the other that completes each of them in some important way. Maybe that’s the answer.

  I don’t know, but at the start we had to fight many battles before we reached the point where we accepted each other’s differences and could appreciate them. Those were difficult but crucial times for us. The expression ‘proved in the fire’ comes to mind.”

  Susan chuckled at the memories but Maria was intent on her next question.

  “When did Jake’s illness begin to show itself?”

  Susan had to think back to put a date on what had been a long slow progress.

  “The early symptoms were not that easy to spot. Everyone, especially someone as active as Jake was, has an off day when they don’t feel up to scratch. The occasional fatigue or muscle aches were ascribed to overuse while exercising. Jake played a fierce game of racquetball in those days and temporary injuries were not uncommon.

  I think we were into our second decade before it became enough of a problem that we had to consult doctors.”

  “Did they diagnose MS right away?”

  “Well, you wouldn’t think so, perhaps, with such minor symptoms, but Jake had a very bad flu one winter and he noticed a loss of vision in his left eye. That was what drove him to the doctor. The doctor took a family history and when he found out Jake’s mother came from Sweden originally, he suggested Jake might have MS and sent him for a battery of tests that confirmed what we feared.”

  “Why Sweden?”

  “It’s a northern country like Canada and that’s where MS is most prevalent.”

  “What an unlucky set of circumstances. You must have been devastated, Susan.”

  “Truly, I was more concerned for my husband than for myself. The change for him was much more profound, in the long run.”

  “You have been such a strong supporter of Jake for all those years, Susan. How did you make it work?”

  There was a long pause while Susan carefully considered, once more, what she would say.

  “I think it’s about friendship, Maria. If you start out as friends, no matter what intervenes in life, the friendship survives it all. Don’t get me wrong, much of the change was hard for me to adjust to. I lost some vital parts of our life together along the way, but I was committed to Jake and in the end those cheesy marriage vows really do have an impact on your beliefs and your actions.”

  The two women sat quietly watching the scenery roll past and thinking about their respective marriages.

  Susan was content with recent events and the restoration of her comfortable relationship with her husband.

  Maria was absorbing everything Susan had revealed to her and thanking heaven she had not been challenged in such a way in her marriage to Paul. Their separations for work reasons had not resulted, so far, in a dilution of their feelings for each other. Maria determined that their friendship would be a priority as soon as she returned home and into Paul’s arms.

  Their quiet contemplation was shattered when Lucy declared loudly, “Verona is an awesome place! There’s way too many churches and palaces of course, but it looks incredible. When we did Medieval Times in elementary school we should have come here. Verona had several castles, and fortified city walls right around the city back then and some are still there!”

  Lucy moved forward to show her mother the map, unfolded from the back of the tourist guide.

  “Look! It’s a massive city! We’d need a week to see even half of it, but I think I’ve found the way to Juliet’s house. We’ll take a cab to the centre of the city and we’ll probably cross the river to get there. The big piazza with the weird name is a good starting point but we’ll have to walk for a bit from there. The road names change e
very few metres. The roads are not straight like in Canada. I think I can get us there if I keep an eye on the map. Did you see the movie about the letters to Juliet, Aunt Susan?”

  “No, I haven’t caught up with that one yet, Lucy. I have seen the Oscar winner of a few years ago, though. ‘Shakespeare in Love’ was the title and it told the story of the first performance of the play Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare’s England. I believe the story originally came from Italy and the playwright borrowed it for his own adaptation and that version has become world famous as a tragic play about star-crossed young lovers.”

  “I can’t wait to see the place where you leave the letters for Juliet,” Lucy sighed. I would write a letter myself but I haven’t found a star-crossed love yet.”

  Both women silently thought Lucy was lucky to escape that fate but neither wanted to say so.

  Lucy’s ‘big piazza with the weird name’ turned out to be Piazza Bra which had nothing to do with women’s underwear and more to do with the word ’braida’ meaning open space.

  On the way there in the cab, all three of them almost had whiplash from the number of times they had to twist their heads to catch a glimpse of another tower, statue, monument or painted house. The bridges over the river Adige were no less spectacular but even these faded in comparison to the sight that met their eyes when the cab entered the Piazza Bra and they saw the massive structure that dominated the piazza.

  Lucy was first out of the cab and stood in wonder as her mother paid the fare.

  “Isn’t that the Colosseum that’s supposed to be in Rome?” she asked. “It never looked this big in the pictures I saw. Gladiators used to fight and die in there. What do they use it for now?”

  “From what I can remember,” suggested Maria, “it’s called the Arena nowadays and large festivals or opera performances are held inside. Would you like to go in there, Lucy?”