Mirror, Mirror at 1600 D.C.

by Edward Galluzzi

  Harrison’s recounting was interrupted by Paolo who observed much food still on their plates: “The food… You don’t like?” Hannah and Harrison said together, “The food is wonderful. Grande!” “Ah, grazie” said the restaurateur. In a desire to justify why she still had much food on her plate, Hannah offered, “Harrison was just telling me about the time he first met Pope Josetta.” “Josetta,” said Paolo softly and with respect. He then made the sign of the cross by touching his right hand to his forehead, to his chest, to his left shoulder and then to his right shoulder. Paolo pulled a crucifix from inside his shirt; one blessed by Josetta, and kissed it reverently.

  Upon paying his respect to the Pontiff, Paolo said to Harrison, “You owe much to Josetta—he gets you out of trouble, yes?” “Out of trouble, always” mused Harrison for the third time today. Paolo looked inquisitively at his old friend. Harrison waved his hand as if to say ‘never mind’ and then said, “Si, Paolo, Josetta has done much for me.” Harrison’s remarks brought an approving and knowing smile to the owner’s face. At that, Paolo said, “Mi scusi” and left the couple’s table.

  Hannah was anxious for Harrison to continue his life story. “So?” she asked innocently. There was a pause before Harrison retorted, “So what?” Hannah simply stared at Harrison and he got the message. Harrison took a deep breath and commented, “Maybe we should take a moment to finish our food before it all becomes cold.” A furrow developed on Hannah’s forehead as she gazed intently at Harrison. She said in a loud voice, “Food! Food! How can you think of food at a time like this?” “Because I’m hungry” was the storyteller’s honest reply.

  Hannah did not appear as amused as he did to his response, honest or not. Harrison decided that it was best to comply and recalled, “The men in the church were growing impatient, as they did not find me. They began opening what doors they could in the church. Josetta was concerned that they might find the hidden stairway under the pews. At grave personal risk, he decided to approach the gunmen. As Josetta approached one of the men, the stranger put his hand inside his jacket swelling the size of the already prominent bulge. The holy priest introduced

  himself to the gunman and asked if he could be of service. At first, the stranger said nothing and continued his search. Josetta persisted in questioning the man and asked…” Harrison’s recanting was interrupted once again by Paolo who handed him a message. Harrison thanked the owner who withdrew and then quickly scanned the message given to him. Hannah observed a tense expression on her companion’s face and asked, “Is there something wrong?” There was a pause as Harrison thought for a moment as he stared away from Hannah. He turned toward her and said abruptly, “I have to go now. I’m sorry about lunch. We will have to finish our story later.” Hannah asked hurriedly, “Where can I get a hold of you?” He shook his head ‘no’ and said, “You can’t. However, tell me where you are staying and I will contact you when I can.” Hannah appeared disappointed wondering if she would actually ever hear from Harrison again. “I’m staying at the Albergo Sull’acqua.” Harrison nodded and called for the owner. Paolo appeared and Harrison requested, “Please take care of my friend, Hannah.” He gave Paolo fifty dollars in Italian lire, told Hannah that he would talk to her later and left the restaurant. Hannah sighed as she sat alone at the table. Unbeknown to her, it would be one of many times that she would find herself alone as ‘urgent business’ called Harrison away. She gazed at the exquisitely tasting food on her plate, moving pieces nonchalantly with her fork. “Well,” she said aloud to no one, “No sense in letting this fine cuisine go to waste.” As if receiving confirmation of her thoughts from nobody in particular, Hannah picked up Harrison’s plate of meat ravioli and gently moved the succulent pasta onto her plate. ‘Who said you can’t mix pastas?’ she thought rhetorically. Hannah devoured the food on her plate less delicately than if Harrison were still present. It was almost too much for her, but she managed to consume most of what remained on her, er, their plate.

  Chapter 4

  You’re Mine Tonight

  “Roma! Roma!” hailed the train conductor. The announcement jarred Hannah away from the past and back to the present. It took her several seconds to realize where she was and where she was going. Hannah glanced at her watch and noted happily that the train arrived on time in Rome. It also dawned on her that Harrison never did finish telling the story about how he first met Josetta. ‘Well, we’ll see about that!’ she thought to herself and tried to feel miffed without much success. Harrison told Hannah that he would try to meet her at Saint Peter’s Station. Hannah was becoming all too familiar with Harrison’s inability to consistently comply with his schedule. She did not like it, but she was learning how to tolerate it—not accept his inconsistencies mind you, but tolerate them nonetheless.

  The train pulled into Saint Peter’s Station on schedule. Hannah peered through her window seat to the crowd of people who gathered to welcome the rail passengers and board the train for other destinations. Her eyes darted for their full range of movement as she strained to see her beloved Harrison. Disappointment crept inside her, as her eyes detected nobody recognizable. Hannah sighed, grabbed her belongings and bit her lower lip. As she stepped off the train, she heard a charming and familiar voice that brought a smile to her face. “Didn’t think I’d make it, did you now?” taunted Harrison. “On the contrary, I knew you’d be here,” said Hannah although her long face just moments ago masked her true sentiments. She dropped her belongings and reached out to give Harrison a sustained bear hug. Harrison returned the firm embrace and said, “Missed me, huh?” “Actually, I’ve been too busy fitting my wedding dress to miss you too much,” replied Hannah as she continued her nuzzling. The expression on her face and the enduring embrace, however, belied her words. Hannah did miss Harrison. She always missed him. She never knew if the last time she saw him…if the last time she touched him…if the last time she heard him…would indeed be the last time.

  Hannah regretfully disengaged herself from Harrison and peered intently into his eyes at arms length. Harrison decided quickly that whatever that facial expression meant, he took a remorseful offense and asked apologetically, “I know that look and for whatever I did, for what I’m doing now or for what I’m about to do, I am truly sorry.” ‘There,’ thought Harrison to himself, ‘that should cover just about everything.’ Meanwhile, Hannah was pleased with herself in her training of Harrison. She snapped, “You didn’t finish it!” Harrison looked bewildered and asked with genuine naiveté, “Didn’t finish what?” He added quickly, “And please don’t tell me that if I don’t know what you are talking about, you’re not going to tell me!” Hannah was just as quick to stop the smile that was forming on her face and said, “You didn’t finish your story about the first time you met Pope Joseph Josetta!” Harrison shook his head in amazement and quipped, “Hannah, I began telling you that story about four months ago when we first met—over lunch at Casa di Pasta.” Harrison shook his head and said with some irony in his voice, “For God’s sake, it just dawned on you at this moment?” Hannah replied, “No, silly! I was thinking about how we first met on the train ride from Carrara.”

  Harrison smiled, kissed Hannah firmly and said genuinely, “You are indeed a gem!”

  “Well?” said Hannah neither persuaded by Harrison’s manner nor maneuver. “You want me to finish it right now?” asked Harrison rather astonished. “Yes,” replied Hannah. “Right here in the middle of the train station?” Harrison asked incredibly. “Yes,” insisted Hannah. “I have a better idea,” Harrison noted. “Josetta wants to meet you principally because he does not believe that anyone in this world would or could put up with me, let alone love, marry and live with me twenty-four hours a day. It just so happens that we have an audience with Pope Josetta tomorrow. You can ask His Holiness to finish the rest of the story.” Hannah gleamed at the news only to be interrupted by Harrison, “Ah, but he wants to meet you as my betrothed, not as a journalist. He worries that there won’t be anybody arou
nd to take care of me after his death.” This was more than acceptable to Hannah in light of having the honor to meet this great, holy man of God.

  Having reached a pleasant compromise, Hannah and Harrison left the train station. He hailed a cab and requested that the driver take them to his suite at the Fontana Spruzza hotel. “Si,” replied the driver. However, before he drove off, Hannah interjected, “No, honey. I want to so some shopping before we go to the hotel.” Harrison nodded and requested that the driver go instead to the Piazza de Spagna.

  The cab sped away from the station. The Piazza de Spagna is the heart of Rome’s most fashionable shopping area. Everyone, because of the Spanish steps ascending grandly from the Piazza, recognizes it. It was a sunny day in Rome making the drive a pleasant one for the senses. “Now what do you need to shop for, my dear?” asked Harrison. “Oh, you know, wedding stuff,” was her general reply. Harrison continued, “Remember, we have reservations for dinner at the Commedia Bastona this evening. The Italian-American comedian Monk Melloni is on stage tonight. He was a former priest and now a comedian—go figure!” “What is it with you and these priests?” Hannah joked. “They’re my guardian angels,” was Harrison’s childlike reply.

  The cab arrived at the Piazza de Spagna. Hannah and Harrison stepped out of the cab and found themselves at the bottom of the Spanish steps leading to the Piazza. There were a number of native residents and tourists perched on the steps watching street musicians, vendors and other sightseers. The multitude of young lovers did not escape Harrison’s eye as he mumbled to himself and thought, “Amore!” “Watch it, lover boy! You belong to me,” cautioned Hannah. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Harrison replied judiciously.

  Hannah and Harrison window-shopped for a good part of the afternoon at the fashionable boutiques. They blended in the surroundings much like the natives of Rome which was aided by Harrison’s command of the Italian language. Harrison did not question Hannah’s purchases or the lire that flowed out of his pocket much like the water out of Rome’s fountains. Money was not an issue for this special occasion.

  Much to Harrison’s satisfaction, Hannah finally completed her shopping. The couple hailed a cab and headed for the Fontana Spruzza hotel. The trip to the hotel was a short one. Harrison paid and tipped the driver. He gathered Hannah’s purchases, no mere feat for the human male, and followed her into the lobby of the hotel. Harrison set down the packages and walked up to the clerk. He asked for the keys to room 1310. “Certainly, Mr. Rossetti” was the clerk’s reply. A porter gathered the purchases and the couple took the elevator to the 13th floor. Hannah remarked, “I guess you are not particularly superstitious,” as she walked out of the elevator. Harrison smiled at Hannah, but did not counter with a response.

  The porter opened the door and the couple entered the room. Hannah nodded her approval of Harrison’s choice of suites. The porter secured the packages and left the room after receiving a generous tip from Harrison. He brought his fiancée’s packages and suitcases into the bedroom and placed them on the king size bed. Hannah began sorting her belongings and purchases, placing them in their proper place.

  Hannah turned to Harrison and asked, “What time tomorrow morning are we scheduled to see the Pontiff?” “Well, if nothing out of the ordinary occurs, at eleven o’clock,” was his tempered reply. Harrison continued, “We have about an hour to freshen up before dinner.” Hannah walked over to Harrison and kissed him passionately as she embraced him. She said seductively, “We may need more than an hour…” The two lovers floated onto the bed as Harrison muttered, “Indeed.”

  Harrison and Hannah arrived at the Commedia Bastona about an hour late for their reservation. They had sufficient time for a light meal before the comedian, Monk Melloni, was scheduled to come on stage. Hannah and Harrison finished their wine and meal just as the lights lowered. They ordered espresso as Joseph walked on stage.

  “Buona sera e benvenuto a bella Roma!” Harrison translated for Hannah, as needed: “Good evening and welcome to beautiful Rome. My name is Monk Melloni. I’m a native of Perguia, but spent many of my early years growing up in America. I’m also single. In fact, I’ve been single for quite awhile. I know this because I use to dream about women. Then I began dreaming about women eating food. Now, I just dream about food!” Monk paused as the crowd laughed and applauded.

  “For those of you who haven’t guessed, I’m Italian. We Italian men tend to be excessive in what we do. When we’re dating, we send lots of flowers; we hug and kiss a lot; we pinch a lot; we pinch a lot; we pinch a lot…” repeated Monk as he made a pinching motion with his fingers on his right hand. The comedian continued, “And we’re excessive when we end a relationship too ‘cause you’re likely to wake up with a horse’s head in your bed…or even worse, my cousin Guido!” The audience laughed as Monk paused.

  “We don’t even treat our dead with respect. Italians bury their dead with their butts sticking up out of the ground. That way when we visit the grave, we have some place to park our bikes!” The audience laughed again and applauded.

  “As an Italian growing-up in America, we pretty much lived by the same rules and sayings that guided other families—we just said them a little bit differently. When the American parents tried to teach their children to always be prepared, they said, ‘Don’t get caught with your pants down.’ My parents taught me the same thing except they said, ‘No canna live in Venice with no gondola!” Monk continued after some laughter from the crowd, “And when American parents told their children to ‘always wear clean underwear in case of an accident and you have to go to the hospital,’ my parents taught us the same thing except they said, ‘No canna live in Venice with no gondola!” More laughter was heard from the audience. “And when American parents told their children to ‘always look before they leap,’ my parents said, ‘everybody,’ (Monk peered into the crowd and held out his hands) ‘No canna live in Venice with no gondola!” The audience laughed and applauded.

  “Like most Italians, I grew up in a Catholic family. We have many beliefs and one of them is that our guardian angel is always with us. In fact, in elementary school, the good nuns always reminded us to sit far to the left and leave room for our guardian angel that always sat on our right side. You knew this was true each time you looked in any classroom. What you saw was one or more Catholic students tumbling to the floor because they moved too far and fell out of their chairs!” Some light laughter rose from the audience.

  Monk continued, “I love my parents, but talk about neurosis on parade! Stress around them is quite relative. Over the years, I’ve developed this three-night visiting rule. I can’t visit for more than three consecutive nights. If I do, I run out of patience; I run out of energy; and I run out of Imodium—I just run out all over the place!” Harrison, Hannah and the crowd erupted in laughter.

  “You know, I’ve been single for so long that I decided to join a singles group here in Rome. I often think back about the time I spent in a Catholic seminary. Now, I find myself in a singles group!” Laughter rose from the audience. “Had I known I was going to live a celibate life anyway, I think I would have stayed in the priesthood!” The audience laughed and applauded.

  “Seminarians or not, we were typical teenagers. I remember once we were attending a Good Friday service at the local convent. Within this cloister of nuns, the good sisters took the vow of silence. Imagine any woman taking the vow of silence!” The comment drew cheers from the male audience and jeers from the women. Monk continued, “The nuns did not interact with the outside world. They were not on line; there was no Internet. The convent used this rotating wooden tube as a conveyance for material. A simple pull of the rope rang a bell signaling that the material was ready. This was quite efficient unless the hearing-impaired nun was on duty that day. You could ring that terrible bell ‘til hell froze over’ and it wouldn’t matter.” The crowd laughed. “My friend and I argued whether or not he could fit inside the tube. After much serious debate between the two of
us, he decided to take the direct approach and jumped right into the cylindrical transporter. As my friend crouched in the tube to prove he could fit, I impulsively pulled the rope. I don’t know why I did it. It just seemed like the natural thing to do.” Laughter erupted from the crowd. Monk continued, “The bell rang and the cylinder began rotating. My friend, who was about to pick up some bad habits, disappeared into the swallowing jowls of the convent. And he was gone in an instant. I imagined, like in a bad science fiction episode where the transporters went amuck, he would return as a melted molten mess of massive mucous membranes! I began firing off ‘Our Fathers’ and ‘Hail Mary’s’ like it was my last anointing and Satan was right on my tail. Then, in desperation, the only thing I could think of saying was, ‘Beam him back, Scotty!” The audience laughed.

  Monk paused and then said, “After several long minutes, the tube rotated back slowly. My friend gradually appeared, his atoms arranged seemingly in all the right places, and nothing looked obviously wrong. I asked him, “What happened? What did you see?” Even though he was in a trance-like state, he managed to mutter, “No canna live in Venice with no Gondola!”

  Monk paused briefly and said, “Thank you all for coming tonight. Thank you very much.” The audience applauded loudly to show their appreciation. Hannah and Harrison applauded with them and followed the crowd out into the romantic Roma evening.

  Harrison and Hannah returned to their hotel. They barely walked inside their room when Hannah kissed Harrison in a long embrace. The moment was very intense as they quickly undressed each other. They fell into bed and continued their embrace. Love with Harrison has always been satisfying both physically and emotionally…and tonight was no exception. Their high state of arousal minimized the need for much foreplay. Hannah and Harrison reach their orgasmic peaks and were entwined in a lover’s embrace.