stories leading to the infamous photo
I had dinner that night, but despite my greatest efforts I could sense my health decreasing. It took everything in me just to stare at my waterglass and make sure I do not fall off my chair, because I was so dizzy. Since I am not a person who really likes talking about exactly what I am feeling, I just excused myself from the table and tried to go upstairs to rest. I staggered and wobbled past a few tables when I heard someone say, "Hey, what's wrong with you?" I spun around in a disorientated haze and saw Riccardo eating with Tony and it caught me off guard for a moment, because he normally sits with the other female guide and others. I tried to speak, but it sounded like I was angry instead of just trying to remain calm. "I have been sick for a very long time and I need to go lie down now." I turned abruptly and continued staggering to the elevator where I tried to steady myself against the wall while I waited for the doors to open.
I could feel his eyes still on me as I quickly glanced at the table from the corner of my eye and then entered the elevator.
The next morning was not much better and I heard Riccardo talk about an hour and half walk around Firenzie. Since I already had a remarkable time in Firenzie when I landed, I decided to pull myself away and allow others to enjoy their time. I thought I could simply walk to the meeting place at the end of the tour and not bother anyone. My mom was trying to resist, but I kept insisting. Once the tour departed, I asked Riccardo how to walk to the Santa Croce. He looked at me like I was some poor misinformed tourist who could simply walk from one place to another in my condition. He told me to get on the bus and I automatically boarded Tony's bus. Riccardo thought I should head back to the hotel, but he doesn't know my mother as well as I and I know she would freak out. I practically had to beg her just to let me give up the walking tour. I knew if I concentrated I could probably walk for 15-20 minuites, but not a hour and half.
He told me to sit across the street infront of these doors on the curb and wait for a bus to escort us to Santa Croce. He met an elderly couple also waiting for the bus and began to talk to them. I would occasionally stand up, see him with the couple and then look around for this bus, and then sit down again.
He called me once the bus arrived and I boarded it from the middle and he sat in front with the elderly couple. Once the bus came to a halt, we jumped off and crossed the road. He looked at me as we were walking and said "What's wrong with you?!" I wanted to giggle, because I could not distinguish whether he was just tired and the English translation came out differently than he intended or whether he was genuinely upset because I would have spoiled some pre-paid plans. This is why I say for the most part we were just two people who had a common interest, but it never expanded further from a completely professional relationship between a tour director and customer. This will be important when I start to explain the photo. Then he hung his head low and said, "I feel really bad for you. I think you should have rested at the hotel and not be in pain." Then his phone rang and he asked me to walk ahead to the Santa Croce and wait for him on the steps.
I held my head high and began to take some confident strides before I noticed I would have to pause for a moment, because I could feel my body swaying side to side. I finally got to the steps and recognized the church from my first visit. I waited on the steps and after a while I saw Riccardo walking with the elderly couple. I could not make out whether he was pointing straight ahead and indicating for me to continue waiting or whether he was swinging his arm for me to join him. I decided to remain still. I waited for a while before I thought to myself that he was probably not coming back anytime soon. I got up and took a few photos before entering the Santa Croce.
I feel like religious places can be very uplifting and rejuventating for the soul. Sometimes being close to God gives us strength that we thought we never had. I strolled around inside looking at the different monuments and chapels before wandering around the garden and stopping in the loo. I found the experience exactly what I needed to continue. I peeked out from the exit and saw Riccardo at the top of the stairs. His body was facing me, but he was looking over his left shoulder at the piazza. I lifted my long skirt and walked up the stairs. He looked at me and said, "Where were you?!" I wanted to giggle again, but thought it inappopriate. I said, "I went inside to use the washroom. sorry." He looked at me and said it was okay.
I told him I had something for him and began rummaging through my Ciao Bella bag. He smiled and said, "You have something in your pink handbag for me?" I looked up at him and met his gaze before smirking back at him. "It's from my mother" I said as I finally found a folded white envelope. I handed him the envelope and he looked perplexed for a moment. "Is this for the optional excursions?" He inquired, but I looked at him confused for a moment. We had just paid him for the excursions a few days ago. "No, money for you." I have a tendency to speak in broken English around him, which probably sounds so patrionizing to someone who is half Irish. I find that I spend so much time translating what he says in English back into what should be Italian in order to get the full understanding, but then I end up thinking in Italian and cannot translate fast enough back into English so it always comes out so strange. lol. He smiled at me. He leaned closer and opened his arms with his face coming closer to mine. I gave him a hug and felt a light kiss on my cheek. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and pulled back. I could tell this was another one of those moments when I was probably reacting to nothing so he smiled with a flushed face and said, "Sicilian kiss to say thank you" and leaned in again to kiss the other cheek. I hugged him and leaned back to see the red slowly fading from his face.
Then he asked what I would be doing for the rest of the day. I could not make out whether this was suppose to be an invitation or a note of concern for the fact that I had to spend a whole day in Flourence while sick. I shrugged my shoulders. Sometimes it seemed that I could finish his thoughts before he spoke, while other times it was like a complete cloud blocking my view. Sometimes he could finish my sentences while other times he seemed confused by my mixed signals. We stood there awkardly for a moment before I sat down on the steps and began checking my mobile to call my father. Riccardo walked away to give me some privacy. I spoke with my father and then began to fiddle with my MP3 player to listen to some Andrea Bocelli. I could feel Riccardo occasionally looking at me not sure whether to approach me or just let me be. Then he left and I saw the group return and my mom told me to join the group.
The tour guide made a joke about Riccardo not being there and since I wanted to reassure her and the group that our tour director did not wander away, I said, "He just stepped away for a moment but will be back in a few minuites." It took me a few minuites when I saw Riccardo kindly reminding me with his eyes that I was still listening to Bocelli while the guide was talking. I took my earphones off and then a slight paranoia came over me. I realized what it must have looked like if I stayed behind with Riccardo and then suddenly announce his whereabouts. It was the first time I sensed a slight rumour starting to brew. I looked at Riccardo again and forgot all about my paranoia's.
Once the tour was over, I joined Kam and my mom to wander the streets of Flourence because I really enjoyed hanging out with Kam. We had a lot of fun together in Verona as the two English teachers checking out Juliet's house. We even had gelato!
I could feel his eyes still on me as I quickly glanced at the table from the corner of my eye and then entered the elevator.
The next morning was not much better and I heard Riccardo talk about an hour and half walk around Firenzie. Since I already had a remarkable time in Firenzie when I landed, I decided to pull myself away and allow others to enjoy their time. I thought I could simply walk to the meeting place at the end of the tour and not bother anyone. My mom was trying to resist, but I kept insisting. Once the tour departed, I asked Riccardo how to walk to the Santa Croce. He looked at me like I was some poor misinformed tourist who could simply walk from one place to another in my condition. He told me to get on the bus and I automatically boarded Tony's bus. Riccardo thought I should head back to the hotel, but he doesn't know my mother as well as I and I know she would freak out. I practically had to beg her just to let me give up the walking tour. I knew if I concentrated I could probably walk for 15-20 minuites, but not a hour and half.
He told me to sit across the street infront of these doors on the curb and wait for a bus to escort us to Santa Croce. He met an elderly couple also waiting for the bus and began to talk to them. I would occasionally stand up, see him with the couple and then look around for this bus, and then sit down again.
He called me once the bus arrived and I boarded it from the middle and he sat in front with the elderly couple. Once the bus came to a halt, we jumped off and crossed the road. He looked at me as we were walking and said "What's wrong with you?!" I wanted to giggle, because I could not distinguish whether he was just tired and the English translation came out differently than he intended or whether he was genuinely upset because I would have spoiled some pre-paid plans. This is why I say for the most part we were just two people who had a common interest, but it never expanded further from a completely professional relationship between a tour director and customer. This will be important when I start to explain the photo. Then he hung his head low and said, "I feel really bad for you. I think you should have rested at the hotel and not be in pain." Then his phone rang and he asked me to walk ahead to the Santa Croce and wait for him on the steps.
I held my head high and began to take some confident strides before I noticed I would have to pause for a moment, because I could feel my body swaying side to side. I finally got to the steps and recognized the church from my first visit. I waited on the steps and after a while I saw Riccardo walking with the elderly couple. I could not make out whether he was pointing straight ahead and indicating for me to continue waiting or whether he was swinging his arm for me to join him. I decided to remain still. I waited for a while before I thought to myself that he was probably not coming back anytime soon. I got up and took a few photos before entering the Santa Croce.
I feel like religious places can be very uplifting and rejuventating for the soul. Sometimes being close to God gives us strength that we thought we never had. I strolled around inside looking at the different monuments and chapels before wandering around the garden and stopping in the loo. I found the experience exactly what I needed to continue. I peeked out from the exit and saw Riccardo at the top of the stairs. His body was facing me, but he was looking over his left shoulder at the piazza. I lifted my long skirt and walked up the stairs. He looked at me and said, "Where were you?!" I wanted to giggle again, but thought it inappopriate. I said, "I went inside to use the washroom. sorry." He looked at me and said it was okay.
I told him I had something for him and began rummaging through my Ciao Bella bag. He smiled and said, "You have something in your pink handbag for me?" I looked up at him and met his gaze before smirking back at him. "It's from my mother" I said as I finally found a folded white envelope. I handed him the envelope and he looked perplexed for a moment. "Is this for the optional excursions?" He inquired, but I looked at him confused for a moment. We had just paid him for the excursions a few days ago. "No, money for you." I have a tendency to speak in broken English around him, which probably sounds so patrionizing to someone who is half Irish. I find that I spend so much time translating what he says in English back into what should be Italian in order to get the full understanding, but then I end up thinking in Italian and cannot translate fast enough back into English so it always comes out so strange. lol. He smiled at me. He leaned closer and opened his arms with his face coming closer to mine. I gave him a hug and felt a light kiss on my cheek. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and pulled back. I could tell this was another one of those moments when I was probably reacting to nothing so he smiled with a flushed face and said, "Sicilian kiss to say thank you" and leaned in again to kiss the other cheek. I hugged him and leaned back to see the red slowly fading from his face.
Then he asked what I would be doing for the rest of the day. I could not make out whether this was suppose to be an invitation or a note of concern for the fact that I had to spend a whole day in Flourence while sick. I shrugged my shoulders. Sometimes it seemed that I could finish his thoughts before he spoke, while other times it was like a complete cloud blocking my view. Sometimes he could finish my sentences while other times he seemed confused by my mixed signals. We stood there awkardly for a moment before I sat down on the steps and began checking my mobile to call my father. Riccardo walked away to give me some privacy. I spoke with my father and then began to fiddle with my MP3 player to listen to some Andrea Bocelli. I could feel Riccardo occasionally looking at me not sure whether to approach me or just let me be. Then he left and I saw the group return and my mom told me to join the group.
The tour guide made a joke about Riccardo not being there and since I wanted to reassure her and the group that our tour director did not wander away, I said, "He just stepped away for a moment but will be back in a few minuites." It took me a few minuites when I saw Riccardo kindly reminding me with his eyes that I was still listening to Bocelli while the guide was talking. I took my earphones off and then a slight paranoia came over me. I realized what it must have looked like if I stayed behind with Riccardo and then suddenly announce his whereabouts. It was the first time I sensed a slight rumour starting to brew. I looked at Riccardo again and forgot all about my paranoia's.
Once the tour was over, I joined Kam and my mom to wander the streets of Flourence because I really enjoyed hanging out with Kam. We had a lot of fun together in Verona as the two English teachers checking out Juliet's house. We even had gelato!
posted by Ophelia Pace at 3:30 PM
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