Catch me! Catch me not! (4 page)

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.

Martin Luther King,
Jr

Carlo’s parents met them at Fiumicino, the main Rome Airport. Carlo had impressed upon them that if they wanted him to continue to live in Italy they would have to accept that he had fallen in love with an English girl with a radiant smile, sea green eyes and streaked strawberry blond hair…even her intimate hair…Oh Carlo please do not think of that now…your love is here in Italy and your parents can make the weekend finish with an official engagement or finish with heartbreak. Please let some divine intervention make sure that it finishes with happiness and promises of a fulfilling future.

Emma shyly kissed both his parents on each cheek, as was the custom in Italy. She had chosen to wear an emerald skater skirt and cashmere jersey. The colour
complimented her eyes; she still had a golden tan from her recent months in India. She wore high heels to give the outfit a more formal “look”. Her makeup consisted of mascara and coral coloured lipstick; she did not want to look too loud or too tarty.

Carlo’s father kissed her on both cheeks and smiled warmly at her “
Sei bellissima! Cara welcome to Rome. We have many things to do this weekend, my son has a programme fit for a Queen!”

Emma blushed and thanked him. “Grazie!”

Carlo’s mother reluctantly kissed her cheeks and gave a quick glance at her son. Carlo glared at her; willing her to welcome the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

“Non
parlo inglese. I hope you speak some Italian if you are to be part of our family and live in Rome. My son tells me you have been making a film in India with your friend, this is not a suitable job for a person who is devoted to her man. A man will wonder off if his wife gallivants around the world without him. Carlo is a very clever boy and what he earns is enough for you whilst you set up home for him and look after him as I have!”

Emma shot Carlo a helpless look; he glared at his mother. This was not going as well as he had hoped it would go as he had told them he wanted to marry Emma with or without their blessing...he would have preferred with their blessing.

Carlo’s father cleared his throat and glared at his wife, “Flavia, will you conduct yourself like a grown up woman, instead of a jealous fish wife. You have been a housewife all your life, shopping and seeing your friends, a maid cleans and a maid cooks you just turn up for the meals if you are not busy shopping or chatting with your friends. This girl as far as I understand has a very good job. She is well paid and she does not want to sit and darn socks yet! If you really love your son you will welcome Emma with the warmth and respect I would hope our son would be welcomed by her family. I will not stand for this selfishness anymore. It was you who insisted on Antonella being the right person for our son...I see instead he has chosen with his heart and his  head. I give him my blessing.”

Flavia
almost snorted with rage at being put down in front of a stranger and her own son...HER SON. She had nurtured him and loved him all his life and instead Antonio made her seem like a feckless female. She liked seeing her friends and why slave at home if there was some needy woman dying to cook and clean for her family? She just could not see the sense of it. Shopping was so much more fun. Antonio had been a good husband providing for them as a man should. It was not good for a woman to be a career person the family would suffer. She did have her doubts that he was faithful and she did enjoy the odd younger man, they added a bit of spark to her life when she needed something other than the comfy sex after nearly thirty years of marriage. So long as one was discreet and did not impinge on the family time or values...values the girl was probably not even Catholic! She shuddered. This girl was not going to be manipulated by her or go shopping with her or sit for hours in a hairdresser’s with her...she cringed at the very thought!

“
We can talk about this later, but I would like to welcome you to Rome and I hope you have a very nice weekend.” She could not bring herself to say anymore.

Emma forced a smile, this weekend was for Carlo and he could not be blamed for this woman. “Thank you. I am happy to see Carlo’s Rome. My family li
ved here. My father was Naval Attaché and my godfather Commandant of  NATO, I have lived in this beautiful city as an expat not as a native, I long to see Carlo’s Rome as he has seen my London. We lived in very salubrious districts in Rome. I was a very lucky girl. I don’t know your area at all it was too far out for us” she unwittingly made another notch against herself. “Sorry that came out wrong! I mean they all live in the centre or out on the Via Appia Pignatelli.”

If
Flavia could have wiped her off the face of the universe she would have done it happily. This person had lived in the most sort after areas of Rome and she was so casual about it!

                                         ****    ****    ****    ****   ****

Carlo led Emma through the narrow, winding, cobbled streets, the smell of coffee caressed her nostrils, this is Rome. How I love Rome! The smell of coffee and pizza, the chaos, the traffic and the smart shops all vying for the place in the Eternal City. Famous monuments next to Mac Donald’s it never failed to amaze her that if you were so inclined you could eat a hamburger in front of the Pantheon, who had allowed that to happen?

Rome is a city that has to be seen on foot or on a moped. In a car you miss the smell of Rome and you are so worried about not bumping into the car in front you cannot drink in the beauty of the city.  Emma sighed, she loved this city, but what made it different from the other times was the man showing her his city so proudly.

“Where are you going to take me to lunch I am starving!! We have been walking for 4 hours and my tummy is rumbling!”

“I am going to take you to one of my favourite restaurants in Rome. It is La
Campana, which is one of the most historic places in Rome. It is classic and understated, but the food and the wine are divine. I like the artichokes carciofi alla giudea. I want to show you that Roman cuisine is not just offal and pasta!! Besides we are nearly there!!”

“Yummy!!”  she leaned into his chest and breathed in the happiness she felt in this moment.

“Emma, please don’t I have a very low thresh hold with you...I want you. I love you and I want you to be my wife!”

“Let’s see how it goes, I love you too and I want to be with you forever, but wanting and happening are two different things. Your mother doesn’t want me. I am going to leave the people who mean something to me...my family, my friends  and my job, I want support here too.”

They arrived at the restaurant and were immediately led to a table. Little aperitivo bits started arriving. This was going to be a long lunch!!

Emma loved this about Italy! Food was important! Just as she was slipping into the food paradise, her phone squealed at her, OMG I hope nothing has happened at home, she l
ooked at Georgina’s number...Oh God I hope it isn’t anything serious.

Georgina squealed at her on the other end of the phone...she was engaged with Fabio.
Emma shrieked with delight. Everyone in the restaurant looked at her as if she were mad, she blushed furiously.

“Georgina and Fabio have just got engaged.” She said lamely

“Would you do me the honour of  becoming my wife?” Carlo asked her

“Yes!! Yes!! Yes!!” She jumped up and kissed him. “I love you! We could have a double wedding!!”

Carlo lept up and hugged her

“Yahoo!! Finally!! Oh my God!!” He did a little dance round the table. He was going to get married and they were going to live happily ever after.
After months of trying to convince her it had taken that gorgeous Georgina to persuade her in just a few minutes on a cell phone, who would have thought that cell phones were so important...your very existence could depend on a microchip!

All the customers in the little restaurant joined in the celebration,
prosecco was opened, everyone wished them “auguri” a musician materialised from somewhere and began singing romantic songs.

Emma phoned her parents to let them know the good news, even if Carlo had asked her father months ago if he could have her hand in marriage. Georgina and Fabio were the next people to be informed before finally Carlo phoned his parents.

Oh my God I am going to get married. What about my job? Emma knew she would not be happy unless she worked, in Italy it was impossible to find a job. The Euro and Berlusconi had pulled the country into a deep depression. We will sort it out.

As if reading her thoughts, Carlo grinned and gave her an envelope he had kept in his inside jacket pocket. “This is a transfer to London office! You can read it to see for yourself! I kept it open until you would say yes!
Now I will tell t hem that I can go tomorrow! I love you Emma...Amore della mia vita!”

Emma flung her arms round his neck and kissed him! “Thank you!”

The only thorns in the flesh now were going to be Antonella and his mother, Flavia. The plus point was that if they had a smaller enough house in London there wouldn’t be any room for them to come and stay!

As if reading her thoughts again he whispered in her ear,
“Don’t worry we can have a   cosy little home where there is no room for unwanted visitors!!”

                      ****    ****    ****    ****    ****    ****    ****

They almost skipped back to the car after lunch. Nothing could possible spoil this magic day. Once again, Rome was working her magic and this day would be a memory forever. Emma felt she would burst with happiness.

Nothing that is but the two women who opened the door to them when they got back to Carlo’s parent’s home.
Flavia’s face was like a person who was at the funeral of a beloved member of the family. Antonella’s face was thunder, she was the first to speak up, “I gather congratulations are due. I underestimated you Emma, however be warned you are not married yet!”

Carlo’s father Antonio looked thrilled for them both. He shot Antonella a thunderous look, “Antonella, please leave my home. You were not welcome when you tried to crawl into Carlo’s bed and you most certainly are not welcome here ever again, trying to spoil my son’s happiness. All you are worried about is cents and Euros, you cannot see what joy this daughter will bring him. Yes I think of Emma as a daughter. Now leave!” He escorted her to the door grabbing her coat on route. He turned to his wife and glared at her, “Now
Flavia if you wish to be part of this evening’s activities then you had better pull yourself together and welcome our new daughter into our family. If you  cannot do this for your son and your husband I suggest you go for an extended stay with your sister. You will leave your credit cards here and bring with you only the rechargeable one. Your account with my bank will be closed and you are to take with you only personal effects. The choice is yours. I will not have my son’s happiness ruined by one of the world’s most selfish women.”

Flavia
was white with rage, she picked up a vase and would have thrown it at Emma if Carlo had not caught it first. He felt embarrassed that this woman was his mother. Flavia smiled, “Yes your son’s happiness!” She tossed back her hair and marched out of  the room.

“What was all that about?” Carlo asked

“It is a long story. Your mother was her younger sister, she died when you were only a couple of months old. I was beside myself with grief and had no idea how to look after this tiny baby. Flavia was very helpful she stepped in and organised the household. The next thing I know is we are married. She was more in love with my money rather than me...I found out too late. Flavia got you your nannies and ran this house like clockwork. She was an excellent hostess and a calculated lover. The agreement was she could stay as long as she looked after your sister and you and she never let you realise your own mother was dead. Flavia cannot have children, but few people remembered I had been married before and my wife had died when your sister was only a year old and you were two months old. I loved your mother and no other woman could take her place. Flavia felt like a woman because she had two children at home, she took you  to school and when convenient took you to  birthday parties, she has been a good mother...if a distant mother. I think in her own way she loves you both and I think in her own way she is fond of me too.”

Silence.

Dead silence.

Heavy silence.

“Do you have a photo of my mother?” Carlo asked unable to think of anything else. This was why he had felt so guilty not loving his mother as much as he saw Fabio adored his mother.

“Yes Carlo I do I have albums of photos. I keep them in the bank. They are my most precious possessions. I feared if I left them here she might lose her temper one day and destroy all my memories and all my love.”

“Can you show me them in the bank of course.”

“Yes and if you like you can bring Emma with you and she can see what a lovely woman your mother was.”

Emma hugged him, her eyes glistened with unshed tears, “I would be very honoured if you let me see them too. Thank you. What was her name?”

“Sofia, her name was Sofia. She had jet black wavy hair and deep blue eyes. She was a beautiful woman inside and outside. We were only married for three years!”