Someone to Love (15 page)

“I don't need to listen to any further explanation. That dog is ridiculous and shouldn't be here,” she said with contempt. The words came out of her mouth like steel splinters.

I was about to answer, but Fiamma anticipated me. “That dog will soon be beautiful without the need of a surgeon. Unlike someone else,” she said, resting her hands on her hips. “This is a public place, I suggest you continue on your way… I don't think you'll find it difficult.”

The woman frowned. “You mean these?” she replied, indicating her generous breasts. “So jealous? Of course I'll continue along my way, but, I work here,” she concluded.

Fiamma paled and closed her eyes. She didn't want to continue the discussion.

“I apologize. Let's forget about it and start again on the right foot?” I suggested, trying to find a solution.

“No, dear. I never forget anything. I suggest you keep away from me, or at least make sure you don't bump into me in the hospital.” She turned to Fiamma. “Now excuse me, I must go.” The noise of heels accompanied the woman straight to the Spider. After a quick manoeuvre in the car park, she drove away.

“I'm… I'm sorry,” stammered Fiamma.

I took a deep breath before continuing. “Luck's not on our side, but let's hope the day gets better,” I added.

Walking distance separated us from the garden that surrounded the back of hospital. We walked side by side and, a few steps away, Casper sniffed every smell and every tuft of grass he found. Progress was slow.

I put my hand on my forehead to keep off the sunlight. The brightness reminded me of an August day. Without knowing why, a smile surfaced on my lips and I felt my tiredness vanish.

I only jolted when the glass door opened and Lukas and Martina out came. My heart was about to explode and was thumping hard against my chest, almost making me sick.

When Lukas said ‘hello' to us, Casper sprang forwards to greet him.

“Casper, what's up? Slowly!” I ordered, severely. He didn't seem to take much notice of the tone of my voice. The leash was pulled to the limit.

Lukas was wearing a blue tracksuit with white lettering and red stripes on the cuffs. He had a beautiful rosy glow and seemed excited to see us. Although a prisoner of his illness, nothing seemed to dent his childlike resilience. He wasn't afraid. He gave the most dazzling smile I had ever seen.

“Here we are,” said Roberta, holding Lukas's hand warmly.

I barely had time to bend down before Lukas hopped forward to kiss my cheek with enthusiasm.

“So you remembered me!” he said, elated.

“Did you doubt it?” I asked, with a wink. “Meet Fiamma, my friend and colleague, and this is Casper.”

The dog stood up on his hind legs and tipped his head to one side. Round hazel eyes stared at the boy. A whimper of tenderness echoed in the air and Casper rushed into his arms. The leash slipped from my grip. Lukas landed under Casper's weight, and Roberta fell over too, trying to help him get up.

“No, leave him alone. He just wanted to give me a kiss,” he chuckled.

Reason prompted me to take a step towards him and lift him from the lawn. Instinct forced me to stay still and enjoy that moment of almost unique harmony.

“Lukas. Please, get up! You'll get all dirty,” sighed Roberta. “You can hug him standing up.”

“All right!” snorted the boy, getting up. He looked at Casper with narrowed eyes and put a finger to his chin. “What happened to him?” he asked, as he realized that there was something unusual about him.

Fiamma knelt, catching the lead, and stroking Casper's battered skin. “He's like that because we're curing him.”

Lukas seemed at the mercy of a conjuring trick. His attention was total. “But if you're taking care of him, where's his owner?” he crooned, still not taking his eyes off the animal.

“See, Lukas,” I said, anticipating Fiamma, “his owner wasn't very good, so Fiamma and I had to take him away.”

“Did he do a tantrum? Like I do when I don't want to eat vegetables?” he asked softly.

The way he talked could take me back into another world.

“No, Lukas. Casper is a very good dog, but his owner wasn't able to raise him with love,” I said, measuring my words.

“Do you need love to grow?”

That question startled me and I found myself unable to formulate an answer.

Fiamma slid her hand in mine. She squeezed it hard to give me courage and replied for me. “When you were born you were a baby. You were really small and you cried a lot,” she began to tell him, capturing Lukas's attention. “Your mother thought to protect you and love you with all her heart. Without her, you wouldn't have survived.”

Lukas sat on the ground, crossing his legs, next to Casper. “So you also need a mummy to grow?”

I settled beside him. “We all need love and parents who take care of us. We weren't born to be alone, but to surround ourselves with people who make us happy. I'm sure that Casper had a good mother, but dogs are often separated from their parents for adoption.” I caught my breath. “So the owner replaces the mother. It's his task to take care of the puppy, like one of the family.”

“Now I understand: his owner wasn't a good mother,” he said with tears in his eyes. “But why? How could he forget about him?”

Casper rolled in the grass, emitting some comical sound and then jumped to his feet, ready to wipe the child's tears away.

“Because he was too busy thinking about himself and forgot the rest,” I said in a small voice.

I realized that there was another boy and a woman nearby, watching us, a few steps away me. Lukas straightened his back, Martina waved her small hand to greet them and began speaking solemnly. “Come here, don't be afraid. That's Giulio and his mother Paola.”

So this was Giulio. I concentrated on that quiet boy who was holding his mother's hand. He didn't have unusual attitudes nor did he get agitated, but I knew immediately that he wasn't able to communicate effectively. He was attentive, alert and calm, but showed a certain inability to express himself.

“Hello, did you bring Giulio to meet the dog?” asked Roberta.

“Yes, I explained to him what this beautiful young lady will do and Giulio made me understand he was happy.”

“Thank you,” I answered, beaming. “Nice to meet you, please call me Mia.”

Giulio looked up at me and then laid his eyes on Casper. He produced a high pitched squeal.

Paola told us that her son had been diagnosed with a form of autism at the age of two and since then, had been subjected to various therapies without any real improvements. His body had grown, taking the form of a boy of his age, but his physical and cognitive abilities had not developed normally.

“I have a dog, too!” cried Martina.

“Really? And what's his name?” I asked, smiling.

Lukas interrupted her. “It's not true. You haven't got a real dog.”

Martina scowled and crossed her arms. “Of course I have. He's called Pepsi.”

Lukas shook his head slowly, before pointing a finger at her. “No, you've got a cuddly toy and it's also ugly. I really had a dog,” he began triumphantly.

“He's still a dog, even if he's a toy, and I love him,” concluded Martina, sticking her tongue out.

I tried to hold back a laugh and joined the conversation. “We aren't here to fight, but to do something beautiful. It doesn't matter whether you have a real or a stuffed dog, today I'll teach you something about them.”

The children fell silent and turned towards me. Fiamma came up with Casper and helped me to encourage them. “Come on, which one of you wants to learn how we take care of the animals?”

Two hands went up at the same time, accompanied by laughter and enthusiastic comments.

Little Martina wouldn't stop throwing glances at Lukas and continued behaving like a prima donna.. “Oh, poor thing, is he sick?” she asked, when she realized Casper's condition.

I was about to speak, but a voice anticipated me.

“Of course he's sick. Have you ever seen a hairless dog?” The little girl started to talk again. “It was only a question. And you're really annoying today…” she muttered, under her breath.

I looked for Fiamma, asking for moral support with my eyes. Those children were worse than adults.

“I don't want to hear you two arguing, especially about these things. Now, let's move to the shade, near the benches, and have a chat,” I said firmly. I didn't like to show my stern side, but I had no choice on that occasion.

I smiled and took Lukas by the hand. Footsteps followed us and I suddenly felt light headed. In that moment, a feeling of well being exploded that life gave me without asking for anything in return.

“So, now we'll all sit next to each other and introduce ourselves. So even our four legged friend will learn to know you better,” I said, throwing a meaningful look at Fiamma.

“Of course,” agreed Paola, who sat next to Giulio.

I breathed in deeply. “My name is Mia and this is Fiamma, a friend of mine. And together we saved Casper to allow him to get better.” I was going to continue the introductions, but the timid voice of Martina stopped me.

“Was he dying?” she asked, in a small voice.

I waited a few seconds before answering, and to find the words appropriate for children their age. “Yes, if we hadn't taken him away from the place he was in,” I answered truthfully.

Lukas and Martina brought their hands to their mouths, accompanying the gesture with a surprised ‘ooh', and Giulio imitated them. “Will he go to a hospital too?” murmured Lukas and reached out to touch Casper's nose.

“It's not a hospital like this, but it looks a lot like one. In the clinic we take care of all the animals that visit us and take care of those looking for a home. Casper will have to get his strength back and find a family to live with,” I declared.

Martina walked up to Casper and gently stroked the dog's back. “Is he suffering a lot?” she asked again, putting me into a difficult situation.

“He's not suffering now, he just has to finish his course of treatment and he will be even more beautiful than before. He understands you better than anyone else,” I said.

Lukas didn't take his eyes away from Casper. “I had hair. Mummy says that after the medicine it will grow stronger than before,” he added, his voice unsure, his fingers brushing his smooth scalp.

Silence fell around us. I fought back the tears with difficulty. Fiamma hugged him, and then, impulsively lifted him up.

We all laughed and Casper barked and ran round in circles. I tried to convince him to stop, but he ignored me.

“Miss Mia—” whispered Martina.

“Tell me everything,” I said, motioning her to sit by my side, but with my eyes still glued on Fiamma and Lukas.

“I have all my hair, but I have a bad heart. The doctor says that soon I will receive a new one that will work well. After the operation, I can go home and finally have all my toys,” she murmured softly.

“You'll certainly have the most beautiful healthy heart in the world.”

“Really? The most beautiful in the world?” she asked, euphoric and full of hope.

I nodded, and she sank into my arms.

I didn't know that little girl, I didn't know anything about her, but one thing was certain: she already had the biggest heart in the world. At that precise moment I realized that our four legged friend was perfect for Martina.

“Fiamma, do we have a stethoscope in the bag?”

She nodded and handed it to me. “Martina, do you want to try and hear Casper's heart?” I asked.

“Can I really?” she asked.

“Good boy, Casper, come here.” I pulled the leash slightly towards us. “Here, Martina. Put these in your ears, and hold this disk on his chest. Are you ready?”

The girl's eyes widened when she heard the rhythmic beating of his heart.

“Can I do it too? Please—” asked Lukas.

“Sure, come here.”

The afternoon seemed to pass quickly, that hadn't happened for a long time. The children were excited and shrieking with joy. Hearing their voices fuelled my good mood.

When Roberta approached us, I realized that the time available was over. “Lukas, it's time to go back to your room. And you two, it's better if you go back inside as well,” she muttered, resting her hands on Lukas's shoulders.

“Five more minutes,” cried Martina, and Lukas followed suit, begging for more time. Even Giulio, who until a few minutes before had remained silent, showed displeasure.

Roberta shook her head. “No, children. The time for today is over. Come on, let's go back upstairs.”

“All right,” muttered Lukas.

“Follow the nurse. We'll see you very soon and perhaps with some other surprises,” I promised them, winking.

“Promise!” said Lukas, and a corner of his tiny mouth curled into a smile.

“Promise,” I said, crossing my fingers and bringing them to my lips.

I hugged Fiamma as I watched the children walk back to the hospital from the garden.

I reached into my pocket and took out a biscuit. “Well done, Casper! Good job.”

The day at work went by quickly, but I did not hear from Alberto. I had to concentrate not to think of him and about that short and abrupt call.

My thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind me. “Excuse me, may I?” he asked.

I turned and there he was, in front of me, smiling and happy. Alberto had come in with the same resolute gait and successful masculine air that I had found so attractive the first time he had spoken to me.

“Sure,” I said, intent in compiling a diagnosis on the computer.

Antonio and Fiamma were watching and whispering something between them. I coughed, embarrassed and ignored their mischievous smiles. They were really irritating.