Page 35 of A Place in the Sun
He smiles. ‘Just a small one. Caterina has a job there, starting in the autumn, helping with the little ones.’
‘She’ll be lovely, I’m sure.’
‘It’s good to keep it going. Some of the children from a local kids’ home go there. And it’s great that Caterinacan settle and not feel she has to keep moving on. She feels safe here.’
I nod. ‘Thank you,’ and then, ‘But I’ll find a way to pay for the plastering. I can’t let you do it for nothing.’ I hand him back the coffee mug. Every part of me wants to walk away and never come back. But where would I go? I’ve got literally nothing left.
As I walk down the hill, in the cool shadows of the buildings, I can see a figure, outside the house. Waiting … for me.
16
‘I hear there has been a problem with your property?’
It’s the mayor.
‘Yes.’
‘Ah, I see,’ he says, as he peers through the window.
There’s a silence.
‘I’m sorry,’ he says. ‘I wish there was something I could do to help.’
‘You could give me more time to do up the house … so I don’t have to find the extra money.’
He shakes his head. ‘I wish I could. But your husband had the house for a very good price. And I can’t change the rules for one person. It must be done up, either to sell it at market value or live in it.’
‘I understand. It wouldn’t be fair,’ I say, sighing.
‘But if you meet the deadline, decide to live in it,’ he raises an eyebrow, ‘there will be no further costs. Or …’
‘I’m going to be selling. I need to go back to the UK, with my children,’ I tell him firmly.
‘I see. Well, I’m sorry to hear that. The longer you stay in one place, the more it starts to feel like home.’ He wishes me a good day and walks up the hill towards La Tavola.
I open the door to the house and stare at the mess.
I think about what the mayor said. I need to get help. And to leave soon.
I have a shower and wash the remaining dust from my hair and eyes. He’s right: the more you stay put, the more it starts to feel like home. But this isn’t my home. Not mine or Marco’s. I want to leave.
Back at La Tavola, washing-up is in full swing.
‘How was Sunday lunch?’ I ask Giovanni, feeling refreshed after my shower.
‘Good. We had a decent turn-out, not all of the residents but lots. Even the mayor came. It was busy. We nearly ran out of pasta.’
‘I can see you’re needed here.’
‘I am. Well, La Tavola is. Without it, I don’t know what many of the villagers would do. They wouldn’t see anyone all week.’ Giovanni is wiping his hands and I notice a burn mark across his palm. ‘Even the mayor said how much it’s needed,’ he adds.
‘That’s good.’
‘Well, it would be if he could do anything to help,’Giovanni says. ‘But he can’t. The only thing he can do is try to sell off more houses to people who think they can find their dream life in the sun, then maybe put some money our way when they realize they can’t complete the houses.’
I feel, again, as if I’ve been slapped.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean … Really, I didn’t mean anything by that.’
