Page 10 of A Place in the Sun
‘Are you the electrician?Elettricista?I’m pleased you’re here.’
Distracted, I glance up and down the road again for Luca. ‘Sorry, I’m waiting for my son.’
‘I met him earlier,’ he says.
My heart sets up the familiar panicky pace that has been ever-present for the last couple of years. ‘You saw him? Is he okay?’
He smiles. ‘Yes. He said he wasn’t allowed to open the door, but spoke to me through the window.’
‘Ah.’ The penny drops. This isn’t someone who has seen Luca out exploring, or the electrician. ‘You’re the mayor.’
‘Sì.’ He holds out a hand to shake. I give mine a quick wipe on my shorts and take his. ‘Welcome to our village,’ he smiles, ‘and this is our local police officer.’ I notice a second man standing behind him. ‘Here in Italy we check people are who they say they are when they move in.’ He introduces the other man.
‘Grazie,’ I say distractedly.
‘And Marco, he is your husband?’
‘Erm, yes. He was …’
He frowns.
‘My husband passed away.’ I wish I didn’t have to say that every time I meet someone.
‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ He looks around me into the house. ‘And you have some work to do here,’ he says.
‘Yes –sì.’
He nods. ‘And, of course, not much time to do it.’
‘Well, yes, it’s true. I want to get back to the UK as soon as possible.’
‘Without having to pay the penalty.’
I look out and around him for Luca. ‘The … the what?’
‘The penalty.’ He seems to hesitate, then continues: ‘You know about the penalty?’
‘What penalty?’ I say slowly.
He takes a deep breath. ‘Your husband, he bought this place for a very good price.’
‘Yes, I know.’
‘And he was going to do it up and bring it back to life.’
‘Yes.’
‘The contract he signed, it gave him two years exactly to get it to a cared-for state.’
‘Well, as you say, there’s a lot to do, and that’s what I plan to do.’
‘If it’s not done, by two years, then the owner, that is you, has to pay the full amount for the property. It’s all there in the contract, with the agreed amount. The house has to be fit for the market, so it can be sold or lived in or rented. We have an estate agent in the neighbouring town who will evaluate the property.’
I feel as if another sack of weights has been added to my shoulders. ‘You’re telling me that if this house isn’t “fit for the market” by a certain time I have to find a sum of money to pay?’
He nods. ‘It is a local project. Some towns and villages are selling houses for one euro with all sorts of restrictions and clauses. Others are paying people to move there. We are selling houses where the owner has died and has no family to pass it on to. We sell for a nominal fee and, if nothing is done to the house to renovate it within two years, the owner must pay the market value. Bit like the one-euro houses, but,’ he shrugs, ‘this house is habitable … just.’
I take in the enormity of what needs to be done to get the house ‘fit for the market’. ‘How long have I got?’
