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Rome-Two Years Ago
“Okay,I’mhere,”Isaid as I strolled down an empty Roman alleyway. “I came to Rome because of your dream, Mom. You’ve got a week to make your dream come true.”
I tried to keep my sorrow from tainting my words as I spoke to my mother’s spirit. Her death had rocked my world and left my father, my brother, and I devastated. Mom was the glue that held us together. She was the warmth that permeated every inch of our house and the laughter that kept our hearts light and vibrant. Now, that was all gone. Dark clouds, emptiness, and a dark void had replaced those things that I once called home.
It had been Mom’s idea for me to come to Rome. The night before she died, she’d dreamt that I had traveled here and met the love of my life the very next day. She’d also dreamed that my brother would go to India and find the ‘perfect man’. The man he’d spent his entire adulthood in search of. After telling Dad, she’d made him promise that we’d do as she dreamed. That was how I found myself strolling endlessly across Rome and Michael was on his way to New Delhi.
Deciding to make the most of it, I decided to find something to eat. After all, it was a proper injustice to come to Italy and not dive headfirst into their cuisine. After eating my full of a fiery pasta served with pork cheek, pecorino, and onion at a quaint little restaurant tucked out of the way from the general traffic, I dropped a few bills down, enough to cover the bill and leave my server a generous tip. From there, I strolled along the main road, unknowingly headed towards the fountain my mother had been so adamant that I visit.
I looked up just as the Trevi Fountain came into view. Immediately, I was taken aback by the sheer beauty of the sculpted scene that made up one of the largest fountains in the world.
“Wow,” I breathed as I skipped ahead and suddenly found myself standing at the forefront, gazing at Oceanus and his Tritons.
“Beautiful, is it, not?” A tiny, yet fierce voice spoke suddenly from my left. Tearing myself away from the splendor before me, I glanced down to find a tiny, delicate-looking woman staring up at me. Her face was the soft, wrinkled kind that everyone’s favorite grandma possessed. She stood with the grace and gentleness of a ballerina, but her eyes shone like wildfire. There was an indomitable spirit behind them that immediately piqued my interest.
“It is beautiful.”
“Have you come to toss your coins in the fountain?” she asked, gesturing towards the grandiose, carved figures before us.
“No. I’m here for other reasons,” I said without giving any extra explanation.
“Then what harm will come if you toss these into the waters?” The crone opened her hand, showing me three oddly shaped coins that looked like they belonged in a museum rather than her hand.
“None if you believe in that sort of stuff.” I couldn’t keep the disinterest from my voice.
“Then take these.” The crone grabbed hold of my hand and slid the coins into my open palm. “Toss the coins. Make a wish. You never know what it will bring you.”
And just as quickly as she appeared, the crone vanished, leaving me standing by the edge of the fountain with three pieces of metal warming my palm. Glancing around, I looked to see if anybody had witnessed our brief interlude, but I quickly realized that everyone around me was so absorbed in themselves that no one noticed. Drawing in a deep sigh, I gripped the coins in my fist and held them for a moment.
Should I toss them?
Should I give them to someone else?
Someone who believes in all this malarkey?
“No.”
My mother’s voice echoed through my brain.
“Toss the damned coins, son. Turn around, throw them in, and wait to see what happens.”
A shiver rippled down my spine as I thought of my dear, blessed, saint of a mother, speaking to me from beyond the grave. If her otherworldly spirit was anything like her spirit on Earth, I knew that I’d better do as she said. If I didn’t, I’d never hear the end of it.
Drawing in a deep breath, I turned my back, tightened my fist, and lobbed the coins over my shoulder.
“That man threw the coins, Mommy! He threw the coins! Yaaaay!” A bright, energetic voice cheered. I turned to see a small, adorably cute little blonde-haired girl of about six or so clapping with her eyes locked on me.
“She loves it when the tourists do that,” her mother, a short, plump woman with short black hair offered as she grabbed her daughter’s hand and moved on. I watched them leave before returning my attention back to one of Rome’s jewels. Sucking in another short breath, I released it slowly and decided to leave as well.
I ended up spending the day strolling, taking in the sights, and window shopping for mementos for my father, my brother, and my best friend, Ryan. My day ended with dinner back at the same, quaint bistro before heading back to my room and going to bed early.
Something in the air felt different as I woke up with a tiny beam of sunlight shining in my eye. Opening said eye, I discovered the source of the light peeking through one of the small cracks between the closed curtains. After rubbing the sleep away, I leaned against the headboard and began to plan out my day. Several minutes later, I got up to take a shower. I was definitely going to stop for lunch at the bistro that I had come to love and then, I’d head over to the Vatican for a tour. As I dried myself off and got ready for the day, I had no plans to return to the Trevi Fountain. I had seen it already. I’d tossed the coins the crone had given me, and was met with a one-girl round of applause. Little did I know as I stepped out of my room and shut the door behind me, that Fate had other plans.
After deciding against the Vatican, I chose to explore Rome by foot once more. Even though I had the best of intentions, my exploration didn’t get me far. Instead, it led me to a great bakery where I had the best cappuccino ever made and lost myself in the sweet deliciousness of a true Italian made napoleon.
From the bakery, I hung out in one of the city’s many piazzas, watching as my fellow man went to and fro, living their lives and wholly unaware as I studied them. A few hours later, my stomach rumbled, announcing that it needed food. Briefly I pondered heading back for another round of delectable pasta, but decided that if I went too often, there was a chance that I could get burned out, thus ruining my love for the place. Deciding I’d go there for dinner instead, I found a pizza parlor and had a slice of the best pizza known to man. Once I’d had my fill of the thin-crusted pie topped with a thin layer of sauce, tomatoes, basil, and in-house made mozzarella, I chose to resume my walk. It’d help burn off the calories that I’d just consumed, thus preparing me for the dinner that awaited me later.
Somehow, the path that I followed led me back to familiar territory. Strolling along, I watched the crowd start to thicken as the Trevi Fountain came into view. Part of me wondered why I was here. Why did I come to Italy? Did I honestly think that I’d suddenly find my soulmate like my mother had envisioned?
