Avatar: Fiorino Pera
VW: Second Life
Location: Roma
Country: IT
VW: Second Life
Location: Roma
Country: IT
Summer breakfast al fresco
The Prince of Melioria, whom I have known all my life without suspecting that he was a prince, has often told me that his cook, the Signorina Cece, is a genius. He says that she can cook cakes and all manner of sweets, and can prepare a fruit cocktail that the prince says she learned from the women of Macedonia -- a dish that is incredibly fresh and delicious! The night before last he told me all this again and said From now on you and your friends must come to Villa Vesuviana for breakfast, because Cece is going to make every good thing for you to enjoy. And since I had said nothing in reply, the prince insisted: Tomorrow when you must not fail to bring your friends to my villa and enjoy whatever Cece prepares!
Rico and Fiorino start to walk from the port to the hilltop villa
Fiorino and Rico climb the hill from the port to Villa Vesuviana
Fiorino, Marina and Rico approach the breakfast table
Nella lets Fiorino and friends bring the supplies to the Village of Melioria
Rico and Fiorino start to walk from the port to the hilltop villa Yes, the prince had told me all this, but never had I ever tasted any of Cece's meals until yesterday morning. When the morning bells sounded from Melioria's churches, and Rico and I prayed our Aves, we remembered that the Principe had told us to come up to the garden at the side of his great villa. The morning air was still very fresh even as the sun climbed quickly into the sky, and the walk up the hill to the villa only increased my appetite. Rico said the hike made him hungry too.
Fiorino and Rico climb the hill from the port to Villa Vesuviana Near the villa, just below the vineyard, we found a long table, set with many different fruits and cheeses, with chocolate to drink and hot milk flavored with coffee. It was all tasty, nutritious and very satisfying. Rico and I met Marina and other children from Venezia: it was so fun to eat breakfast outdoors with friends that we had not seen since leaving Venezia.
Fiorino, Marina and Rico approach the breakfast table When the meal was over, my friend Signor Capo (who is none other than the Prince of Melioria), asked me to take some bags of flour from the kitchens of Signorina Cece to the village. He showed me a cart that the kitchen workers had loaded near the stable. He also introduced me to the sweetest donkey that he called Nella. He told me that if I sing to Nella, she would let me harness her to the cart.
What could I sing? I wondered but finally I sang a song to Venezia and to Nella at the same time.
Voga e va gondolier,
Canta el cuor
Non posso andar pi via
Perch Venezia mia
M'ha fatto inamorar
(The gondolier paddles onward and goes, and sings within his heart: 'I cannot ever go away because my Venice has made me fall in love with her).
So many times have I heard the gondoliers sing these words, but now that I was far away from Venezia, a lump came in my throat. I could not sing more. How sad I felt to be so far from Venezia, which I last saw sinking under the flood waters.
Nella the little donkey seem to sense my sorrow. She he-hawed and let me harness her even as I wept. She rubbed her head against my arms as I attached the harness, as if to say: Sing to me some more, Fiorino .
Nella lets Fiorino and friends bring the supplies to the Village of Melioria So, I sang and found my courage again. I kept singing as I mounted the cart and brought the flour to the village. Rico and Pierluigi came with me and joined in the song. By the time we reached the village, my heart was light again. This reminded me of the prince's own words: This is how kingdoms last: they are not brittle. They let the waves carry them forward." I guess by 'waves' we can also mean little donkeys like Nella.
My fingers covered with ink again. These accounts and invoices! They are never late or troubling but still must be done. Mayer handles all the accounts in Germany but he insists I read them. Every one of them. Sighs.He says that good bookkeeping is the key to a great estate. I say it leads to sore eyes. I look at a thick ledger .Principessa stamped in thin fragile gold on the cover. Opening it I spread the filled pages wide. Hmm Artemisia is spending beyond her allowance again. England was such a reasonable place to live for so long but now that she has taken to the Court of St James (and the Queen has taken to her) Artemisia is spending more and more money. And three of our boys are with me! I do not want her to take loans from strangers. I must write Mayer a note to increase by half again her letter of credit. I close the ledger.I wipe my fingers on the linen handkerchief and take up pen again to initial another account. It is not the kind of day for such labor. I should be outside. The windows are open and my mind drifts to my fields. Thoughts fly on such sweet breezes.Out my studys window I see the orphan boy Fiorino and his friend Rico attempting to harness Nella. To earn their meal, prepared by Cece (who no doubt wonders why orphans are added to all the mouths she needs to feed); I suggested they take the cart and the mule and deliver some sacks of flour to the Port.Little did they know those sacks were delivered to the Villa yesterday morning from the port. Laughs. I can see old Giuseppes face when they knock on the door of his warehouse with the same flour he brought me yesterday. He will first be alarmed. Then taste it wondering why I returned it. Family inherited lunacy he will think. The boys will not know what the answer is to his questions and leave hurriedly frightened by his muttered words. Sorry for the confusion Giuseppe but I must keep the boys occupied and teach them Labor brings Food. And besides, Giuseppe will not credit my account. He will just send it up the hill again with a new bill for new but actually the same flour and Cece will complain that the bags are open again but still make delicious bread from it for her too many mouths to feed.And thus the World is in Order and I am only short a coin.Mayer would not approve. But when I think of that small coin, so handled and worn, I know it has fed four No five including me. I muse how much more valuable it is than the gold coins that my wife spends on tea.I look back at al the ledgers on my desk.My fingers covered with ink.Mayer I am sorry they will need to wait until tomorrow. I have important things to attend to.