Summer in Sorrento (6 page)

              And just like that the increasingly difficult conversation with Jacob was forgotte
n—
Maia did
n’
t think it was right to continue, not with the new introduction of Amelia to the group, nor did she think it appropriate to ask Amelia how she was feeling.  So the table kept to neutral topic
s—
jobs, hobbies, favorite travel spots and the like.

              Through it all, Hal and Lori never showed up for dinner.  Maia was pretty sure they were both still in the hous
e—
she did
n’
t think they had left.

              When dinner was over, Camilla began cleaning up with Ameli
a’
s help.  Maia advised them to make sure they put some leftovers to the side, in case Lori or Hal got hungry later.  With that, she walked in the direction of their room to let them know that there was food if they wanted it.

              But as she neared their door, she was immediately hit with the sound of raised, albeit muffled, voices coming from within their room.

            
 “
No
,
yo
u
do
n’
t understand Hal.  You are one of the most insensitive people I have ever met.  We are in Italy for Go
d’
s sakes.  And what do you do?  You want to fix the goddamn air conditioning at the place we are staying.  Why do
n’
t you just say it?  That you do
n’
t want to be here?  That you have checked out of this marriage
?”
cried Lori.

              Maia felt a surge of embarrassment rush through her and she slowly stepped away. As the argument became more heated, she knew without a doubt that she did
n’
t want to be caught eavesdropping, should either one of them open the door, and she also knew that this was none of her business.  She hoped that her footsteps were not making any noise on the wood floors beneath her.

            
 “
What do you want from me Lori?  Just tell me and
I’
ll do it.  And why would you say that?  That
I’
ve checked out.  I swear to God, I ca
n’
t do anything right.  I really ca
n’
t, not with you, not anymore.  I agreed to come to Italy.  I agreed to this guesthouse.  I agreed to this downtime because you said we needed i
t—
I do
n’
t know what else to do for you
!
”

              Finding sanctuary in the kitchen, Maia could
n’
t help but feel upset over what she had heard between the fighting couple.  She excused herself and went outside, where the cool night breeze whipped tendrils of her hair from her temples and the scent of lemons fragranced the air around her.  Maia walked down the path from her house, toward the road and the cliff side, determined to find a bit of solitude to clear her head.  And she knew just the spot.

              Finding her way easily to a small overlook that gave a clear view of the city lights of Naples at night, she felt herself calming down as she walked.  However, she was shocked to find that when she reached her goal, she was not alon
e—
Jacob had apparently found this secret place too.  And he was so fully immersed in taking in the view that he did
n’
t hear Mai
a’
s footsteps as she approached.

            
 “
Hello
,”
she said softly, announcing her presence. She certainly did
n’
t want to shock anyone when they were standing that close to the side of a small mountain.
 “
I did
n’
t realise this place was that easy to find
,”
she said with a smile.

              Jacob turned around, finally realising he was no longer alone.

            
 “
Oh, hey,
I’
m sorry, I was just walking a bit and I stumbled upon this area.  A bit off the beaten path, yes?  I hope you do
n’
t mind.  If you needed some time alone, I can go
,”
he offered.

              But Maia waved a dismissive hand.
 “
Please, not a problem at all.  It will be nice to have some company here.  I have
n’
t in some time
.
”
 
She took a seat on the grass.
 “
Care to join me?  Best seat in the house
.
”
 
She patted the soft ground next to her, and Jacob dutifully sat.

              The young man next to Maia sighed deeply as he got comfortable and cast his eyes out over the Neapolitan vista. The seashore was dotted with lights and low lying buildings filled the Napoli harbor.  The sky had not fully given up the setting sun, and off into the West, the last remnants of daylight headed toward Jaco
b’
s New York.

            
 “
It sure looks different - from the skyline of New York that is
.
”

            
 “
It is quite different yes
,”
agreed Maia.

            
 “
Have you been?  To New York that is
?”
Jacob asked to which Maia offered an affirmative nod.

            
 “
Twice, but not recently.  Once as a teenager and once with my husband, Jim, right after we were married.  I
t’
s a great city.  I do
n’
t suppose I could live there though.  I like the quiet this place offers.  I feel like I might be a fish out of water in a place like that
,”
she smiled, turning her eyes to Jacob, who was now looking back at the city beneath them. He had a strong Italian profil
e—
like many of the men that she saw here each day.  There was no denying he was handsome, she could see why Camilla was attracted, but he was much more refined than most of the men she met. 

              Probably because he was a full on New Yorker and had been his whole life.  But, she knew Italian passion that still drove through his veins.  His feelings toward his father were evidence of that.

            
 “
Do you remember Sorrento at all
?”
she asked.
 “
I know you were very young when you left
.
”

              Jacob shrugged.
 “
There are snippets, I guess.  Little memories. I do
n’
t know if the
y’
re real or if i
t’
s something I saw in one of my mothe
r’
s photo albums.  Honestly, probably one of my most clear memories is of going to Pompeii, probably right before we left for the U.S.  I remember thinking it was absolutely hilarious that there were pictures of naked people, now I realise in various sex positions, on the walls of one of the buildings.  It was a brothel that serviced the city
,”
he laughed.
 “
But I was just a little boy who thought it was funn
y—
these naked people painted on the walls, all twisted around each other. I did
n’
t know what the purpose of the establishment, I guess you might say, was
.
”
 
He laughed.
 “
I
t’
s weird the things you remember
.
”

              Maia nodded and smiled.
 “
I deal with some of the same.  Little random thing
s—
especially when it comes to my husband.  Like the time that we got into an argument about something while sitting at the dinner tabl
e—
I ca
n’
t even recall wha
t—
but during the whole thing, he had this piece of corn stuck on his cheek.  And I was so mad at him that I just let it sit there.  It honestly made me feel better.  I
t’
s hard to argue with someone who has food on their face.  But I always wondered, after he died, like why did I remember that?  Out of all things?  What was its significance to my life
?
”

              Taking a deep breath of the sea air and closing her eyes, Maia listened for the sounds that floated up from the valley beneath.

              When she opened her eyes again she shrugged.
 “I’
m glad I remember though.  Even with Jim gone.  I
t’
s the little things like that that pepper my thoughts.  They help keep him alive to me
.
”

              The pair sat in silence for a moment and when Jacob finally spoke, his statement caught her unawares.

            
 “
You asked me a question earlier, at dinner, about the way I felt toward my father.  You asked me if I was sure I wanted to feel that way
.
”

              Maia shifted uncomfortably
.“I’
m sorry, I probably should
n’
t have said that.  I
t’
s not my place ..
.
”

            
 “
No, i
t’
s okay.  I
t’
s what brought me out here. I needed to think
,”
Jacob said evenly.
 “
But can I ask you a question
?
”
 
She nodded her approval.
 “
Have you ever had to try to forgive someone for a lifetime of unhappiness
?
”

              Maia tilted her head.
 “
Ar
e
yo
u
unhappy though?  You do
n’
t seem that way to me
.
”

              Jacob tucked his feet up closer to his body and wrapped his arms around his legs.
 “
No,
I’
m not unhappy.  I have everything I could want in lif
e—
great career, money to buy whatever I want, companionship if I want it, friends. And quite honestly, if it were just about me, I probably would
n’
t give him another thought.  But i
t’
s my mom.  I
t’
s abou
t
he
r
.  She spent the majority of the prime years of her life unhappy, overworked, caring for two children alone.  I remember her crying at night when she thought Adriana and I were asleep.  I remember her stressing over money.  I guess tha
t’
s what I find unforgivable
.
”

            
 
It was an honest answer
,
Maia thought.  But she also believed there was something out of kilter with his line of thinking.

            
 “
What about your mother?  What does she think of him
?
”

              Jacob sighed.
 “
Tha
t’
s what I do
n’
t get.  When Adriana was pressuring me to come over here.  Mom told me I should come too.  I mean, why?  I told her if it was so important that I come here, then why did
n’
t she come with me?  To watch the old man die, to get that closure.  She said that closure occurred for her when she left Italy.  That she did
n’
t need to mourn him again
.
”

              Maia smiled understanding what Jacob was missing.
 “
Your mother sounds like a very wise woman
.
”

            
 “
How so
?”
he asked, looking at her and forgetting the view of Naples.

            
 “
It sounds to me like your mother finished mourning for her relationship with your father years ago.  And what you might have interpreted as her dealing with a broken heart might really just have been a woman who was doing her best to handle the stresses of making a new life for herself after the plans that she thought were set in stone crumbled before her eyes.  What you might have thought were unhappiness and regret and loneliness, could very well have been something different
.
”