A Train's Too Far Away

Father-Son Relation-Trip

"A what trip? What's a can of ping?" Alberto, Massimo, and Machiavelli all sat around (or on) the table one night eating dinner—pasta, of course. Massimo had just asked if Alberto wanted to go on a "bonding" trip with him.

Signor Massimo chuckled deeply. "Camping. You live outside and away from others for a day or two. I would like to spend some time together, just the two of us ragazzi, before Luca and Giulietta return. What do you say?"

"Sounds like the perfect opportunity for Alberto Scorfano to prove to you he's got the guts to make it anywhere!" Alberto grinned and Massimo laughed.

"I have no doubt. We shall leave tomorrow morning." They cleaned up their dinner and each packed a small bag to take on the trip.

~

True to his word, the next morning the pair (minus their cat) left on their boat to an island not far away from Portorosso. Massimo told Alberto that when he was young, his group of ragazzi would come to this island and pretend to be stranded here to see how long they could "survive". He never thought he'd be back with an adopted son.

The first day went well. Massimo showed Alberto how to set up a tent, start a fire, and operate a sleeping bag. Alberto made sure they had dinner by catching fish for Massimo and some sea plants for himself.

As night fell, Alberto couldn't fall asleep. Not only were these sleepy human bags very uncomfortable but he couldn't even see the fis- the stars from inside this "tent". He grabbed his backpack and crawled out to sit next to the small fire. He gently fanned it back up like Massimo had shown him and searched through his bag for something.

One by one, he pulled out pieces of paper. They all started with the same thing.

"Ciao Berto, it's Luca," he whispered aloud. He read aloud quietly to the rest of that letter, then continued with the next one. He had read them so many times, he could've recited them with his eyes closed. Reading the handwritten letters always comforted him somehow. Especially when they ended with "Caro, Luca" {Love, Luca} every time...

Eventually, Alberto's vision started to blur from reading for so long. He reluctantly but carefully put the letters away with a yawn. He continued to sit by the fire for its warmth and light, though. He absently drew lines in the sand next to him while he thought about any number of things.

He wondered if Luca were here, what they would be doing. Perhaps exploring the hills with Luca explaining how every plant and ecosystem (that's a word Luca used in a letter he wrote) worked while they walked. Maybe they would be swimming in the reefs while the sun came up, with Luca's blue and green scales shimmering brilliantly in the early morning rays of sunlight. Maybe they would even be telling adventuring stories quietly by the campfire so as to not wake Massimo before breakfast. Luca had the best imagination when telling stories about, well...anything.

Alberto's smile faded when he remembered why he was on this island without Luca in the first place. Not his old island, at least, thank goodness. Luca was pursuing his dream and Alberto would wait here for him to return.

If he even wanted to return at all...

"Silenzio Bruno." He whispered harshly. Luca would return. He wouldn't abandon him. Alberto pulled his knees to his chest and put his chin atop them.

Alberto's finger again absently traced a pattern in the dirt beside him, on the ocean side. Before he could stop himself, he was drawing Luca's name. The letters were a bit lopsided but it made him smile nonetheless. Luca wrote a little lopsided too. The soft ocean waves and pale moonlight gave him a sense of comfort as he kept drawing.