Caruso

Qui dove il mare luccica

When Alberto chose to wake up, it was still dark outside, as it had been for several days. The closer the summer solstice got, the brighter his room became around 4.30 a.m., when the alarm clock decided to go off. He'd spend the first fifteen minutes of most mornings adjusting to the realities of the day ahead, attempting to portion out the tasks, and longing for breakfast. Even though he was a morning person, he preferred not to talk to anyone before his first cup of coffee. Massimo was well aware of this, and in the first hour of the day, aside from the water flushing and the coffee bubbling, there was usually no discernible sound in the Marcovaldo household.

Alberto descended to the kitchen-living room area after his morning routine in the bathroom and poured himself a cup of espresso. Micio, one of Machiavelli's kittens, was already waiting for his breakfast.

Alberto has lived in this small house right above the pescheria for the past nine years, ever since he and Luca decided to visit Portorosso. It was a compact space with an enclosed backyard. It included two bedrooms, which were sufficient for the majority of the year. The kitchen screamed Italian tradition. It had everything a modern, Ligurian-based young aspiring cook who also doubled as a fisherman and lifeguard needed: pans and garlic attached to the wall, the absolutely indispensable mortar and pestle, and a beige-coloured refrigerator with the top compartment containing frozen cups of ragù and some fish, and the bottom compartment containing various types of cheese Alberto adored, with additional bottles of aranciata. He wasn't a big beer drinker, so that was more of an exception. Various Alberto's drawings that Massimo proudly displayed on the fridge used to be there, but after a while, and especially after Alberto left his adolescent years, those were moved to a safer place inside a box that Alberto kept in his bedroom. In their place was a single photo of the underdogs, taken after their second Portorosso Cup victory. The toaster was colour-coordinated with the fridge and, according to Alberto, was a must-have, especially in the mornings when he couldn't muster the motivation to make a proper breakfast. The kitchen also had some older items, such as the shark teeth, which were displayed on top of the corner cabinet and were undoubtedly a source of pride for Massimo. Furthermore, the harpoons Alberto and Luca observed when they initially entered Giulia's summer home were gone as soon as the underdogs won the Cup. Massimo didn't feel right having them on display any more after he learned Alberto and Luca were, in fact, sea monsters. In their place was a big painting of Portorosso in the morning, with two small figures of Massimo, and Alberto in his sea monster form — a birthday gift from Alberto. The day that Massimo got that painting, he cried. There was a radio on the corner cabinet, a newer one that had replaced the broken device. Not only did the sound improve, but it also picked up more stations in the area.

Alberto sat behind the kitchen table, still torn between the real and the dream world. His brain began to fire up again, albeit in a very calm manner, when he smelled the morning coffee. However, Alberto sensed that a double would be required that day. After the first cup was down his throat, his now fully awake stomach expressed a need for eggs, which Alberto gladly provided. Recently, he's developed into quite a cook. Everything from pasta to fish, as well as various varieties of minestrone and focaccia bread. Except for the ragù, he wasn't a fan of typical meet meals. He felt a little sluggish after eating that, so he opted for a more Mediterranean-style diet.

Alberto changed into his job clothes — the usual tank-top with a pair of shorts — after a breakfast that would undoubtedly supply all the energy he would require for a busy day in Portorosso. The original shorts with the rope that he wore when he first arrived in town were long gone; not only had he outgrown them many years ago, but they were also in pretty bad shape. Alberto still kept them in his closet for sentimental reasons. It was already 5.30 a.m., and it was time to get down to business with the daily fishing routine. Despite the early hour, the piazza was bustling, owing to the fact that it was a fishing town, and fishermen were already preparing to go ship, hoping for a good catch. Not everyone had the good fortune to have a sea monster in his house, that's why Alberto frequently assisted them once he finished his capture. Portorosso owed Alberto a lot, according to Tommaso, one of the town's oldest fishermen. In less than ten years, this town became one of the most well-known fishing destinations in all of Liguria. Every time a fisherman mentioned it, Alberto's face flushed a little.