Caruso

Un uomo abbraccia una ragazza

Alberto had a special place in his heart for the Portorosso train station. It was a site where he spent some time every year while waiting for the train from Genova to return, and it was also a place where he said his farewell. The train station, like the Isola del Mare, housed both pleasant and negative memories. Every time Alberto approached that particular stone floor, he felt a little agitated and uneasy.

Portorosso residents have refurbished the station in the last six years to make it more modern, in keeping with the town's growing popularity. It was now cleaner, slightly larger, and even had a ticket vending machine. The original wooden benches have been replaced as well. They were considerably more comfortable, which Alberto appreciated whenever he waited for the train.

Alberto was unconcerned about the fact that it was already 7:40 p.m. He was used to late Italian trains. Sure enough, he heard the definite sound of a train approaching a few seconds later. When it entered the tunnel, the sound became louder, then it began to slow down before coming to a complete stop. People began to exit as soon as the door opened. There were a few passengers, some who appeared to be tourists, along with some locals, and there was his favourite read-head.

Her signature blue beanie, which she wore when she was younger, was long gone. She approached the specified bench where Alberto would sit as promised, several inches taller and with considerably more curly hair than previously. She, unlike Alberto, liked to dress fashionable. She sported a knee-length blue gown. It was embellished with large white buttons that ran the length of the garment from the collar to the waist. It had a wide belt with a circular white clasp. She wore an orange scarf around her neck and white sandals with a hook strap and a high cork footbed. If she dressed to impress, Alberto thought, she succeeded.

"Fratello!" she yelled, unconcerned about the astonished expressions from onlookers. She dashed towards the bench, causing Alberto to leap to his feet and open his arms wide. She jumped on him with such force that Alberto's back slammed into the wall behind him.

"Graceful as always, I see," he laughed as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. Giulia was one of those persons in Alberto's life who made him feel better no matter the occasion. He could hardly recall his life before she came into his life. Giulia was the happiest person on the globe seven years ago when Massimo gave Alberto his adoption papers as a birthday present. She finally got a big brother, and Alberto got a sister, which opened the flood gate for teasing on every suitable opportunity. It didn't matter if it was Alberto's bizarrely growing beard, large sideburns that he had felt looked well on him for a long time, or his not always successful perfume choice. She took advantage of every opportunity to torment his older brother, and no matter how irritated Alberto pretended to be, he adored her.

"You know me, I like to play it hard," she said, her hold on his brother's back tightening. "Besides, it's you who usually advise people to greet with a firm grip on their hand."

"I've been missing you so much, sorellina," Alberto replied, his voice shaking slightly. He didn't try to keep his tears from dripping onto her stylish blue clothing.

"I missed you too. I was counting down the minutes. It's been far too long since I've returned."

She put some space between them and examined his brother thoroughly. He was a respectable-sized young man for a 23-year-old. Years of hard work had transformed him into one of those magazine models. She once showed a photo of Alberto to her classmates, and they almost freaked out — girls and boys alike. The most intriguing aspect was that no one guessed they weren't biological siblings. Even as adults, they appeared to be children of same parents. They each had curly hair, freckles on their faces, and smiled the same way.

"How was the trip?" Alberto inquired as he picked up her suitcase. What the hell did she put in here, it's heavy.

"Well, it's hardly the most comfortable of trains, to be sure. But my butt hurts."