Caruso

Così vicini e veri

Alberto barged into the house, almost knocking Giulia off her feet while sitting at the kitchen table.

"Ciao, I'm just in and out," Alberto said quickly as he dashed upstairs to his bed.

"Wait! How did it go?" Alberto was already out of sight before she could finish the question.

She heard a rumble from upstairs, and then she heard footsteps coming back down the stairs half a minute later.

"I only came for the telescope; I'm taking Luca up the hill."

"I suppose it worked... the talk."

"It did," Alberto said, with a smirk on his face. "In the morning, I'll tell you everything. Don't wait up!"

And he was gone.

"It didn't even cross my mind," she said to herself, before returning to her book.

In Portorosso, the day was just about to end. The colourful tints formed by the late evening sun could still be seen; a blend of orange, purple, and pale blue. Alberto adored watching sunsets. He would frequently sit in the hideout to observe the evening sky, believing it to be one of nature's most beautiful masterpieces.

Half an hour later, when they reached the top of the hill, Luca noticed that the night was ideal for stargazing. There was no bright satellite to wash out the light from fainter stars because it was soon after the new moon. It was also warm enough for them to sit on a modest blanket comfortably. Luca was relieved that they didn't require the wine after the talk, so he took the bottle along. He thought the ambiance was almost romantic.

While Alberto assembled the telescope, Luca found a position and spread out the blanket. Alberto must've used the telescope many times previously, Luca observed, considering his competence in handling it. It made him feel warm on the inside.

"I'll leave you the rest," Alberto stated after he finished assembling the telescope.

They both sat down, and Luca pointed the telescope towards the right constellation, located near the center of the Milky Way.

"Did you know that Albert Einstein admired the stars in 1898 just above Genova?" Luca said as he double-checked the telescope's position.

"I did not know that. Wow, that's incredible. Had it been half a century earlier, we might have met him," Alberto joked.

"Oh, I wish I could have talked to him. We would have stayed up for hours, if not days, talking about nothing else but universe and all its mysteries."

"Most likely leaving me sleeping on the couch or something."

Luca smiled and said, "I'm sorry, but yeah, definitely."

"Where did you find this?" Alberto asked, pointing to the bottle lying on the ground.

Luca stroked the back of his neck, "I brought it along... Actually, Giulia recommended that I bring some wine with me when I meet with you. She claimed it "may have helped us relax."

Alberto rolled his eyes, "Oh, she knows us so well."

"There, all set," Luca said. "Come in and have a look."

Alberto shifted his position closer to the telescope and examined the eyepiece. He noticed a brighter cluster of stars across the image.

"What I'm looking at?"

"It's the constellation Sagittarius." It's one of my personal favourites. It is made up of 12 major stars. We'll be able to see the most of them tonight. It's thought to take the form of an archer."