Notoriously Beautiful

18

Mom's New Friends

I'm not the only one who made friends here. My mom made her own group of friends. They never come to our house though. There is Rebecca who just laughs at everything but doesn't speak English. Then there's Stephanie and Phillip who are a retired couple who came to Sicily when they were both 55 years old. Rebecca calls them Stephania and Filippo. Apparently she meets them at the same cafe almost everyday. They talk about their lives, their journeys, and their amazing stories.
"You aren't going to believe what Stephanie told me today," my mother tells me.
"What did she say?" I ask, as we eat breakfast.
"She told me that she used to be a dancer, isn't that interesting?"
"Well if she made money being a dancer then yeah, it would be interesting," I answer, as I put my empty bowl in the sink.
"No, I mean, she made money but that's not the craziest part of the story."
"So what is it?" I ask.
"She worked at your dance school, when you were little and I took you to dancing classes with your friends. Do you remember? Here, look," she says, as she gives me her phone. On the screen is a picture of a middle aged, older woman.
"She does look familiar, but I can't be sure she was my teacher. It was just too long ago," I say.
"Even if she wasn't, isn't it crazy that she worked there, and now we are both here. Now we are friends, to be honest the whole thing is a little weird to me," she says.
"I guess it is a little weird, I'd like to meet her one day," I try to sound excited.
"Really, okay, I'm gonna call her right now!"She's so happy, I can't even tell her I have to go to work. I have to call in sick today, I haven't missed a single day of work since I've moved here. My boss won't be mad at all.
(Half an hour later)
I find myself sitting at a medium sized round table, with four other people all over the age of 55 years old. This is a little fun though, I get to translate everything for Rebecca so she doesn't have to laugh at things she doesn't understand. I meet my old dance teacher, yes, it really is her. I get to meet and hear stories from a retired golf champion. Lastly, and most importantly though, I get to make my mom smile. I love to make people smile, especially people who make me happy.
I also learn some sad stuff. Rebecca's husband died of cancer, and her dearest nephew just moved to northern Italy because his wife's family lives there.
Phillip's doctor told him that he will eventually not be able to walk because his golf injury is deteriorating his muscle or something along those lines.
Stephanie lost one of her grandma's emerald earrings, so now she only has one.
I really don't have anything sad to say. All I can do is encourage them to think about all the good things that have happened in their lives.
They all say having kids was the best thing , my mom agrees and gives me a big, tight hug. I can tell they all found each other for a reason. They match like puzzle pieces. I don't know why, something about their lives, their troubles. The universe forced them together, and I'm glad. My mom really likes her new friends. She's even thinking of starting a book club with them, and their other friends. There's only one dilemma with that. Rebecca wants to read a book in Italian, and my mom wants to read it in English.
I solve that problem quicker than you can say happy birthday. Just get translated versions of the book, all the famous books come in translated versions.
Then starts another problem, Phillip wanted to read War and Peace and Stephanie wanted to read 1984.
I can't help but laugh. Who would have thought that they are all more stubborn than me.
"If you can't agree on one then I'll just decide for you," I say, trying to solve the disagreement.
"Okay what's your suggestion," my mom asks me.
"Lord of the Flies," I say. I just name the first book that comes to my head.
"No, no, no! We can't let you decide, you're not the one who's going to be reading the book," Stephanie says.
"What's wrong with the Lord of the Flies?" Phillips asks his wife.
"I already read it, I want to read a new book honey," Stephanie responds.
"How about we flip a coin," I suggest.
"That's good, that's fair!" My mom says.
"Let me sleep on it," Stephanie says. She means that literally. We all leave the cafe and go our separate ways, Stephanie really did go back to her house to take a nap.
I'm laughing so hard, because my mom tells me that Stephanie always gives that excuse. Whenever she wants to go to sleep, she just says she needs to think about something for a while.
I drive my mom and I home. The house really is a mess. I NEED to clean this horrific scene.
"Let's see, vacuum, duster, mop, soap, man I miss Mr. Clean."
"I mean who wouldn't miss the best cleaning supply ever?" My mom say, and she does a little spin and ends up on the couch.
I can't tell if she lost her balance. My mom got old, she's still model gorgeous. I mean tall, skinny, with thick but perfectly shaped eyebrows, she is just beautiful. As simple as that, I swear, if I look like my mom when I'm 57, wait, 56?
"Ma, how old are you?"
"I'm not sure, I'm guessing that I'm around 20, maybe at the most 25, why, what were you expecting?" She smiles, her wide, straight teeth smile.
(Later that day)
Stephanie calls my mom and she says to come back to the cafe so that we can flip the coin. Its not a big deal because it the cafe isn't far, and it isn't like my mom had any plans.

We flip the coin, Phillip's book is for heads, and Stephanie's book is for tails. My mom and Rebecca don't really care which book they read.
"Shall Iflip the coin?" I ask, I like the feeling of power.
"Three...two...one," I toss the coin in the air, and then turn it over the back of my hand.
Phillips' book wins "War and Peace".
"We don't have to read mine if you don't want honey," Phillip says.
"Aww, that's so nice honey," Stephanie says.
So pretty much all that discussion was pointless, Phillip cowers to his wife. It's adorable though, he loves her so much.
"He's so sweet," my mother says.
"I know, he really is," Stephanie adds.
I guess it was nice but I'm kind of annoyed that I could have gone to work today, after all it's not like me being there made any difference. The day isn't done yet.
My mom wanted to talk to me,
"I'm so happy you came today," she says.
I'm not annoyed after hearing her say that. I just learned that sometimes just being there is good enough.