The Photographer (Ignazio Boschetto Fanfiction)

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

      

I sat in my hotel suite in Costa Rica on October 2nd, finishing up Ignazio’s video for his birthday on October 4th. It was almost finished, and I loved how it had turned out. I had a lot of footage to choose from in all my hours of taping the boys in the studio over the past few months, and I also had an infinite number of fan-made greetings and birthday wishes to present to him.

It was too bad, though, that he had so much to do on his birthday. First Il Volo had an appearance on a Costa Rican news program in the morning, then they would head to another news program for a quick performance, and after lunch they had two radio interviews to complete, both in-studio. In the evening, though, we were going to have a small party for Ignazio in Barbara’s suite, with dinner and cake and happy conversation.

*****

          When I woke on the morning of his birthday, I felt strange. I couldn’t understand what it was, but as I got up and got ready to head for the studio, there was a strange, subtle instability that permeated my body. I did my best to ignore it, and when Ignazio came over I forgot about it completely as I leaped into his arms and covered his face in kisses as I sang happy birthday to him.

          “…Dear Ignazio…Happy Birthday to you!”

          I pulled the flash drive with his birthday video on it out of my pocket with a flourish and held it out it to him.

          “Alright!” he said eagerly, taking it from me and hugging me. “I can’t wait to watch it! I’ll save it for tonight, when we’re all together at Barbara’s, okay?”

          “Sounds great!” I said, and then I got my camera and we walked out of the hotel room arm in arm, headed to the studio of the news place.

*****

I sat in the lounge of the studio and watched the boys have their interview, talking quietly with Barbara as I took pictures of the monitor every once in a while.

          After some time of sitting still on the couch, though, the strange feeling returned, a small fluctuation through my body. I sat still, watching the monitor and wondering about it.

          Was I uneasy about anything? I didn’t think so.

          I tried to detect exactly where the feeling was coming from, but couldn’t decipher it.

          As the day wore on, the feeling persisted, and I began to feel a little fatigued. I had stayed up late the night before putting the finishing touches on Ignazio’s video, and I decided that I must be tired. I wondered when I’d have time to take a nap.

          In the afternoon, when we went to the last radio studio for the boys’ final interview, I felt weary and cold.

          “You have a funny look on your face,” Ignazio observed quietly to me as we sat in the studio waiting for the boys to be summoned into the sound booth. “Are you okay?”

          “Of course,” I said cheerfully, smiling at him. “I’m just cold. And a little tired, too, but that’s all.”

          “I brought along a jacket, but I left it in the rental car,” he said. “But Michele has the keys if you want to get it.”

          “Actually, I think I will,” I said, and when the boys left to go into the booth I went out to the car, leaving my camera in the guardianship of Barbara.