Il Mare Diviso, The Divided Sea

Chapter 2

Roman

I was seven years old, visiting Florence, Italy with my family. We were all so excited to finally get out from the monotonous bustle of San Francisco. My parents were thrilled after saving up enough money for an entire year that allowed us to enjoy a comfortable trip to Italy. It was our last day before flying back to California the next day, and after much begging and pleading from me, we stopped at an aquarium on our way to our hotel.

"Ciao Bambino, how are you?" She spoke in her thick Italian accent.

There she was.

She stood pressed up against the glass barrier, her button nose squished as a smile lit up her face. She waved frantically to a dolphin that was swimming by. The dolphin was injured, its flipper bent at an odd angle. It stopped in front of her, as if used to her frequent company. A serene presence hung, suspended on her excitement as she stared, transfixed at the animal.

My parents had wandered off, keeping an eye out for me as I stood, unable to remove my eyes from her. Her hair was disheveled, the curly brown rings falling out of the band she tied it with. I wondered what it would be like to reach out and tug on one of those coils, to see them unravel in my hand. Her shoes were scuffed, decorated with a shadow of a popular kids cartoon sticker that was struggling to remain.

I looked around - there was no one to be seen. No one showing that she was theirs, no one showing that they were hers.

I wanted to say hello, announce my presence, anything.

"Roman let's go," My mother called out to me as she spoke with my father.

I stood there, enraptured, as I watched her hazel eyes flicker in excitement with each animal that swam by.

I looked back at my parents smiling and joking with each other, and returned my gaze to the girl that couldn't stop my fascination.

She turned around to face me, and my breath caught in my cheeks.

Her face was blurred out, devoid of any emotion or substance, save for a jagged scar that ran down her chin. I recoiled in fear, bile rising to my throat as I struggled to understand my surroundings. Staggering backwards, she moved towards me. Immediately I began crying, "Mom," and she was nowhere to be seen. This was it. I was going to die -

There it was again. The same dream I have been having for the past year. The dream fizzled out as it always did, listlessly leaving me to wander about. With each dream, I inched closer and closer to understanding its essence.

I sat up, rubbing my hand mercilessly down my face as I tried - again - to piece together what this dream could mean. My skin was hot, sweat dripping down my face as I grew in anxious discomfort. I threw off my blankets, climbing out of my bed in order to reach my alarm clock that was precariously positioned on the table across my room.

I check the time - 6:00 am. Still too early to be awake, but I couldn't bare to fall asleep now. I go through my phone, answering unread emails and anything else I missed while I was asleep.

Missed calls - 5 from Mom

Missed calls - 2 from Dad

It would still be too early to call them in California, I would have to wait.

After setting my phone down on the dresser, I'm able to begin preparing myself for the day. I clean up my room, taking care of the blankets that I tossed on the floor throughout my reckless sleep. Eventually, I'm done showering and I get dressed for work. My mind wanders again as I think about my dream; the entire scenario was always painfully identical to the events that took place when I saw the girl at the aquarium. She had to be around my age now, and I couldn't help but wonder how she turned out - or who - she grew up to be, and whether she remembered me.