"There wasn't anything for me at home anymore, I guess. What about you? You're clearly not from around here so why did you come here of all places?" He asks me.
"To escape." I admit.
"And did you escape it?" He asks and I linger upon his words, ca...
The sound of squawking seagulls and dark blue waves crashing into the shoreline awakens me from my sleep, as little as I got of it, and the early morning sun stretches its rays across my white bedsheets, filtering the room a soft yellow glow. My soft tangerine curtains flow in the warm breeze that flows through my window. Today is the first day of Summer, my fourth one here in Portofino. I move my copy of Animal Farm by George Orwell from my stomach and sit up to place it upon my bedside table, on top of the many other books that have found a home next to my bed. I make my way to the kitchen and see Shelley sitting on the floor, nibbling away at her paw as her ears flutter and her button nose twitches.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Good morning my stunning Shelley, how are you on this fine summer's morning?" I greet her as I crouch down on the floor to sit cross-legged. I kiss her softly on her forehead and pick her up, placing her on the bench and pushing aside the pile of cookbooks I attempted to make good use of last night but failed miserably. Who knew chicken chow mein was so difficult to cook? I cut up some bits of fruit, sneaking a strawberry or two in hopes Shelley doesn't see me, and I place them in a small bowl for her on the ground, placing her next to it on the floor.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Godere, Shelley!" Which translates to 'Enjoy' in English. I make my way to the bathroom, tripping over a pile of paperbacks on my way. I tie my red curls up into a messy bun and step into the shower. The warm water rushes over my body, cleaning me of my sleep as I wash my face. The steam licks the glass and I draw a sunflower and a line wave and hum 'Heroes' by David Bowie. I step out of the shower and throw on a white tee-shirt and a pair of baggy Levi's that I tie a belt around. I throw my red cons on and grab my bag.
"Addio, Shelley!" I shout as I walk out of my apartment, locking the door behind me. I walk down the white cement hallway with brightly coloured bricks as the floor and make my way to the staircase. I put my headphones in and begin my walk down the staircase to the ground floor, until the yelling from above me distracts my listening.
"Bryn! Your musica was too loud last night... ancora!" Mrs. Aceto, who lives on the floor below me, calls out to me as she opens her window from the second floor. I've lived above the old woman for almost four years and Nicola, the man who works in the bakery across the road, told me on my third day here in Portofino that 'Aceto' translates to 'sour' in Italian... Seem's pretty fitting if you ask me.
