Italian Liaisons

In Search of Melina Two weeks after Ariella received Melina’s letter informing her that new visitor policies had forced her to return to her own country, she and Nara flew out of Italy and headed for the US. It was Ari’s first time flying. She’d always been afraid of the idea of flying, but love made her conquer that fear. Ari knew there were no guarantees. She knew that if Melina was indeed at the address she’d given her—and she didn’t see why she wouldn’t be—the girl still might not want to return to Italy with her, despite confessing to having fallen in love with her in the letter she’d barely had time to write and give to Brooke to pass along before she left. All Ari knew she could count on was a broken heart should Melina decide to remain in the US, for Ari had fallen in love with her as well. Melina had been right in saying that life wasn’t usually what one planned it to be. After three failed relationships with other Italian women who’d been of similar ages, personalities, and careers, she’d never expected to fall for the unique and hilariously nutty young American girl. At the tender age of twenty-one, Melina was nine years younger than Ari. She didn’t fully speak her language, and she came from an entirely different walk of life. Because of this, Ari understood that most people might say that love wasn’t enough for the two of them to make it work. However, her friends and family had been supportive, as always, and were hoping for the best right along with her. All but Rena, of course, who was never fond of the “bold” and “materialistic” American. Ari kept her eyes closed and tried not to look out the plane’s small window. She didn’t like flying at all. Nara didn’t mind, but Ari was a stay-on-the-ground kind of person, and that was why she’d never traveled beyond Europe until now. After what seemed like an eternity, they were in a whole different world and set nine hours back in time. “At least we can catch up on our sleep tonight,” said Nara in Italian. Ari smiled. “What do you think? Book a room first, or should we go try to hunt down your little princess right away?” “I’d actually like to eat first—if my nerves will let me—then we’ll go to her place. You got the map handy?” “Sure do.” They had a light lunch at a nearby diner. Ari yawned. “I can’t believe it’s only noon,” she said in Italian. Nara laughed. “I know what you mean. My body’s saying Hey, it’s close to bedtime! It’s not really lunchtime.” “I owe you for putting you through this,” Ari told her. “No, you don’t. I might have been to the States before, but never to the desert. So it’s quite a new and interesting adventure for me, as tiresome as it is.” “Sure you don’t want to book a room and get some sleep first?” “No. I’m OK if you’re OK.” Ari took a deep breath and nodded. “I just want to hurry up and get the suspense over with and find out whether or not she’ll return with us. I don’t know—I guess I just figure that the sooner I know, the sooner I can either jump for joy or move on, although it would be with much sadness if I had to move on without her.” Armed with little more than a bundle of hope, the two set out in the rental car with Ari driving. “My God,” she said in awe nearly ten minutes later as they left the city nearest Melina’s town. The buildings had suddenly become houses, which had now become far and few between throughout the flat, barren lands. The air was hot and dry, and the two women were sweating even with the AC blasting. “How can anyone live on such bare lands, and in such intense heat?” “Guess that’s all some people ever know,” said Nara as she referred to the map they’d brought along and directed Ari. There weren’t a whole lot of roads and turns to make, which made things easier. “It’s like the road to nowhere,” said Ari, gazing out at the empty landscape. They were on a long, straight road. No other roads or houses were visible to them at the moment. All that was visible was sage and cacti, with mountains off in the distance. “Oh, look!” Nara exclaimed a few minutes later, pointing out her window. Ari glanced to the right and saw wild horses running across the land and off to some unseen destination. “Wow! How southwestern.” Ari nearly slammed on the brakes as a ball of tumbleweed went tumbling across the road. “So that really does happen in the desert too, huh?” Nara said with a smile, referring to the rolling weed. “Will coyotes, roadrunners, and rattlesnakes be next?” Ari shuddered. “Don’t say rattlesnakes.” The paved road eventually turned to dirt. It was soft, powdery dirt, and they could feel the tires of the car spin at times. “Try to keep a steady pace, or else we might get stuck,” Nara warned. “With rattlesnakes.” “There’s a crossroad coming up,” said Ari. Nara studied the map and said, “Take a left. Then, a half mile down that road—which I guess is pretty much a dead end—we should see her house.” Ari felt her adrenaline pick up as she followed Nara’s directions. They passed only two other houses along the way, both run down and in shabby condition. “Is anyone even living in these houses?” Nara wondered aloud. “This is like a ghost town to the extreme.” The road formed a slight curve, and then an old adobe-style house came into view. It didn’t look as rundown as the other houses, but was very small and somewhat old. They parked in a small clearing next to an old, dusty pickup. “Well, someone lives here, alright,” Nara said, motioning to the clothes that were hanging toward the back of the tiny house. They also noticed a separate, even smaller structure that might’ve been a shed of some kind. “I didn’t realize how bad off Melina was if she really does live here,” said Ari. “I knew she didn’t have much, and I remember her saying that it took her a few years to save to go to Italy, but I didn’t realize the extent of her struggles here.” “Me neither. Guess it would explain why there’s no phone.” “I’d hate to have an emergency out here and need the police or an ambulance in a hurry.” They stepped out of the rental car, amazed at the fierce winds that blew around them. Ari had short hair, so she didn’t have any problem, but Nara’s hair was to the middle of her back, and she had to hold it away from her face just to see where she was going. “Why all the wind?” Nara asked. “I don’t see a storm coming.” “Melina once told me during our chats that it’s often windy during the hottest part of the day,” Ari said, a little louder than usual so as to be heard over the whipping winds. They were walking up the dusty walkway toward the house when the door suddenly opened. A dark-haired man dressed in overalls who appeared to be in his mid-forties said, “Can I help you?” Nara introduced Ari and herself to the man. A blonde woman of similar age came to stand alongside the man, and then they were invited into the house. “Thanks for inviting us in,” Nara said. “It sure is mighty hot out there.” “It is. Can I get you ladies some water?” asked the man. “Yes, please.” The man quickly fetched a couple of plastic cups of water, which the women sipped gratefully. Then Nara went on to explain that she spoke both English and Italian and would have to interpret for Ari since she only spoke Italian. “Oh, my God!” exclaimed the woman. “It’s the ladies Melina’s been going on and on about ever since she came back from Italy!” Nara translated with a laugh, and Ari laughed too, nerves turning to hope. “How nice to meet you,” added the frail, pale woman. “Call me Beth.” “And I’m Mitch,” the man said. They all shook hands, and then Nara explained why they had come to the US. “We all adored Melina during the brief time she was with us at the school,” Nara began. “She really made quite an impression on people there.” Beth smiled. “She usually does.” “After Ari received the note she left at the school before having to come home, we decided that if Melina would like to return to Italy, we’d love to take her back with us.” “Oh, that would be wonderful!” said Beth. Then her smile dropped. “The only thing is that, well, as you can see,” she gestured at the dingy room they stood in, “we’re not exactly well off. Due to the economy collapsing, we’ve all been out of work.” “We don’t always know where the next meal is coming from,” Mitch added as Nara interpreted. “Ari has really taken to Melina and would love to give her a home. She would be willing and capable of providing for her, and the rest of the family would as well,” Nara said. “Oh, that’s just so sweet of her. And of you too, to come along and be her voice,” Beth said with a renewed smile, taking Ari’s hands in hers. “We’d love to see her in a place where she’d have more opportunities and with people who could help take care of her, but we also understand that that’s a lot to expect of someone—to simply give someone a home and provide food for them and whatever else they may need. And of course, there’s the concern over the possibility that we may be giving her to someone who may end up abusing her, not that either of you seems like you would do such a thing.” “Oh, no, ma’am,” Nara said with a reassuring smile after she interpreted, “though we can truly understand your fears along with your hopes.” “Well,” said Mitch, “Melina’s an adult, so we can’t make up her mind for her. We are aware of her feelings for— I’m sorry—what did you say her name was?” “Ariella. Everyone calls her Ari, though.” Ari smiled and spoke in Italian. “It’s always been her nickname,” Nara translated. Beth and Mitch asked Ari and Nara some general questions: how old they were, if they were both teachers, about the town they lived in, and about the houses they lived in. “Oh, that just sounds so nice,” said Beth. “You’re both neighbors as well as coworkers.” “Yes, ma’am.” “OK then,” Mitch said after they’d been talking for nearly ten minutes, “Melina’s in the back. If everybody’s sure of how they feel, I’m sure she’d love to go back to Italy with you. Just please understand and keep in mind that Melina simply couldn’t just go out and get a job. She has ADHD, and while she’s extremely intelligent—very artistic, too—she can’t just run out, find employment, and help with the expenses. At least not right away. She does odd jobs online, such as paid surveys and things like that, and sometimes she even wins things in sweepstakes, but it’s not usually much.” “Oh, we understand that full well,” said Nara after she translated for Ari. “Ari here would be honored to provide for her.” Beth smiled widely. “To think that someone could give her a loving home, filled with love and with enough food to eat, clothing, and whatever else she may need is such a wonderful thought! And Melina’s love and laughter would be a reward like no other. She’s going to be so thrilled to see you!” “She doesn’t even have insurance—that’s how bad things have been here,” Mitch said. “Isn’t everyone automatically insured in Italy?” “If you’re a natural citizen. Otherwise, you can obtain insurance through marital benefits, and that’s part of what Ari has been hoping for.” “Well, then. Go surprise her!” said Beth. “If she’s not in her little room in back, she’s around here somewhere. Perhaps taking a walk.” “In this heat?” Nara asked, blinking in surprise. “You get used to it,” Mitch said. “Especially if you grew up in it.” “Here, come this way,” Beth said. Ari and Nara followed Beth from the tiny, sparsely furnished living room with its old and worn sofa and plush chair and into a hallway. The paint on the walls was dingy and peeling. Next, they walked through a kitchen, its vinyl flooring badly scuffed in several places. Beth opened the back door and said, “Good luck, though I doubt you’ll need it.” Back outside in the wind-whipped heat, Ari and Nara shielded their eyes from the merciless sun and scanned the vast expanse of desert before them. There weren’t enough trees to conceal a person, even one as small as Melina, and the few trees that did exist were rather small and puny. Suddenly, Melina stepped out of the small room in back with an empty laundry basket tucked under one arm, presumably for the sunbaked clothes hanging on the clothesline. She was perhaps twenty feet away and didn’t see them at first as she pulled the door shut behind her. Ari’s heart ached at how painfully thin she’d gotten since returning home just weeks ago. She wore a thin, flowered cotton sundress that appeared old and faded against her tanned skin. The dark blond, thick, wavy tresses she could sit on were tossed around in the wind as she moved in a slow, sad, and defeated manner. It was when she stepped off the small slab of cracked concrete in front of the door, nearly even with the ground, that she spotted Ari and Nara. “Oh, my God!” she screamed, instantly dropping the basket and running toward a grinning Ari. “Ari! La mia Ariella! My sweet Ari!” In tears of joy, she threw herself into Ari’s arms as Nara watched with delight. “Vieni, il mio amore!” Ari said, her shrilly high-pitched voice floating over the wind. Melina and Ari hugged and kissed feverishly, this time on the lips. “Oh, my God!” exclaimed Melina a moment later. “You’re here. I can’t believe you’re here!” She grabbed Ari again and hugged the hell out of her, Ari giggling all the way and returning the hug. “We had some vacation time due to us,” Nara said with a happy laugh, “and Ari couldn’t resist coming to see you.” Tears of joy streamed down Ari and Melina’s cheeks as they gazed lovingly at one another. “Io ti amo,” Ari said. “Io ti amo anche,” replied Melina. Then she turned to Nara, hugged her, and said, “Thanks for bringing her.” “Oh, you’re quite welcome, hun,” she said, returning the hug. “You came as an interpreter?” “That, plus I have always wanted to see the desert. I just know I’d never want to live in it!” They laughed. “Questo posto è molto caldo,” Ari said, referring to the heat. “Oh, sì,” Melina said. “Come on in here where it’s a little cooler.” “Oh, grazie!” Ari said, grateful to escape the sun that was beating down upon her. “Che questo?” she suddenly asked excitedly, stopping to point in the distance. Melina and Nara glanced in the direction she was pointing. A swirling funnel of dirt was moving across the desert about two hundred feet away. “Oh, that’s just a dust devil, as we call them. It’s like a mini tornado.” Nara interpreted as they entered the tiny room that stood alone in the back. “The house is so small with barely two bedrooms,” explained Melina, “and so this is my own private little space.” “Oh,” said Nara. “It’s rather cozy. No air conditioner in here?” “No, just an evaporative cooler.” “What’s that?” Melina explained how they worked and that they could only work in dry climates, and then Nara translated for Ari as they studied the small room, which couldn’t have been any more than ten by ten. It was simple: a small sagging cot, a small dresser, a small table, and a stool. And then Ari let out a shriek. Nara looked over at what had startled her and saw the large black tarantula in the glass aquarium sitting by the bed. Her eyes widened in horror. “Oh, that’s just Sophie,” laughed Melina. “I’ll turn her loose right now.” She took the giant arachnid from the tank. Ari and Nara backed up as far as the room’s tiny walls would allow them to, and Melina, grinning in amusement, took the eight-legged critter outside. She returned a moment later and said, “There. All gone. I’m sure she’s missed her friends anyway.” “How do you know that thing was a she?” Nara asked, her hand still covering her heart. “I don’t. I just guessed.” Nara shook her head, then translated. Ari said something. “Che?” asked Melina. “She said she hopes you put it far enough away.” “Oh yeah, don’t worry. Tarantulas are very slow. It’d take her a week to make it back here.” “That’s comforting to know,” Nara said, informing Ari of that fact as well. Ari said something else, and Nara interpreted: “You were right, she says. Life isn’t what we plan it to be. I expected to fall in love with an Italian as boring as myself. Not a crazy American.” They laughed, and then Melina said, “I just can’t believe someone could love me enough to travel halfway around the world for me.” Nara translated, Ari spoke, then Nara translated again. “She’s saying she really loves you dearly, and that she believes you would make a wonderful wife and mother if you went back to Italy with her. She also believes that you can learn more Italian and that you would be in a better environment, and hopes that you’ll consider returning with her and getting married as soon as you get back.” “I would absolutely love to,” Melina said. “But most people these days expect their partners to have jobs and some sort of financial security, and many things which I simply don’t have and couldn’t just go out and obtain as easily as most could—especially if I were a foreigner.” Nara translated, then Ari took hold of Melina’s hands and said, “Todo voglio è tu.” “All I want is you,” Nara said. “Yeah, I got that one,” said Melina, eyes misting over once again. “Her only concern is your age. She worries that in five, ten years from now, you might want to stray, since you’re not only so beautiful, but you’d still be young and she’d be starting to get up there in years.” “Oh, I wouldn’t do that,” assured Melina. “No matter how many people I may meet along the way who were attractive, I don’t see any reason for leaving someone just as attractive—or more attractive—so long as they truly loved me and weren’t abusive in any way.” Nara translated, and Melina and Ari hugged and kissed again. Both of them got a kick out of Melina’s display of affection as she rubbed her head upon Ari’s upper arm and chest like a kitten. Then they began to gather Melina’s things. “I don’t have much,” she said, “so this should be easy enough.” Both Ari and Nara were surprised at how little Melina truly had but didn’t say anything. Her only real things of value were her iPod and laptop, both of which she’d won. Other than that, she was able to fill just one old duffle bag with her clothes and some personal items. “What about the clothes on the line?” Nara asked. “Those are Mom’s clothes.” “How do you get internet access way out here?” she also asked. “Satellite.” “What do you do if you have to pee in the middle of the night?” asked Ari, which Nara translated. “I just go in the back door and use the bathroom off the kitchen. I always try not to have to do that, though, since snakes and black widows are most active at night in the summertime. June’s our hottest month.” “It’s hot, alright,” Nara said, translating for Ari. “I still can’t believe someone could love me so much! I feel so incredibly honored and special!” said Melina. Nara smiled and said, “And Ari feels the same way, I assure you.” “She must’ve been surprised when she first figured out I liked her, with my being American and all that.” “Well, she was surprised, yes, but not so much because you’re American, but because you’re so young and beautiful. Ari considers herself to be rather plain, and so when someone nearly a decade younger and who’s so glamorous-looking suddenly expressed a liking for her, you can bet she was quite surprised, alright.” “She’s beautiful to me,” Melina said before Nara translated. “Aw,” Ari said, eyes lighting up, a smile spreading across her face. “So, how do I go about obtaining a ticket to Italy? I have not one dime to my name right now.” “Ari and I bought only one-way tickets and decided that if worse came to worst, we’d get tickets for two and head back, but that if you did end up returning with us, we’d get tickets for three.” “Wow, that must cost you guys a fortune.” “Not too bad. Don’t worry about it anyway. Ari’s just so happy to have you be with her.” They stopped back at the house and spoke some more after putting Melina’s things in the car. Melina sat with Ari and Nara on the worn couch, Ari in the middle, while Mitch sat in the chair, Beth perched on its arm. Melina sat with both arms wrapped around her beloved Ariella. “She really loves you,” said Beth. Nara translated, then Ari said with a wide smile, “Oh, sì. E io amare lei anche.” “She loves me, too!” Melina exclaimed proudly, earning a round of laughter from the others. Then she wrapped some strands of her long, golden locks around Ari’s forearm, igniting even more laughter. “Someone’s determined to reel in their new catch,” said Beth. “Aw,” said Nara. “She really is quite affectionate,” said Beth. “Melina loves everybody, but watch out. She does have a feisty side to her. God knows she’s been in enough catfights with the few girls that live around here.” Nara translated. “Oh.” Ari smiled and nodded. “Yeah, she’s not very trusting either,” Mitch added, “but once she gets to know you and decides you’re OK, she’ll be quite loyal.” Again, Nara translated. Melina nudged Ari’s upper arm affectionately with her head, a trait most found cute and even humorous. “She also has ADHD, as we said earlier, and she sometimes finds it hard to focus and concentrate. She can also get pretty hyper at times. A lot of folks are a bit put off by such a bundle of energy, but she is who she is,” Beth contributed. Nara interpreted for Ari, and then Ari responded. “She doesn’t mind. She remembers her boundless energy at school. It was actually quite uplifting as opposed to nerve-wracking as it might be in most cases.” The subject then turned to the tiny town of Ardea, just outside of Rome, in which Ari and her family lived. “It sounds like such a quaint and fantastic little town,” said Beth. “As excited as we are about someone loving and caring for our baby and giving her a chance to have a real life, naturally, we also have our concerns.” “Oh, we can understand that,” said Nara, quick to translate for Ari. Ari smiled, nodded with understanding, and then Beth went on. “While you folks may seem like the nicest, most sincere people who truly love our daughter and want the best for her, you must understand that Melina’s limited as to what she can do, while at the same time she’s very smart. Very talented, too. Most of her skills are highly in demand, yet not something you can just run out and find employment in. I would also assume that her being from the US might hinder her and set some limitations.” “Ari understands this quite well,” said Nara, “and while it may be becoming a thing of the past, particularly in the US, Ari would be more than happy to support Melina for as long as necessary. As long as Melina’s happy—that’s what matters most to Ari. Not how much work she could do or how much money she could make.” Nara repeated what she’d just said to Ari, then Beth said, “We also worry about the possibility of her being dumped. Again, I hate to sound rude, defensive, or accusatory in any way.” “Oh, but you don’t,” Nara assured her. “You have every right to address these concerns. As parents, it’s only normal to feel these kinds of worries and concerns.” “Thank you for understanding,” said Beth. “Again, I can’t picture you throwing her out on the streets with no means of support, but we would worry about that, at least for a while. As sweet as she is, as smart as she is, and as cute as she is, people tend to get fed up easily with those who are different or challenged in any way. So please, please send her back to us if things don’t work out for any reason. Please. We’ll do our best to always have money saved up for a plane ticket if she needs it.” Melina got up to pee at one point as her parents continued to address their concerns as well as their hopes. “See, this isn’t just about ADHD,” Mitch explained. “When Melina was around six, she had a near-fatal asthma attack.” “Oh, did she?” said Nara, who interpreted for Ari. “Oh,” Ari breathed. “And that had a big part in altering her personality. So while she may have intelligence far beyond most adults, she often sees the world through the eyes of a child, especially since she’s so young and hasn’t had much experience in life yet.” Nara interpreted. “She’s easy to please, she loves to please others, and everything’s funny to her.” Nara laughed and translated for Ari, who also laughed. “She definitely gets a bigger kick out of most things and has a handful of strange quirks and habits,” Beth added. “She’s afraid of nothing, but of everything at the same time.” Nara translated once again. “What kinds of things does Melina like to do?” Ari asked in Italian. After Nara translated, Beth said, “She’s very artistic, you could say. She dances and plays a little guitar and keyboards. Sings pretty, too.” “That is when she’s not online,” Mitch added. “She’s gotten rather computer savvy.” “Yeah, Melina seemed to be a bit of a techie.” “Still am,” said Melina, returning to her seat next to Ari. “She learns languages fast, too,” said Beth. “She didn’t start learning Spanish till she was older, but she picked it up really fast.” “That’s wonderful,” said Nara before translating. “Anything we should know about her health-wise?” “No, nothing major. She has allergies on and off, but that’s about it,” said Beth. Nara translated, and Mitch asked what their overall plan was. “Well,” began Nara, “we thought it’d be best, now that we know Melina wants to return with us, to check into a hotel and catch up on some much-needed sleep, since the time difference has kept us up well past our bedtime.” Beth and Mitch chuckled. “Yeah, I’m sure it has,” Beth said. “Then in the morning, we should be able to get tickets for all of us, since we only got one-way tickets for ourselves upon coming over here, and then we’ll head on back.” “I’m so excited,” Melina said. “But how will we ever get to visit?” “Oh, don’t worry about that,” said Nara. “We’ll all do whatever we have to do to see to it that we get together at least once or twice a year.” “Definitely,” said Beth. “We’ll always put aside whatever we can.” “And never worry about it if you come up short. We’ll always be able to help on our end, and Mom will make sure of it, too.” Nara translated, and Ari said in Italian, “We’ll make sure she comes to visit you each year and that you come to us in Italy each year as well.” With everyone’s concerns and questions fully addressed and decisions made as far as plans for the upcoming future, Melina said goodbye to her parents. “Oh, gosh, I’m going to cry,” Beth sniffled. “My baby’s leaving.” Nara translated, and an understanding Ari promised that it wouldn’t be forever. Melina was also sad to say goodbye to the only people she’d ever really known and loved, but she was more excited to begin her new life with her new love, in a place filled with more hope and opportunity than she ever had in the middle of nowhere. She would miss her home and the desert, but she knew it would be worth it. Melina’s mom fetched her birth certificate and whatever else she felt she should take along with her, and then she was gone.