Upstairs, Downstairs Page 4

  The show continues and her anxiety grows. She can’t relax. At times Mizuki turns and smiles at her, but she’s too tense to reciprocate. She avoids his eye.

  “Damn it! How could anyone forget someone like him.”

  The evening doesn’t seem to be turning out the way she expected it to, yet Anita doesn’t give up. She still wants to try to take her mind off the unpleasant meeting, and enjoy her time with Mizuki. “Perhaps dinner will do what the Kodo Drums didn’t.” She thinks, as people begin to leave the theatre after a long encore.

  *

  The fresh air helps a little. She’s hungry and asks Mizuki, “What would you prefer? Apulia’s food, rich and tasty, in a crowded restaurant; or ethnic cuisine in a more intimate, smaller place?”

  “You decide, but you know I like peaceful restaurants…”

  “Let’s go to the ethnic restaurant then! You’ll love it. They have vegetarian dishes, cous cous, wonderful cheeses and amazing desserts. Last time I was there I tried warm feta with honey and rosemary. It was delicious!”

  “Do you think we’ll need a reservation?” Mizuki is always so meticulous…

  “Yes, usually. But at this time of night I don’t think we’ll have a problem finding a table for two.”

  They embrace and begin to walk. The atmosphere of the evening is strange, still, almost crystallised, as if it doesn’t know which direction to take.

  *

  Anita realises that by the time the appetiser arrives, she’s already had too much wine, but she needs it to keep herself in good spirits.

  Mizuki, meanwhile, at the first taste of the warm feta – he who is always so impassive – can’t hide a smile of unexpected pleasure.

  “How long will you be in London?”

  “We’re talking about ten days, but probably a week will be enough.” Mizuki looks straight into her eyes. “Can you spend the night with me? My flight is at eleven tomorrow; we could have breakfast together and not have to hurry.”

  Anita looks down. “I can’t. I have a tour early tomorrow morning, and I don’t have anything I need with me.”

  Mizuki doesn’t insist. It’s not his style, yet Anita knows he didn’t take it well. She’d like to add something, but she doesn’t know what, she only has excuses.

  He walks her to the scooter in silence. They exchange a quick kiss that leaves both of them with a bitter taste.

  *

  Passing through the entry archway, Anita can’t help but look up towards Daniel’s windows. The lights are off. “What a nightmare, there’s a possibility of running into him every time I go in or come out… Shit!” She tries to think of something else, about the vegetable garden and her tulips.

  When she enters the apartment she hears her mother sleeping soundly. “I wonder what you’re up to, Mum.”

  *

  The blue Ford travels along the Ostiense route in the night, and Daniel whistles a Joe Henderson tune, beating the tempo on the wheel. He turns to the left to take the little road towards Garbatella.

  “It went well,” he thinks, pleased. “That guy was really nice.”

  He can’t stop humming the tune that the trio played to close the concert. His fingers are moving on an imaginary instrument. “Drums, sax and piano. Fantastic.”

  When he parks, it’s after one. A faint light filters through the shutters on the ground floor. Suddenly he freezes, remembering the unexpected encounter with Anita. So many years have passed… at least fifteen. Yet that cold and uneasy reaction surprised him.

  “Someone must be unable to sleep over there.”

  When he enters his apartment, the cat comes towards him, ready to purr. “Commodilla, you beautiful thing… yes, you’re a true loving friend, so sincere – not like that cold witch on the ground floor!”

  Actually, for him it was a pleasure to see Anita again after so many years, in spite of her reaction.

  *

  Anita is tossing and turning in bed. Her thoughts are confused. She can’t forgive herself for having been so cold with Mizuki. She regrets not having been able to enjoy such a special concert. She’s sure that she would’ve enjoyed the haunting, sensual rhythm of the drums more if she hadn’t met that asshole just before going out. If it weren’t for Daniel, she and Mizuki would’ve run home to make love. Why didn’t she spend the night at his place? When they parted, Mizuki looked at her with a strange expression. “And all because of that stuck up yuppie! I had the impression he didn’t recognise me straight away. But I knew him instantly!” She feels full of rage.

  She looks at her phone and then her watch. “Too late to call Alessandra. I’ll call her tomorrow morning. She’s not going to believe this!” I can hear her. “Come on! Daniel? Daniel Bracci?! In your building?”

  *

  Two o’ clock and there’s still no way she can sleep. Anita gets up. She looks at herself in the mirror, and realises she hasn’t even removed her make-up. “Damn it! That guy really affected me…” She looks for something to read, since she doesn’t hold out much hope for sleep. Aha! A huge volume from 1973, Roman Ostia, by Russell Meiggs, an expensive rarity. She couldn’t believe it when she found it on eBay. It was a real bargain! The seller didn’t realise what he had.

  She goes back to bed and begins to browse through it, careful not to mark the precious pages. She looks for the handwritten English notes in the margins that touched her so much. A perfect day…! Daisy, my love, these have been the best days of my life. She imagines Daisy and her lover walking through the ruins and kissing on the stone steps of the theatre.

  With misty eyes she realises that she and Mizuki have never had a real holiday together… only a few weekends away and four days on the Amalfi Coast. If she lived by herself, she wouldn’t have to always find some excuse to tell her mother and she wouldn’t have seen Daniel again… and now she’ll have to jump through hoops to avoid him! She sees herself spying through the shutters to check that the coast is clear, and then running to her scooter like a thief.

  Anita doesn’t realise the book has slipped from her hands. She’s closed her eyes, black with smeared make-up.

  6

  Fireworks

  A fat cat with sparse reddish hair is lying in the aisle of an aeroplane. It seems as though the plane carpet is his natural habitat. He’s there, belly up, his paws completely open, making the shape of an X. He scratches his back against the velvety floor – he seems satisfied and happy. But suddenly he shows his claws, hissing, his hair bristles as if he senses danger. The aeroplane alarm goes off and the oxygen masks come down. The plane is in a tailspin; bags, newspapers, coats, and an infinity of other belongings are flying around amidst the passengers’ screams. The spiralling fall dissolves before the plane crashes. A frightening noise in the distance: the siren of an approaching ambulance.

  The sound of his phone becomes insistent. Daniel opens his eyes and turns to the bedside table. He reads the text: “I’m on Skype.”

  “Olga?”

  Daniel grabs his tablet and calls her. He must look awful, since Olga bursts into laughter as soon as she sees him.

  “Don’t laugh… and remember, you look like an alien coming from who knows where!” Daniel is amused.

  In fact Olga is kind of strange in her almost too perfect beauty: an ice queen with very blonde hair and transparent blue eyes.

  “Do you know who you look like? You look like Pris!”

  “Pris?!”

  “The blonde android in Blade Runner, do you remember her? You should try her hair cut!”

  Olga has an expression that’s pouty and naughty at the same time.

  “Your android is about to surprise you! My love, I will arrive in Rome on Sunday evening…”

  Daniel suddenly feels hunger pangs and moves to the kitchen with his tablet.

  “Brilliant! What time will you arrive?”

  “If you can come to the airport at about five, that would be great! You can say ‘hello’ to our orchestra friends too. I can’t wait to see your new
place. Are you still in the Parioli neighbourhood?”

  Daniel feels a bit disorientated. “Olga, I really need a coffee right now. Can we talk later?”

  “Haven’t you had breakfast yet? It’s after ten!”

  “In Moscow, maybe. Here it’s only 8:15 a.m.!” He bites into a piece of toast.

  “So, how are things are going at the Opera in Rome?”

  “I can’t wait to start. And you? Are you rehearsing?”

  “You know we Russians play Tchaikovsky with our eyes closed. Anyway, I’m delighted that this time Gaetani is the conductor.”

  Daniel is looking at Olga between the milk bottle and the honey jar. His gaze moves instinctively down to the open neck of her blouse. Anyone would be scared to death at the idea of playing with Gaetani – the very severe and famous conductor – anyone but Olga.

  “Love, I need to go now. I have rehearsal in half an hour! I’ll leave you to your coffee… I can’t wait to see you. Thank you for picking me up at the airport. Kiss, kiss and kiss! Don’t forget: Sunday!”

  “I obey, Nexus 6!” He waves her a kiss.

  *

  He met her two years ago at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia. She was the first cello of the Moscow Academy and had been invited, together with other Russian musicians, to a three day workshop in Rome.

  They don’t see each other much. Daniel is always travelling in Europe, and Moscow isn’t exactly just around the corner. Their musical commitments don’t allow them to make plans. They meet during their vacations and on rare, lucky occasions – like this.

  Whilst making coffee, Daniel is trying to remember the dream that was interrupted by the phone call. A big ginger cat frightened by something… but what? He feels a slight sense of unease, then decides to forget all about it and fills Commodilla’s bowl.

  *

  Anita opens her eyes and struggles to recall what happened the night before. Then she remembers: the encounter with Daniel, the bad evening with Mizuki. Alessandra…! She grabs her phone, but her mother’s voice stops her.

  “Come on, Anita… get up…” She tries to speak gently. She knows her daughter hates to be brought back to the world from sleep abruptly. She opens the curtains and then the shutters. “Thank God I make a note of your appointments on my calendar too; otherwise you’d stand up your tourists who knows how many times!” Then she turns to her daughter, who’s still in bed with her eyes closed. “My God – what happened?!”

  “What?”

  “Your eyes! They’re all black… don’t tell me you went to sleep without removing your make-up. It’s very bad for your eyes. You could get an infection, an allergy…”

  “Mum, pleeease, can you just shut it for a moment?” Anita gets up and staggers towards the bathroom.

  “Don’t you feel well, darling?”

  “I’m perfectly fine…” She closes the bathroom door and looks at herself in the mirror. A disaster! “Right – perfectly fine!” She can’t call Alessandra when her mother’s around. She must go out immediately to call her. She has to see her as soon as possible. She’ll ask her to cancel her appointments – which, by the way, are always just salon, nails, spa… not matter of life and death!

  In the shower she thinks, “We could meet for lunch… I have a tour at the Ara Pacis, but it should be over by 12:30. We can have a bite to eat at our café in Via di Ripetta, and then after lunch, I’ll take my tourists to Piazza del Popolo. Yes, that should work.”

  *

  Anita cautiously crosses the empty yard with her helmet on. She glances briefly towards Daniel’s windows. “The bastard is still sleeping.” She sets off on the scooter but stops at the bottom of the hill to call Alessandra. She waits for what seems like an infinity for Alessandra to pick up.

  “Anita! You won’t believe this… just last night, at a very boring dinner party, I thought that…”

  “Allie, forget about it! I have something incredible and important to tell you…”

  “What’s going on? Don’t tell me Mizuki asked you to go with him to Japan?”

  “I met Daniel yesterday.”

  “Daniel? Daniel who?”

  “Daniel Bracci! Do you understand? Allie, are you still there?”

  The voice on the other end of the phone suddenly lost all of its cheerfulness.

  “And where did you meet him?”

  “I can’t explain right now… I’m late for work. But let’s meet at the usual café in Via di Ripetta. 12:30! Don’t be late.”

  “Actually, I need to go to…”

  “Listen, this is too important. You must come, please.”

  *

  Anita ends the visit to the Ara Pacis with the words of the Emperor Augustus.

  When I returned to Rome from Spain and Gaul, having successfully accomplished deeds in those provinces, the Senate voted to consecrate the altar of August Peace in the Campus Martius, on which it ordered the Magistrates, the Priests, and Vestal Virgins to offer annual sacrifices.

  “Human sacrifices?” The old American lady with blue hair asks.

  “No, Romans didn’t do that kind of ritual.” She answers, a little annoyed, although she’s thinking that she could happily offer a human sacrifice, and right away… Daniel would be the perfect sacrificial lamb!

  *

  Anita enters the café and looks around. She sees her friend sitting at a corner table with a glass of white wine.

  “Allie, you’re early! I can’t believe it…” and she bends to kiss her.

  “I was desperate to know what’s going on. Ok, tell me everything!” Her perfectly polished fingernails, the same red as her lipstick, tap impatiently on the table. Her golden bracelets clink, and a diamond on her right ring finger glitters under the light.

  “He came to live in our building! Can you believe it?” Anita exclaims, taking a seat. Then she explained the whole story: Diego’s apartment sublet to Daniel, the double bass that he carries all the time, the neighbours and the vegetable garden; she even told her about Commodilla, the cat that Daniel feeds. “He was ready to shake my hand – asshole! Right – Nice to meet you. But I ditched him!”

  “How long do you think he’ll stay?”

  “I don’t know… but who cares? At the moment he’s there, and I don’t want to see him around! At all!” Anita grabs Alessandra’s glass and has a long swallow.

  “Did you tell Mizuki about him?”

  “Mizuki? What does this have to do with Mizuki?”

  “Well,” Alessandra plays with her long Chanel necklace. “If it’s true what they say, Daniel was your first love, so…”

  “You’re crazy, Allie! This guy shows up after fifteen years and you think I… no, no, I’ve forgotten everything, definitely!”

  “If you say so.” Alessandra smiles ironically. “But I wouldn’t mind seeing him again…”

  “Allie, don’t talk bullshit! He was nothing! He went around blurting out our most intimate moments, he made me look like an easy lay…” Anita raises her voice.

  “Come on, Anita! Calm down. After so many years does it still sting?”

  “Of course it still stings! I haven’t forgotten when his friend…”

  “Stefano, his name was Stefano.”

  “Yes, Stefano… when he trapped me in the corridor, and I didn’t know what he wanted to do. It took me years to get over that!”

  “Exactly. Years… and many years have passed. But I have to tell you, in rethinking the whole story, I would’ve kept Danie – handsome and rich…”

  “And a bastard!”

  “Listen, I’m curious. What does he look like now? Tell me…”

  Anita stares at her. She has no intention of wasting any more time talking about him. “Let’s order something. I have to meet my tourists this afternoon, and I don’t want to talk about Daniel any more. Tell me about you. What’s up?”

  Alessandra shrugs with a bored expression. “The same. My husband is always at his studio or in court. The nanny takes good care of the baby. Some dinne
r parties with Alberto’s colleagues or with his clients… the Club is full of boring old people. That’s it: a drag!”

  Anita is a little surprised: “Has something happened? You’ve never described your life like this before. I thought you were happy somehow. Wasn’t this what you wanted?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t think it would be so difficult. You and Mizuki probably have a more exciting relationship. You don’t live together, and every time you meet is like a celebration. Talking of that, when will you finally introduce me to Mizuki?”

  “Don’t worry. It’ll happen sooner or later…”

  The waiter brings a plate of cheese with baguettes, and two glasses of red wine. After lunch the two friends part in front of the café.

  Anita rushes towards Piazza del Popolo, while Alessandra goes in the opposite direction.

  Anita is a little disappointed. She had hoped for more empathy from her friend. After many years of friendship, she has to admit they are very different. She wouldn’t ever marry just to settle into a comfortable life. “However, maybe Allie is right. I should ignore Daniel, without giving this thing too much importance.” She thinks, reaching the group of tourists waiting for her.

  Walking back to her car Alessandra has a different train of thought. She’s skilfully – in spite of the cobblestones – moving towards the river in her high heels, wrapped in an expensive fitted suit, all the men turning their heads to look at her. “Damn it! I’ll never escape this situation! Now Daniel pops up from nowhere…” She worries about her friendship with Anita. “But after all we were just kids…” she thinks, trying to make herself feel better.

  *

  After such an intense day, Anita needs to relax; she needs to be by herself for a moment. She doesn’t want to go straight home. She parks Isotta near the fountain. Her movements seem slow and detached. Her conversation with Alessandra has disappointed her, but she doesn’t want to think about it. Not now. It’s almost sunset. The square is magically empty; a perfect moment to sit on the fountain steps.

  She misses Mizuki. London isn’t as far away as Japan, but still she’d like to be with him right now. She gets her phone out and begins to write him a text. Hi, I’m sorry for last night…