by Stefania Zamagni, translated into English by Ruth Stephens
Chapter 4 – The Lucky Painting
The surprise leaves Fabrizio lost for words.
Marianna doesn’t seem to know what to say either, but then, slowly, she lets him in.
Fortunately, Signor Finelli arrives at that moment and takes control of the situation.
He leads Fabrizio up to the attic and shows him the walls that he is to paint.
Fabrizio nods and begins work, his thoughts only on the young woman he now knows lives in this house.
He works all day, hardly noticing the time passing, thinking only of Marianna.
It is nearly 7 o’clock when he finishes and Signor Finelli comes to inspect his work.
“Well, I have to say you’ve done a good job. My daughter would like you to come back tomorrow and paint her room.”
“Perfect,” thinks Fabrizio, “Then I’ll get to see her again.”
The next day, Marianna keeps him company while he works. The time flies as they chat and laugh together. The following day is the same.
But then the job is finished and the rent paid for a month.
Fabrizio finds the courage to ask Marianna out, so the next evening finds them dining at an Indian restaurant. They both love the spicy flavours of Indian food and agree it is their favourite. They are perfectly at ease in each other’s company and wish the evening could go on forever.
Marianna confides to him that she liked him at their first meeting and that she thinks his paintings are fantastic. Fabrizio offers to take her home to show her others.
As she had done at the gallery, Marianna studies the paintings carefully and in silence.
Then she turns to him and hugs him.
“You’re very good. I really like them all, but especially this one,” she says, pointing to The Poppy Field.
“It’s my lucky painting. I finished it the day we met. The day I decided to visit your gallery.” explained Fabrizio.
Mariana smiles:
“Don’t feel bad about not selling anything at the exhibition. We’ll try again. I’m sure you’ll do better next time!”
The days pass. Fabrizio feels he ought to start painting some new canvasses, but he finds it difficult to concentrate on his work. He can only think about Marianna, and when he will see her next.
They meet most days, sometimes only for a few minutes, but he lives for those times.
With Marianna he feels good. He’s happy, they laugh a lot together and talk about everything and anything. He’s always impatient to see her again.
In the months since they first met, they’ve been on picnics, visited a museum of modern art, eaten out, and even driven to the coast for a day’s swimming and sunbathing. Everything they do seems special, because they are together.
But one day Marianna stops answering her phone. Fabrizio finds her at the gallery, and as soon as he sees her he realises that something has happened.
“I can’t talk now , but my father has found out that we’re going out together.”
“ And that’s a problem?” asks Fabrizio
“I’m afraid it is….. we’ll talk about it later.”
Marianna’s voice is cold, and Fabrizio notices that her eyes are red. He can see from her expression that she is struggling to control herself.
He’s worried.
If the fact that they are going out together is a problem, what will this mean?
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