Days in Genova, Nights in Portorosso

Chapter 16

"Sei pronto?" I say.

"Sì," Rosa says. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Great!" I exclaim. "Now let's get started!"

First, we begin with cycling.

"Rosa, it's OK! You're thinking too much!" I say.

"Thinking too much?" she cries. "But I have no idea how to ride this thing!"

She screams, crashing.

"Santa mozzarella," I say. "You're going about it all wrong."

I mount on the bicycle. "You just gotta go with the flow. Calm down and Silenzio Bruno."

"Silenzio Bruno?" Rosa asks.

"Yeah," I say. "My cousin Alberto taught me it. He's this voice in your head that tells you you're not good enough or can't do anything. As long as you watch me ride and don't listen to Bruno, you'll be good."

"You sure?" Rosa asks.

"Certain," I say.

After I demonstrate how to ride a bike, Rosa mounts on it confidently.

"I think I'm ready," she says. She sighs. "Silenzio Bruno."

And to my surprise, she has it down.

"Bravo, Rosa!" I exclaim. "You're a natural!"

She blushes. "Thank you, Max," she says.

"No problem," I say. "Looks like this might not take two days after all!"

"Who knows? It might," says Rosa.

"And if it does, we're ready for anything," I say.

I smile at her. "Are you hungry?" I ask.

"Actually, yeah. A little bit," Rosa says.

"Good. Because it's lunchtime." I set out plates of pasta just enough to get us started.

"Santa mozzarella! I can't eat all that!" Rosa cries.

"Then, prepare to lose the pasta eating competition part of the race," I say. "Something you know we can't afford."

So Rosa sits at the table and starts gobbling down the pasta with her hands.

I hold up a forchetta. "Nuh uh-uh," I say. "You've gotta use a forchetta. Giulia told me it's the rules."

"Rules are for... rule people," Rosa says, using the forchetta as fast as she can.

After eating, Rosa clutches her stomach. "I don't feel so good, Maax," she says. She throws up on the grass near our picnic blanket. We're both grateful it didn't get on the picnic blanket.

"OK," I say. "I guess we'll call it a day. And I'll do the pasta."

Rosa puts her hand on her mouth, trying not to vomit. But she does.

I wrap my arm around her. "Oh, poverina stella," I say. "I'll take us home and you can lay down, OK?"

Rosa nods.

* * *

"So how was the first day of training?" Giulia asks.

She then looks at Rosa. "Santa mozzarella, Rosa! What happened?"

"We were doing well until we started training for the pasta eating contest," I say. "I think she's not used to it and ate too fast, making her sick."

"I can help you guys," Alberto says. "I love food."

"Great!" I say.

"Wait a minute," says Giulia. "It's impossible to be on two teams at once! It's never gonna work!"

"Crap," Alberto says. "I guess I never thought of that." He looks at me. "What about you? Could you do it?"

I cross my arms. "I sure can," I say. "Test me when we have trenette al pesto tonight."

Alberto smiles. "Sure. But keep in mind, I love it too."

I smile. "I know you do."