The Past Recedes

Chapter 46

"Calm down, Nika. Dad is just getting dressed", teased John.

"It's not everyday one gets a chance to see Pompeii", she retorted.

"I know, but relax. And you have to stay by us the whole time", said John.

"I know, Dad", she muttered.

John Sr. grabbed the keys to the rental car. "Remember to wear your hat since it get can really hot", he reminded her.

Nika grabbed her blue Dodgers cap and plopped it down on her dark curls. "It'll keep the sun out of your face, you didn't have any problem at the Dodgers game?", asked John.

"No, I liked it. Josh explained the game and he bought me the hat. There's lots of strategy involved", she said.

"I've never been into sports, the other guys love basketball and Josh loves sports, especially baseball and hockey. I was the sort of skinny kid who got picked last in gym class, so I've never liked sports. I go to Lakers games to watch the people, basketball bores me", said John.

"I grew up as a Dodgers fan, back then if you lived in Brooklyn and Queens you were a Dodgers fan. Then I became a Mets fan", said John Sr.

"Should we get souvenirs for the band?", asked Nika.

"Maybe, but I don't think they want souvenirs. Maybe something for Clara and Josh", said John.

Nika watched as John pulled back his long curly dark hair into a loose ponytail and stuck a plain baseball cap on top. "I don't want people to bother me, I look like an American tourist", he explained.

"One day you'll learn how to drive", chided John Sr. as they got in the rental car.

"I don't want to drive, period. I'm still gun-shy after I almost ran over a pedestrian when I was 18, plus I barely go out", said John.

"Okay, but at least Josh got a new car to chauffeur you around", teased John Sr.

"Yeah, he loves that car. His old truck was such a piece of junk, he won't let me dump cigarette butts in it", said John.

"Of course, it's a new car", he chuckled.

John rolled down the window and took out his cigarette case and lighter as he lit a Dunhill and took a drag. He absently tapped the ashes off the end of the cigarette and took another drag, hoping Nika didn't start one of her lectures and draw attention to them. "Dad, what do you think Clara would like?", she asked.

John felt momentarily excited since she was showing interest in doing something for another person. "Maybe a photo of a mosaic, or a book on frescoes or mosaics since she likes art", he replied.

"Okay, because she's going to bring me something from Australia. It's only fair", she said.

John frowned when he heard that. "Okay, I guess that's nice", he said.

John Sr. found a space in the parking lot outside the visitor's center towards the very edge. "I hope there's not going to be a lot of tourists with cameras, it's disrespectful", he muttered.

The modern air-conditioned visitor's center sat incongruously near the parking lot, so very different from the ruins just meters away. Nika waited impatiently as John bought the tickets and got a map. "You need the map", he explained.

Past the visitor's center a set of push doors left them with an amazing view. Under a cloudless blue sky sat the enormous bulk of Mount Vesuvius, its slopes covered in a mantle of green from grape and tomato vines that grew so profusely throughout Campania. Under the now-dormant volcano lay the ruins of the city, full of tourists. The modern tourists looked so strange amongst the ruins, especially since they had cameras and wore sneakers and baseball caps.

Nika took a quick glance at the map and walked ahead of them. "These are shops, this one is a wine shop where the wine would have been stored in big jars. Next door is a sort of snack bar, many urban Romans didn't have kitchens. And this is a fuller's, a fuller dyes cloth. The dye was made from urine that was taxed", said Nika.

The men hung on each word and felt both pride and awe. "This would have been an apartment building, urban Romans lived in apartments and only the rich lived in villas", she said.

"Uh, okay", said John.

"You ought to read Gibbon, he wrote Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. You can borrow mine's, Josh is half-done with his", she said.

"Okay, I have a lot of downtime on tour", said John.

John was enjoying his daughter's narration until they came to a building near the old harbor. "Oh, this is the Lupanar. This is the brothel", she said.

"Uh, I don't think this is a good idea", said John Sr. nervously.

"Why not? That was legal and every town had one", she replied.

"It's not appropriate for children, the frescoes have naked people", said John as he looked at the map.

"So? I've seen naked people in art books", she retorted.

"You're 10 years old, you shouldn't be looking at that", said John.

"You've had sex since I'm here. And I don't like being a kid, kids are dumb. I have a 133 IQ, and you are a high school dropout drug addict", she hissed.

John was still and his face blank but his eyes turned a vivid green-gold with fury. He had the sudden, overwhelming urge to smack his daughter, but John Sr. grabbed his hands. "Nika, John's angry", he said sternly.

John snapped out of his trance when he saw the fear on her face as she slowly backed away. Before he could move, she took off crying. John ran after her as she cried, quickly overtaking her as he picked her up. "Don't punish me! Don't lock me in the room! Don't make me stupid!", she wailed.

He carried Nika back to wear John Sr. stood in shock. 'Nika, you can't just hurt people's feelings because you're mad. And it isn't okay to insult people. I want to protect you, you may have a genius IQ but you're still a kid. I've seen those paintings, they're pornographic and inappropriate", he said.

"So you're not going to lock me in a room and make me watch cartoons? Mom did that, she said I acted stupid so I was going to be made stupid", she whispered.

"Of course not!", he exclaimed.

"Okay, then we'll see other things", she whispered.

John was disturbed but now he understood why she hated anything childish. "That is the most messed up thing I ever heard", said John Sr., shaking his head.

"I know, I remember being spanked on the butt but not being forced to watch TV. Nika, it's okay to get angry when you feel upset but not to insult people. If you feel angry, just let me know", he said.

"Mom said ladies don't get angry", she said.

"It's okay to get angry, I get angry sometimes. But you can talk to me when I'm home", he said.

"Really?", she asked.

"Really", he replied.