Letters to Italy

9. the idea

The next morning, I already woke up at 7.30. But I didn't care that it was early after last night. I was wide awake! I listened to some Il Volo songs again until Liene woke up. Otherwise I would've been loud and accidentally woke her up.

"Goodmorniiiing", she said while stretching her arms into the air and almost my left eye. "Is it 8.45?" she asked amazed, that's early. I'm on vacation! I have to sleep late."

"No, Liene, do not fall asleep again!" I said. "We're in Rome, there's a lot to do and to see!" It had effect because she immediately jumped out of bed. "You're right! Come on, what are you still doing in your pajamas, you should've been ready right now!"

A few hours later

We were walking to the house were Jonas stayed. "Hey guys," Jonas said when he opened the door,"I have a plan, what if we first take a little walk into the city and afterwards go swimming at the pool of your hotel? Just chilling a few hours? After yesterday we can use a day of rest", he said smiling at me.

We all agreed and before we noticed, it was already noon. So we went to the hotel restaurant and ate a delicious meal.

The pool was very big and clean. I still felt like a princes in our hotel but not like the queen. She would go to the hotel where Il Volo was staying, actually not so far from us.

After a small dip into the pool I decided to sit down next to the pool in a deck chair. I took my phone from my mother's little table. She didn't like to swim so she was just watching us a few meters away from where I sat.

I first checked twitter, and to my surprise I saw the picture from yesterday on top of it. I totally forgot about that. So it was nice seeing that. I smiled when I saw Gianluca next to me on the photo. He was smiling too, what made him even more attractive. I saved the picture on my phone and when I wanted to check my twitter further, Jonas came sitting next to me. I showed him the picture from last night. "I had already seen it last night. Piero posted it very soon after we left."

"Really?" I couldn't hide my happiness.

"Yes, really!" Jonas said. He looked at me like he was expecting me to say something.

"You remember yesterday?" he asked.

"Ehm, of course I do", I said a bit sarcastic because how could I have forgotten that so soon?

"I mean, the moment right before the game?"

"Oh!" That was all I said because I realized again my love for Gianluca would always be unanswered.

"Well, now it's 'later', so maybe you want to talk about it?"

"Yes." I said but the next seconds I didn't say a word.

Jonas waited and looked at me with questioning eyes. But he was the one who started to talk about it again.

"I guess I already know what 'the problem' is. And I think it's not really a problem, if you know what I mean." I looked at him like I just discovered he read my diary or something.

"Don't be so surprised. I'm your brother, your best friend. I know you! YOU... are in love with Gianluca Ginoble!" I was still shocked. Was it so obvious?

Jonas' monologue went on and I didn't stop him because I knew he was right. Maybe he would say something that could help me.

"And GIANLUCA...", he paused, "is in love with Aline De Smedt.

My heart almost pounded out of my chest. "He is in love with someone else?" I was shocked until I became more shocked because I realized Jonas just said my very own name!

"I don't understand?!" I said confused.

"Listen, after we had that little talk yesterday I started paying attention to you. You and Gianluca were acting strange in each other's neighborhood. I know Gianluca, right?" he said and waited till I nodded my head to know for sure I was following his explanation. "So I saw he was acting different than the other times I met him. Normally he isn't that shy. But last night, he didn't even say a lot to the others. So I think I can say I'm 99 percent sure he is in love with you!"

He looked at my confused face and smiled impatient at me, like he was waiting for me to say something. "Isn't that a nice surprise?"

"Everyone can say such things!" I said a bit angry because my brother had raised my hopes for nothing.

"But...I would never lie to you", he said now with his own face very surprised because of my reaction. "And I certainly wouldn't invent such things! You saw he acted weird, you know there's something!"

"Yes! But what if your reason for that 'something' isn't the right one?"

"The question is, what if my reason for that 'something' IS the right one?!"

I didn't know what to say anymore. This was all very strange.

We both sat there watching the water of the pool move back and forth.

"And if it's true than," I asked, "what should I do about it?"

"Well," Jonas said with his 'oh crap, actually I don't know' facial expression, "that's a good question."

It made me laugh. Jonas, 'the smartest person on this planet, the one who saw everything and could solve every little or even big problem in no time', didn't know.

"You know what? I'll think about it. Right there, in the pool."
He asked if I wanted to join him but I refused for his own good (and mine of course) because I didn't want to reduce the productivity of his brains.

So I still sat in the chair next to the pool, pretending I was reading a magazine until Liene came by and noticed I was holding it upside down.

My mind was now far away from reading, swimming or even eating. I didn't even know what time it was anymore.

Suddenly there was a lot of noise. It was Jonas jumping out of the pool running straight toward me while screaming he had found the solution.

"I solved the problem! I repeat. I solved the problem!"

"Stop yelling and tell me then!" I said impatient.

"You!" he paused again (why did he always want to build up the tension?). "Have to declare your love to him!" He said with a face as if he had just invented water.

"Well done you Einstein, is that your brilliant idea?" I said because again he had raised my hopes for nothing.

"In a letter!" he then added when he sat down next to me on the same deck chair.

"Thanks, now everything is wet!" I said a bit irritated.

"Thank me later about that, first thank me about this brilliant idea about writing him a letter."

"You mean a 'love letter'?" I asked, still not sure about his brilliant plan.

"Indeed, and don't wait too long! You only have 3 days after this one in Italy. And they're leaving too."

"You too right?" I asked suddenly not certain about why he said 'you' instead of 'we'.

"Oh, haven't I told you yet? I don't go home with you because I decided to study next year in Italy as well."

"Oh!" I said. "Well I didn't see that coming and I'm not so sure if I'm happy about that because I'll have to miss you another year."

"I'll miss you too. But we can keep in touch by writing letters. That's what gave me the idea of the love letter."

"But enough talked! You! Go write your letter for Gianluca please! And fast!"