Fate

Underneath A Tree In Italy

It was a beautiful day but he was not in the mood to enjoy it. He was starving. The map his sister was trying to figure out was completely useless. None of them spoke Italian and no one knew exactly where they were. Him, his friend, and his sister had wandered onto some random street that was way off the beaten path.
"Maybe we should just ask someone for help?" His sister, Esther, suggested.
"Dude I'm really hungry. Maybe there's some sort of café or something near that park," his friend Kevin said, pointing over to the side.
They walked towards the park that was pretty much empty except for a few young lovers, a small girl playing with a doll in the grass...he stopped. He spotted a girl with long, dark hair sitting on a picnic blanket underneath a big tree. She was reading a book and he was just close enough to see a smile form across her lips as she turned the page.
"Avi! Let's ask her." Esther pointed towards the girl and Avi had to force himself to break his gaze.
"Esther no. She's obviously busy. Plus we haven't run into one person who speaks English around here."
"Avi we have 4 hours until sound check and I would really like food."
"Esther no. I'm not bugging her."
"Well if you're not going to bother me then I best be on my way."
Avi looked up and saw the girl was standing and staring at him with a smile on her face. Kevin walked over and introduced himself. Avi practically had his arm ripped off by his sister as she forced him to go over to her. It's not that he didn't want to meet her. He just didn't know what to say to her. She was beautiful. She was making him nervous.
"I'm Kevin. This is Esther and Avi. We were wondering if you could help us Miss," Kevin said, holding his hand out for a hand shake.
"Well for starters, stop being so formal. You're in Italy!" The girl pulled Kevin into a big hug and kissed his cheek. She did the same to Esther and Avi.
"Sit sit sit. All of you. Enjoy the day with me."
"Actually we were looking for a place to eat. See, we have somewhere to be tonight and we have to get back," Kevin explained.
"Well Kevin if it's food you want, I know just the place. Now sit. Please."
The girl called over to a boy who had to be no more than 14 and said something in Italian before sitting down with them.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," Avi managed to say. He was sitting right next to her and saw her bright blue eyes sparkle in the sunlight behind her black framed glasses.
"It's because I didn't give it, love. I'm Melody."
"Well it's nice to meet you Melody," Kevin said as the boy appeared next to her with plates of thinly sliced meats, fresh cheeses, grapes, and olives. Shortly after the boy left, a man in his mid twenties appeared with a small cooler of drinks and handed Melody a flower before he left.
"Eat! Enjoy! More food is on the way," she said with a smile as they all began digging into the plates. The meat was soft and salty. The cheese was fresh and creamy. The olives were seasoned with oil and different spices. Avi was in food heaven.
"Is that your family?" Ester asked before popping a grape into her mouth.
"They are my Italy family."
"So you're not from around here originally?" Avi asked, taking a bite of some mozzarella.
"No. I'm originally from Iceland." She smiled at him as she handed out drinks to the group.
"Iceland? How did you end up in Italy?" Kevin accepted a drink and waited for her response.
"Well, I was adopted when I was 6 and moved to California. Then my adoptive parents died and I caught a flight to London. After a few years there I went to France, Russia, Germany, and now I'm here."
"What made you decide to travel so much? I mean, don't you have any other family to be with?"
Avi shot his sister a 'do not ask those kinds of questions' kind of look, but Esther ignored it.
"Nope. No other family. It's just me. Mainly I left because I felt like I didn't belong in California anymore. Ever since then I've just been going wherever I feel like I need to be. I'm searching I guess for somewhere to just stay." Avi was amazed at how open and free spirited this girl was.
The young boy appeared again this time with and elderly woman carrying plates of grilled meats, pastas, salad, and bread. Melody thanked them as they handed out plates and silverware to the four of them and they hurried off with the empty appetizer platters.
As the group started serving themselves food, the young girl that had been playing with her doll came up and sat in Melody's lap. Melody fixed her some food and hugged her gently as she began to eat.
"Everyone, this is Gracie. She's my little angel." Gracie smiled as she took a big bite of pasta.
"Gracie here is probably one of my best friends and I'm so sad that I must leave her." Gracie looked over her shoulder at Melody and smiled. Avi saw some red sauce drip down her chin which made him chuckle. When Gracie finished her mouthful she leaned in close to Melody's ear and whispered something.
"Oh I agree with you little one. He is quite handsome now isn't he," Melody responded, winking at Avi. Gracie chuckled, grabbed a hunk of bread along with her doll, and ran off again to go play.
"Gracie is such a sweet little girl. Her father died in a mining accident and her mother just left one day. Gracie was left alone but she never cried. The village has pretty much adopted her. They make sure she's fed and clothed. Some of the older ladies teach her things like math and reading and Gracie teaches us all to love and to never give up hope."
Avi saw Melody stare lovingly at the little girl before serving herself some food.
"Where are you going to next?" Avi asked, placing a hand over his mouth so Melody didn't have to look at his half chewed food.
"I don't know yet. I'm still waiting for a sign. Life hasn't told me where I'm needed yet."
"Well what do you do for work? I would assume that with all of your travels..." Kevin trailed off. He had a look of 'I shouldn't have asked that' on his face.
"Work. Well, in all honesty, I don't really work. I mean I write articles and stories about my travels and the people I meet. I sometimes take pictures of the beauty around me. People do give me money for that and ask me to do more but I just do my own thing and enjoy life around me."
"You are such a wordly person Melody," Esther said with a smile.
"I wouldn't say that Esther. I just love meeting new people, going new places, and sharing the beauty in the world. Everywhere there is beauty, you just have to look for it and when you find it, you just need to sit back and enjoy it while it lasts."
The more Melody spoke, the more enamoured he became with her. She had such an amazing view on life. He started wishing that it would rub off on him.
"Wait! Hold still!" Melody pulled a black bag over to her from the side of the tree and pulled out a very professional looking camera.
"I'm sorry but the lighting is just phenomenal right now." She crouched down and gently tilted his head so he was staring just over her shoulder. He felt a slight grin come across his face as Melody began snapping pictures. When she was done she turned to Esther and made her stand up next to the tree they had been sitting under and snapped a few photos of her. She ended the impromptu photo session with taking pictures of Kevin leaned up against the tree.
"Wonderful," Melody said as she flipped through the pictures on her view screen.
"Do you have an email I could send these pictures to?" Melody asked Esther.
"Oh yes. Yes I do." Melody handed Esther a note pad and pencil so she could scribble down the address as dessert arrived. A huge assortment of pastries and cakes. Avi was already stuffed but he couldn't help himself. He had to have at least a bite of dessert.
After most of the desserts were gone he realized just how stuffed he was. He really wanted to just lay down right then and there and nap underneath that tree but he knew it was time for them to head back and get ready for the show.
They all stood up, thanked Melody for the meal, and Kevin began asking for directions back to where they needed to be. Avi felt a tug on his hand and looked down to see Gracie holding a flower up for him. He crouched down, accepted the flower, and gave Gracie a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He heard a click as he did and looked up to see that Melody had snapped another picture.
"Melody, if you're not doing anything tonight you should come to the show," Esther said as she dug out a VIP all access pass out of her bag.
"Well I won't make any promises but I will definitely try to make it." Melody hugged Esther and Kevin but held Avi back as the other two began to walk away.
"I don't really know you but you have a beautiful soul. I hope I'm not being forward but one day I hope fate brings us together again."
Melody gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek and a sweet smile just as Kevin yelled, "Avi we need to go!" Avi turned and walked away, glancing over his shoulder once to see Melody for what he thought might be the last time.