One such angel was Gino, the resident painter who was almost famous. To better show me his paintings, Gino would have me sit on his lap at his easel in order to explain to me exactly what his erotic surrealistic paintings symbolized.

I did my rounds among the pagans, and was effusively greeted by each one to whom I appeared as a lost cousin from the wilds of the north who, having finally come to his senses, had returned to the warm south.

“Calvino! Where ‘ave you been?!”

“And your mama and papa? They are here too? And your beautiful sorellas?”

“ ‘Ow long you staying?”

“Only ten days! Madonna! Why you no takea longa time here?”

After I reintroduced myself to my beloved friends, I heard the church clock of Santa Christaforo, perched on the high rocky spit of land that separated the bay from the open sea, strike ten. I raced back to the square, over the uneven cobbles that smelled of fish, up to the row of potted palms that formed a discreet barrier between the late diners at the Hotel Nazionale and the open town square. There Mom would already be waiting with Dad as we children would converge from the four corners of the town. Rachael from the shoe store where, in a redolence of new leather, she had been sitting talking to the old lady who owned it, one of the many black-clad eternal widows who populated Italy. Janet from a café table where she had been sipping a San Pellegrino aranciata with the worldly American exchange students she had met who were drinking beer. And me from Gino’s studio and the kitchen of the Ristorante Centrale where I had been allowed to watch as a rabbit for tomorrow’s lunch was being skinned and gutted.

Dad had his arm around Mom’s shoulders. She had a soft look in her eyes. Dad looked younger and kinder than he had on the beach. “C’mon, kids.” We turned to walk back to the pensione accompanied by the sound of running water as a boy began to hose down the sidewalk in front of his establishment. “Buona sera, signore,” he said.

“Sera, ” Dad replied.

Chapter 4

IN THE MORNING I DECIDED TO SNORKEL all the way around the bay. Last year I had tried it but had been too little to finish my exploratory expedition so had given up halfway, climbed out on the rocks, and walked back to the beach.

Now I was sure I could do it.

“Be careful!”

“Sure, Mom. Anyway I’ll be hugging the shore, anything happens I can climb out.”

“Well, I hope you’ll be all right!”

“Oh, leave him alone, he’s a big boy now.”

“Thanks, Dad.”