on his arm
restraining him. ‘No,’ she commanded, ‘thisis man he want to sheet
you, too heckspensive!’ she almost spat, as she scowled at the
shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper
muttered something to her under his breath. Lucy challenged him to
repeat it - so he did. The two of them glared at each other, a
full-scale argument ensued, rising in tempo as there seemed no
solution in sight. Brian alarmed at the tone and the body language
as both of them aggressively waved their arms around. It sounded
very ugly. He tried to intervene. Lucy would have none of it. At
one point the shopkeeper, getting fed up, took the shoes off the
counter, and shaking his head resignedly at Brian he put them away.
Folded his arms, and stared at Lucy.
Lucy reacted by
pushing Brian towards the door. ‘Let’s go,’ she ordered, ‘thisis
not good man like you,’ giving the shopkeeper a withering look.
‘Look, I need
those shoes,’ Brian protested.
‘Ok, but you
pay only three thousand. I know another place. Three thousand,’ she
stuck three fingers up at the shopkeeper.
‘Three thousand
five hundred,’ he said adamant. The argument about to start all
over again, but Brian forestalled it by hurriedly taking out his
wallet and sliding the correct money over the counter. The
shopkeeper quickly grabbed it, smiling in triumph at Lucy.
She threw her
hands in the air. ‘Ah Birin, why you do that?’ now turning on
him.
‘It’s ok,’
Brian said trying to pacify her, ‘I’m happy to pay the price. Thank
you so much for your help.’
Lucy looked at
him, about to say something, and then just shrugged as though she
was helpless with such a fool.
‘Do you need a
receipt?’ asked the shopkeeper, putting the box containing the
shoes in a plastic bag and handing it over.
‘No that’s ok,
thanks,’ Brian replied.
As they stepped
out Lucy ignored the shopkeeper. ‘You want more shop?’ She asked,
still clearly annoyed with him.
Brian hid a
smile; this girl really was a dynamo. ‘No, that’s all I need. Can I
buy you a coffee or soda to thank you?’
‘Ok, I know a
good place,’ she brightened, ‘let’s go,’ and charged off down
another alleyway ducking and weaving through the narrow streets.
Brian followed in her wake. He was surprised as they abruptly
emerged from the old town back on the sea front road. Lucy led
Brian along it and turned right, up a flight of stairs into a
restaurant with the word ‘Gellati’ emblazoned in rainbow colours
across its front.
‘I like hice
cream,’ Lucy said licking her lips. ‘You like?’
She hailed the
European owner in Italian, as they sat down at a table overlooking
the road. He returned her greeting and brought a menu over
addressing Brian in Italian.
Brian said
stiffly. ‘I’m sorry?’
‘Ah Inglezie.’
The owner said knowingly. ‘Welcome to my ‘ouse,’ and placed the
menu in front of him.
Lucy leaned
over and tapped one red fingernail urgently on a picture of the
dish she wanted. ‘Thisis one for me.’
The menu was
written in Italian, but pictures of the food were self-explanatory.
Brian ordered the large bowl of mixed ice cream for her and a
smaller one for himself, and cappuccinos for both of them. Lucy
looked out over the road at the sea. There were bathers on the
beach, a small sports fishing boat went by. ‘You like to swims?’
she asked Brian.
‘Yes, how about
you?’
She shook her
head vehemently. ‘No too many shack.’
‘Shack?’ said
Brian. ‘Oh, you mean sharks.’
‘Yes shack,
this is what I say, shack. Too many,’ she shuddered involuntarily.
Lucy fidgeted in her chair looking concerned. Suddenly, she stood
up. ‘I go piss,’ she announced, and disappeared inside the
restaurant.
Brian watched
her go. His eyes, not for the first time appreciating her slender
figure. She was quite a girl, a real firebrand, and he was grateful
for the shoes. He would never have found that shop without her.
Their order arrived, closely followed by Lucy.
restraining him. ‘No,’ she commanded, ‘thisis man he want to sheet
you, too heckspensive!’ she almost spat, as she scowled at the
shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper
muttered something to her under his breath. Lucy challenged him to
repeat it - so he did. The two of them glared at each other, a
full-scale argument ensued, rising in tempo as there seemed no
solution in sight. Brian alarmed at the tone and the body language
as both of them aggressively waved their arms around. It sounded
very ugly. He tried to intervene. Lucy would have none of it. At
one point the shopkeeper, getting fed up, took the shoes off the
counter, and shaking his head resignedly at Brian he put them away.
Folded his arms, and stared at Lucy.
Lucy reacted by
pushing Brian towards the door. ‘Let’s go,’ she ordered, ‘thisis
not good man like you,’ giving the shopkeeper a withering look.
‘Look, I need
those shoes,’ Brian protested.
‘Ok, but you
pay only three thousand. I know another place. Three thousand,’ she
stuck three fingers up at the shopkeeper.
‘Three thousand
five hundred,’ he said adamant. The argument about to start all
over again, but Brian forestalled it by hurriedly taking out his
wallet and sliding the correct money over the counter. The
shopkeeper quickly grabbed it, smiling in triumph at Lucy.
She threw her
hands in the air. ‘Ah Birin, why you do that?’ now turning on
him.
‘It’s ok,’
Brian said trying to pacify her, ‘I’m happy to pay the price. Thank
you so much for your help.’
Lucy looked at
him, about to say something, and then just shrugged as though she
was helpless with such a fool.
‘Do you need a
receipt?’ asked the shopkeeper, putting the box containing the
shoes in a plastic bag and handing it over.
‘No that’s ok,
thanks,’ Brian replied.
As they stepped
out Lucy ignored the shopkeeper. ‘You want more shop?’ She asked,
still clearly annoyed with him.
Brian hid a
smile; this girl really was a dynamo. ‘No, that’s all I need. Can I
buy you a coffee or soda to thank you?’
‘Ok, I know a
good place,’ she brightened, ‘let’s go,’ and charged off down
another alleyway ducking and weaving through the narrow streets.
Brian followed in her wake. He was surprised as they abruptly
emerged from the old town back on the sea front road. Lucy led
Brian along it and turned right, up a flight of stairs into a
restaurant with the word ‘Gellati’ emblazoned in rainbow colours
across its front.
‘I like hice
cream,’ Lucy said licking her lips. ‘You like?’
She hailed the
European owner in Italian, as they sat down at a table overlooking
the road. He returned her greeting and brought a menu over
addressing Brian in Italian.
Brian said
stiffly. ‘I’m sorry?’
‘Ah Inglezie.’
The owner said knowingly. ‘Welcome to my ‘ouse,’ and placed the
menu in front of him.
Lucy leaned
over and tapped one red fingernail urgently on a picture of the
dish she wanted. ‘Thisis one for me.’
The menu was
written in Italian, but pictures of the food were self-explanatory.
Brian ordered the large bowl of mixed ice cream for her and a
smaller one for himself, and cappuccinos for both of them. Lucy
looked out over the road at the sea. There were bathers on the
beach, a small sports fishing boat went by. ‘You like to swims?’
she asked Brian.
‘Yes, how about
you?’
She shook her
head vehemently. ‘No too many shack.’
‘Shack?’ said
Brian. ‘Oh, you mean sharks.’
‘Yes shack,
this is what I say, shack. Too many,’ she shuddered involuntarily.
Lucy fidgeted in her chair looking concerned. Suddenly, she stood
up. ‘I go piss,’ she announced, and disappeared inside the
restaurant.
Brian watched
her go. His eyes, not for the first time appreciating her slender
figure. She was quite a girl, a real firebrand, and he was grateful
for the shoes. He would never have found that shop without her.
Their order arrived, closely followed by Lucy.
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