Train to Venice

Non Gettate Alcun Oggetto Dal Finestrio

The Eurostar ride from Firenze to Venezia was going to take 3 hours. I didn't have a book and already had read the 30 words of Italian I knew in the Trenitalia magazine. Pope Benny protect me from sitting with people

 from New Jersey or Italians on cell phones or barking dog Germans or drunken Aussies or - okay, just give me a private train. No such luck. And someone was pretending to be sleeping in my seat. I slapped her halfway to Monte something. The guy next to her made Italian noises that the two were together and would I mind sitting across the aisle in his seat. I wanted a window. He was offering
me an aisle. I requested a seat facing forward. His was facing backwards. I was hoping for an empty seat next to me. The four seats across the aisle already had - hello. There were 3 reasonably attractive blondes. Yes, Guido III, I'll sacrifice for the good of Italian-American relationships. Mr. Sensitive is what they call me. Okay, so nobody actually calls me. I slipped into my chair and assessed the possibilities and the math for the next three hours. One me. Three blondes, all definitely under the weight limit. A very buon giorno to you all. Click. Click. Tap. Tap. That's a big ciao, baby. Hello! The three unnatural blondes all had laptops and were feigning more interest in their mediocre mid-level management memos than striking up a shallow but meaningless and short train encounter. I was getting less than nowhere - -which is my permanent mailing address.

Va bene, go for the one to my right since the two opposite were hiding behind their laptop screens. I took a closer look. Uh-huh, nice hair. Eyes - good. Whoa! Does the French actor Jean Reno know that you have his nose? And that wart is the size of a Fiat. But if I close one eye and just look at her from the neck down....Yeah, I'm going to hell. I told you, I don't have a book. And making up for the nose and wart disaster, she does fill out that cashmere with some fine Italian form.

Published by john atkinson I spend my time traveling and playing tennis while occassionally writing. I have had one play produced and sold one screenplay. I have published several pieces in magazines and newspapers. Presently I div...  View profile

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