As one door closes

In friendship...we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years' difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another...the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting--any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," can truly say to every group of Christian friends, "Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another." The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.

C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

‘Kelly I’m going to run to the supermarket for some groceries. Would you like anything?’

‘No thanks Sheila, I’ll go after my run.’

‘See you, Sheila. Make sure you run where there are people about.’

‘Yeah, alright mum.’

Despite being five years younger than my flatmate and just a ‘baby’ as she liked to frequently remind me, I felt the need to mother her. She seemed like a lost soul. If I had a tissue with me when I was with her, I’d spit on it and wipe her cheek. Well maybe not. I’d probably get a verbal slap for that. My flatmate and I were very different in lots of ways but we both shared a love of running. She was an incredible whippet- like runner, and it was certainly paying off. She was as lithe as a ballet dancer and had the accompanying fantastic posture. She liked nothing more than to run along the seafront starting just outside our flat in Trapani and then heading up the coast towards Marsala. She always came back with a tale of at least one car that had stopped and started cat calling at her, so I always told her to be careful and run where there were lots of people around. I’m sure she would scare them off with her gutter mouth. I was quite self-conscious by comparison and wasn’t so keen to be seen running in public and chose to go to the gym a short walk from school. Looking at my expanding waist from devouring all the heavenly treats I could get me hand on, I needed to get back into routine. I was finding it hard to motivate myself as I felt incredibly sad that I had lost a good friend and companion. One of the teachers Dan and his girlfriend Lisbet had left the nearby village of Erice to head over to Copenhagen before starting their new life together in the States. I was so excited for them, but I felt I had lost not only a good friend in Dan but a door to the exciting world outside my relatively sheltered existence.

From our first encounter I knew that getting to know him would be an adventure.

It had been my second week in Trapani and my boss, Theresa knocked on one of the classroom doors at the British Institutes to see me to explain the set up at the Liceo Classico where I was to start most of my lessons the following week.

‘Today you will meet Signoria Buccafusca at the liceo.’

‘What a wonderful name.’

‘I know right.’ I loved it when Theresa slipped out of her formal Australian accent and dropped into her laid back accent that I’d heard in the Irish pub at the welcome drinks she’d organised for me the first week. ‘Why don’t you tell that dingbat to rack off.’ and other such wonderful content.

‘Signoria Buccafusca will come and introduce herself at the school. The room number is 20 and the 14–15-year group starts at 3pm and the 15–16-year-old class at 4. And you know where the liceo is right?’

‘Absolutely I had a little look last week.’

‘They’re good kids. I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Dan should be there as well, so you’ll probably see him down there.’

‘Perfect. Looking forward to it.’

‘That’s what I love about you Rebecca. You’re just so easy going and up for anything. If only all my teachers were like that.’

‘Is there any news on the new teachers?’

‘Yes, they both accepted and will be coming after Christmas. Irish Marie and Helen who studied in Oxford. You may know her?’

‘Really? That would be funny.’

I grabbed some of the introductory activities I had planned and headed down via Manzoni and off to the old town where the liceo was located.

The high school was absolutely stunning with lots of light and wonderful smells. It also seemed so quiet for a high school but then I realised that there was usually a longer break for lunch before the afternoon lessons started. As I entered the front of the school, I admired the courtyard which was so beautifully planted, and the smell of lavender and rosemary caught me off guard.

I walked up the two flights of stairs and found a very wide long corridor with rooms off to the left. They were so light. I popped my bag down and pulled out my starter activities when Signoria Buccafusca appeared at the door.

‘Good afternoon Signoria Vickerstaff’

‘Good afternoon, Signoria Buccafusca. Oh, please call me Rebecca’

‘Good afternoon Rebecca. Do you have all you need. Would you like a drink?’

‘Please don’t worry I’m fine thank you.’

‘There is a water fountain and coffee machine at the end of the corridor so please help yourself.’

‘oh thank you.’

‘If you need anything else, my office is at the end of the corridor. We are so happy to have a real English teacher at the liceo. It’ll make a nice change for them as I was teaching then with my basic English. The students are good children.’

‘I’m sure.’

‘I’m sorry for my English. I do an evening class with Theresa to try to improve. Well, I will leave you and it was lovely to meet you.’

‘And you thank you.’

I looked at the clock, it was a minute to 3. I’m sure timekeeping wouldn’t be in order. After 5 minutes I started to get a bit concerned that I was in the wrong room. I walked up the corridor and a few classes down the door was closed but I could hear giggling and an American accent.

‘Knock knock.’

‘Oh hello’ said a very tall, tanned chap as I slowly creeped from behind the door.

‘I think these ladies are meant to be next door with me?’ I said with a smile.

‘Oh yes I couldn’t see their names on the register. Hey, I’m Dan’

‘Hi Dan, I’m Rebecca’

The girls who were leaning over their desks watched our interaction closely.

‘Ok ladies let’s go. Chop chop.’

The ripple of moans carried across the class. I thought I was going to have to mop up as it looked as if there was a pool of drool on some of the desks. As they begrudgingly followed me back to the class, I turned to Dan and said, ‘see you later.’

Looking embarrassed he said. ‘See you later.’

I had planned some fun introductory games which allowed me to get a sense of the student’s language competence, and we also had a good time discussing our favourite things. I was slightly shocked how many of the girls said, ‘spending time with my boyfriend.’ I wanted to say ‘but you’re only 14. When I was 14, I was reading Judy Blume and dreaming of growing something to fill in my trainer bra.’

At the end of the lesson, Daniel knocked on the door and said, ‘do you fancy grabbing a drink?’ which I couldn’t refuse.

Dan was travelling with his girlfriend Lisbet and they were renting a 1-bedroom apartment up in the hilltop town of Erice. ‘It’s amazing what these landlords get away with. It’s really just a room with a sheet separating the kitchen from the bed and it’s been so cold up there this winter.’

‘Your poor things, do you have heating?’

‘We’ve got a few plug in heaters.’

‘Do you think you’ll stay there?’

‘There are quite limited offerings on the rental front.’

‘Have you spoken to Theresa about? I’m sure she could find you something.’

‘She does have a place in marsala but I’m hoping the weather will improve soon and its nice to be closer to the old town and boats to the islands.’

Our apartment was the same and we were reliant on plug in heating.

‘How did you meet Lisbet?’

‘I got a job on a boat doing odd jobs for a gazillionaire and working in his yard. He said he was going to sail around the med for a few weeks, so I agreed to help. I’ve got an engineering background and I’m generally quite handy.’

‘That’s good to know. Are you any good with leaky showers?’

‘I am.’

‘Right, I’ll book you in to look at ours. Sorry carry on.’

‘and so he introduced the crew and Lisbet was his head chef. She had worked at lots of Michelin restaurants in and around Copenhagen and had wanted to travel and see the world.’

‘Was it love at first sight?’

‘It was for me. You’ll meet her. She’s …just…wonderful.’

Dan seemed completely smitten at the mere mention of her. I wonder if Luke describes me like that …wherever he is.

‘And what about you?’

For a moment I started thinking about Luke and wondered whether we would stay together.

‘I have a boyfriend. Luke. He’s in Africa.’

‘Wow. Long distance.’

‘Yep he’s cycling the west coast of Africa.’

‘And you’re here.’

‘Yep. Sounds like a solid relationship doesn’t it? We’re young.’

‘Well I’m surprised he’s not here fighting off all the Sicilian men that must be following you around.’

‘Ha. You flatter me.’

Lisbet had a funny encounter the other day. She popped out to the local tabacchi and got followed on a scooter by a chap shouting ‘where are you from?’

‘Scary. It does happen. On my first day here kelly and I went for a walk up via manzoni so she could show me the school. A guy on a scooter mounted the pavement so he could drive past me and slapped my arse. I found it hilarious but Kelly went nuts.’

‘Scary. Were you ok?’

‘Oh fine. I’ve got Kelly with me, so I’ll just set her on them.’

‘Yes, I have heard. Has she and Theresa had a falling out?’

‘Oh no why?’

‘It was just the way she described the teachers. Her tone was joyful when she mentioned you and excited but then she frowned when she mentioned Kelly.’

‘I have no idea.’

Dan and I would regularly grab a ‘quick beer’ after classes and he confided in me that Lisbet was technically still ‘with’ the gazillionaire who owned the boat.

‘Oh, I didn’t realise they were together.’

‘No, I only found out towards the end of my contract. One evening I was locking up my tools when I heard a scream so I ran to the staff quarters and Lisbet was standing half naked in her towel. Who should be standing in front of her but Tommy Lee Jones. It turned out that Tommy had spotted Lisbet and followed her into the shower room. Robert, the gazillionaire was having none of it and had Tommy taken to the closest port there and then. No one was treating his lady like that.’

‘Goodness how do you feel about that?’

‘Not great. She has said she dosen’t want to be with him but that she needs to end it face to face.’

‘Wow.’

While Lisbet headed off to the States to say goodbye to Robert, Dan was extremely distracted and sad at school so I suggested Kelly and I were about at the weekend.’

That Saturday, Kelly was too busy getting to know Davido, so Dan and I spent the day exploring Marsala.

After coffee and cornetti for breakfast we set off exploring the town. Dan was such good company, and it was nice to go shopping with a chap who said ‘that jacket would look awesome on you’ and so I’Il indulged and bought an amazing burgundy leather jacket.

As we were wondering down to the harbour, we saw what looked like a huge freighter.

Dan said ‘aah it’s Russian.’

As he knew boats, he perused the ship with great interest.

A chap came on deck and said ‘hello.’

‘Hi’ Dan said. And then said something in Russian.

‘What did you say?’ I asked him.

‘Permission to come aboard.’ The deck hand lowered the ladder and I nervously turned to Dan saying. ‘Is this ok?

As we jumped on deck, the deck hand said, ‘the captain would like to meet you.’

Feeling a bit sick, I looked at Dan and he reassuringly nodded.

I followed him down to the captains’ quarters.

He said something in Russian and then one of the captains said ‘the captain says Good morning’

‘Good morning.’

We were then asked what we were doing in Marsala and how long we had been there.

I was relieved when I was asked ‘are you married?’ and Dan took my hand and said ‘not yet but we will be.’

Dan asked quite a few questions about the boat and was curious to know more so the captain offered to give him a tour. Being in a small cabin with no natural light and with 8 men who looked like they hadn’t seen a woman for years I said ‘I’ll get some fresh air if ok.’ I said to Dan ‘I’ll see you outside babe’ and he replied by kissing me on the lips.

I was relieved to see Dan and said ‘wow what did you see?’

‘Let’s get out of here and I’ll tell you.’

‘Ciao, ciao.’

We then walked back up to the town and Dan said ‘they showed me to a room and they had so many weapons.’

‘Really’?’ I was so scared.

‘Sorry about the kiss.’

‘No probs.’

‘Ok what we shall do for the rest of the day?’

‘Do you fancy a nice meal and maybe an night out later?’

‘Perfect. Thanks Rebecca I really need this.’

‘I know how hard it is being away from a loved one.’

‘Have you heard any more?’

‘No I’m not sure when I’ll hear.’

We drove back to Trapani and later that evening went to Cantina lo spada in the old town. It was run by a local fisherman and his wife and the food was out of this world. The antipasti, fish course, meat course, pasta bit to mention the wine.

‘I don’t know how I’m going to dance.’

Later that evening we drove up the road to an old warehouse which some of the older students had told us about.

On entering , we heard our names being called.

‘Daniel, Rebecca’

It was most of the students from my class of 16-year-olds.

We danced the night away with students from the school and at the end of the evening I turned to them and said ‘you haven’t seen us this drunk ok. Shhhh!’

So many memories with Dan. I really miss him.

As I entered the supermarket, I perused the cheese counter. I started salivating at the thought of all that mozzarella. When i’d finished my shop and put far too many naughty items in my trolley, I was checking out and looked up and saw a girl looking at me who was very fair and had the most amazing auburn hair.

‘Hi are you Helen? ‘

‘Yes I am. Rebecca?’

‘Yes, lovely to meet you! How are you?’

‘Good thanks. I just arrived and Marie has been showing me all the places I need to know. The school, the supermarket…the wine shop.’

‘Ha! I’m heading up to school in a bit so see you there?’

‘Perfect.’

‘I caught the bus up via manzoni to school eager to catch Helen.’

‘Theresa mentioned you were at Oxford?’

‘Yes and you were?’

‘Yes. When did you leave?’

‘1998.’

‘Oh goodness so we overlapped. I left in 99.’

‘Listen Marie and I are going to get the boat to favignana at the weekend. Do you fancy joining?’

‘Oh yes please, that would be wonderful.’

I had learnt a lot about the world and myself through my friendship with dan and was excited to see what lessons I was about to learn from Helen, Marie and the new friendships ahead of me. As one door closes another one opens.