One Step to You (The Rome Novels #1)(19)

She heard a slight creaking. Raffaella had bent over. Now she could sense her warm breath coming closer. But then she heard light footsteps moving away across the wall-to-wall carpeting. The faint light in the hallway disappeared, as if she were taking it with her until the last little click of the door.

Silence. Pallina slowly turned over. The door was shut. At last, she breathed. It was over. She looked down. Why had Babi’s mother leaned over? What had she done?

In the dim light of the bedroom, her eyes, accustomed to the darkness, immediately spotted the answer. At the foot of the bed, perfectly lined up, were Babi’s slippers. Raffaella had set them in their place, in orderly fashion. Ready to welcome her daughter’s feet, still warm from the night’s sleep, when morning came around.

Pallina wondered whether her own mother would have done such a thing. No. It wouldn’t have occurred to her. On more than one evening, Pallina had lain awake, awaiting her kiss. She had waited in vain. Her mother and her father had come home late. She’d heard them talk, walk past her room, and continue on. Then that click. Their bedroom door shutting. And with that closing door, her own hopes vanishing.

*



Step emerged onto the narrow road. He pulled up to the gate where he’d left Babi, and applied the brakes. A cloud of dust rose behind him. It climbed slowly into the dark sky, spreading as it went. The taillight illuminated the cloud of dust, tingeing it a faint red.

Step looked around. Babi wasn’t there. He honked his horn. The sound of the horn spread, echoing across the countryside. He switched off the motorcycle. No answer. He tried calling her name: “Babi.”

He called her name over and over again. He turned his headlight so that it illuminated the whole area. Nothing. She’d vanished. He was about to start the motorcycle when suddenly he heard a rustling sound on his right. It came from behind the palisade.

“I’m right here.”

Step peered through the dark wooden planks. “Where?”

“Here!” A hand reached through an open space between one plank and the other. It fluttered up and down, signaling her location.

“Oh, there you are. I figured you’d caught a ride and gone home.”

“Sure, I caught a ride all right!” Babi said.

“What are you doing back there?”

Step saw her big blue eyes. They were peering out, just a little above her hand, in the slightly wider space between two other planks. Those eyes were illuminated by the faint moonlight, and they seemed frightened.

“Babi, come out of there.”

“I can’t. I’m afraid!”

“Afraid of what?”

“There’s an enormous dog right back there, and he doesn’t have a muzzle.”

“Where? I don’t see any dog around here,” Step said.

“Well, there was one before.”

“Well, listen, it’s nowhere to be seen now. So either you come out from back there or I’ll leave you here all alone.”

“Even if the dog isn’t here, I still can’t come out,” Babi said.

“Why not?”

“I’m embarrassed.”

“What are you embarrassed about?” Step asked.

“Nothing. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“What happened? Did you fall and bump your head? Well, anyway, I’m sick and tired of this. I’m going to start my bike and go.” Step kick-started his motorcycle.

Babi slapped her hand on the fence. “No, wait.”

Step turned the motorcycle back off. “Well?”

“I’ll come out now, but you have to promise not to laugh.”

Step looked through that strange wooden palisade into those bright blue eyes. Then he put his right hand over his heart. “I swear it.”

“You swear it, right?”

“Yes, I just told you so…”

“So, you promised, okay?”

“For sure.”

He heard an extended rustling sound behind the palisade. He saw a pair of hands pushing through the gaps, careful to avoid any splinters or chunks of sharp wood. A throttled “Ouch!” told him that those hands hadn’t been sufficiently careful though. Step smiled.

Babi’s silhouette appeared at the top of the fence. She straddled it, then started down the near side. When she was almost to the ground, she jumped. Step turned the motorcycle’s handlebars in her direction. The beam of light caught her in full. Except for her face, Babi was filthy from head to foot.

“What happened to you?”

“I was running away from the dog, so I jumped over the fence and I fell.”

“So now you’re covered with mud?”

Babi remained silent. “I wish…No, this is manure.”

Step burst out laughing. “Oh my God, manure…No, this just can’t be.” He couldn’t stop laughing now.

Babi lost her temper. “You promised not to laugh. You promised.”

“Yes, I did, but this is too much. Manure! I can’t believe it. You, falling into manure. It’s too perfect. It’s the best!”

“I knew that I couldn’t trust you. Your promises are worthless.” Babi stepped closer to the motorcycle.

Step stopped laughing. “Halt! Not an inch closer. What do you think you’re doing?”