Litz cried during the whole driving way to Ciampino airport, after listening to Rihanna & Eminem’s “The Monster” on radio. Paranoia had come up strong, she felt surrounded and going out alone had become harder and harder. She used to hear voices as well. However, she had managed not to show it and luckily, driving was automatic to her.
Her friend Lydia arrived shortly afterwards. A small black backpack, a cap, and a bottle of water. She recognized her immediately. Lydia was the typical effortless beauty. With the body of a model and her well-educated manners, she could get all the attention she wanted, anytime she wanted. She was definitely picky, though. Snobbish, sometimes. With an alternative viewpoint showing a privileged infancy.
Litz shared most of her tastes, except for guys (unfortunately, as Lydia’s boyfriend had long-term serious intentions). The two girls had met by chance at a pool party and a casual talk about their last relationship’s end had made them connect fast. They used to get along very well with each other.
They were both tired. They grabbed a healthy meal at O Rei do Marisco, a trendy exotic spot led by young people in the neighbourhood of Piazza Bologna, a university area full of restaurants, bars and movida day and night.
A glass of Chardonnay and a bite of fresh salmon were enough to make Litz want to sleep. Growing up, she had become quite sensitive to alcohol, especially after a few bad experiences. She had decided to drink more carefully and more qualitatively (meaning that Beluga vodka with caviar in Moscow could not be skipped, of course!).
The two girls walked all day long through the beautiful streets of Rome. The weather was astonishingly sunny and not too much crowd was around. Both preferred not to make too many plans on vacation, so they just picked the places and shops they were most inspired by. Litz felt her heart beating while going upstairs the famous Vittoriano. The white monument had a secret special meaning for her. She noticed a girl while she was entering, whose name was common, but whose inner strength was great. She was used to have such intuitions. Sometimes people just connect with each other without talking.
On the top of the monument, Lydia and Litz stopped for a second to listen to some street music from below. A girl was singing “The girl from Ipanema” and playing guitar. They ended the day with an amazing fresh home-made pasta with a glass of red wine in Trastevere. Litz adored Giordano Bruno’s statue at Piazza Campo de’ Fiori, an old marketplace. The philosopher was considered heretical and died because of his dissent. However, his ideas stayed in people’s mind and centuries later, during more modern times, they became part of the schools’ programmes.
The following day, the two girls picked a quick hot drink at Vivi Bistrot. Lydia explained Litz the difference between marocchino and cappuccino. Litz used to drink espresso and went on that way, but appreciated her friend’s knowledge of Italian cuisine. In front of the bistrot, the amazing view of Piazza Navona was the real distinguishing asset of that place – Litz thought. While leaving for a walk along the Tiber, Litz could not help thinking of those two pink tourmaline stones of an artisanal jewellery they had previously stopped by near Largo Argentina. It was a nice coincidence that they were the last ones. They would have been the perfect gift for a marrying couple.
Walking along the enlightened Tiber at night was a calming scenario. The two girls talked a lot about their respective cultures and let Rome surprise them by its breath-taking views. A stop in front of St. Peter’s basilica was a must. Litz asked her friend for respectful silence, because of the solemnity of that place. Her friend agreed.
A few steps later, Lydia stopped and took a picture of the statue of an angel from its back, near St. Angel’s castle. Litz got curious and asked her:
- “Why do you like it?”
- “I like the wings”.
