ARROW - 128. Chapter 128

Looking around, we agreed the living room could be made into a lunch room and the kitchen would be able to handle cooking requirements. Family could stay on the second floor, two bedrooms and a family room would be adequate. Colin and I listened.

As the ladies were finishing their lists, Alesander came running in. “The boys told me you were here and you bought this place.”

Colin went over and felt his muscle. Then we all laughed, “Yes, we will buy it but you’ll need to help getting it ready.The first thing we will need a wharf built out back.”

That was when I realized Alesander hadn’t seen the back. Colin and I grabbed him, leading him out back. We waited, nothing. “Well?”

“That’s the ocean.”

“Alesander, think wharf, fishing boats.”

Then is clicked, “I could have my own wharf. Maybe I could get Grandfather to berth his boat here. When he goes out, I could go with him.”

I looked at Colin, Alexander’s fishing days are over. The business will require all of his time.

My realitor was still here. The negotiations were now in Colin’s hands.

I walked the ladies back to the hotel. I told them we will be flying to Rome tomorrow. “I’ll let you know as soon as I make the fight arrangements. Marie, if the boys have any dirty clothes, see if we can get the hotel to wash them.”

That evening when Colin, the Dads and the boys came home, I told them I had booked flights leaving Barcelona at 1:50 PM arriving Rome 3:30. They knew I would have cars meeting us to take us to the village.

Dinner that evening was at Marko’s and Alesander joined us. This was a good time to catch up on the days activities. It was soon apparent that Alesander was a busy boy after we left him this afternoon.. He lined up a firm to build the wharf and they would start tomorrow. Colin said he would contact a lawyer, for creating a corporation under Spanish law. and then open a bank account in the name of the firm. As Colin was talking, he began to realize he couldn’t go to Italy with us. That night in bed, we decided I would go with the group, get them settled and then return to Barcelona in two or three days. I reminded Colin we would need to be in Italy in two weeks for the christening of Angela and Geno’s baby. We are the godparents.

The following day, we had a light lunch at the hotel. I paid for all of the rooms except our room. Colin will need to stay there. “Colin, you need to make out a list of what needs to be done. Alesander can use that list to hire people. I also think once you do that, you’ll see where you will need help. Just make sure you are in Italy for the christening.”

Saying goodbye, we took a taxi to the airport.

Arriving Rome, the boys were anxious to get to the village. I lined up three cars, each car had two boys with the Grands. I and Marie had a car except Ivan wanted to ride with us. Arriving at the village was something else. As each car dislodged their passengers, the noise level increased. The boys saw their friends, then they saw Nonna, and as the adults got out of the cars, more excitement. Mary knew Carmella, so that helped. I was unloading the trunks when someone grabbed me from behind. At first I was scared and then I heard, ‘Brother, let me help.” Geno, picked me up and moved me away from the car. I would have needed to make two trips to unload the trunk, Geno picked up all three suitcases.

The boys had to give Nonna a hug receiving a kiss in return. A few bottles of wine appeared, food was put on a table in the center of the square, welcome party on. I told the boys to introduce their friends to Grandmothers and Grandfathers. Marie stood close to me, I think the activity and noise seemed a little frightening to her. Angela solved that problem when she introduced Marie to the baby. The next time I looked, Marie had the baby and Angela was trying to communicate with her. I knew Angela knew some English, so a word to her, she spoke to Marie in a mixture of English and Italian. Among the village people there was an old man, I had met him before when I was there as a student. He helped me to learn Italian but what I didn’t know, besides knowing some English, he also knew a little French. He said his French was very rusty as he hadn’t spoke it in several years. He and Marie became best friends.

“Armand where are you going to sleep?”

“I was planning on using Tony’s Hostel. If I remember correctly, there are two bedrooms, a kitchen and a small living room. The dormitories are on the far side, one for boys and one for girls. I think the boys will stay there. I’m only going to be here until they are settles and then I’m going back to Barcelona.”

That opened the door. “Is that where Colin is?”

“Yes, he’s working with a young man who is starting a business. They are buying property and hiring some men to do repair work.”

Now, I knew the next series of questions. Before she could ask, I decided to tell her everything.

“When we arrived in Barcelona, we had planned to re-visit the places we saw the first time we were there. There was a young man working at the hotel. One day when we came back after lunch, we heard voices in the boys room. Called the manager, brought the security and caught two men going through the room looking for valuables. This young man let them into the room after they told him they forgot their keys. The manager fired the boy, which I thought was unfair. It turned out the boy needed the job. There were his mother and grandfather that needed his support. The other took in washing but the grandfather had a fishing boat. We chartered the boat taking the boys and our father’s fishing. It seemed that the grandfather fished out further from the coast, he was after large tuna. Unfortunately there was no market for large tuna. He would cut it up and what he didn’t sell I guess he fed the crabs. Colin and I wanted to help the boy. We didn’t like the way the hotel manager fired him and then he took credit for catching these two men. Colin decided this was a business opportunity .”

Now I said all of that in Italian. Geno was sitting next to me, when I was finish telling Carmella, he got up and left.

“So tell me more about this business and why you need to goo back.”

“Before I left, Colin took the young boy to find a truck to make deliveries. We gave the chef at our hotel two large tuna and I asked him if he would prepare one for our dinner that evening. It was great and he asked if he could have the other tuna, which we agreed, and he made a tuna special for the hotel dining room that evening.”

Now Carmella isn’t dumb, “Why do you need a truck, how did you get the two tuna to the hotel; if you didn’t have a truck. Why couldn’t you do that all the time?”

“We carried the tuna.”

She laughed, “And you stank like fish. So when Colin gets the truck he is coming over?”

“No, we bought a house on the sea coast. They are building a wharf so fishing boats can unload their catch at the house. We will build a store to sell fish and turn the living room into a restaurant. The house needs repairs and painting. Colin is forming a company which we will own jointly with this young man. Once the loan has been paid off, this young man will own everything and we will only visit when we come and see you.”

I spent the next two days with Nonna. I had booked an early flight from Rome to Barcelona. The boys didn’t want me to go but I told them why. They wanted to come as well, “We can help.”

“No, you need to spend time with your Nonna and friends here. When we go home, we will stop at Barcelona and you can have one more fishing trip and then we will fly home.”

That seemed to satisfy them. It was Tommy, who took my hand, looking at me, “Dad, you won’t forget us.”

I grabbed him in a hug, “I’ll never forget you boys.” Even though I wasn’t leaving until the next day, we had hugs all around.

In the morning, I gave Carmella enough money to schedule tours for the boys, Marie and Parents. “Carmella, there is enough money here for two tours, one of Rome and one of Pompeii. I know they will want souvenirs and you’ll have to buy them lunch and probably snacks. So use this, if you spend more, our dads will reimburse you.”

The evening before, I had told our parents and gave them some money to spend on the boys. “I will be back in time to Christen the baby.”

I gave the boys a hug, while I slipped some euros into their pockets. They smiled and gave me an extra hug.

I chatted with Carmella while I waited for the car. As the car entered the square, I heard, “Wait for me.”

’There was Geno heading to the car with a suitcase and what looked like a duffle bag. Found out later is was his tools,

I looked at Carmella, she shrugged her shoulders, gave us a kiss goodbye. As the car was pulling out, the boys and their friends were lined up waving goodbye. I couldn’t help thinking, I wonder if we could fly all of these boys home for a vacation.