There was a place he wanted to show me.
I don't know how any time this small park has been the object of pictures, comments and conversations between us or in his posts.
So we drove to The Park.
We left the car in a small area facing the beach where some brave family was fighting the wind, the incoming clouds and the cold water and we walked up hill.
I finally saw the two divergent paths. We chose the one less walked. Up to the stoned steps. (Hey, those are quite a lot )
We reached the low iron gate that marks the entrance. He was right, the park was really beautiful. Green, full of trees, secluded and so quiet. A side of it was facing the lake and I could see the underneath beach, the sand, the degrading green.
I saw the grass, the flowers.
And The bench.
The reason why we were here.
The breeze coming from the lake was so nice. So I sat on the bench and closed my eyes, inhaling the nice smell of the water and the gentle breeze. It reminded me of home. Specially because of the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. I still couldn't believe it was only a lake.
Then we sat on the grass and had a simple but delicious picnic with the food we had bought earlier that morning at one local Asian market. Mini veggie cakes, spicy chicken legs and Maki rolls ......oh, so good.
I had a bottle a water and he had ......Gatorade!!
(Yes, I got the proof, people........its true.......he does drink Gatorade....a lot of Gatorade...lol.... )
After lunch, we laid down on the blanket. We lazily chatted remembering the many times we had talked about me coming here, he holding my hand and leading me to this place, me seating on the bench where he had written so many stories and posts and poems and letters.
"How come ants have always to do everything together? At the same time?"
"Collective brain. They are scary creatures"
"Yeah, i don't like ants"
Silly words led to silly kisses. Silly kisses led to sweet ones.
We were passionately kissing and slowly turning the picnic in something completely different ...i mean....the park was absolutely empty, secluded ....the trees and the bench wouldn't have bothered some expressions of affection....:-)
But then...... reality snapped us back as soon as we realized how close some people had arrived to us.
Yes, those sneaky two granpas and their grandchildren have been silently walking toward us all the time of our pastoral kissing session.
Not a peep. Not a sound. They approached us silent like guerrilleros in the forest. Only when they got really close to us they finally talked and made some noise.
Oh, so nice of you, Mr. Rogers!
I turned my head and immediately tried to cover up my back.
"Shut, did they see me?"
It was too late for me to cover up anything anyway.
Fact is I was wearing very low cut jeans and while laying down i had literally half of my southern cheeks out in the open...enjoying the breeze.....lol...
He hadn't see them coming either...his hand was still caressing my lower back when i whispered in his ear.
"I think they saw everything".
He tried not to laugh.
"Great. Of all the people that could have come here..... two granpas and two innocent boys".
"Oh, you made papa's day, baby'"
We started to laugh even more. Me seated now as most ladylike as possible.....:-D
The small group passed in front of us looking stiffly straight in front of them. They silently disappeared in the right green area as silently as they appeared from the left one.
Oh, drat. The magic was broken.......but we had to go anyway.
We decided that we would have "seriously used" the bench next time i would have come in Chicago.
"Maybe at night. Maybe we can go and lay on the beach too".
"But the park closes after the sunset, baby"
"What?"
"Yes, its the rule"
"Rules are made to be broken".
"No, rules are made to be followed. Think of them as the bones of the society body".
"Lets say then that its a very stupid rule prohibiting to stay on the beach at night. In Italy we can go to any beach at any moment of the day and the night"
"Lets move in Italy then"
While we talked we cleaned the area, tossed our trash and folded the blanket.
We still had so many other things to do, places to visit, people to meet.
We kissed again on the bench though.
I told her bye bye, Arrivederci.
See you soon again, I wished.
And we left.
