Bold is Italian

I’m sitting by the Grand Canal  front in Venice listening to the gondoliers singing as they pass me by.

I mumble to myself, “I wonder what will happen in surgery tomorrow?”

I shrug my shoulders as I watch as families pass me by. I smile at them and some people pull their children away from me and well other’s walk up to me and try to talk to me in a variety of languages. I simply listen for important worlds that are Italian and deal with Venice. I help out who I can or I send them over to the violinist that usually stands a few feet away from me. He leaves early today and I just stand there with my camera. I take out my camera and start taking pictures of this part of Venice. I walk around the Grand Canal taking pictures from different angles and pictures of the gondoliers.

I close my eyes and smile as I hear a new melody float through the air. I listen to the sad heartbreak tone of the music from where I am. I follow the music to find a cute I think Chinese guy in his early twenties I think playing a guitar and singing a song of heartbreak, but as the song starts to end it starts talking about being healed.

When it ends people walk up and drop money in his guitar case surprising him for some reason.

I walk up to him and drop in some money and I hold out a flower to him.

“That was a beautiful song,” I say in Italian.

He looks at me a bit confused and asks me in Chinese, “What?”

“Oh I’m sorry. Your song it was beautiful it made my day. Here a flower from over there,” I point to a wall near the bridge I crossed to make it to him.

“Oh you know Chinese,” he says to me.

“Well yeah I’m Chinese I’m from  Changsha, Hunan, China.”

“Oh  so am I. How come I never seen you until now?”

“Oh I’ve been here since I was a kid. I’ve visited home a few times, but I’ve never truly stayed there longer than a week.”

“Ahh… What’s your name?”

“I should be asking you that,” I say to him with a snarky tone to my voice.

He chuckles, “Alright I’m Zhang Yixing, but my friends like to call me Lay.”

“I’m Wu ____. Nice to meet you, Yixing,” I stick out my hand for a hand shake.

He takes my hand in mine, “Umm… ____ correct can I ask a favor of you?”

“Sure,” I have nothing to do until tomorrow.

I watch as he takes the money from his case and then carefully places his guitar inside.

“Can you show me around Venice? I came here for inspiration and yet I haven’t had any success.”

I smile at him and hold out my camera, “Then I’ll show you how to see Venice as something to remember.”

I take his hand in mine and take him to all the important museums and sites to see. By 11 at night we make it back to the Grand Canal where there was a gondolier standing there smoking a cigarette.

I tap his shoulder and ask, “Can you take us on a short ride? I want to see Venice by the light of light.”

He nods his head, “Of course a ride for the beautiful lady and her boyfriend.”

Before I fight with him I take a deep breathe and sigh as I realize stress is bad for my heart. I have to stay calm and happy if I want to see home again.

“Let’s go. I want to show you Venice in the light of the moon.”

He nods his head and climbs into the boat with me. I sit down with him by my side.

“Are you all sitting?”

I chuckle, “Yes, so can you please set off? Also can you sing a heart warming song?”

He nods his head and starts singing.

Yixing sits by me and I simply start taking pictures wanting to send the camera home to my parents before surgery tomorrow just incase… There are complications with the surgery since I only half a 50% on living through it.

I smile as I look up at the sky.

Yixing  asks me, “Why do you keep taking pictures?”

I look down and smile at him, “I want to show my parents back home that I’m fine and everything. I take pictures every year around this time then send the camera home to my parents, but I think this time I’ll give the camera to you.”

He looks at me confused, but yet I see something else in his eyes, “Why do that?”

“I dragged you all over Venice and you didn’t’ take any pictures and everything and you came here for a inspiration. I think today is something that I want you to remember.”

He smiles and kisses me on the lips.

 I touch my lips and think, ‘He took my first kiss,’ a smile forms on my lips, ‘somehow I’m glad that it was him.’

We near the end of the ride and lucky for me that it’s near my uncles apartment.

I reach into my purse but Yixing stops me. And pulls out the money that he made to today.

“How much is it?”

I ask the man in his costume, “How much do we owe you for the ride?”

“Nothing, young miss. You may not know it but we met at the hospital earlier this month. I believe since you’re having surgery tomorrow. I’ll give you and him the ride for free. I wish you luck for tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” I say as I look at Yixing, “He says there’s no charge.”

“Really, umm okay. Thank you.”

The gondolier smiles at us and nods his head, “You’re welcome”

I head toward my uncles apartment with Yixing at my side.

I reach the apartment and turn to Yixing to give me a kiss on the lips again.

I looked at him shocked as he asks me, “Where can I find you after today?”

“Oh… I don’t’ really know I’m going to be moving around for about a year then I’ll be going home to my parents in Changsha, Hunan, China.”

“Then I’ll see you there in a year.”

“I’ll see you around you this time at the airport in Hong Kong.”

Before I can tell him that probably won’t happen, but I can’t’ say that to him. I have to live so I can see him in a year. He’ll be waiting for me. I nod my head as I watch him leave.

I walk into the house and look at my uncle, “Uncle what do I do?”

He looks at me from his spot at the wind where he was probably watching Yixing and me.

He shrugs his shoulder, “What if you die in surgery tomorrow ___? What will you do? Will you regret not telling him since he’ll be waiting?”

I shake my head, “I won’t regret it. I can’t because I’m going to live.”

My uncle smiles, “Why all of a sudden change of heart? Is it because of the boy?”

I nod my head, “It gives me a reason to get better and see my parents again. I didn’t’ want to see them when I was sick and if this surgery works I don’t have to worry them. They use to look at me with sad eyes afraid that I’d drop dead any second now I don’t’ have to worry about that if the surgery works.”

My uncles smiles and kisses my forehead, “True so get some rest for you have the energy to fight.”

I nod my head and head up to my room for the night. I reach my room and hear the door open and close telling me uncle left for the night.