Skylark
By Patricia Ryan
An international romance novel set in Rome and New York during the turbulent 1960’s. It deals with love thrown away and then regretted amid social and political upheaval across two continents.
DESCRIPTION
Skylark:
1) A small bird famous for the song it utters as it soars toward the sky.
2) To make sport of, tease, a merry prank.
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Sally, a vibrant young New Yorker, is living and working in Rome, Italy, when she becomes somewhat reluctantly involved with the elegant and married Paolo.
Paolo, who is much older than Sally, is separated from his wife in no-divorce Italy and caring for his terminally ill son, Tonino.
In the course of their relationship, Sally is spurned by the young son, physically attacked by Paolo’s estranged wife, and threatened by the Italian police.
From afar she is forced to witness through Italian eyes all the crucial events taking place in America, including the assassination of President Kennedy, the Viet Nam war, and a growing feminism which has not yet reached Italy.
Feeling that she must go home, she abruptly leaves Paolo and returns to New York.
But in the empty life of the city, she realizes that she did not leave Rome to return America, but to avoid a closer relationship with Paolo, one that seemed to come with insurmountable and unwanted obstacles.
When she finally realizes this, she faces her immature selfishness and tries to return to Paolo, but it is too late.
Tonino has died and although Paolo wants her back, he refuses to let Sally into his life again for reasons only revealed a decade later, at the end of the novel.
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Skylark
C. Copyright, Patricia Ryan, New York City, 2014
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CONTENTS
Prologue
Skylark
Epilogue
Coda
SKYLARK
A Novel by
PATRICIA RYAN
PROLOGUE
A thin, pale child holding tightly to his father’s big hand greeted Sally when she opened the door. Tonino looked as if even a gentle breeze might blow him away. Standing next to his tanned, healthy father, Tonino seemed as if he were already disappearing. His tiny, sallow face held two enormous brown eyes, which were almost as sad as his father’s.
Sally wanted to love him immediately, and would have hugged him “hello,” except that from out of that little face shot the most hostile back-off look she had ever seen. Naturally, Sally quickly checked her instincts. She politely led both of them to the sunny terrace where she had a couple of new comic books waiting, and asked Tonino if he also wanted some ice cream. Paolo smiled appreciatively at Sally.
“No, thank you,” Tonino muttered, not looking at her. He picked up the comic books and showed them to his father. “I already have this one,” he said in disgust.
Sally made coffee for herself and Paolo, and tried again to tempt Tonino with ice cream.
This time he just shook his head. Sally told him about the resident lizard. Tonino looked around, didn’t see the prehistoric creature, and lost interest.
CHAPTER ONE
“I won't lie for you anymore,” Rosalie said as Sally passed by the switchboard.
“From now on, I'm putting his calls through and you can handle the problem yourself.”
Sally knew Rosalie was right. It wasn't fair to involve her, or anyone else in the office with this. But how could she help it? It was their fault he was calling her.
Even though Paolo had worked at the firm before she arrived and then left for a prestigious government job, she heard about him constantly. Everyone in the office seemed to miss him.
“You just have to meet Paolo,” they all told her.
And on a bright, Roman spring day, when they were meeting him for lunch , they invited her along.
Sally tried hard to fit in with her mostly all-male colleagues, so in spite of the much heralded unsavory side of Paolo’s reputation, she agreed to go.
She didn’t forget that it took her almost a year after she had come to Rome to find this job. A wonderful, exciting, difficult, terrible, confusing, exhilarating year. A year of off and on work and living in other people's houses. A year of soaking up the special Roman light, of learning the melodic language, of trying to meet new people. A year of antiquity, history, and often piercing loneliness.
She felt she had earned the right now to feel good about her new successes which included a lovely apartment with a large terrace, and this steady job in an Italian public relations firm. Even if the boss, Count Corollo, was a haughty, moody, difficult man who seemed to lose as many clients as he gained.
Her mood was high that her co-workers were finally including her, but her expectations were low in regard to the mythical Paolo. Even though they over praised his quick mind and quirky sense of humor, Sally saw that what they really appreciated most was his legendary relationships with women. They were so proud of his notorious “ladies' man” reputation, it was as if his conquests somehow helped the whole team.
CHAPTER TWO
Everything they say about Rome in springtime is true.
The sun hits the red tile roofs and amber walls of the old houses in a way that makes them seem as if they had just been washed. Everything gleams.
The fountains all over the city sing louder. Their waters rise higher with new bursts of enthusiasm. The sky is so blue and close to the ground that it seemed you could just spread your arms and fall into its cool, clear pool.
Giddy is a good word for springtime in Rome.
Naturally they would eat outdoors, in an enclosed garden behind a small restaurant that was tucked away in one of Rome's many ancient alleyways. One of those neighborhood places that only the Romans know about.
Sally was aware that she was getting special attention. Besides Rosalie, she was the only woman in the office. But because she was American, she seemed to get away with a lot of things Italian woman generally could not.
And she fascinated the Italians as much as they fascinated her.
“What do Americans think about this,” they would ask her, referring to some world event. Or, “Is it true that Americans don't like this? Why do Americans do that?”
Her answer was always the same, and it frustrated them no end. “Which Americans do you mean?” she would say. Or, “America is a big country. Some Americans do that and some Americans don't.”
For lunch she was very American.
She decided to wear her bright red suit. Not a choice a Roman woman would make, preferring a more subdued, understated look.
Everyone from the office went to lunch that day except Count Corollo, and Rosalie who had to stay behind to answer the phones.
The entrance to the restaurant was misleading. It had a small doorway that might have been to any house in that tiny, cobblestone road. Once inside, the restaurant was small, dark, and unappealing except for the powerful and pungent smell of fresh coffee being made in a hissing machine at the front of the bar.
They led her through to the back which opened onto a delightful garden where sunlight and shade were dappled through an arbor of grape vines and honeysuckle. Tables, set around on a patio of unglazed ceramic tile, were of rough wood with butcher's paper used as tablecloths. But there were real cloth napkins, and in the middle of each was an undulating carafe of local Ro
man wine.
Paolo was at a long table set for five at the far corner . When he saw them arrive, he stood up and extended his arms.
“Ciao, ragazzi,” Paolo said warmly.
“Ciao, Paolo,” the firm’s photographer replied, as he wrapped his arms around him. Except for Sally, they all did the same in turn. Sally loved the way Italian men greeted each other: embracing, patting one another's backs vigorously, as though each encounter were a special victory of human connection.
Finally, they introduced Sally, and Paolo smiled appreciatively as he kissed her on both cheeks, the way Italians always do.
Paolo was not at all what she expected. For one thing he was noticeably older than the others, and very graceful in his well-cut dark suit. He had a long face under a full head of rich salt and pepper hair. His big heavy lidded eyes were light brown and, in spite of his amiable, cheerful manner, they were sad.
It was predictable that he would sit next to her.
He took special care of Sally through the long afternoon lunch, calling waiters for everything she needed, insisting she taste new and unusual foods, all of which were delicious. Paolo also directed most of the general conversation toward her, even though everyone else wanted to talk about themselves.
She was actually a little embarrassed by all his well-crafted and elegant attention, especially since everyone already knew how he was with women. It might seem she was just one more of the same.
After lunch Paolo said, “I would like to see you again.” He had managed to separate her from the group as they walked toward the main square where they would get a taxi to the office.
Sally kept her eyes down. “Well, it may be difficult. I'm having some friends visit from New York soon and we'll be very busy.”
“I'll call you at the office,” Paolo said as she hurriedly left him to catch up with the others, who were waiting with the taxi door open.
Well, at least he didn't kiss my hand, she thought with relief.
CHAPTER THREE
“I won't lie for you again,” Rosalie had warned her.
Sally had badgered Rosalie into refusing Paolo's calls on her behalf several times already, so she was sure by now he would not call again. She didn't think about it anymore. Between the new project for a client, and getting organized for Ruth's visit, she was beginning to feel a little frazzled and put upon.
Her project was not going very well. Electric razors were making impressive inroads with consumers, so a manufacturer of old fashioned, wet razor blades hired Count Corollo's agency to come up with ways to make soaping up a man's face and setting a sharp instrument to it seem glamorous.
Sally's job was to convince a film director---of which there were many in cinematic-centered Rome--to include a scene in which a well-known movie star would shave with their client's non-electric razor. To do this she had to locate not only a willing director but also a film in which such a scene would seem logical.
Through some of the firm's contacts, she made several calls to Cinecitta', the large movie studio outside of Rome where most of the Italian films, famous around the world, were made. But she didn't make much progress. The necessary pay-off she could offer a director was pitifully small. In addition, many filmmakers considered themselves “artists” and could not be approached with such a project.
Finally, she found the director of a low budget vampire film that had a cult Hollywood has-been as its star and the director would take a case of scotch for his trouble. Sally was elated. Even her moody, high-strung boss seemed pleased enough.
But she knew if something can go wrong, it will. And it did. Because the film was off schedule, they shot the scene crucial to Sally at a time when she wasn’t on the set.
And by mistake they used a competitor's razor blade. Sally didn't even notice this when they finally saw a preview of the nearly completed film. However, her boss did.
Re-shooting the scene was out of the question. But she would be in big trouble if she could not convince the director to at least cut the close-ups of the competitor's product. If so, she wondered whether or not she would have to come up with another case of scotch.
CHAPTER FOUR
While she waited for the director to return her call--if he ever would--Sally thought that maybe her best friend’s visit from New York wasn't coming at a good time, even though she had been full of anticipation to see Ruth again: it had been so long. Sally wanted to really share with her this famous, beautiful, complex, ancient, and mysterious city that she had grown to know well and love better. But for some reason, lately she was tired and disheartened. And in spite of her love for Rome, at the moment she was a little fed up with it. Perhaps it was the Count's rude and haughty treatment of his staff that was beginning to smolder in her democratic soul. Rome was beginning to smolder as well, since the Roman spring had turned to the infamous Roman summer, the heat of which, as the poets say, only mad dogs and the English go out in.
What she needed was not to be in this office that was stifling hot, in spite of the thick stone walls and cool marble floors. She needed not to be waiting for a low-level director of a low-budget movie to return her calls so she could keep her by now difficult, but much valued, job.
What Sally needed was the ocean.
For days now she found herself longing for the ocean. Land-locked Rome had kept her from her innate right, as a New Yorker born in a city of islands on the Atlantic, to be near the sea. She was in fact getting desperate for the ocean. Not for the many lakes in the hills surrounding Rome. Not for the sinuous and historic Tiber River that the Caesars had crossed. No, the ocean.
The phone rang. At last! she said to herself, quickly picking up the director’s imagined call in relief.
“It's too hot to stay in Rome today ,” Paolo said without even introducing himself. “Let's take the car and drive somewhere cool for lunch.”
“Can we drive to the beach,” she asked.
“With pleasure,” he replied.
CHAPTER FIVE
She knew the drive to the far-away beach would be long but she didn't care. She felt like a freed prisoner. And even if she had second thoughts about going anywhere with Paolo, she would keep her eyes firmly on her ultimate goal. The ocean.
Perhaps it was her elated mood, but the ride out to the beach with Paolo was, contrary to her expectations, quite pleasant. Whatever else this man was or was not, he certainly had a great deal of class. He neither infringed upon her, nor ignored her. He was full of intelligent questions on her reasons for coming to Rome and on her life here, and on her plans for the future. They discussed the foibles of their arrogant once-boss-in-common, and they gossiped about their mutually-known friends. Paolo spoke about his job as a press officer for one of the Italian ministries, and of the looming political crisis that might topple the Italian government. Again. A fact which, like most other Italians, he seemingly took in stride. She also learned that he was 15 years her senior.
Well, it was clear then that they probably wouldn't have much in common or want to get involved. Besides she was mostly intrigued by Georgio, the energetic young event coordinator with the high cheek bones with whom she worked. But Georgio always seemed to be out of town on the firm’s business usually in some developing country. Once, from one of his trips, he brought back for her a long, very unusual African necklace of hammered silver loops, which she loved. He also brought a small but pretty bracelet for Rosalie. Rosalie said he always brought something back.
At one time Georgio had suggested that he take Sally out to one of the seven hills around the city where they could sail on the lake, eat by the shore and see the Castle used by the Pope on vacation. Like all Romans, Georgio had an enormous pride in his city and could not resist making his mark by showing a stranger all the personal nooks and crannies that made up Rome as he saw it.
Sally had learned a lot about Rome because of this local personality trait. Almost every Roman she met had made it a private mission to reveal the city to her. And even after a
year, they had still only scratched the surface.
She was looking forward to the outing with Georgio. But he hadn't been specific, and by now she knew she was in a city where many plans never come off, another strange aspect of local pride.
In any case, there was still a certain relief in now knowing that the difference in Paolo's age might be used as a wedge if she needed it to get out of any unwanted encounter with him. An encounter his reputation made sure would come about.
Ironically, she also mused, that it must be because he was older that everything he did seemed to have such sure-footed wisdom.
CHAPTER SIX
At last they were at Ostia Antica and she felt the sharp salt air rip into her psychic fatigue. The swooshing of the waves against the beach--this beach where Cleopatra is said to have landed and where Caesar returned from conquering the known world--gave a comforting eternal rhythm that made her more tranquil. The expanse of shoreline was a welcome relief from the confines of a torturous old city. The seagull's shrieks were the songs of her childhood. She hadn't realized how much she missed that raucous sound.
Even in their business clothes, Paolo and Sally walked a great distance along the beach. At some point Sally didn't want to talk anymore and was pleased that Paolo picked up her mood and indulged her. He, too, was luxuriously breathing the fresh cool air, as he carried his suit jacket over his shoulder on one finger.
Finally they came upon a casual seafood cafe with outdoor tables overlooking the sea. Paolo said he was not familiar with the place. “But if we don't like the food,” he pointed out, “we can always eat the view.” She laughed, but she could sense that a strange and unwanted melancholy was starting to descend on her. Maybe the sea was making her homesick.
On the restaurant’s terrace, Sally ordered pasta with clams, fresh tomatoes and basil while Paolo had grilled fish. Along with the crisp white wine and hearty, crusty bread, the meal revived her spirits.
By the time the tiny, sweet, fresh strawberries arrived, most of the other patrons had gone. As she noticed this, a tall stocky man walked slowly by, a young toddler up on his shoulders. The man carried his cherubic son like precious cargo, while the totally trusting baby boy gripped his father happily by the nose.
“I really love to see Italian men with their children,” Sally said, “They seem to make such good fathers.”