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Edith was standing on the balcony of her room. The view from the vineyard took her breath away. It was her first trip to Italy, and it was a sight to behold. She wanted to explore the surroundings, but the long trip had taken more out of her than she had expected. Edith looked at the bed, which was covered in soft blankets and fluffy pillows, and felt it was a lovely and warm place to sleep. She desperately needed a nap. She relaxed as she lay in bed.
When she heard a knock on the door moments later, Edith opened her eyes. She must have dozed off. She stood up and opened it.
"I’m checking in on you. I hope you’re comfortable in this room. If not, please let me know and I’ll move you to another room," Tilly said.
"I’m good here, Tilly. Thank you."
"You must be tired after the trip, so I’ll let you rest."
"Where is Carlos?"
"Carlos is excited about being back in Italy. He and Dusty are on a vineyard tour."
"Already?" Edith laughed.
"I’ll see you at dinner, okay?"
"Thank you for inviting me here, Tilly. You have a lovely home."
"It’s our pleasure, Edith. We’ll talk later, okay? In the meantime, just rest."
Edith nodded as she shut the door. She took a deep breath. Edith needed this trip to get away from her problems. She remembered her recent discussion with her son, Christopher. He paid her a visit a few days ago and informed her that he was deeply in debt. Her son surprised her when he suggested selling her apartment so he could use his portion of the sale profits to pay off his creditors. He stated he would place her in senior housing.
Edith refused to leave her home, but her son persisted. She yelled at him for being heartless and for putting his own mother in a strange place for his own benefit. Edith didn’t hesitate when Tilly invited her to join them in Italy. She needed to get away from her son and everyone else. She needed time to think.
***
"WHEN I WAS A YOUNGSTER, my father took me to this fancy restaurant in a small village every Sunday. They make the finest linguine," Carlos said.
"Do you remember where it is?" Dusty asked. He and Carlos wandered around the vineyard.
"It’s been forty years. I can’t even remember what town it was."
"Do you remember anything special about the place?"
"There was a statue of this woman with a basket of fruits and wine."
Dusty nodded as they continued to walk until they arrived at the villa. He called his research team and talked to them for the rest of the afternoon. Dusty surprised everyone with a special dinner in a little village about an hour's drive from the villa. Tilly was unfamiliar with the place. She was curious about what her husband was up to. Why would they travel so far when there were so many wonderful restaurants in Veneto?
Carlos’ eyes brightened as they drove through the town. Some buildings and landscapes appeared familiar. Carlos began weeping when the car came to a halt in front of Ray’s Bistro. He recognized it. It was the place where his father used to take him.
"Dusty, how did you know?" Carlos asked.
"My staff found it after you mentioned the statue of a woman carrying a basket of grapes and wine. According to what I’ve learned, they demolished the monument roughly ten years ago. When a storm hit the village, a tree toppled on it. They tried to salvage it, but they couldn’t."
"Carlos, is that you?"
The sound of a man's voice could be heard from behind.
Carlos turned around. He scowled because he didn’t recognize the man who appeared to know him.
"Carlos, it’s me, Javier."
"Javier?"
"Do you remember when we were kids? You and I used to throw rocks into the lake. Then we’d chase Mr. Alberto’s cows out of the field."
"Oh, my God. It is you, Javier."
The pals hugged each other tightly. Carlos then introduced his friend to Tilly, Dusty, and Edith. Javier accepted Dusty's invitation to join them for dinner, and was pleased to do so.
"How did you know it was me?" Carlos asked.
"I had to look twice, since you are a dead ringer of your father. Are you here to buy your old house? It’s for sale."
"What? I thought my parents had left it to my younger brother, Elmo. What happened?"
"Didn’t Elmo tell you? Things have been difficult for your brother. His wife became ill, and it devastated their lives. They had to sell their home to pay the medical bills. It forced them to live in a tiny apartment with none of the amenities they had previously had. They live above the factory where he works."
The news about his brother made Carlos sad.
"Why didn’t he call me? Perhaps I can help."
"He didn’t want to burden you."
"I had so many wonderful memories growing up in that house."
Carlos took a deep breath and smelled the air. That familiar aroma of fresh bread baking took him back to his mother’s kitchen. It was the last scent he remembered of her before leaving for America. Oh, how he missed her.
"Who owns the house now?" Carlos asked.
"The bank now owns it. Mr. Marino is the listing agent," Javier responded.
"Mr. Marino?"
"Do you remember that grouchy old man who lives near the lake with his teenage grandson? We used to walk past his house on our way to school, and he would always send his dog to chase us."
"Yeah, I remember him. What happened to him?"
"He died a few years ago. Mario, his grandson, now owns his grandfather’s house. He also works as a real estate agent in the town. He does not want to be addressed by his first name. You must address him as Mr. Marino. Talk about insecurity."
The buddies laughed.
"Would you want a tour of the house?" Javier asked.
"Now?"
"Sure."
Carlos looked around. "Aren’t you worried about being caught?"
Javier shrugged. "Nah. Nobody will bother us here. Besides, the house has been on the market for a long time."
"Well, I’m game if you are," Dusty remarked, smiling. It was impossible not to listen in on the friends’ conversation. "If you ask me, I’m curious right now."
"Are you sure, Dusty? It’s been forty years. I’m not sure what the house looks like anymore," Carlos said.
"Carlos, if it’s all right with you, why don’t we visit your brother after dinner? Then we can all go to your old place tomorrow," Dusty suggested.
"My brother and I haven’t communicated in almost thirty years."
"What?"
"I’m embarrassed by that, but it’s true. We had a falling out years ago."
"I’m sorry to hear that, Carlos," Edith said as she rubbed his back.
There was a moment of stillness between them. Carlos finally spoke up.
"My brother, Elmo, hurt me. I immigrated to America at an early age to find work and support my family. I sent him to the best school, living in the dorm, and even gave him an allowance so he wouldn’t have to work and could focus on his studies. I gave up my happiness and worked myself to death to fund his schooling. Then I found out one day that he had gotten married before completing his education. They returned to the house and lived there with our parents, taking odd jobs to support his new family."
"It’s too bad. But don’t you think thirty years is a long time to keep a grudge? He is, after all, your brother. Now that your parents are gone, you're the only family he has," Dusty explained.
"I know. Maybe you’re right. It’s time to put our wounded hearts back together. It’s time for us to make amends."
***
AFTER SUPPER, JAVIER took everyone to Elmo’s workplace. When they arrived, it was already closed. They climbed the stairs to the second floor and knocked.
"Posso aiutarti?" a woman said as she opened it.
"Margarita, it’s me, Javier. Is Elmo here?"
"Si. Vieni dentro la casa."
Margarita gazed at Carlos for a long time as everyone entered the home, trying to remember where she had seen him.
"Margarita, this is Carlos. He’s Elmo’s brother," Javier said.
"Oh, si, si. Come stai? I recognize you from the photos," Margarita said while pointing at a few picture frames on top of the table. They were all pictures of Elmo and Carlos when they were children.
"Scusami, let me tell Elmo you are here. He will be so happy to see you after all these years." Margarita walked into her bedroom and yelled out the window. "Elmo, come! You never guess who comes to see you.”
Elmo was conversing with his next-door neighbor. "What?" He poked his head out the window.
"Please come quickly, you have a guest."
"Okay, I’ll be right there."
Margarita turned around and smiled at the visitors. "I’ll be back with some refreshments."
"Please don’t bother, we just finished supper," Edith explained.
"It’s not a problem. I’ll be right back," she remarked as she made her way to the kitchen.
Elmo walked into the house and saw Javier with a few people he had never met before.
"What’s going on, Javier?" Elmo asked.
Carlos stood up, tears welling up in his eyes. "Elmo?"
Elmo tilted his head toward the voice. His eyes widened. He couldn’t believe it.
"Is that you, Carlos? You’re back!"
"Yes, Elmo, it’s me."
Elmo hugged his brother. His eyes welled up with tears. It’s great to see his brother again.
"It’s been a long time, brother. I thought I’d never see you again."
"I’m sorry, Elmo. It took a long time for me to realize how foolish I was. I hope you will forgive me and give me a chance to make peace with Margarita," Carlos said.
"There is no need to apologize or seek forgiveness. It’s a thing of the past. Let us start over again, OK?"
"That would be fantastic. I like that very much," Carlos remarked, hugging his brother again.
Margarita reappeared moments later with refreshments. Everyone enjoyed getting to know one another, while the brothers had a good time catching up on old times. They planned to go to their parents' graves and their old house the next day.
Standing in front of their former residence, Carlos and Elmo were overcome with emotion. It brought back many childhood memories.
"I’m sorry, Carlos. Our parents left the house for you and me, and what did I do? I sold it."
"It isn’t your fault, Elmo. You had to do what you thought was best at the moment."
"I wish I had the money to buy it back," Elmo said. "Last time I heard, the bank has tripled the price for it."
"Me, too," Carlos said. "But I recently lost my job."
"I’m sorry to hear that," Elmo said. "Now that you’re home, it’s my turn to look after you. I will help you get back on your feet. Maybe we can start our own business together."
"I’d like that very much, Elmo. Brothers for life, right?"
"Always," Elmo said.
Tilly and Dusty were in tears as they watched the brothers reconcile. Even Edith and Margarita were overcome with emotion. Carlos and Elmo returned their attention to everyone.
Carlos said, "Thank you, Tilly and Dusty, for bringing me back home."
"It’s our pleasure, Carlos," Dusty said.
They couldn’t get into the house because it was locked. So, the brothers showed them around the backyard where they used to hide and seek. But it wasn’t just a backyard. It used to be a small vineyard.
"Our father told us our vineyard was undoubtedly the greatest and most competitive grape producer in the region, but a drought destroyed it."
Dusty checked the soil, and it was fertile and ready for planting.
"Sweetheart, I know nothing about Italy, but you do. Is there anything we can do to help Carlos and his brother?" Tilly whispered to Dusty.
"Actually, I’ve been inspecting the land, and it appears to produce delicious grapes. We might grow the finest wine grapes in the world here."
"Seriously? In that case, could you—"
"I’m on it, sweetheart." Dusty laughed as he took out his cell phone and dialed his secretary’s number.
