long journey and you'll need all your strength. Elio can watch the luggage. No one will even come close to them. If someone does, bark!" said Libero to his cousin. "And if you stop pulling such a long face, we might even bring you something to eat..."
Gaia and Libero exited the car, which turned out to be a great comfort for Elio who wanted to be alone.
He was staring at the repetitive landscapes outside his window. They had just travelled past the industrial area of the city and they had begun to be surrounded by fields and hills that were alternating again and again.
All of a sudden, on the window pane he noticed the reflection of an old man sitting in the aisle seat next to his.
When did he get into the car? He did not hear the doors open.
The old man was dressed in black and was wearing some odd glasses on his nose. He was reading a black leather book that looked about a century old, whose pages were made out of tissue paper. On his head he had a wide-brimmed hat that was covering up his face. The whole scene was rather unsettling.
Elio did not turn around, yet was keeping an eye on him through the reflection on the window pane. He felt frightened of being on his own with that man. At that moment he surely did want his big and strong cousin to be by his side. However, neither he nor Gaia were approaching.
In the meantime, the old man was still reading his book. Every once in a while, he would look at an old watch that he was keeping inside the breast pocket of his waistcoat, elegantly worn underneath his old-fashioned suit.
This would annoy Elio even more, who kept wondering what or whom that man was waiting for. It certainly must have been something of extraordinary importance given that he was constantly looking at his watch.
Suddenly, after checking the time once more, the old man closed his book and bowed down to get something inside a black bag that he was keeping between his legs. As he was bowing down, his trousers slightly went up and revealed his black ankles and some odd black thin socks that looked like black fur.
Elio was not able to contain his apprehension and started shaking. As he was going through his own bag, the old man burst out laughing as if he had perceived Elio's terror. It was a long, deep and gloomy laughter that resounded into his ears. Elio coved up his ears with his hands to try and stop hearing that noise. He closed his eyes to avoid looking at the man's reflection on the window pane and started praying to himself: "Libero, come back. Libero, come back."
Then, the automatic door of the car was abruptly opened.
"Elio, what are you doing? Did you catch an ear infection in the city? Do not infect us countrymen with these urban viruses!"
Elio startled. Then, after he had recognized Libero's playful voice, turned around and saw his cousin laugh; he was holding a shopping bag and a soft drink in his hands. Gaia was standing right behind him and was biting into a huge croissant.
There was no trace of the old man. He disappeared just like he had previously appeared. Everything belonging to him was gone: his book, his watch and his bag.
Libero sat down next to Elio and after having passed him a croissant, he noticed that he was shaking.
"Did something happen?" he asked.
"I think it's just some motion sickness." lied Elio.
Gaia understood that her brother was having one of his crises and promised herself she would address the problem to Libero.
The rest of the trip was quiet. Libero described the harvest festival that was going to take place soon and was going to involve all neighbouring villages. It was going to be held outdoors and the evening was going to be livened up by traditional dances like the taranta, and more modern ones.
Elio was looking at his sister and cousin, and asked himself how those two had managed to get along so quickly. Despite that, he was glad to be travelling with them. All those events were worrying him. Was he being victim of some sort of plot against his persona, or was he going insane?
Libero got nervous as it was time to get off the train. He saw from the window Mrs Gina's house, which was taken as a reference point. As soon the train stopped, he took the bags. Then, after Gaia had opened the door, he nervously rushed out of the train like those who are not used to travelling very often.
The locals would consider that a station, but actually it was nothing but a stop in the middle of nowhere. The only comforts were given by a pierced platform roof and a broken ticket machine that would transmit a pre-recorded message saying "Be careful, this station is not under surveillance. Beware of pickpockets".
Libero took a deep breath and said:
"Finally, fresh air. Welcome to Campoverde."
"I can already smell the fields." noticed Gaia. "Can you, Elio?"
Elio could not feel any difference compared to the city, and he just shrugged his shoulders.
"Elio, take Gaia's luggage. I will carry the other ones." ordered Libero.
Gaia unexpectedly enjoyed Libero's gentlemanly behaviour, which usually would have annoyed her. But Libero was so genuine that she was amused by it and played along with him. Maybe she had been too hasty in judging him as a fool...
Gaia and Libero walked right in front of the speaking ticket machine, which was repeating the same sentences all over again, and then they headed towards the underpass smiling.
Elio had to grab Gaia's big luggage by its handle in order to climb down and up the stairs of the underpass. He was completely worn out.
On the last few steps he made the last efforts hoping that aunt Ida would be waiting in the parking lot to drive them home.
But when he got into the parking lot, he noticed that no one was waiting for them. Libero, with Gaia by his side, headed west along a narrow road that was poorly paved. Two canals were flowing alongside the road and were separating it from the corn fields on one side and wheat fields on the other.
Elio, who was desperately trying to catch his breath, yelled at them stop for a second. His sister turned around confused. She could not remember the last time her brother had spoken with such a tone, let alone had yelled in that way.
"Where's Aunt Ida's car?" asked Elio.
"Oh, sorry I forgot to tell you. She called me saying that she could not come. Camilla, our cow, is in labour and mum cannot leave her alone at the moment."
"Camilla? In labour? What are we going to do?" asked Elio panting.
"Don't worry. It's only four miles and then we'll be at the farm." Libero soothingly replied.
"Four miles?" were Elio's last words.
"Come on! Your sister's luggage is a carry-on!" Libero teased him, and then he got back to walking.
In the distance the first couple of houses can be seen.
"Here it is! The house behind the cherry tree is ours. It's the farm."
Libero pointed at a venetian red farm with green blinds. A luxuriant and well looked after garden stretched from the front door to the clotheslines that was marking the beginning of the stable. Only fields beyond it.
"Mum, we're here!" yelled Libero, dropping off the baggage on the driveway and running towards the stable.
Aunt Ida came out of the frontdoor.
"My niece and nephew!" she screamed out of joy.
Gaia threw her arms around her neck. Elio, who was exhausted, moved close to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. just to be polite.
Ida was in her 50's, but her natural beauty had not faded yet. She was a thin, average-heighted woman... Her body was well proportioned even though, her arms and legs were more muscly and stronger that a runner's. The hard life of the farm was her daily work out. She had her blonde hair in a ponytail, and her fair skin would make her beautiful green eyes stand out, just like her nephew's.
Meanwhile,