Task 8 - "A Puppy In The Sun" by Mariyana

A Puppy in the Sun

A very hot day in July. The sea and the palm trees in the public garden were still in the haze. There was an artist drawing a half naked girl sitting on a bench. The square with the war monument was empty. A waiter stood at the door of a nearby café and looked the progress of the artist and especially the girl. Another girl was looking out of the window of the second floor of a hotel. A newly-wed American couple on vacation. She was looking at the waiter while her husband was sitting in the bed with a book in his hands. Right under their window a puppy was lying in the heat breathing heavily with a tongue protruding out of its little muzzle.
“ Go down and get that puppy,”said Anne.
“Mhm,” answered the husband without moving from the bed.
“ Did you hear me at all. I want that puppy. It is thirsty and I will give it some water.”
“ Well, go get it yourself.”
The American wife hated her husband. She went out of the room hating him and banged the door behind her.
Downstairs she passed by the office of the owner. The door was open and he had the displeasure to make an effort and bow to the lady. He was an old man with small hands and the face of a weasel.
“Fa Caldo”, the wife said
“Si,si, Signora. It is very hot.
He stood behind his desk counting money. The wife didn’t like him. She didn’t like his forced servitude and most of all she didn’t like his small hands. The slowness of his manners reminded her of her own husband. She could picture George lying on the bed and reading a magazine entitled “ How to grow roses.” from the Home Gardening Series. She opened the door of the hotel. In this moment the maid who looked after their room came and offered a parasol with a perfunctory polite grimace. The hotel-keeper had sent her undoubtedly.
“Grazie. I don’t need it. I’m only going to get that sweet black puppy in the garden,” said the wife.
She went to the spot where the puppy lied but it was not there any more. She thought it a really awful vacation, ascended the stairs to their room and fuming opened the door with a bang.
“The puppy was gone.”
Her husband only shrugged his shoulders. He was reading the latest edition of the Home Gardening series - “How to grow lilies.” The roses edition was on the bedside table. She took it from the table, ripped it in two pieces and throw it out of the window. That made George lift his eyes from his magazine and ask:
“What do you want ,honey?I bought you that diamond ring, the fur coat and the golden necklace. Why are you so angry? We are on vacation. Have some rest,” said he with his soft voice and artificial smile.
“Are you going to lie and read through the whole vacation?”
“Well, I’m making up with the editions I missed. I was too busy at work. You know I have to take care of the garden.”
“ I want to go on long walks. I want to have fun. And I’m tired of this short hair. I want long hair tied on a bun. I want it to sway gently on my back as I walk. I want to tie it with a golden ribbon and watch myself on the mirror brushing it at night.
“I’ll buy you a wig,” said the husband unconcerned.
“I don’t want a wig. I want a long red dress and candles and a long walk around the city and a puppy. And most of all I want to have fun. I want to have fun now. I want fun.”
“Oh, shut up! I want a quiet vacation. I want to lazy around all day and I’m doing it. Get a magazine to read! ,” said the husband.
Anne sat on the chair beside the dressing table and went back to looking out of the window. She thought that he is hopeless anyway. Her attention was attracted again by the waiter in the nearby café. He was still standing at the door .The artist and the girl were gone. The square was empty. She could see he was not like most Italians. He was tall and muscular. She remembered his beautiful face from the previous morning when he had served her table.
“ I’m going for a walk,” said the wife.
“Have a nice walk.”
Anne went out of the room leaving George on the bed. After some time there was a knock on the door and the maid came in the room holding the black puppy.
“Excuse me” said the maid “ the puppy Signora was looking for appeared again.”
Anne was in the café. George had finished the lilies edition and was playing with the puppy.