(Gotta bump that!)
Most of the houses here have some sort of fence around them. Usually the fence is a cement base with metal fencing on top. The Italians love their cement as much, if not more, than they love their tile. If you are lucky, there's a little clicker to open the gate when you are about to pull into your driveway. The gate then closes automatically after you pass through.
I didn't grow up with a fence around our house, and neither did My Man. Most houses on our street did not have a fence, either. So, I am intrigued by the mental shift we have about our gate. We feel obliged to keep it closed. I tell you, you start to feel strange if you discover, in the morning, that it was open all night- even just a foot to allow you to pass in and out to walk the dog. The feeling is stronger than if you discover you unwittingly left a light on...but not as strong as if you discover the refrigerator door is ajar. It's more akin to leaving your garage door open- although the gate in no way allows access to your home. It's an amusing mentality shift.
I have heard, however, that leaving your gate open is a sort of "invitation" to enter your yard. It would seem to have proven true for us.
We were loading up the car, so we left the gate open. Suddenly and quite unexpectedly, there was a man standing next to us in the driveway. He started talking to us- in Italian, of course. Much to my bewilderment, he began to explain that he wanted a slide. Surely my Italian was failing me, this stranger is in our driveway talking to me about a slide? He seemed to be referring to the kind on which children play. Clearly he was a crazy person, rather a crazy stranger in our midst. He ranted about how his daughter really wanted a slide and a little play table. (Just for the record, we don't have a slide, but we do have a little outdoor picnic bench.) He specifically told me he wanted a 5 step slide and not a 3 step slide. My mind struggled to make sense of this situation.
I wasn't listening as well as I could, as you can imagine. He was smartly dressed in black designer-looking pants. They were fashionable jeans of some sort with a black sparkly pattern on the leg. He wore a purple dress shirt and a nice jacket. His hair was black, slicked down a bit. Okay, I thought, he doesn't appear to be homeless, but you never know.....he isn't wearing a hospital gown, so he isn't a recent escapee.....but who is he and why is he talking about a slide?
Finally, I just blurted out- "Who are you?" He told me he was our neighbor. Neighbor? What neighbor? We share a duplex with an American teacher and our other neighbor is the crazy cat lady who feeds all the strays. I swear I have never seen him before- we have been in this house over a year now. I continued to be bewildered, and from the look on My Man's face, he was also clueless. He pointed toward his house-a beautiful well-kept place 3 doors down.
Okay, now I know where he lives. That's really only part of the puzzle.
Yes, he tells me, he knows we are American and he wants us to get a slide for him. Interesting. I told him about a website that has lots of local listings from people moving in and out of the area. Nope, he wants me to do it, okay? (Well, no, the very last time I checked that is not okay!)
Hmmm, the quandary isn't whether to spend my time looking for a slide for him or not- we all know I won't, but the real question is how to get him out of the driveway.
I politely tell him that I will keep it in mind...it's on my mind alright, no lie there.
Yes, yes, of course, your daughter will be happier with a slide. Yes, a 5-step slide would be better for her. Ciao, Ciao, off he goes.
QUICK- close the gate!!!!
The fence and gate pics are from our recent trip to Dublin, Ireland. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Dublin! It is a vibrant, young, alive city- and we had a great trip!
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