by Sara Baughman (Coralville, IA)I MET A MAN TODAY who seemed to know a better way to love and be loved in return. He sat quietly on the piazza while I slowly sipped my caffé at Mimi’s. I watched him as he sipped his drink and read the morning paper. But each time a Cagli resident passed, he halted his reading and drinking to give a cheerful greeting. It almost became a choreographed dance of hellos and goodbyes, and I couldn’t help but wonder if his caffé was even warm as he brought to his lips for a brief sip before he stopped to offer another bongiorno to the next “friend” who walked his way.
It didn’t take time to recognize the time and age reflected in his eyes, and I wondered what lives he touched and why he cares so much about the people in this town. Even though I was curious, I never set my caffé down or asked someone nearby about the charming man in the square. I didn’t know the right words to say, so I simply watched him a few more moments before I walked away.
As I sit here now, I hope I’ll find him in the piazza again with the courage to greet him with even a simple introduction. I doubt his kindness for the people of Cagli would be held back from an American student with a poor accent using an Italian-English-Spanish hybrid language, but I’ll never know until I force myself out of my comfort zone to learn if this man’s sincerity crosses cultural – and language – boundaries.
