NEIGHBORS

Sometimes it seems like we are really a lot different than our neighbors here. The language and customs are really the key, as the people themselves are pleasant, somewhat younger professionals that we would probably get to know in the states. But they are all here for summer vacation fun, and we are here for life, and with that, all of the habits from our everyday living. Add to that being Americans and you can see we would not be doing the same things as them. I think some of them are not unfriendly, but wary of us because they don’t think they will really understand us, and their English is not too good. Since English is a school subject, and not everyone does well in school, the prospect of having to speak sometimes is overshadowed by memories of school successes or failures. And we read so much! That is really not what Sicilians do with their vacation time and we seem to surprise them with our leisure reading.
We have kind of gotten into the festive mood here although we keep telling people we are OK not to be with people all of the time. Ya know they don't get that! I kind of like my quiet neighbor Anna that is a town cop. She has 2 small boys who are loud but cute and respectful. Her mother comes and cleans sometimes, and reminds me of all Italian mamas, black dress and all, and her husband (Toto) is a really funny guy that I am sure can be a trial. He is an engineer and the one that has got Steve involved in bocce. They watch tennis and soccer matches together in front of the house and joke and pal around. When I started giving Anna basil from our huge, over-productive plants, she gave us a big bottle of their home-grown olive oil! I love that kind of neighborliness.
On the other side are Lillo and Giusy, with their young adolescent leader-of-the-pack daughter Julia and the sometimes-there grandmother who is always working at something or other. They are the ones who have had all the water damage problems from our pipes. They are real go-getters: she is an inner city (Palermo) high school geology teacher and runs all the shows and kids' programs here and he is a forestry service worker involved in food inspection and sells real estate on the side. They keep telling us not to worry about the walls, that it will all sort itself out. In fact we are close to having the job done, with only an outside water pipes door to be reinstalled at our house, and her paint job done. And we have yet to see what the bill from the muratore will be like!
Above us are Francco, Giusy (friend of other Giusy), and her 19 year-old daughter Mariangela. Francco is an investment banker (and a championship tennis player) and I don’t remember what Giusy does, but they are not married. They seem to have a strong relationship that has endured. Her husband was killed over 10 years ago in a terrible car crash that people still talk about it. Mariangela first had us worried cuz of lots of kids and late loud parties there, but ya know, we don't have to get up in the AM, and they are so nice and fun that we don't give a hoot for the noise and confusion now. They have to pass us on the stairs every time they come up or down cuz we are always there reading on the terrazzo. It is always cordial, and we have gotten to know them and people that visit this way. Yesterday they had us to pranza and it was just lovely! It was hot and sticky and we met them on the stairs to the beach about 1 as they were going down to the beach and we were coming up. They swam, ran up here, and cooked furiously for our meal together. We started at 2 and did not get home till after 5 and the time just flew. It was fun and enjoyable and every word in Italian that everyone understood.
The only sour note is the previous owners of our house, Sisa and Gianni. She has been friendly when she comes to visit her parents and brother who live upstairs and use the stairway near our house. Sisa’s parents and her daughter have recognized us and been polite, friendly, and respectful too. But Gianni has not been friendly at all. He will walk right by us without a smile or greeting. He seems content to leave his family here for his vacation but I have not seen him participate in anything. Maybe it has gotten back to him how much we had to do to make the house livable and he feels guilty. Maybe Giusy and Lillo have complained because all of the damage to their house was caused by him not doing anything about the small leak that everyone was aware of before we bought the place. Whatever. Despite him, we could not ask for a better set of neighbors, or a more comfortable house for the summer.