Chapter 9 - R U Mine
The multicolored sky at the Colosseum didn't let us leave for a long time. If it weren't for our empty stomachs, we probably wouldn't have left. But the growl of hunger dominates all. So here we are, devouring innocent Supplì.
"I never knew that one thing could have every food I love," I say as I toss another one in my mouth.
We've been standing beside a food stall and eating these delicious snacks, with tomato sauce and coated in bread crumbs. The mozzarella melts on my tongue as quickly as anything can.
"I think this is my sixth one. I can't stop." Harry's eyes are shut and he's enjoying the typical Roman cuisine.
"Who said we have to stop?"
"Good point."
The streets are bustling with people but no one seems to notice anyone. Some are also eating like us by the stalls set on the side of the road along with the local shops.
"Okay, last one." Harry declares and holds out the suppli in the air.
"Last one," I repeat and hold my own. We put it in our mouths at the same time and just stay silent for a minute.
"I miss it already," Harry says and I laugh.
"Let's go now before I eat every single one." I pay the man whose stall it was and we walk along. I already told Harry that I'll pay for these because he paid for our tickets to the Colosseum.
Trevi Fountain is not that far from the Colosseum. It's a 1 km distance from it, which is fine for me since one of the many things that's wrong with me fundamentally as a person is that I can walk a lot. And if I'm honest, I like it.
"Walking is so freeing."
"It's so peaceful," Harry adds as we walk side by side. "Just walking down the streets and also getting exercise in. I do that every morning."
"I was worried you might start to tire but that's good to hear." I look at my feet on the sidewalk. "Unless you think about it too much."
"What do you mean?"
"Like," I begin to explain. "If you think too much about walking in general, you'll forget how to walk."
"What?" He laughs. "That's not true."
"Test it if you want." I shrug.
"Alright." He keeps walking. After a moment, he stops and then starts again. Then, his legs look all weird while walking. He stops in his tracks.
"What have you done?" His face is so deadpan that I laugh so hard that I almost drop my camera.
"I don't know how to walk anymore." He sits down on a bench behind him with his eyes wide in surprise.
I'm still laughing and he just sits there dejected. Like a kid who found out superpowers aren't real.
"It's not funny." He says but laughs at the end of the sentence.
"Come on." I hold out my hand and immediately regret it when he takes it and a jot runs through me. "I have a cure."
"Think about something else. For instance," I try to think of something. "Tell me about the last song you heard."
"R U Mine by Arctic Monkeys."
"Great choice. Now tell me about it. What do you like about it? Once you start talking, start walking."
"Okay." He says. "The beat is so good. And the lyrics are kind of indie but the music is completely different."
"All their songs are almost like that."
We discuss their songs and how dope the bass is every time. Once we get into the conversation, we walk and after 1000 steps, we see the largest Baroque fountain. Luckily, the crowd isn't that huge.
When we reach the spectacle that is the Trevi fountain, he turns to me and says:
"Never do that to me again."
I want to make fun of him but I say, "I won't."
The Trevi fountain deserves the title it has; of being one of the top sights in Rome. The 18th-century sculptures speak for themselves. The ancient building behind the gods does a substantial job at presenting itself as a historical monument. Water comes out of the center heavily and joins the turquoise waves. When I look at Harry, his eyes match the color.
"Aesthetic." I gawk at the marvel in front of me. The water flowing from the fountain doesn't cease along with the soothing sound of it falling down.
I judge by the tangerine edifices on either side of the Trevi Fountain that there are neighborhoods around it. How satisfying it must be to wake up and be to wake up and see the fountain every day? Those people must be having the time of their lives.
"They say a visit here isn't complete without throwing coins in the fountain," says Harry. "One coin assures your return to Rome, two coins if you're seeking love and three for marriage."
"I don't believe in that." I take a picture of the top of the building and the glimmering water.
"It's a tradition to do it." He takes several coins out of his pocket and holds his hand out to me.
"How many coins should I throw if I want none of those things?" I examine the coins and then look at him.
"What about love?"
He bores his eyes into mine as if a lot more pressure weighs on the answer I'm about to give.
"I don't care for love." I smile but it's not really a smile. It's a mock of a smile; the kind you give your opponent when you win the fight.
"Why not?" He questions. The green his eyes carry inspection and curiosity.
"It's not real."
"This is for you, then." He throws two coins in the fountain.
Before I can protest, he says, "You don't believe in it, right? So it doesn't matter."
"Right," I remember that I don't.
"What?"
He throws two more.
"You're so corny."
I resume taking pictures to avoid looking at his beaming face.
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