Rosa narrowly slips while she paddles her clothes with a battledore, tiredly leaning toward the beating stone by the riverbank. She stretched her hand forward trying to grab the arm of the chair on which she was sitting.
The lavatoio was a place were women gathered at early hours in the morning to do laundry, fishing and bath. In the evening, when the water is calm and clean again by its rising tide, the townsmen took their nets and canoes for fishing, while some young men compete for prizes. The young men swam in their numbers racing towards a red scarlet knobbed onto a pole at the northern shore of the lake, that the first person who reaches the pole was named champion. The Lake was a thriving tide for amusement and diverse social activities. But though cool and calm during the day, it was a terrifying place at night, the grotesque look of the glittering waterfalls where it get its source, could be seen from afar like a giant tea -kettle- beign filled with water.
The townspeople were cautious of what danger might come out of the mighty hole in the cliff, which the waterfalls disappears into, and it is never seen again but flows out through the lake. This natural phenomena was widely known throughout the Sicilian countryside as 'the devil's kettle'.
And Mount Nebrodi, the distant source of the lake, stood gigantically, overlooking the rugged plains of Sicily a few miles away from the home of the Salvatores.
Rosa seems outraged while turning each cloth from the massive pile of wet clothes scattered on the rocks; raising her head a few inches to the low- laying leaves of the oleander tree. The warm reflection from the sunlight settling on her cheek and stress written all over the other, and she reaches for the wooden paddle laying on a stone far right.
This morning was different for Rosa who has never been at the lavatoio alone doing laundry herself.
The looks on Rosa's face shows that somethings have changed, the tragic loss of her father, and her frail and aging mom Giuiliana who was often left alone sitting on a wooden sofa by the fireplace awaiting Carmela who would tell her funny jokes and aesop fables every night after supper. Carmela, the last born, was aged Giuiliana's closest daughter and acquaintance. She would teach Carmela how to make panelle and fruity salad while her sisters carried out tasks in the vineyards. Giuilia The salvatore sisters remain unmarried. Giuilia, the eldest sister was still a virgin, but randy. One could argue that, it was due to her involvement in wine making.
Her sisters often taunt her about going on a date with Gaius, the boy at the sale yard. Giuilia withdrew from the sitting room hasting into her room, there she turned on a radio and played a music so loud that neither of them could hear their own hearts beat. Rosa, still beneath the seething falls with a heap of fabrics laying on the wet rocks like a sea of textiles and a worrisome look on her face, as though the laundry would never be over. Though looking faint and almost exhausted, Rosa had been aware of the danger of the lake at night and she knew it wasn't safe for a young woman to be at the lavatoio all alone. She hastily stroked the scattered fabrics abandoned on the rock throwing them into the water one at a time, until every one of them got a gentle squeeze, while she turned her hair backwards and carefully drawing the bucket of clothes form the water resting it on the shore, and she walks onto the green grass where clothes are laid to dry, by the cooling breeze whirling form the nearby trees and the heat from sunlight.
Alesasandro coming out of the bar been chased by a group of bandits, the silver cup in his hand slanting downwards revealing the pure liquid he was drinking. The group charged towards him. Mark, a stout middle age man wearing a faded- blue denim pocketed Levi Strauss jeans, a feathered cowboy hat, with a worn up black shepherd's bag crossed around around his waist and a knife in his hand. He walked towards Alessandro further and the group of men behind take a step as he a approaches, mimicking his movements until he finally landed right in front Alessandro, standing face to face, the stout man groaned, as the others waited a little distance from where they were standing. Their voices could be heard from from afar but the actually words they were speaking were indistinct chattering. Their bodily movements and hand postures could indicate that they were having a heated quarrel beyond just a normal conversation.
Later that night after the disagreement, rumors about their heated conversation recalled that Alessandro was heavily indebted to the stout man; owing a debt of five hundred Euros which he promised to pay after his wedding with Rosa. Months after his proposal to Rosa, He made a vow to her family and took an oath to marry and protect her upon his next arrival. But Alessandro seem to have chewed more than he can swallow and is now seen unworthy by the family. Giuiliana, who once boated of her love and admiration for the young man has turned sideways. All Giuiliana wanted was a strong and charming young man to lead her daughter and give her grandchildren that'll bring her laughter, though Giuilia remained single and Carmela was too young to get married. Giuiliana had faith in Alessandro and she believed he was a special man, one without a flaw. But Alessandro had become a different man who spent nights at the bar, drinking and gambling with tramps and alcoholics, the moors, and the young playing derby at night. Every stray girl at the well knew how strong and romantic Alessandro was in bed. His stout looking arms and legs moved so swiftly during sexual intercourse that one lady could actually handle. The girls talked about his roughness and magic in bed that they have not seen in a stranger before. And Malaka, a pure long hair maiden who always looses her breasts in a seductive way, as if falling from her bra, and her nipples noticeably seen from the transparent scarf her tied around her like a hand of grapes falling from the vat.
Sounds of cattle bleating and horses whining were heard outside. And Carmela opened the door curiously scanning the dark staricase at the front of the house, "Anybody there? asked Giuiliana, there was a silence and then a voice echoed from outside, "Giuiliana, It's me Gaiuis. I brought you the basil and olive seeds;'
"I can't wait till morning or I will pay an extra cash if the chandlers retain it for a day." Guiuiliana sat up leaning herself against the sofa on which she was sitting. "Gaius you are speak like a man now; the world is so cold and breath fades away. You should have a name for yourself, a child of your own.' Her tremulous voice hanged in the air throughout the hallway, and undeniably heard by Gaius who landed on the grey area mat, barefooted with his toes soaking- wet and stiffed like stunned tadpoles. "Have you fallen in love with a sicilian woman before?", Giuiliana asked Gaiuis, 'not that I know of, Giuiliana", he replied.
"Look around in my house," said Giuiliana, as she finally settled in the large sofa. "Do you desire a woman from my home to marry?"
He stood speechless mincing his words until he finally had an answer to Giuiliana's questions.
Unknown to everyone else except Carmela who would occasionally banter Giuilia about Gaius seemed to be convinced of her instincts about the two.
Gaius and Giuilia have grown in affection for each other in the twinkling of an eye. Hidden from the rest of the world the heartthrobs secretly meet at the lavatoio at every night. As Giuiliana falls asleep, in the room, Guiulia drew her curtains halfway open waiting for Gaius. There's a sound of whistling from the subfenestral of the window, a familiar tone mimicking the chirp of a goldfinch. Giuilia knew it was Gaius, her secret lover.
Giuilia sneaked out of her room through the window and she landed her first leg on the shoulder of Gaius who was standing under the subfenestral, then she lifted her left leg putting it on his shoulder as she gently made her way out of her room with Gaius. They hastily walked pass the house in the dark pathway toward the barnyard, leading to the vast open fields, until they got the cozy and calm waterfalls where was used as the lavatoio. Giuilia laid on the cold and rustling grass in her panties and her bra slightly opened revealing her round breasts waiting for Gaius who walked towards the lavatoio for a relic left on a rock at the riverbank. He returned with the relic and met Giulia already reclined for the act, she got up from her supine position, taking the cloth from Gaius' hand spreading it on the ground and leans back in the same position. The lovers cuddled for a while kissing and enveloping, and Giuilia gasps moderately and echoes of her murmur faded away in the sound of the flowing waterfalls.
Gaius stopped and rose up from evolving Giuilia who laid supine on the cloth on the grass. She rose up and kissed Gaius furthermore as she draws a line on his chest using her finger.
Giuilia wore her clothes and stood up her hand crossed waiting for Gaius who sat on a rock putting on his shoes. Giuilia seemed to be running out of time, she called to Gaius to hasten up, because they have come a long way from their homes. And she thought about Giuiliana and her open window and she thought about Carmela who wakes up in the middle of the night to pee, and why if she looks and don't find her in her room, she would even wake Rosa and alert Giuiliana.
Gaius rose up from the rock where he sat and wore his shoes, he held Giuilia by the hand and they both walk for awhile almost about an acre back home. Until they finally got to Giuilia's window. Gaius lifted her upon his shoulder propelling her through the open window of her room. Giuilia landed in her room, waved goodbye to Gaius, and switched off the light bed lamp by her bed.