Carpe Diem

The thin, middle-aged, man with light, closely-cropped hair leaned over the railing of the vaparetto to get a better view of the bridge as they passed beneath it. He smiled broadly and inhaled the salty air as he surveyed the ancient, pastel-colored, buildings that came into view while the vessel methodically glided along the canal. He turned to get his wife's attention and beckoned her to join him. She smiled and shook her head, motioning to their luggage, which rested at her feet.

"Just leave it!" he shouted through the briny gusts. "No one's gonna steal it! Where could they possibly go with it?"

With some reluctance, she joined him at the railing. He wrapped his arm around her and together they experienced their first look at the city of Venice.

"I can't believe we're finally here," Alex said. "This is amazing."

"It's beautiful," Geddy replied. Her long blonde hair flowed with the breeze. She sighed and gently caressed his back. Occasionally, she would steal a glance behind them to check on their bags. It felt so odd to be the one to worry about the luggage. It wasn't long before then that Alex would have been the one to obsess over it. Over the past eighteen months, it seemed as though the roles in their relationship had reversed.

They reached their final destination and disembarked from the vaparetto. Alex wheeled his suitcase into the busy street and gawked at the sights surrounding them. Geddy fumbled with her cellphone to recall the app she had downloaded before their trip began. She found the map of the city and led the way toward their hotel, which was only a short distance away.

They checked into a quaint and ancient hotel and were given their room assignment on the fourth floor. "Do you have anything on a lower floor?" Geddy asked the clerk.

"I'm so sorry, signora, but no," the clerk responded.

"And there is no elevator?" she asked, scanning the lobby.

"No, signora," the clerk responded, apologetically.

Geddy looked to her husband. Her pale blue eyes flickered with concern. "Will that be okay? I'm sorry, I should have specified when we booked."

"It's okay," he assured her. He rubbed her shoulder and smiled. "I can walk three flights."

"Here," she said, "let me take your bag."

She reached for his bag, but he pulled it away. "I can do this. Don't worry about it." He had once taken such great pride in his strength and physique as a young man. The notion that he couldn't carry a suitcase up three flights of stairs would have been laughable only a short time ago. He had since learned, however, to swallow his pride and allow others to care for him. He had no choice in the matter.

They moved methodically up the stairway, one step at a time, and arrived at their room without incident. After taking some time to unpack and rest, they descended the stairs and ventured into the city. They strolled hand-in-hand along the cobblestone walkways, down one alleyway and along another, gawking through the windows of small merchants, souvenir shops, clothing stores, and restaurants. They stopped at a gelateria and each ordered a cone. Alex took one bite of his pistachio-flavored gelato and closed his eyes to savor it.

"This is the best thing I've ever put in my mouth," he said with a mouthful. "Sorry, but you're now number two forever."

She gave him a playful nudge and giggled. They found a bench overlooking a canal and watched the small crafts and gondolas lazily wind their way through the canal and disappear beneath walkways and around corners. One gondolier, wearing the traditional black-and-white striped shirt, began to sing an opera ballad. Alex turned to his wife and kissed her, tasting the chocolate flavor she had selected.

"Mmm," he said. "Chocolate and pistachio actually go pretty good together. Who knew?"

They continued to stroll through the streets of Venice with no particular destination in mind. They came across several old churches and plazas, statues of soldiers, saints, and mythical figures, and a countless array of shops and eateries. As the skies darkened, they ducked into a random restaurant and ordered a pizza. They sipped a glass of wine while they waited for their food to arrive.

It had been a long day of travel, so they decided to call it an early night after dinner. Geddy found the route back to their hotel using her cellphone app, and together they navigated the seemingly endless maze of alleys and bridges until at last they arrived back at their temporary home.

Reclining in bed that night, Alex pointed the remote at the small television until he found an English-speaking network. He wrapped his arm around Geddy, and she lay her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. She gently raked her fingernails along his mostly hairless chest and recalled how she used to twist his chest hair into little knots. She was always so amused with how annoyed he would become as he attempted to untie those knots.

Gradually, her fingers ventured further south, beneath the thin duvet, and playfully encircled his belly button. She reached further until she found his cock. She wrapped her dainty fingers around it and lightly stroked it.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a hint of exasperation.

"Just playing," she responded.

He sighed and stroked her soft hair. "Do you need me to take care of you? Your toy is in my bag."

"Nope," she chirped. "I'm good."

She had always had such a high sex drive, it was difficult for him to keep up with her even in his healthiest days. Few accomplishments made him prouder than his ability to please his wife, sexually. Unfortunately, the chemicals that saved his life had robbed him of that pride.

She lowered her head beneath the sheets and took his limp cock in her mouth. "You know that isn't going to do any good, right?" he sighed.

She paused for a moment to respond. "I don't care. I'm just playing. You just keep watching TV."

He exhaled heavily and returned his focus to the television. Her silky tongue swirled around his cock head in an all-too-familiar manner, but without the familiar effect. It remained flaccid as she took his entire member into her mouth and simply held it there for a moment. When she sucked and pulled on it, it felt as though his dick were being stretched like taffy. As usual, he began to feel embarrassed and inadequate. He reached down and tugged at her shoulders.

"Okay," he said, "come on. Why don't you lie down and I'll work on you instead?"

She pushed his hands away and returned her mouth to his cock before pausing to respond. "I told you, I'm fine. I just want to give my husband some pleasure. This still feels good, right?"

"Yeah, sure, it feels good."

"Then shut up and let me do my thing," she said with a smirk.

She continued to lovingly play with his cock in her mouth through the end of the news program. She then crept back up the bed and returned to his arms.

"I love you, you big nerd," she said, kissing his cheek.

"I love you, too," he sighed.

***

They awoke to the sound of a blaring siren outside of their hotel. Geddy leapt from the bed and hurried to the window while Alex shook off the cobwebs of a dream. "What's going on?" he asked.

"You have to see this," she exclaimed.

Alex gingerly abandoned the warmth of the bed and joined her at the window. To his astonishment, he saw that the streets below were flooded with water. "What on earth?" he said.

"I don't know," she said. "Let's shower and head downstairs to see what's going on!"

They hurriedly showered and dressed before descending the stairs to the lobby. When they reached the bottom floor, they saw that the lobby, too, had flooded. Two men were at the hotel's front door, desperately mopping water that was seeping from under a makeshift wooden barrier that had been placed at the bottom of the door.

"Buongiorno!" the clerk called to them from the front desk. They repeated his greeting and asked what had happened. "Flooding from the lagoon," he stated. "It happens sometimes, especially at this time of year. Nothing to be worried about. The streets will be dry within an hour or two. Until then, please enjoy breakfast on the second floor."

"Grazie," Alex responded. They made their way back up the stairs and found a small room filled with a few modest tables. They poured themselves cups of coffee and loaded a plate with a variety of meats, cheese, bread, and fruit before seating themselves at a table in the corner of the room.

"This place is amazing," Alex said. "I can't believe we waited so long to come here. Did you see the sign at the front entrance? This place was established in 1476. Think about that. It was here before Columbus discovered the New World!"

Geddy shook her head in disbelief and made a tiny sandwich out of two small squares of bread, a slice of prosciutto, and a tiny circle of fresh mozzarella. "It's hard to put into perspective. What we would consider old back home is practically new here."

"Hell, Columbus might have stayed at this very hotel!" Alex remarked. "It's possible, right?"

"Well..."

The tall and handsome, middle-aged, man seated at the table next to them had begun to speak, but then seemed to think better of it and held his tongue. When the couple turned to look his way, his cheeks flushed and he appeared remorseful.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I just...it's rude to listen to your conversation, but it's impossible not to in such a small space."

"No worries," Geddy said. "What were you going to say?"

"Well, I was just going to say that Columbus was from Genoa. Genoa and Venice were fierce rivals at the time. It's very unlikely that he would have ever set foot in Venice."

"That's good to know," Alex said.

"I'm really sorry," the man repeated. "I hate being that know-it-all guy at the next table. I'll shut up now, I promise."

"Don't be silly," Geddy responded, flashing her inviting smile. "Like you said, the tables are so close, we may as well all join in the conversation."

"I'm Neil, by the way," the stranger said, extending his hand toward Alex, who introduced himself and his wife. "I'm a history professor at Bunker Hill Community College. I guess I just can't help myself when it comes to history."

"Bunker Hill?" Geddy said, shaking his hand in turn. "You're from Boston?"

"Yeah," he said. "I live just outside of the city. Small world, huh?"

"How did you know we're from the same area?" Alex asked.

"We were on the same flight," Neil noted. "Did you happen to book through Minotti Tours?"

"Yeah," Alex responded.

"Ten days? Venice, Florence, and Rome?"

"That's the one," Alex said.

"I booked the same tour," Neil said. "I imagine it's the same itinerary, and same hotels."

"Then I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other," Alex said.

"Oh, great, we get to vacation with Mr. Know-It-All," Geddy teased, causing both men to chuckle.

"Well, Geddy has a degree in Art, and owns her own gallery back home in Andover," Alex proudly bragged. "With all of the art and history we're about to see on this tour, I guess I'll be treated to a first-class education!"

They parted ways after breakfast. When the tide cleared the water from the streets, Alex and Geddy ventured back out into the city to explore the famous St. Mark's Basilica. They marveled at its colorful façade and ornate exterior decorated with stone sculptures of saints long forgotten. Alex stood in the center of the basilica's entrance and looked upward, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"What's with the winged lion?" he asked his wife.

"It's a symbol of Saint Mark," she said. "The lion represents power, the wings are for spiritual ascension. And it's clutching a Bible in its paw, see?"

"What would I do without my tour guide?" he teased, pulling her toward him.

"There's another one on top of that pillar over there," she noted, pointing to a tall pillar to their right. "It's the symbol of Venice. You'll see lions all over this city."

They approached the church and slipped inside the front entrance. The extravagant design and décor was practically gaudy in nature. "They once called this the 'Church of Gold'," Geddy whispered.

"I can see why," Alex responded. The vaulted ceilings and domed walls were covered with gold leaf, making it appear as though the entire building were constructed of gold.

After a brief tour, they exited the building and began walking back toward their hotel for a quick rest before lunch. On the way, they spotted Neil standing along the side of the ornate pink-hued wall of the building adjacent to the basilica. He stood at the base of one of the many columns supporting the walls of the building and appeared to be intently studying the column's capital.

They called to him, but he didn't respond. It wasn't until they approached him further that they noticed he was listening to something on his cellphone. Geddy tapped him on the shoulder, and he quickly removed his ear buds.

"You have to see this," he said, excitedly.

He led them around the column to the opposite side. "I was just listening to this podcast," he said. "These columns don't merely function as support and decoration. They actually tell a story. Check this one out."

He pointed to the capital of the column, which included a carving of a woman standing at a balcony, with a man below. "Here we have a woman being wooed by her lover." He continued counter-clockwise around the column and pointed once more. "They get married," he continued.

Around the column they went. "They kiss," he said. At the next panel, he noted, "They head straight to bed."

"Pretty racy for the fifteenth century!" Geddy quipped.

They continued around the column. "Here's their baby taking its first steps," Neil said. Then, at the final panel, he noted, "But this story has a tragic ending. The child dies."

Neil looked to his new friends, feeling proud to have shared his discovery. He saw that Geddy's smile had faded. She quickly turned away. Alex squeezed her tightly and turned to Neil. "We're going to head back to the hotel and rest for a while. Maybe we could get together for dinner? Meet you at seven in the lobby?"

"Are you sure?" Neil asked. "I don't want to intrude on you guys."

"Hey, I wouldn't have invited you if I thought it would be an intrusion," Alex responded.

After a brief nap, Alex and Geddy enjoyed lunch at a small restaurant across from their hotel. Alex stuffed himself with a muffuletta sandwich crammed with Italian meats, vegetables, and mozzarella. Geddy chose lighter fare with a simple salad. They spent the afternoon strolling through the ornate Doge's Palace adjacent to St. Mark's Basilica, and found Neil waiting for them in the lobby by the time they returned.

They shared a bottle of wine and devoured a platter of meat, cheese, and tomatoes spritzed with olive oil and sweet balsamic vinegar. Geddy launched into breathless detail about the artwork they had seen in the palace that afternoon. She delivered a masterful summation of the Renaissance period and Venice's role in the collection, production, and distribution of art during that era.

Neil added his expertise on the history of the city and the role it played as the center of trade after the fall of the Roman Empire. Alex simply sipped his wine, enjoyed his tasty appetizers, and soaked it all in. All around him, diners casually lingered over their meals in no apparent rush to leave - a stark contrast to their dining experiences back home.

"So, what brings you two to Italy?" Neil asked.

"It's always been on my bucket list," Alex said. "Geddy and I have been fortunate enough to do a lot of traveling. We've seen most of Europe, Egypt, and Sub-Saharan Africa. For some reason, we kept setting Italy aside. I guess we were saving the best for last."

Neil flashed him a curious expression, prompting Geddy to interject. "What he means is that this was the last must-see destination on our list."

Alex laughed. "Well, no, that's not really what I meant." He exchanged a quick glance with his wife. "It's okay, honey. It's not as if it's a secret. Neil, you're looking at a dying man. I was diagnosed with Stage Four cancer eighteen months ago."

"Oh my god," Neil responded. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

Alex waved his hand. "It is what it is. I've come to terms with it. We all die someday, right? That day is just coming sooner for me."

"Why do you have to be so morbid?" Geddy protested. "We were enjoying a nice dinner."

"Well, it's true!" Alex chuckled. "How does the song go?" He cleared his throat and began to sing. "So you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking..."

"Racing around to come up behind you again..." Neil sang, adding his voice to the duet.

"The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older..." the two men sang. Conceding defeat, Geddy relented and joined them. "Shorter of breath, and one day closer to death!"

They burst into morbid laughter. Their singing drew stares and giggles from the other patrons, so they decided to end it there. Neil shook his head. "Most depressing song ever written."

"You know, when you really think about it," Alex continued, motioning with his hands to encompass all of the surrounding St. Mark's Square, "this plaza is like an allegory for life."

Geddy shook her head and laughed. "Oh, no. Watch out! Not only does wine make him sing, but it makes him philosophical."

"It's true," Alex continued, ignoring her. "Think about it. Look around. We had no idea any one of these people existed before now. They knew nothing of our existence, either. Meanwhile, this plaza has stood here, looking mostly as it does now, for roughly 1,000 years."

"This is getting deep," Neil said, winking at Geddy across the table.

"Now think of the universe as this plaza," Alex said, "and we are nothing but a random tourist. The universe, like this plaza, existed long before we came along, and it will exist long after we're gone. As soon as we leave this plaza, not one of these people you see around us will remember that any of us were ever here. Likewise, one day, no one will remember that we had ever existed in this universe. When we die, our family and friends will mourn for us, sure. But within the passing of a generation or two, we'll become nothing more than a name in someone's family tree."

"Damn, dude, that's depressing as hell," Neil said. He swallowed a large gulp of wine.

"But it isn't depressing at all," Alex said. "See, the point is that our existence in this plaza, and this universe, is a relative blink of the eye. The only thing we can do is make the most of the time we have. Just as we're doing now, see?"

"I apologize for my husband," Geddy interjected, patting him on the shoulder. "He takes some getting used to."

"You don't have to apologize for anything," Neil said. "You've stared face-to-face with your own mortality for the past eighteen months. To the rest of us, it's an afterthought. For you, it must always be on your mind. I'm really sorry you're going through this. Both of you. I can't imagine what you've been through already."

"Neil, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy," Alex responded. An awkward silence followed, and Alex filled the void by changing the subject. "So, what's your story? How did you decide to come here?"

Neil chuckled. "I'm afraid it's not a terribly uplifting story, either. You see, my wife and I booked this trip a year ago to celebrate our twentieth anniversary. Then, about nine months ago, I found out she was cheating on me. Now she's my ex-wife. I intended to cancel this trip, but a friend of mine persuaded me to go by myself. I figured, why should I deny myself this experience just because she's a cheating whore?" He caught himself in that moment and blushed. "Sorry, it's still a little raw."