Location, Location

Could a leaky roof unexpectedly lead to love?

Frederico blamed all those programmes on British television. The ones encouraging people to buy dilapidated old wrecks of houses and do them up.

From his memories of his two-year stint spent working in the UK, they were on all day, every day! Locations in the warmer climes were the most popular – France, Spain, Portugal, and of special interest to him since it was his homeland, and where he had now returned to live, Italy.

Well, if you had a leaky roof, he imagined a bit of sunshine helped!

Getting into his car to drive to the nearby town where he worked, Frederico scowled across at the little house that was his only close neighbour. It had been empty for years. Then, last week, she’d arrived in a dusty car with a UK registration plate.

Jilly, her name was. She’d come over to his house and introduced herself – in Italian, for which he grudgingly gave her a star, since she had at least troubled herself to learn the language.

Mind you, when he’d replied in English, explaining about his sojourn there, she’d seemed happier to continue that way.

He learned that she came from Devon. He’d been there. It was very pretty, he recalled.

So why hadn’t she bought herself a little house there as a renovation project?

He scowled some more as he started up his car.

He knew somewhere inside him that he was being unreasonable. But the thing was, he’d moved into the house he was living in because of its quiet – some people would say rather lonely – location.

After the way it had ended with Sophia, that was what he wanted, to hide away, even though his mother said it was the worst thing he could do.

“You must not cut yourself off, Frederico.you will be better meeting people,” she constantly lectured him.

But she, he was well aware, had an agenda. She wanted him, her only son, married.

Both his sisters were married and had children. But that wasn’t enough for her. He sighed.

Jilly was out in her garden as he drove past.

She gave him a friendly wave and he felt guilty about his less-than-welcoming attitude.

It wasn’t all about his selfishness, he decided.there were other reasons she shouldn’t have come.

They made it all look so easy on TV. But it was hard, physical work and, frankly, she didn’t look up to it.

She had the pale colouring that burned in the sun and a general fragility about her.

He couldn’t see her up a ladder, that was for sure!

That was, however, where she was when next he saw her.

There she was, appearing to be trying to clamber up on to her roof. It was just a singlestorey structure. But even so...

Without thinking further, he hurried out to her.

She was already retreating down the steps – taking them very carefully, he noticed.

The land surrounding the house, neglected for years, had been taken over principally by spiky plants. Not a soft landing were you to fall.

And he knew about that, he reflected, as Sophia’s face popped into his head.yes, he was an expert on hitting the ground hard.

“It needs retiled.” Jilly’s voice interrupted his thoughts. She pointed up to the roof. “I’m getting someone to come and give me a quote. I saw an advert, but I thought I’d take a look myself beforehand.” She paused.

“I’ve never had this kind of job done before, Frederico, so I don’t know how noisy it will be. But if it disturbs you, let me know and I’ll see if it can be completed when you’re out.”

“Thank you.” He nodded. She was if nothing else a thoughtful woman.

“Who is it you’ve got coming? I know a lot of the local tradesmen.”

She supplied the name. “Do you know him? Is he OK?” Frederico paused.

He had been at school with him and he was bone idle and a cheat. As far as he’d heard, he still was to this day.

If she wanted shoddy work and a big bill, he was her man. But you didn’t behave like that, did you? “My cousin Luigi is in the building trade, and very good,” he said instead.“how about I ask him to have a look at it for you?”

It was true about Luigi. He wasn’t just singing his praises because he was family.

“Would you? Oh, I’d be so grateful if you could arrange it!” She beamed as though he’d just given her the world.

He nodded again, unable to remain unaffected by the pure radiance of her smile.

And he was not the only one, as he discovered a few days later . . .

“Luigi says your new neighbour has a most lovely smile.” Frederico’s mother, seated opposite him in his kitchen, gave him a searching look. Busy pouring coffee for them, he didn’t reply.

“Ah, well, I will see for myself shortly,” she continued. “How’s that?”

“She told him she wanted to learn how to cook proper Italian food and asked if there was a school in the town he could recommend. A school!”

She laughed, clearly finding the idea highly amusing.

“I told him to tell her she didn’t need any school,” she added.“i would give her lessons. Which is where I am going now.”

“Mother!” He nearly dropped his coffee.

“What is wrong with that?” His mother gave him a fierce look.“are you suggesting I am