“All right then, just name the items, and let’s make it happen; after all, summer won’t last forever. Do you have the checklist with you?” I nod affirmatively and go get it from my bag, taking out a pink sheet of paper sprayed with perfume, which contains all the things I want to do, quickly crossing off the activities I’ve already done. I approach my dad and hand him the sheet, watching his reaction as he reads it.
Chiara’s adventures list:
•Go to Singapore with my best friends.
•Visit Russia with my brothers.
•Play with a baby tiger.
•To fly a hang glider.
•Sky diving in Dubai.
•Do kitesurfing.
•Swim with dolphins.
•Watch a ballet show in Russia.
•Dine on a platform in the air.
•Learn to scuba dive.
•Dive with sharks.
•Swim with whales.
•Take a trip to see orcas.
•Go to the top of the Burj Khalifa (from the outside).
•Stargazing in Antarctica and the Atacama Desert.
•See the Northern Lights.
•Camping in the Sahara Desert with my parents and siblings.
I look at Dad’s face and see him smiling or making disgruntled faces as he reads. That’s because he hasn’t read my other wish, a wish that is only written in my diary for no one else to see.
•To fall in love for the first time.
I feel my cheeks burn as I remember what I wrote in the diary on the morning of my birthday when no one was there to see it.
“It looks like this vacation is going to be a busy oneand a rather dangerous one, too, dear!” Dad says in a concerned tone, making me smile.
“I want to take risks and get out of my comfort zone, and I probably won’t be able to complete all this this summer. In any case, I’m not going to put any pressure on myself; I’m taking it easy and enjoying the moment with qualified professionals by my side. The points I don’t complete, I’ll do next summer!” They all nod their heads in agreement while Vincenzo gives me a smile that could easily be compared to the Joker’s.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m very excited about the idea of doing all this. Yes, Chiara, Lorenzo, and I won’t leave your side; you can’t go on all these adventures alone!” I look at Lorenzo, smiling and shaking his head, gesturing that he would also be there. I smile back and nod.
“I didn’t expect anything else from my overprotective older brothers; it will be a pleasure to have you along on this journey!”
“I think we’d better start preparing everything then; how about starting with the family camping trip in the desert?” asks Dad, raising an eyebrow. I glance at my brothers, and they accept. Then I look at Dad again and do the same, watching him leave the shooting room while on the phone, talking to my mother.
It doesn’t take too long to convince her; despite the divorce, their relationship was always very good; perhaps that’s why I took it so badly. The fact that she didn’t show her pain and anger toward him meant that I not only took on her pain but also my own, shaping an anger that, for a long time, didn’t seem to fit inside me. Looking back now, that’s one of my favorite aspects about my mom, her ability to not explode. Dad left, leavingher with three children to look after, and not a bad word ever left her lips about him. She was always saying that life isn’t perfect, calmed me down when I got upset because he canceled on something, excused his actions, smiled when he showed, and continued to invite him to Christmas. In reality, she always did everything for us and never stopped doing it. Sometimes, I’m scared that she still loves him and suffers from his multiple heartbreaks. She never dated after the divorce, or at least she never introduced anyone to the family, and above all, at certain times, she looks at him with so much love that I want to cry because, just like her, I know that love isn’t always enough.
Three days later, the family was gathered in Egypt, so we set off in jeeps with guides and the resort staff toward the desert, camping relatively close to the River Nile, one of Mom’s demands. When we arrive at the site, the tents were already set up, with all the possible luxuries enough for a camping situation and camels laying on the riverside. I step out of the jeep, hiding my face from the sandy wind with my scarf. I look around, and all I see is sand, except for the riverbank in front of us, a van parking near the tents, and motorbikes being pulled out. I look at my brothers swiftly, unable to contain the laughter stuck in my throat. It was obvious that those two would never be satisfied with just camping in the desert. I notice the smile on my dad’s face and the worried look on my mom’s. One of the guides accompany us, warning that we have about three hours until sunset, so we can still ride our motorcycles through the dunes today. I smile and involuntarily let out a thin shriek and bounce, making him laugh.
“What are we waiting for? Come on, let’s have some fun!” I say, rushing to the bikes, but I’m interrupted by my mother standing in front of me; I give her puppy eyes, making her roll her eyes, and my brothers laugh. “Come on, I’ve had motorcycle lessons. Besides, Vincenzo and Lorenzo are going, too. It’s unfairif I don’t go. This was supposed to be my trip, and Dad’s going too. Nothing’s going to happen!” I blur it out, almost without breathing, in a tone that almost sounds desperate. She looks at me, directing her gaze to my father, who just shrugs his shoulders andthen turns her eyes back to me again.
