Luigi and Chiara

I'm out for my late evening stroll in Arzachena, a village of 12,000 inhabitants at the north end of Sardinia. I wave to a burly man on a cell phone. He's in his front yard. Inside a gate. I pass by several times. Finally, he answers my latest wave with a 'Hello.' Yes, in English. Not Italian. I'm surprised. Because I assume he's Italian and has no way of knowing I'm American. I'm correct. He's Italian. 'No parlo Italiano,' I say. 'Io sono Americano.' He responds in good Italian-accented English. His name is Luigi. We connect immediately. He's exactly what I've been looking for during my autumn/winter stay in Sardinia. Italians that speak English. Luigi, it turns out, played American-style professional football for a team in Milan. For 12 years. He was a lineman. And he's built like one. Heavy and solid. Luigi is very conversant and knowledgeable about American football. His favorite teams are the Miami Dolphins and the San Francisco 49ers. Luigi has retired from football. Now he's becoming a masseuse, a professional massage therapist. And he's bilingual. As is his wife, Chiara, Italian for Clarice. Luigi and Chiara have a little daughter, Rebecca, who rides on Chiara's shoulder as we talk. We chat convivally. No longer strangers. Luigi and Chiara are my kind of people. I sense an instant connection. We exchange email addresses and promise to stay in touch. Luigi and Chiara will become acquainted with my blog. And readers will soon learn more about this Italian couple. And believe me, they are friends. Instant friends. We were supposed to meet. Yes, it's destiny. --Jim Broede