The friendly Italians.

It rained today. While I was walking in my little town in Sardinia. And I didn’t bring an umbrella. So I took to a shelter at a bus stop. And waited out the drizzle. Meanwhile, an old man got off a bus. And we shared the same shelter for a while. He spoke to me. But I didn’t fully understand. Told him in Italian that I don’t speak Italian. That I’m an Americano. But since I spoke a few words of Italian, he apparently assumed that I understood Italian.  And  kept speaking. So I kept replying with the word, ‘si.’ Which means yes.  Maybe that made me seem agreeable.  Anyway, we  hit it off.  Eventually, the man lifted his hand to the sky. Looked up.  Think he said the rain was letting up.  He placed a paper towel  on top of his bald head. And strolled away. Happily. Something to like about most Italians. They’re friendly. Even to strangers that don’t speak their language.  –Jim Broede