The Nonna
Beck nods.
She carefully pulls open the drawer to reveal knives and forks.
“Rebecca, knives and forks. Yes?” She asks.
“Okay, pay attention,” The Nonna continues. She’s a tiny woman, with curled brown hair and a striking but warm gaze. Eighty-years old and as sharp as a cleaver. She shuffles across the apartment with the help of a single crutch. The Airbnb host is out of town today. This is his mother.
She pulls open the cupboaed as if she’s about to reveal a surprise for us. It’s empty except for a sponge and a wash basin.
“For clean. Yes?” She smiles and nods.
The whole place has been meticulously put together. Items are wrapped, sealed, folded, and neatly placed exactly where they should be. There’s nothing surprising or complicated about the apartment - but this doesn’t stop The Nonna from guiding us through every nook and cranny.
She’s shown us the wardrobe (in the bedroom), the TV remotes (next to the TV), the kettle (in the kitchen), the shower (in the bathroom).
The best parts are when The Nonna explicitly shows Beck all the things a good wife needs to know - where the pots and pans are so she can cook for her husband, where the table setting stuff is so she can serve food to her husband, how to wash the dishes so her husband can enjoy his food going down.
By the end of the end of the tour, The Nonna left us with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She then rubbed my belly and said, “I love boys. I have two sons!”
I’m not quite sure what that meant, but what I do know is that those two boys were lucky to have her.