Trafika Europe 1 - Northern Idyll

And we all look in the direction Karlo, Albert and his signorina should come. I don’t know. I’ve never seen his signorina , she hasn’t been in our kitchen yet so that I could see her. Mama says she had long red hair, that she was very beautiful and that she’s called Ida. She told me this once by the window as she looked toward Mount Čaven and Angel Mountain, which is hers and hers only, she says. I hear a car. The others hear it too. I see. Tata takes a step forward, adjusts his hat, Mama adjusts her skirt, Josipina wipes the dust off her shoes and Srečko once more wipes his forehead. I see his eyes are sparkling, Srečko’s. The car is here. Albert, my brother steps out, Ida, his signorina , follows him. They both have a lot of dry leaves on their clothes because in the car driven by Karlo there’s always a lot of dry leaves. I know this from when he drives me to Elizabeta’s and he opens the window and the leaves twirl around me. Karlo says: It’s draughty. I’ll close the window. Karlo is smiling. So are Albert and Ida. They walk toward us. They are coming closer. Now they are here. Tata hugs Albert. They hold on to each other firmly. Tata cries. Then he isn’t crying any more. Then Albert goes to Mama and kisses her. He caresses her gray hair and her face and holds

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