A friend of mine was visiting Rome. We'd spent a relaxed afternoon together; a plate of pasta and a gossip followed by a few pints in the pub. E came and met us after he'd finished work and my friend started eyeing up the two scooter helmets E had carried in with him. "You know I've always wanted to go on a scooter" he told me "but I'm scared something might happen". "What?!! I replied incredulously "nothing will happen. They're actually really safe, and it's really fun. Let E give you a spin around the piazza, go on!". "Hmmmm" he replied, unsure. E and I spent the next hour or so convincing him that nothing terrible would happen and in the end, after a final courage-giving beer he relented, and hopped on the back for a turn around the piazza. I stood there and smiled indulgently like a proud mother as I heard my friend laughing out loud in a mixture of fear and delight all the way round the square. "That was amazing!" he told me excitedly as he hopped off "I'm definitely having another go before I leave. His bus arrived. "See you tomorrow" he yelled as he jumped on the bus to go back to his hotel.
I took the second helmet and got on the back of the bike. "You didn't have to take him so fast" I complained to E as we began the journey back to the village. "He was enjoying it" countered E, and we gently bickered as we made our way home. As we entered the town before ours the streets were still busy at around midnight with teenagers on their way to discos, families on their way home from dinners, and groups of friends crowded outside bars. I was thinking of nothing in particular, half watching the road ahead, half watching the street life around me.
A car up in front on the other side of the road was doing something strange. It looked like it was turning into our path, but surely it couldn't be as it must have seen us coming along at full speed. But no, it was still turning. But I'm sure E can swerve out of it's way. There we go, he's swerving now. It's going to be close, but I know it won't hit us because E is an excellent driver, and...ok now I'm rolling across the ground. The car must have bumped us because I'm not on the scooter anymore. Right, I've finished rolling now, and- shit- is that the scooter 20 metres away? Wow, I went a long way. I feel ok though, and look there's E standing up, thank goodness he's ok too. I quite want to go home now though, think I'll get up too. So I'll just bend my knee, put my foot on the ground and...now why did I hear a crunch? Why can't I get up? E please come over here and help me get up, I want to go home.
I am screaming but I can't quite remember why, I just know that somewhere it hurts. A paramedic on his way home from his shift appears. His name is Paolo and he puts my leg on someone's coat. He won't let me drink water even though I am so thirsty. Somewhere to the right of me E is squaring up to a man who is saying "you didn't slow down when you saw me turning". Paolo calls E away saying "Francesca needs you right now", and I feel like I am in a cheesy film.
An old lady is bending over me and calling me 'carina' and trying to give me tissues, even though my crying isn't really the teary kind of crying but more a hysterical hyperventilating crying. A group of teenagers have stopped their motorinos nearby to find out what's going on. They must be bored of looking, I think, because they are now standing in a circle gossiping. About 5 people are trying to call an ambulance but it is Saturday night and it won't arrive. Finally it comes and I am put on a stretcher and I beg them to let E come with me because I don't think I can remember how to speak Italian any more and I don't know where they're taking me. They very firmly tell me 'no', and I am carted away thinking 'it can't be that bad because there are no flashing lights'.
Part 2 coming soon.
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