There she was, just standing there, when what she wanted to do was forbidden. Lizzy had seen one too many fountains on this hot day while exploring the city. Visions of a scene from one of her favorite movies Under the Tuscan Sun flitted across her mind. Could she be brave enough to take a dip? Not too many people were milling around at the moment. She could get in and out pretty quickly.
Earlier in the day Lizzie had found a lost bracelet in a side pocket of her luggage. It had inspired her to begin the search again for the one missing charm in her collection. Let me assure you, what you have conjured up in your mind when you read the word "charm" is not what graced Lizzie's bracelt. Oh no. Not only did she look up, out and around when she walked, but some of the best treasures were found with eyes down to the ground. From a bathroom stall, to trash heaps, dirt paths, waste baskets, woods and streets, Lizzie was always on the lookout for traces of life in her present locale. Travels to out of the way places plunged her into the most wonderful shops, side streets, alley ways, country lanes and parts and pracels of life along the way. Memories hung from that bracelet providing delightful transports whenever she heard its jingle jangle or caught sight of it.
From the beautiful tiled mosaic floor of the fountain, Lizzie spotted just the right memento to add to the bracelet dangling now from her left wrist. It would require her to actually step into the water, make her way to the middle and gently retrieve the ornate rusty key. Would it be easy to grasp? She wouldn't mind getting to cool off a bit as well. With a lifelong struggle against worrying about what people thought of her, avoiding bringing any attention to herself while fading into the crowd, Lizzie definitely was facing a challenge!
With cares flung to the wind, Lizzie took the plunge. She was in and out having claimed her prize quick as a wink, none the worse for the wear. No one seemed to give a glance toward the woman with the sun dress, straw hat, sunglasses and black sandals nonchalantly climbing gracefully into a fountain and back out onto the cobblestone plaza. Opening her hand to inspect her find convinced Lizzie totally and completely of the right decision to enter the fountain.
Next on the agenda...an iced latte from one of those adorable cafe's she had eyed longingly from the bus window while stopping to pick up more passengers a few hours ago. There she could fully admire the "charm" that would finish off her bracelet while dreaming of the structure whose lock it fitted long ago. Ah ha! An idea for her next book began to take shape unexpectedly. Lizzie could hardly wait to be seated at a table in the inviting Have A Cuppa on Persimmon Lane.
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