Nicole jogged to the point of Zlatni Rt that jutted farthest into the Adriatic. She circled
around a stone ruin -- likely hundreds of years old -- and headed back towards
the hotel. In the short time she'd been out, the clouds had completely
overtaken the sun, and the temperature dropped at least ten degrees. She wasn't
exactly looking forward to taking a shower in her unheated bathroom --
especially since the tiny water heater offered a very finite amount of warm
water -- but coupled with hot tea, she might just warm up again.
As she passed by the white-rimmed beach again, she
noticed a familiar figure just arriving at the water. Delighted, she called,
"Matija!" and started walking down to meet him.
Matija feigned jumping into the frigid water. "Come
any closer and I'll do it, I swear!"
Nicole laughed. "Do it!" She made exaggerated
movement towards him.
"I'm not joking! I really will jump into this very
cold water!'
"Go for it! I dare you!"
He relaxed. "Ok, I really am joking. You can come
closer." As she did, though, he pretended to make a grab for her, "That
way I can throw you in the
water!"
She shrieked, "Matija! Behave!"
He stopped. "Why?"
"Well... because I don't want one of us to end up in
the water."
He made an elaborate sniffle. "So, you really do
care."
"Well, yea. If you get all cold and wet, you'll want
to come to my apartment and use up all my dry towels. You'll probably even use
up my little bit of hot water. Then what will I do?" She indicated her
head. "I can't go to work looking like this."
He nodded sagely. "Yes, that would be a tragedy
indeed -- much worse than my catching my death of pneumonia." He tossed
his head and smiled, though, to show he was, of course, kidding.
Nicole hugged her elbows. "So, what are you doing
down here anyway?"
"You don't believe I'm really going for a swim?"
She made a show of looking him over. "You're not
wearing a swim suit."
"Clothing is optional at most beaches in Croatia --
and especially here at Zlatni Rt."
Nicole gave him an appalled look. "Really?"
"Oh, yes. You haven't lived until you've seen a
leather-skinned German showing you his all."
"I most certainly have lived without seeing that. And you're still joking,
right?"
"Unfortunately, Nika, right now I'm telling you true
things."
"Oh." Feeling her fingers were getting cold,
she started tugging the sleeves of her warm-up jacket down. "But you're
not really going for a swim, are
you?"
"Hey, I know all us Slavs look alike, but I'm not
Russian. Only Russians go swimming in the sea outside of summer -- and I think
most of them wouldn't try it now either." He noticed what she was doing
with her sleeves. He frowned. "Are you cold?"
"It's a cold day."
Matija indicated his worn leather jacket and equally worn
leather gloves. "Which is why I'm dressed for the weather, not in some
terribly fashionable but impractical running suit." He sighed heavily.
"But I'll make the sacrifice."
"What sacri-" She broke off when she saw he was
stripping off his gloves.
Matija offered them to her as if on a silver platter.
"Evo. So you can keep your
fingers."
"But..." She took them, but still protested,
"What will you do?"
"Ah, see this is the brilliance of my clothing. Not
fashionable but..." He slipped his big hands into his pockets. "Very
practical."
Nicole was touched by the gesture. She slid her hands into
the oversized gloves, still warm from Matija's hands.
Finally, she asked, "Are you ever going to tell me
what you're doing down here on such a cold day?"
"No. Under pain of torture I will never tell you
that this is my favorite winter beach-" He gasped and gaped at her, as if
he'd really told a secret.
She laughed duly. "Is it really?"
Matija relaxed, and they chatted amiably for some time.
He related that, as a native Rovinjian, he had a beach for all seasons and all
moods. "Monte is good for a quick
swim, Punta Corrente if I want ice cream while I'm sunbathing. Red Island if I
plan to spend a lot of time... And this one for winter."
Nicole looked around. A gray boulder framed the small
beach on one side, tall pines on the other. The white pebbles sloped down from
the path to the clear Adriatic. The little alcove felt isolated -- but not in
the way she did off-and-on as an outsider. Isolated like a favored hiding spot,
a place to get out of your head and meditate. She looked sharply at Matija.
"Seriously, Matija, was I interrupting you when I came down here?"
He snorted. "You found out that I am procrastinating. I have a stack of
grammar papers this high." He
held his hands about a foot apart. "I imagine my students will want them
graded before they take their exam next week."
"I imagine."
"Hey, come to think of it, it seems about time I
gave you and exam."
Nicole cringed. "I was hoping you'd forget
that."
"Of course I haven't. I'm a very consci-
conscien-.." He snapped his fingers. "I forgot to avoid that
word."
"Conscientious?"
"Sure, show off."
Nicole groaned. "Oh, stars now there's going to be a
pronunciation portion to the exam."
"Hey, that's a great idea."
"Matija," she pleaded, "I'd like to point
out that every day is a test. I live in Croatia."
"Yes, but as a seasoned teacher of three months, it
has come to my attention that my pupils do not study unless I dangle the threat
of a test in front of them."
"Oh, all right. I suppose that's true."
Matija cleared his throat. "And maybe if you get a
good mark on this test, I will reward you with the chance to really practice
your Croatian."
Nicole frowned. "You mean, more of a chance than
actually living in the country?"
"Yes. Ivan and Ivana -- whom you know don't speak
any English -- are having a small party Saturday, mostly people who want to
watch Gira on their satellite."
"What's 'Gira'?"
Matija rolled his eyes. "What are they teaching you
about Croatian culture at your classes?"
"Mostly the Glagolitic script."
"Well, Gira is a basketball player in the NBA. Since
he's from Croatia, we Croats jump at the chance to watch him on satellite
TV."
"Oh."
Matija peered at her. "But maybe watching sports is
not your idea of a fun Saturday night."
She thought of all the sports bars and
"parties" she'd gone to with Shaun. "Can I go even if I get a
bad grade on my test?"
"Nika, that would make me a terrible teacher!"
She jumped on the opportunity he gave her. "That's a
'yes' then," she teased.
Matija paused. Then he nodded. "Good one."
"Just kidding -- you're a great teacher."
Matija seemed to ponder her words. "Sorry, I don't
get the joke in that one."
"Oh, Matija," she laughed. "What time is
the party?"
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