( The Italian Dress )

“I took a trip. That’s how the story starts. I live in China, but somehow I found it made perfect sense to buy a plane ticket to go to Italy to see this guy I had a short affair with three years back. I hadn’t seen him since. That’s happens when you live in China: you start losing it.”

So I took a trip that took ages to plan and it was a complete mess: my plane got delayed, the second one got lost, I had to beg and bargain to change destinations, and on top of this I found myself without my luggage. Gone were all the presents for this guy’s family, gone were my friend’s wedding outfit and wedding present, and gone was my collection of lingerie that I had brought as I imagined this trip as a sexual escapade. I didn’t have much time to dwell on it though, as I had to make it to this guy´s place before midnight and I had two trains to catch in order to do that.

So I did some emergency shopping on the train station which – thanks universe – had a Zara and Calcedonia on it. In half an hour I picked a pair of panties, a bikini and the only dress that I fancied although it was too big. I decided to made the best out of it, and fixed it with my purse strap. Little was I to know the dress would become the most precious item in my closet.

In this dress I spent some of the most beautiful days of my life. It wrapped me when I was overwhelmed by the beauty of Florence to the point of crying. It accompanied me as I wandered around Cinqueterre. It was there when I had the best pesto and focaccia, saw the most amazing sunsets and discovered enchanted corners. But most important of all: in this dress I was loved by somebody whom I loved back. It is funny how it took me a while to realize that this was something new and different.

So now, half a world apart again, when I miss him I sometimes wrap myself in the dress again. When I do, I can’t help but remember it all: the trip, falling in love, and having his fingers softly tracing my back. Damn, how I love that dress.

( Carmen )
( China )