In summer 2021, our family took a trip to the Adriatic coast of Italy. Rimini, which city our rental home was located in, was just a short distance away from the seaside and historic landmarks. And due to last minute booking, we didn't quite plan ahead for the things to do within the area, therefore we decided to just pick an apartment and explore on our own without relying too much on online recommendations. After all, Rimini is a hotspot for tourists and one could assume there would be plenty of activities to fill one whole week.

Our apartment was one of about ten others in the same building. We were given a private parking space, and there was also a common room with TV and karaoke machine. A dining area was provided as well for those who paid to include breakfast during their stay. We preferred doing small groceries to fill the kitchen of our apartment instead of eating the same things for breakfast. Our kid was only 5 years old and she couldn’t possibly enjoy such a buffet. I usually ate a small portion too.

It’s a common courtesy here in Italy to greet new neighbors even if they’re just staying for a short while. Most people would treat this neighborly behavior rather invasive towards their privacy, but we didn’t really mind it. We were quickly introduced to a lady next door who traveled all the way to Rimini from the island of Sicily, and she kindly offered me a foldable drying rack which she had in her apartment and not in ours, claiming that she was going to return to her hometown and wouldn’t be needing it anymore.

Her name was Maria. I saw her again once or twice along the hallway but we simply said hi and went ahead with our day without speaking further, until one afternoon when my kid spilled her whole cup of chocolate milk on her dress and I had to rushingly wash and dry it outside. Maria saw that I was in such a hurry and began inquiring about what just happened. I summarized the whole thing and added that we were supposed to be heading out, but our plan was delayed because of this small incident.

“Oh don’t you worry,” said the friendly Maria. “I’ll look after the laundry while you’re outside. I’m not going anywhere today.”

I thought it was nice of her to watch our stuff. I was beginning to get cranky thinking of the possibility of that dress being blown away by a gust of wind coming from the sea. Tha