As they wandered the streets, Lina told Enzo that she grew up in an orphanage controlled by nuns after being abandoned as a baby and that she loved to make trouble for Miss Caterina, the head nun, believing her to be too controlling.
“Two days ago, I discovered that Miss Caterina was hoarding our food rations.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, in the orphanage we usually eat little and not very well. Lunch consists only of a small plate of poorly cooked pasta and a piece of tough meat. But for weeks we saw that the rations were even smaller than before.”
“And where was Miss Caterina hiding all the grub?” Enzo asked.
“In her office. No one had ever been in there except me.”
“Whoa! How was that?”
“I snuck into the Miss Caterina's office and accidentally sprung a trapdoor. I explored and found, to my surprise, a lot of food. Unfortunately, Miss Caterina found me and also told me to do extra work. Even she took Marissa from me and confiscated her, the good thing is that I was able to rescue her. But that was the last straw, so I decided to run away from that place.”
After hearing that story, Enzo saw his small leather drop leg bag that he always carried. It was full of food for the lunchtime.
“Do you want to eat some of my lunch?” Enzo offered to her.
"Why not? I'm already used to eating anything, even something poorly prepared by a silly boy."
“I didn't prepare my lunch. What I bring was prepared by our cook.”
Enzo and Lina came to the local park near the centre of the city at about 2pm. In the park there was a little area with a couple benches. The preteens walked over to the bench and sat down.
Enzo took out of his leather bag a metal tin that contained pasta tossed with pesto, a wooden box that contained turkey cutlets and boiled eggs, a piece of bread, and an orange to finish it. Lina accepted everything Enzo gave her without fuss.
"The food wasn’t so bad." Lina said when they finished.
“This is nothing compared to what I will eat at Pleasure Island. Mountains of cookies, chocolate, cake, candies…”
"Well, I hope you enjoy it, glutton boy."
“You can also enjoy it if you want to go, of course.”
“And why would I want to go with you anywhere? Especially to a place that you don't even know where it is.”
“Oh, come on! It'll be fun.”
"Besides, Marissa doesn't like places with a lot of people and a lot of noise. And I already told you that we don't eat chocolate."
"All the more reason you have to go. You should try chocolate for the first time. It's the best thing in the world. You cannot miss this opportunity. I'm sure Marissa agrees with me."
"No, she thinks you're a weird boy… and she still doesn't like you."
"Well, you have no other place to go."
"I was thinking of going back to the orphanage. At least they give me shelter and food there. But if Miss Caterina takes Marissa away from me again, I'll bite her hand."
"Seriously. Don't you want to come with me? Do you really want to go back to that horrible orphanage where you always have a bad time?"
Lina was emotionless for a while, contemplating what she was going to answer.
“I don’t know.”
“Well, I guess you can live in the orphanage until someone adopts you.”
"I will never be adopted."
“Why? You’re smart and beautiful.”
“Maybe, but I’m very defiant and a little bratty. The nuns always give preference to the well-behaved, they are always the first to go. Besides, people prefer to adopt babies.”
“Damned nuns!”
“But me and Marissa don't care, we have no desire to be adopted. Be chosen by a mother and a father would be like having nosy nuns again. Telling you to go to bed just when you could be having the most fun, or making you take cod liver oil when you much preferred caramel candy.”
“And there's one place where you can avoid all that, and it's Pleasure Island. No more nuns or parents that tell you to work, study or clean up and you can play all day long!”
Lina didn't say anything. She only lay down on the bench putting her head over the leather bag while hugging her doll and thinking hard.
"Does such a place really exist?" Lina asked after a while.
"The coach will stop in front of the old library to take us there. I'm giving you a ticket at once."
Lina reluctantly took the ticket and stuffed it under Marissa's bonnet. Suddenly, Lina stood up leaving her doll on the bench and started hopping on one foot as if there was an invisible hopscotch on the ground. Enzo noticed a smile on her face.
"And... you say that in Pleasure Island you can become an artist?" Lina said as she balanced on one foot.
“Of course, without parents telling me what to do and with many places to draw and paint. I will live the life of a real artist at last."
“And you think that anyone can become what one wants there?”
“Sure, do you have a dream?”
“That's none of your business.” Immediately, Lina stood on two feet and arrogantly turned around turning up her nose.
“Hey, I told you my dream, my ambition. Why don't you tell me yours?”
“Hmmm…”
"From what I see you are a fearless and brave girl, surely you have a great dream that you can achieve with those qualities."
Lina thought for a moment and smiled of satisfaction. Then she flipped over to walk on her hands backward. Enzo was completely overwhelmed and speechless.
“That's what I want to be: an amazing acrobat.” Lina said standing on her hands.
“Wow!”
“I learned this trick very young. And that’s not all.”
Then, Lina tried to do twine on air to stretch her legs, but she couldn’t because something very embarrassing happened. Lina accidentally flipped her skirt over her head, revealing her white bloomers for an instant. Immediately Lina had to go back over and fluffed her skirt.
All that caused Enzo broke into laughter. Lina was ashamed and furious that he laughed at her.
“Last time I try to impress a stupid boy.”
“I'm sorry, I just couldn't contain myself. Ha ha ha!”
She angrily grabbed her doll and started to walk away.
“No wait! Please return! I didn't mean it. Please don't go.”
Lina stopped, but she wasn't about to turn to look at him.
“I won't do it again. I promise.” Enzo begged. “Your trick was amazing! I've never been able to stand on my hands for more than a couple seconds.”
Lina was silent for a moment until she turned to see him.
“The nuns never let me do my acrobat tricks; they always say that this is a behavior not considered proper for a lady.”
"And what do those rotten nuns know? I'm sure you'll be a great acrobat."
Lina walked over to Enzo smirking and sat back down on the bench.
"Perhaps Marissa is a little wrong and you are not such a fool after all. What time did you say the coach is coming? "