Day 2
As soon as office hours arrive, I call Sandro, the mechanic who sold me the car, to ask what to do about the keys. His first question is: "Where is the spare?"
I pause. "In the stolen purse."
I can hear his head shake as he exhales "Ahhhhhh...."
He says he will call the Lancia dealer tomorrow and let me know what they say. In the meantime, my kind Scotts friend Shiela, one of the many who received a frantic text last night, offers to drive me to the ladies luncheon tomorrow. At least I can socialize.
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Day 3
No word from Sandro. My car remains abandoned in the parking lot of the Pescara airport. Racking up the meter at 11 euro per day. Note: Call Sandro first thing tomorrow!
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Day 4
Sandro has explained what the Lancia dealer told him. But I don't understand and after asking him to repeat himself 80 times, so I can follow both the Italian and the mechanics, he becomes frustrated. We agree to call in language re-enforcement later in the form of my intrepid property manager, Laura. She has just returned from a vacation in Venice and has no idea of the imbroglio triggered by my being on my own in absence.
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Day 5
Standing in the blazing heat of the Pescara Airport parking lot. Waiting for my American friend Richard to circle back and find me to take me home. The complex chain of timing a communication required to arrange the towing of my car felt like a top-secret military operation. Laura calling Sandro who had to call Paolo the Tow Guy and the "elettrauto" to which the car would be towed who had to then call each other back an forth and then my having to call Richard several times because the rondevous time for the tow kept changing. Then once I was deposited at the airport, having to maintain contact with Richard to update time on the continually revise arrival times of the tow truck so he could pick me up and then alternating those calls with calls to Sandro to let him know that all phases of Operation Macchina da Teresa were being implemented. Are you following all this? Me, neither.
Now watching my car become a blue spec as it bobs away atop the flaming yellow tow truck. Just paid some guy I've never met 150 euro cash to take it away. To another guy I've never met and whose whereabouts are still uncertain to me but who Sandro has said it eh "elettraluto" who will reprogram the ignition system so a new key can be made in 1/4 of the time and at half the price quoted by the Lancia dealer. Without understanding either electronics nor auto mechanics, I am taking it on faith that Sandro has set me on the right path. Apparently, as Laura translated while I tried to catch it over the speaker function of my cell phone, this method is an alternative to taking 20 days for the Lancia dealer to create a duplicate key from the existing ignition for 500 - 800 euro while the car remains in the airport parking lot at the stated 11 euro per day. Either Sandro is doing me a huge favor with some creative problem-solving, or all three guys are part of an Abruzzese wing of the mafia and I've just paid someone the equivalent of $200 to steal my car and take it to a guy named Bruno the Alleged Elettrauto.
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Evening of Day 5
Spent about an hour online trying to find Mr. Bruno the Alleged Elettrauto via the "pagine bianche". Panic and doubt level reached epic proportions. Not only not feeling like a "real" Italian, but feeling like a "real" idiot. Finally contacted Mr. Paolo the Tow Guy. He gave me Mr. Bruno's cell number. A live voice allegedly belonging to the Alleged Bruno responded to my call. Car will be ready on Saturday morning. Come pick it up. No definite time. Vague indication of the location of the shop. And the hours. And the cost. Too hard to understand over the muffled static of cell phones. Wait until Saturday and sort it out in person. And hope.
to be continued.....
Through it all, being mindful of returning to the house in time to check in new guests.
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