A pleasant feeling of excitement spread through twenty-four-year-old Lisa Saunders when she saw Rome move closer in the distance from the sky. She thinks of the wonderful holiday that awaits her and her sister in the forgein country- where it is currently summer. The thought of her sister makes her involuntarily think back of the sadness and worry she has experienced the past year.
She thinks of the car accident that claimed the lives of both their parents. Her sister is still so young, she still needs her parents. She needs her mother, the first time the tooth fairy brings money, and she runs to her mother, and excitedly say “the tooth fairy was there”, the first time she falls in love that she can't wait to get home to tell her mother about it, when she experience her first heartbreak and mom gets ice cream and allows her to sit, and cry for hours on her shoulder and whisper that everything is going to be ok. Her parents who encourage and support her at every sports match, support her in her academics, her father who will be too happy to help her if she is struggling with math or something she doesn, 't understand in scients. Proud and crying on her very firs day of school. She feels sad for her sister who can never share any of the above things with her parents like she did.
She is five years old and still don't understand why her mom and dad are no longer with her every day. Lisa planned a holiday to Italy, hoping to take her sister's thoughts away from all the sadness, from the environment that reminds her of her parents every day. Lisa asked for a month's leave at the dentist, where she work as a receptionist. Her boss was kind enough to grant her leave. She planned this holiday so that they could get away on their parents' first death anniversary.
After her parents' death, she became like a mother to Lilani, she is now her legal guardian. She used all her savings to make the holiday possible. And now they have finally reached their destination. The lights flash above the seats, and the passengers are request to fasten their seat belts as they will land at Fiumicino Airport within minutes.
Lisa's blue eyes brightened up immediately when she noticed the large airport below them. The air hostess, who noticed during the trip how weak, and exhausted Lilani looks, kindly offers to call a taxi upon their arrival at the airport who can take them to their hotel without delay. Lisa is grateful to the air hostess for her helpfulness. She just feels like a stranger in this foreign city because she does not understand a single word of this foreign language. It feels to Lisa as if fate is on her side because the manager of the hotel can happily speak a broken English. After the formalities are completed, a porter accompanies them to their room, which is located on the first floor.
Lisa sighed audibly from relief when they were finally alone in the room. “I think it is advisable that you rest a little now”, she suggests. “You are as pale as death, and that of pure exhaustion.” She removes the bed's blanket and makes her sister lovingly comfortable. After this she orders something to drink for them. Lilani had just finished drinking her fruit juice, then she fell asleep. Lisa suddenly feels somewhat emotional. It must have been her parents who brought Lilani on her first overseas vacation. She shakes her head to get rid of the sad thoughts, for the next four weeks she and Lilani are going to enjoy the holiday. and forget about all the sadness.
She looked out the window at the strange city. Then it comes to her that she have the city map of Rome that a work colleague gave to her. She took the card from her suitcase, spread it out and studied it with great concentration. It takes several minutes before she knows where the Palazzo Navona hotel is located. Now that she knows this, she does not find it at all difficult to locate all the places she would like to visit.
Lisa spends a full hour on the map. She memorizes a large part of the city, but decides to keep the map in her handbag just in case she needs it. She carefully folded it and put it in her handbag. Pensive, she stood in front of the bedroom window and stared at the still-flowing water of the Tiber River that flowed past behind the hotel. She decides to explore a part of the city today. Lisa turns away from the window and notices that her sister is still sleeping peacefully. She will certainly not wake up soon, Lisa realizes, and decides to lie down for a while herself.
Lisa wakes up when she hear her sister sing. “Lisa…", then knocking on the night stand “do you wanna build a snow man, come on, let, 't go and play” Lilani giggles as she climbs on the bed. “I'm awake, now stop singing” Lisa laughs at her sisters silliness as she feels Lilani on the bed. “How do you feel now Lil?” Lisa asked lovingly as Lilani lay down in her arms. “Much better thank you, Lissy, can we go and do something fun please”? Lilani asked, hoping that her sister would say yes. Lisa said to her sister as she got out of bed.” Yes let's go to the park.”
With the strap of her handbag comfortably over her shoulder, the two sisters leave the room. She can no longer wait to explore this famous city. Rome is drenched in glorious hot sunshine, and Lisa can hardly believe that they were just shivering in the bitter cold on O.R Tambo last night. In one, short night, they changed world and climate. They walk slowly and at ease around the hotel's corner in the direction of the Tiber River to the bridge. They stand for a while and watch as the water slowly flows past them and meanders gracefully through the age-old city. Then they walk on.
They decide to go and see what the much talked about amusement park, Villa Borghese, looks like. The colleague who gave the card studied in Rome for three years, and told her about all the sights. Lilani asks after a few minutes of walking if Lisa will give her a piggy back ride, that her feet are now sore from the walk. Lisa looks at her sister and bend down so that Lilani can climb on her back. So the two walk and look at all the old buildings of Rome, Lisa must admit that she likes Rome's beautiful, artistic ponds, especially the sculpture work. They first go to the legendary Fontana di Trevi with its images of water gods and horses chopping wild with their paws in the air, and water flowing like a waterfall over artificial rock nymphs.
“Here one is supposed to wish for something and then throw a coin on the water” she says to Lilani, the little girls eye's sparkle when she says, "oh please Lissy,can I please make a wish” she pleads with puppy eyes at her sister. Lisa smiles and gives her a coin to toss in the fountain. Lisa smiles at this unique way of making money however, this does not stop her from tossing a coin in the fountain, herself. But before she can wish for anything, her eye falls on two men sitting on a bench some distance from her. The one man, very neatly dressed, wears dark glasses, and she estimates him to be nothing older than thirty-four-years. He is handsome, tall, raven dark hair that is neatly cut, broad shoulders, she can't make out the color of his eyes because of the glasses
