The Neighbour Who Hid the Carnival Costume for Forty Years

The morning of Carnival, Sofia had nothing to wear. She lived in a small apartment in Venice. The streets were narrow and the buildings were very close together. Every February, the city filled with music and masks. People wore long cloaks and tall hats. They looked like beautiful birds. But Sofia worked late the night before. She forgot about her costume. Now, Carnival started in two hours.

She knocked on the door across the hall. Her neighbour, Signora Riva, was eighty years old. She had silver hair and dark eyes. Sofia did not know her well. 'Signora,' Sofia said, 'do you have an old costume I can borrow?' The old woman did not speak. She walked slowly into her apartment. Sofia waited. The apartment was dark. It smelled like old flowers.

On the wall, Sofia saw a photograph of a young woman. She wore a golden mask and a blue cloak. She looked very happy. It was Signora Riva in 1983. 'I made that costume,' the old woman said. She brought out a large brown box. 'I never wore it again after that year. My husband did not like Carnival. He said it was silly. So I put it in this box.'

She opened the box. Inside was the blue cloak and the golden mask. The colours were still bright. 'Will you wear it today?' Sofia asked. The old woman touched the silk. 'I am old,' she said. Then she looked at the photo. 'But it is Carnival. Perhaps we can both go.' Two hours later, they walked together across the Rialto Bridge. Signora Riva wore her blue cloak and her golden mask. People stopped to look at her. She walked slowly, but her back was straight. Sofia did not have a costume, but she was happy. Her neighbour was finally out of the box.