Lisa Tells it Straight

(Day 12 of 30 – story crumbs from the world of Loveandpizza.it 🍕)

After Carolina spent yesterday cheerfully refusing to answer anything remotely interesting, sitting down with Lisa is like throwing open a window. Because Lisa? Lisa talks. Warmly, quickly, hilariously and, crucially, honestly. Ask Lisa a question and you get the truth, a tangent, a strong opinion, and probably a snack.

She’s Carolina’s best friend; the one who found the job in Napoli and packed them both off on the whole adventure. She agreed to this interview in about four seconds flat. (Carolina took a bar of Lindt and three days of negotiation. Lisa said “ooh, yes, ask me anything!” before I’d finished the sentence.)

So I did.

Me: Carolina, in three words.

Lisa: Oh, only three? That’s cruel. Okay, okay… Brilliant. Warm-hearted. And – I say this with love – a total contradiction. This is a woman who’ll agonise for a week over a big life decision… and then order the exact same Margherita she always gets without so much as glancing at the menu. Ask her what she wants from life? Silence. Ask her what she wants on her pizza? Instant. Decisive. A different woman entirely. 😄

Me: How long have you two known each other?

Lisa: Well, a few years now! Although, fun fact: she’s technically a hand-me-down.[laughs]

Me: A hand-me-down? What do you mean?

Lisa: She was my mate Clara’s little sister – Clara being the oldest of them. Then Clara went and married a Welshman, moved to Wales, and somehow I ended up with Carolina in the settlement. [grins] Best thing I ever inherited. I’d walk into traffic for her. I have walked into traffic for her, actually – long story, involving a gelato and very poor judgement.

Me: The “guess what?” habit. On a scale of one to ten—

Lisa: Eleven. Ohh, it drives me up the wall. She’ll say “guess what?” and I’ll say “just TELL me, Carolina,” and she’ll say “no— guess,” and… a few years of this now, and it hasn’t got one bit less annoying. I love her more than my own feet, and I would still, occasionally, want to launch her into the sea. 😅

Me: You’ve lived all over, before Napoli.

Lisa: God, yes – dad’s Thai, mum’s American, I was born in El Salvador and grew up everywhere: Spain, the States, ended up in Brazil. I’m a primary school teacher, which basically means I’m unshockable and I can locate a toilet in any country on earth. So when the Napoli job came up, I didn’t even hesitate… I applied for both of us and told Carolina after. She was furious. For about a day. Then she started asking “when should we pack?”

Me: What do you make of Luca?

Lisa: [cheerfully lethal] Ohh, Luca. Lovely Luca. Do you know he has properly met me four separate times, and on three of them he called me “the little one”? Not my name. “The little one.” Has never once asked me a single question about myself. Not one. [beams] I think he’s marvellous. For someone else. Ideally in another postcode.

Me: And Fabrizio?

Lisa: [grins] Ohh, you’re clever, sliding that one in. No. I’m not going to rank the men for you – that’s rather the whole fun of the book, isn’t it? You’ll make up your own mind, same as everyone does. That’s all you’re getting from me. [mimes zipping her lips]

Me: You’re fiercely protective of her.

Lisa: Someone has to be! Carolina would give the whole world the benefit of the doubt and forget to keep any back for herself. She sees the good in everyone, which is beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but it’s also exhausting, and occasionally means I have to stand slightly in front of her like a bouncer with a soft spot. That’s the job, but I took it gladly.

Me: Best advice you’ve ever given her?

Lisa: “Stop asking what everyone else needs, and ask yourself for once.” [beat] She didn’t listen. She never listens! That’s alright though… that’s what I’m for. I just keep saying it until it sticks. It’s sticking. Slowly. Like a very stubborn Post-it.

Me: Last one. Why does the friendship work?

Lisa: [softening, for the first time] Because I tell her the truth… and – this is the rare part – she lets me. Anyone can have opinions. Not everyone loves you enough to be honest, and not everyone lets them. She does. Always has. [smiles] Everyone needs one person who won’t let them lie to themselves. I’m hers. Best job I’ve got.

And that is Lisa: warm, funny, loyal to her bones, and, when it counts, the most honest person in the room. Every Carolina needs one. If you’ve got one, you already know. 💛

So… who’s your Lisa? Tell me in the comments. 👇 And if you’re feeling lovely, share this with her – the one who tells you the truth, orders your dinner for you, and would (lovingly) launch you into the sea. She’s more than earned the shout-out. 💛

Dani. x

P.S. Loveandpizza.it is coming back in English, Italian and Portuguese. Save your slice and you’ll be first to know the moment your edition’s ready. 🍕