Saturday morning we ventured out into ancient Rome. Brian was wearing a Red Sox windbreaker that he has had for as long as I've known him. We were at the Forum when it happened first. "Hey, Red Sox!" A woman stopped Brian. "Do you know how they did?" she asked. Brian smiled, a little surprised, as he shared the good news. They had beaten Cleveland, 7-1. "Great, thanks!" she replied, and we heard her telling her family the score as we walked away.
Across the street at the Colosseum, we were about to climb an interior staircase when a woman ran up to us. Again, the same excited question: "Do you know how they did?" Not 20 minutes later, Brian was stopped again, this time by a family from Cleveland. Brian was besieged by at least five more fans before we left the Colosseum.
Sunday morning, using the spotty wireless connection at our bed-and breakfast, we logged onto redsox.com to see more good news: Curt Schilling, J.D. Drew, a 12-2 victory, and a forced Game 7. By the end of the day, we had lost track of the number of people who had asked for details. Some fans were forward, placing a hand on Brian's arm, treating him like a beacon from home. Others were a bit shy, like the guy in a Stonehill College sweatshirt who said, "Excuse me, do you mind if I ask . . . do you know how they did?" He pumped his fist silently at the answer. We ran into one couple twice. "I'm so glad we ran into you again," the woman said. "Hope to see you tomorrow!"
Near the Pantheon, a middle-aged couple hopped off a Vespa and pulled off their helmets. They razzed Brian about his jacket and his team: Yankee fans.
At the Piazza Navona, a woman from Norton nearly sprinted over looking for news. "Game 7 tonight," Brian said. "We're gonna win, I know it!" the woman proclaimed.
