The Ice cream slowly melted by Pugh R, Whimmsey

 

…the ice-cream slowly melted.

A small bell, tinkling wildly, shattered the silence of the tiny attic studio. With a grunt of annoyance at the interruption, Leonardo da Vinci put down his brushes and picked up the small tin can. Pulling the string taught he put the can to his lips and shouted into it.

“Florence one, Caio, who dis?”

“Issa Florence two Senoré,” came a thin tinny voice “Issa Angelo from the Negorio di Torte, your favourite Confetteria Senoré, you paintin’ da portrait o’ ma mistress da moaning Lisa…”

“Si, so watta you want?”

“Senoré, you will not believe wot aah have jus’ invented, da Iced Creama, molta specialé!”

“You drunk again Anglo, Iced Creama was invented seven centuries ago.”

“Senoré, dis no jus’ Iced Creama, dis bellissima, dissa magnifica… dissa da mos’ perfect sensation anyonna’s ever tasted. I tell you Senoré, you give da spoonful to da moaning Lisa an’ she will be Putty inna your han’s… “

“Inna my han’s she’ll be Pretty? Angelo, havva you seen da face on it lately? She donna nothin’ butta scowl atta me since she arrived.”

“Si Senoré, but wiz one taste of ma speciale Iced Creama… I guarantee she will be da different woman; her eyes, dey will light up, her skin itta will glow, an’ her lips, her lips, dey will offer you da smile like no other woman’s lips ’ave ever smiled.”

“I sendda you a….”

“You’re breaking up Angelo, watta you say…

Leonardo pulled the string tighter… it went slack. “Sod it,” He grumbled, throwing the can down “da bloody knot, eet come undone again.”

A knock at the door heralded the arrival of a pot of Angelo’s Iced Cream perfection.

“Senoré, my master, he say give da spoonful o’ dis to his mistress whilst it still ice cold, an’ on her hot, passionate lips, it will release da exquisite flavours of da infusion; hints of fruits, exotic spices, a little alcohol, andda da lady’s fearsome countenance, itta will melt before your very eyes.”

Returning to his easel, and the still scowling Lisa, Leonardo, set down the pot, and with a spatula, gouged out a hefty portion of the confection and handed the spatulad Iced Cream to Lisa for her to taste.

“Here, Angelo sendda you dis, he say for you try it, heessa created it justta for you.”

Putting it to her lips the moaning Lisa shrieked in alarm.

“Aaaagh, issa blooding freezin’, ma lips dey gone all numb an’a wonky…”

Leonardo stared at her in astonishment.

“Donna move!” he yelled. Grabbing his brushes again, “Keepa da expression, letta me capture it, doze lips, dey give you da smile so enigmatic, it will immortalise you for ever… Angelo wassa right, da transformation, donna move… donna loossa da smile, take another lick o’ da Iced Creama…”

Animatedly, Leonardo put brush to canvas, frantic to capture the illusive smile.

But, even as artistic history was being created, beside the easel, its significance ever to be lost, the Ice Cream slowly melted.

If you have been, thanks for reading, and if it has amused you, do please tell your friends.