Coming back to my current life, I realize I still haven’t written a single word about holidays. Which were, in some peculiar way, eventful.
As I probably wrote before, I spent 10 days In Italy, I the Alps the first few days with my friends, and then at my parents’ place, by the lake, the a couple more days.
I was planning to hike around the Mont Rose, which is like, my second home, so I feel confident doing it even on my own.
However, on the first two days, we were hit by such a storm that it became immediately clear that the summer-hiking season was over. For two days our mob phones had no tone, and we also black-outs that lasted for a couple of hours each time. We had fun anyway, simply by lighting candles and playing games (and drinking) all together.
Once the storm was over, I realized that it had snowed down to 1500 metres, which excluded any possibility of hiking.
Since from then on we had wonderful sunny days, I still managed to walk around on mountain paths, up to small lakes and refuges, trying to ignore a slight but disturbing ache in my ankle.
By the time I was to go back to my parents’ place, I was already walking limp.
Since the Bro was busy moving in next to the parents, I had to baby-sit his two toddlers practically 24/7, but I didn’t mind, it really gave me a chance to get to know better the kids. It was wonderful to spend our days by the lake, simply sun-tanning, swimming, doing some kayak and having drinks with my neighbours.
Until one day, around noon, the Panther (aka mum) and I walked in to find thieves indoor. They had forced the door, and I stupidly got in. As soon as they heard me, they run away, by pushing me (I was standing in the exit corridor).
This gave the final cut to my ankle, and on the next day the doc told me I have almost broken a tendon. Which means no jogging for two months, going to the physiotherapist, and a few meds against pain on the first week.
Furthermore, while they didn’t steal anything (there wasn’t anything to steal, anyways), the thieves made a real mess of the house, so the Panther and I spent two days cleaning up.
Holidays ended with the annual gala dinner that some family friends who own a magnificent, huge hotel by the lake throw on August 15. As always, it was a success, and I happily returned to city and to work on the morning after.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Flashback: Nicola (part III)
I kept seeking for Nicola for long. Seeking means I tried to call him, and I worried. There wasn’t much else I could do: I was a student, quite penniless, I needed to attend my classes, and the last times I had news from him he was in Brazil, not exactly next door.
6 months of worrying worn me out. I realized that, although we would always be friends, we probably were not meant for each other, and slowly, I let myself move on. I don’t mean that I stopped worrying about him or anything. I just realized I needed to have a life besides Nicola.
After eight months he called me. He said he was going to stop by in Milan and he wanted to know if we could meet, he had so much to tell me. I wasn’t so sure, but I agreed, at the condition that we would spend the night at Andrea’s place.
It was a long, great night. He told me how he got in trouble with the cops back in Brazil, and stayed hidden for a long long while, and I never knew more than that (I even wondered if he had been in jail?).
Although for a while he even stayed in Italy (which meant communication was much easier, and even meeting could have been possible), I knew things would never be the same again. I guess it was a mix of me growing up and facing reality, and of what had happened. I could not idolize Nicola anymore, I finally saw the real him, the good and the bad.
Through the years, we always stayed in touch, and we also met a few times, in the way old friends do: dinner together, and a few hours of chatting.
I would have liked to be able to spend more time with him, but we live far apart, and we live also so differently, that it’s probably better like this. We always call one each other, when things get tough or when they get better, but we both know the sparkle has gone a long time ago.
What is more precious to me, is that I’ll never forget the time we were given together.
6 months of worrying worn me out. I realized that, although we would always be friends, we probably were not meant for each other, and slowly, I let myself move on. I don’t mean that I stopped worrying about him or anything. I just realized I needed to have a life besides Nicola.
After eight months he called me. He said he was going to stop by in Milan and he wanted to know if we could meet, he had so much to tell me. I wasn’t so sure, but I agreed, at the condition that we would spend the night at Andrea’s place.
It was a long, great night. He told me how he got in trouble with the cops back in Brazil, and stayed hidden for a long long while, and I never knew more than that (I even wondered if he had been in jail?).
Although for a while he even stayed in Italy (which meant communication was much easier, and even meeting could have been possible), I knew things would never be the same again. I guess it was a mix of me growing up and facing reality, and of what had happened. I could not idolize Nicola anymore, I finally saw the real him, the good and the bad.
Through the years, we always stayed in touch, and we also met a few times, in the way old friends do: dinner together, and a few hours of chatting.
I would have liked to be able to spend more time with him, but we live far apart, and we live also so differently, that it’s probably better like this. We always call one each other, when things get tough or when they get better, but we both know the sparkle has gone a long time ago.
What is more precious to me, is that I’ll never forget the time we were given together.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Backflash: Nicola (part II)
Somehow, we never got physical. Everyone thought we were together, even more when they saw us dancing at night, but it was purely platonic. Today, 8 years later, I think he controlled himself, knowing that I was too young and I had to go back to Italy sooner or later.
The night when I realized how much we were involved, it happened dramatically. I was feeling sexy, and I had been dancing on the higher platform of the club for half an hour or so (the manager gave me as many free drinks as I wanted, if I did), and I just had come down to dance with Nicola when someone suddenly grabbed me by my hair and pulled me in the middle of a fight. People were pulling me everywhere, I did not touch the ground and I was screaming as loud as I could. Suddenly, in a flash of light, I saw him coming, pushing his way into the crowd, where the guys of the security were struggling to divide people. He got me in the arms, just like the Bodyguard with Whitney Houston in the film, and headed to stairs to the privés. When we were almost out of it, a guy faced him and punched him twice in the eyes. As he was holding me, he couldn’t protect himself, but never for a second did he let me go. He ran outside and got straight into the pub facing the club. Only there, he let me down asking if I was all right. I was shaking in terror, and we asked for two whiskeys and beers, and some ice for his eyes.
That night, I realized how strong our boundaries were. On the following day, he had two bad black eyes, one of them completely closed. When I tried to thank him, he said he was sorry he couldn’t get me sooner, and not to worry (definitely it wasn’t the first time he got black eyes!!).
Time went by quickly after that, and soon it was time for me to go back to Italy. We spent one last night dancing in each others arms, and then I had to let him go.
What I did not know at the time was that I wouldn’t have come back to that place, at least I haven’t ‘till now. Nicola and I kept in contact, for some two years or so we had a phone “rendez-vous” each Sunday. Meanwhile he had moved to Argentina, first, and to Brazil, later.
We both lived our lives and everything, but deep inside I felt like we were meant for each other.
Until one day, he disappeared. For more than two months I tried to reach him at the last number I had, but I couldn’t reach him.
The night when I realized how much we were involved, it happened dramatically. I was feeling sexy, and I had been dancing on the higher platform of the club for half an hour or so (the manager gave me as many free drinks as I wanted, if I did), and I just had come down to dance with Nicola when someone suddenly grabbed me by my hair and pulled me in the middle of a fight. People were pulling me everywhere, I did not touch the ground and I was screaming as loud as I could. Suddenly, in a flash of light, I saw him coming, pushing his way into the crowd, where the guys of the security were struggling to divide people. He got me in the arms, just like the Bodyguard with Whitney Houston in the film, and headed to stairs to the privés. When we were almost out of it, a guy faced him and punched him twice in the eyes. As he was holding me, he couldn’t protect himself, but never for a second did he let me go. He ran outside and got straight into the pub facing the club. Only there, he let me down asking if I was all right. I was shaking in terror, and we asked for two whiskeys and beers, and some ice for his eyes.
That night, I realized how strong our boundaries were. On the following day, he had two bad black eyes, one of them completely closed. When I tried to thank him, he said he was sorry he couldn’t get me sooner, and not to worry (definitely it wasn’t the first time he got black eyes!!).
Time went by quickly after that, and soon it was time for me to go back to Italy. We spent one last night dancing in each others arms, and then I had to let him go.
What I did not know at the time was that I wouldn’t have come back to that place, at least I haven’t ‘till now. Nicola and I kept in contact, for some two years or so we had a phone “rendez-vous” each Sunday. Meanwhile he had moved to Argentina, first, and to Brazil, later.
We both lived our lives and everything, but deep inside I felt like we were meant for each other.
Until one day, he disappeared. For more than two months I tried to reach him at the last number I had, but I couldn’t reach him.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Backflash: Nicola (part I)
When I was a teenager, I used to spend most of the summer in the UK, at some family’s friends on the south-western coast.
I was pretty much of a rebel, back at that time, and I had endless arguments with the Panther. Summers in the UK were the things that made life valuable, from my silly teen-ager point of view (no offense to teenager readers, it was just that I was a troublemaker, at that time of my life).
Although my writing isn’t perfect, at the time I sounded like a British native. Add blond hair and blue eyes, and no one ever guessed I had Italian origins. So, these are the premises.
It all started a few days before my seventeenth birthday, while I was traveling to get there with a friend of mine. At the railway station where we changed our train, two guys approached us and asked in awful English: “Excuse? These train… [town next to our destination]? Pleeese?”
Without thinking too much I said “Yeah, it’s the right one, it’s the stop right after ours so you’ll know when you’re arrived”. The guy stared at me blankly, and I realized he did not get a word, so I just said “Yes”. He smiled, and than headed to the coffee stand with his friend. Right then, he told, in Italian: “What a hottie!”
I suddenly turned and repeated in Italian what I had just said about the train. He blushed a bit, and immediately recovered, introducing himself and telling us girls he worked at a pizza parlor next to the town biggest club, and inviting us over for any time we wanted to eat something. That’s how I met Nicola.
It would have ended there, hadn’t we met him on his way to work three days later, while we were out to party for my birthday. He found this out and immediately lead us to the pizza place, where he made us funny little pizzas shaped in hearts, rabbits and clovers. His friends and he, although they spoke little English, knew loads of people in town, and they made us promise we would stop by at the end of their shift. We agreed, and they took us to the fanciest club of the town, and we loved the night!
What I haven’t mentioned so far, is that, while I was 17, he was 28. Soon I found myself spending most of afternoons with him, hanging around, playing darts, showing him the region, drinking Guinness, or just taking naps in his bed.
After a while, he found me a part-time job at bar-tending, so I could spend the whole summer in England.
I was pretty much of a rebel, back at that time, and I had endless arguments with the Panther. Summers in the UK were the things that made life valuable, from my silly teen-ager point of view (no offense to teenager readers, it was just that I was a troublemaker, at that time of my life).
Although my writing isn’t perfect, at the time I sounded like a British native. Add blond hair and blue eyes, and no one ever guessed I had Italian origins. So, these are the premises.
It all started a few days before my seventeenth birthday, while I was traveling to get there with a friend of mine. At the railway station where we changed our train, two guys approached us and asked in awful English: “Excuse? These train… [town next to our destination]? Pleeese?”
Without thinking too much I said “Yeah, it’s the right one, it’s the stop right after ours so you’ll know when you’re arrived”. The guy stared at me blankly, and I realized he did not get a word, so I just said “Yes”. He smiled, and than headed to the coffee stand with his friend. Right then, he told, in Italian: “What a hottie!”
I suddenly turned and repeated in Italian what I had just said about the train. He blushed a bit, and immediately recovered, introducing himself and telling us girls he worked at a pizza parlor next to the town biggest club, and inviting us over for any time we wanted to eat something. That’s how I met Nicola.
It would have ended there, hadn’t we met him on his way to work three days later, while we were out to party for my birthday. He found this out and immediately lead us to the pizza place, where he made us funny little pizzas shaped in hearts, rabbits and clovers. His friends and he, although they spoke little English, knew loads of people in town, and they made us promise we would stop by at the end of their shift. We agreed, and they took us to the fanciest club of the town, and we loved the night!
What I haven’t mentioned so far, is that, while I was 17, he was 28. Soon I found myself spending most of afternoons with him, hanging around, playing darts, showing him the region, drinking Guinness, or just taking naps in his bed.
After a while, he found me a part-time job at bar-tending, so I could spend the whole summer in England.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
The Hunter is back!
Hey ya all,
I’ll post this one as soon as I’ll manage to find an internet connection.
This is just a brief update, mainly in order to say I FOUND Andrea the Hunter, he’s in Milan, he’s working and he’s doing fine. He’s had experienced problems with his mail, and had set off his answering machine.
I only forgave him for not calling because he made me laugh till tears with his histories about his new boss (apparently he has told her she’s an incompetent bitch). Of course he said that the new job will not last, and he’ll probably quit in a few weeks.
In a few words, he’s always the same Andrea, the Hunter I met on the first day of college!
On other sides of my life, I’m still a bit upset about the night at KS parents, but I tried not to be too much of a bitch about it. KS is back in France now, by the way.
The family is crazier than ever. Since their home isn’t yet ready, the Bro (with his wife and toddlers) has moved in with the Sponsor and the Panther, and he’s planning to stay there until the middle of September. Personally I can’t see how they won’t end up throwing knives at each other, by then, but as it’s none of my business I kept my mouth shut.
Furthermore, and old friend called me. I realize I never wrote about him, so I’ll prepare a post that will follow this one, about him.
I’ll post this one as soon as I’ll manage to find an internet connection.
This is just a brief update, mainly in order to say I FOUND Andrea the Hunter, he’s in Milan, he’s working and he’s doing fine. He’s had experienced problems with his mail, and had set off his answering machine.
I only forgave him for not calling because he made me laugh till tears with his histories about his new boss (apparently he has told her she’s an incompetent bitch). Of course he said that the new job will not last, and he’ll probably quit in a few weeks.
In a few words, he’s always the same Andrea, the Hunter I met on the first day of college!
On other sides of my life, I’m still a bit upset about the night at KS parents, but I tried not to be too much of a bitch about it. KS is back in France now, by the way.
The family is crazier than ever. Since their home isn’t yet ready, the Bro (with his wife and toddlers) has moved in with the Sponsor and the Panther, and he’s planning to stay there until the middle of September. Personally I can’t see how they won’t end up throwing knives at each other, by then, but as it’s none of my business I kept my mouth shut.
Furthermore, and old friend called me. I realize I never wrote about him, so I’ll prepare a post that will follow this one, about him.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Warning: post written on PMS
I know I said I wouldn't have writte for a while, but something unexpected came on.
Tonight we came to see KS family, we were supposed to all go out for dinner, and then, tomorrow morning, KS and I are to head towards Italy.
Now, I think you probably can guess, that I'm not the kind of person who only waits to have a dinner paid. Basically I don't love restaurants, I love cooking so I prefer to host dinners at my place.
But when tonight KS told me that I was not actually invited, my jaw dropped to the floor.
So right now I'm at KS parents' place, alone, while the whole family is out for dinner.
I rarely felt so excluded in my life.
If Andrea could be near here, tonight, I would sing him those rhymes:
"Take me out, tonight, where there's music and there's people who are young an alive. Driving in your car, oh please don't drop me home, because it's not my home, it's their home and I'm welcome no more.
And if a double decker bus, crashes into us, to die by your side, oh such a heavenly way to die...
Take me out tonight, take me anywhere I don't care, I don't care..."
Andrea, if he had a chance to be with me tonight, would take me out, make me drink a bit, and flirt with me all night long, just to take me home back to my boyfriend, all the rage and the grumpyness gone.
I miss you, my friend.
I'm sorry to leave you with such a depressing post. Holidays will be so much better!
Tonight we came to see KS family, we were supposed to all go out for dinner, and then, tomorrow morning, KS and I are to head towards Italy.
Now, I think you probably can guess, that I'm not the kind of person who only waits to have a dinner paid. Basically I don't love restaurants, I love cooking so I prefer to host dinners at my place.
But when tonight KS told me that I was not actually invited, my jaw dropped to the floor.
So right now I'm at KS parents' place, alone, while the whole family is out for dinner.
I rarely felt so excluded in my life.
If Andrea could be near here, tonight, I would sing him those rhymes:
"Take me out, tonight, where there's music and there's people who are young an alive. Driving in your car, oh please don't drop me home, because it's not my home, it's their home and I'm welcome no more.
And if a double decker bus, crashes into us, to die by your side, oh such a heavenly way to die...
Take me out tonight, take me anywhere I don't care, I don't care..."
Andrea, if he had a chance to be with me tonight, would take me out, make me drink a bit, and flirt with me all night long, just to take me home back to my boyfriend, all the rage and the grumpyness gone.
I miss you, my friend.
I'm sorry to leave you with such a depressing post. Holidays will be so much better!
Missing
It’s been now 13 days since I last heard from Andrea the Hunter.
And, trust me, this is not normal.
I’ve been mailing him, and did not get any answer. I’ve been trying to call him, his mob phone rings but no one answers, and his usual answering machine does not come up, so I can’t leave him a message this way.
I would understand all this if we had been arguing: it has happened that we did want some time alone in those case, but last time we talked we were really on the best terms ever. I mean, in the last 6 months or so, we have always kept in touch at least two times a week and, even though we’re so far away, we’re somehow closer than we were two or three years ago.
In his last email he told me he had some problems with the new job. Before leaving for Thailand, he had obtained a permanent job as a trader; however, since he did not want to start immediately, he had asked to postpone his first day of a few weeks, and he justified that by telling he had to find a house in Milan (crazy real estate market, seriously). However, it seems that his new boss had found out he actually was in Thailand, and did not like it at all.
I replied him, suggesting a little lie (I told him to say he went there to rescue his little sister who, while on holiday in middle east, had experienced a food intoxication) and that’s all, I did not have any more news.
I don’t even know if he’s in Thailand or in Europe!
Anyway, on Saturday morning I’m leaving for holidays, and since I’ll be in Italy, I guess I’ll make a few calls to old college friends who are based in Milan to see if anyone has seen him…
Now I know you’ll probably think this sound crazy and that it’s not normal worrying like that for a friend. The thing is, Andrea is not a common person. Behind his privileged condition, he has deep issues. His family is completely shattered, he barely knows where his bro and sis live, and same for his mom (his dad died some 10 years ago). I already lost touch of him right after the tsunami, when he was in Puket. He does crazy things, like driving under the influences. And you know how it feels: when your best friend gets in trouble and you weren’t there for him, you feel guilty.
Hopefully, I’ll have his news in the next few days, and I’ll take fuly advantage of holidays in Italy with my beloved KS and my friends!!
By the way, since I will not have an internet access, this will probably e last post until August 16. Sorry!
And, trust me, this is not normal.
I’ve been mailing him, and did not get any answer. I’ve been trying to call him, his mob phone rings but no one answers, and his usual answering machine does not come up, so I can’t leave him a message this way.
I would understand all this if we had been arguing: it has happened that we did want some time alone in those case, but last time we talked we were really on the best terms ever. I mean, in the last 6 months or so, we have always kept in touch at least two times a week and, even though we’re so far away, we’re somehow closer than we were two or three years ago.
In his last email he told me he had some problems with the new job. Before leaving for Thailand, he had obtained a permanent job as a trader; however, since he did not want to start immediately, he had asked to postpone his first day of a few weeks, and he justified that by telling he had to find a house in Milan (crazy real estate market, seriously). However, it seems that his new boss had found out he actually was in Thailand, and did not like it at all.
I replied him, suggesting a little lie (I told him to say he went there to rescue his little sister who, while on holiday in middle east, had experienced a food intoxication) and that’s all, I did not have any more news.
I don’t even know if he’s in Thailand or in Europe!
Anyway, on Saturday morning I’m leaving for holidays, and since I’ll be in Italy, I guess I’ll make a few calls to old college friends who are based in Milan to see if anyone has seen him…
Now I know you’ll probably think this sound crazy and that it’s not normal worrying like that for a friend. The thing is, Andrea is not a common person. Behind his privileged condition, he has deep issues. His family is completely shattered, he barely knows where his bro and sis live, and same for his mom (his dad died some 10 years ago). I already lost touch of him right after the tsunami, when he was in Puket. He does crazy things, like driving under the influences. And you know how it feels: when your best friend gets in trouble and you weren’t there for him, you feel guilty.
Hopefully, I’ll have his news in the next few days, and I’ll take fuly advantage of holidays in Italy with my beloved KS and my friends!!
By the way, since I will not have an internet access, this will probably e last post until August 16. Sorry!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
