Episode 2
In front of plate of cooked chicory, seasoned with oil of canned sardines, preserved since last time they permitted them, Teresa asked others:
«Do we get some cheese too?»
After a consultation, they decided unanimously to give Louis only, the son sixteen of Ferrotti, and Piero, the child of Salvini.
«It will be good to their bones. They must grow.» – was the winning argument.
Tidied quickly the kitchen after low-fat lunch, the friends get to Piazza Ducale1 for the mandatory speech of Leader One, as well as Premier and Anointed of the Lord.
«What slop there is today, Giuseppe?» – asked Paolo Ferrotti.
Outdoors, away from possible bugs and other passers-by, who were all heading to meeting, in a low voice, they could afford to speak more freely.
«I heard at broadcast that it’s the speech about Western culture superiority over Islam, you know, the one written by Bondi and Apicella and read from the last.»
«Again! It’s the fourth time they get this year.» – cried with despair Teresa – «Three hours standing in, skinning our hands.»
«With arms well raised above heads, I recommend.» – implored Paolo.
Got still a look around, Giuseppe Salvini added in a low voice, almost a whisper:
«A government committee has launched a subscription to the Tomb of berlüsca. I heard it has already gathered billions of euro.»
The others sought to stifle the bitter laugh, typical of any regime.
«The committee seems to be finished in sulfur Sicilian mines.»
Going along Matteotti street, they had arrived at ACI headquarters. They were already achieved by notes of Forza Italia bore, the new national anthem. They took Buozzi street to reach the Square, antonomastically in Vigevano.
Giuseppe took advantage of the speech to link his mobile phone for two hours daily compulsory receiving Mediaset UMTS. It has cost him 500€ in 48 monthly instalments. It was not a compulsory purchase, of course, but the fine for failure to link mobile TV cost much more. Before putting it on his belt and not thinking it more, gave him a look: they were passing, maybe for the thousandth time -as used once Rete 42 below elections the serial of Peppone and Don Camillo – the final of Championship League, won by Milan soccer team years earlier. Lately the team of “Voncio”3, as they rumbled maliciously, was painful to see and was always thrown out in the first round, because formed from old puffed players. There was no need, in fact, to spend much, it always won the Italian championship. From regulation, the Milan started with 15 points of advantage, and every game by 3-0, playing at home and with the twelfth into field, the referee.
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In Piazza Ducale, Giuseppe had his usual sigh: the glorious statue of “San Giuanìn dla Pumisèla” – St. John Nepomucene – had been replaced by that of berlüsca, the body of an athlete high at least 1.80 m, the face of two decades, with fluent hair ever in his life. All height double, in Carrara marble.
The erection of the monument – the expression remembered Giuseppe a big cock – was cost cutting services and doubling of tuition fees at De Rodolfi, the local hospital for the elderly.
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In the Square the bore volume was for encephalopathics: Giuseppe wondered every Saturday afternoon that the glass windows, overlooking the “living room”4, does not go to pieces, along with frescos.
It was the only occasion in which the Common, or Low People, as Salvini and Ferrotti, could – indeed should – go in the Piazza Ducale, once struscio5 of all, young or old, beautiful or ugly, rich or poor. It was not formally prohibited, but if the gangs of young offsprings of High People – in Vigevano there was no one belonging to the upper VIP Class – had targeting someone of Common People, the Law Forces, also made up by poor men, defended the offsprings and brought to the Commissioner or the Carabinieri station the unfortunate for the “findings”. It was rumoured that someone had been beaten severely for having offended the offsprings.
Once in the Square, Salvini and Ferrotti, as agreeded, left a little space between them, not to suggest the idea of a core of opposition, disliked by regime as they were. Maria took Pierino into arms, a little to have the excuse not to applaud, a little for not being him overwhelmed by the crowd that was gathering.
All the space under porches and outside was crowded of Common People. From overhanging windows was facing some curious of High People, but they were usually spared by boredom, exempted from the regime because essential to send forward the country’s economy.
«On Saturday afternoon?” – whenever asked rhetorically Paolo Ferrotti – «When they do a cock all week!»
Finally – in the sense that first had begun, before it had finished to break balls – was attacked the well known long rigmarole acted by Apicella.
“Two Maroni6!» – thought Giuseppe, alluding to the Minister of Shitfare, like all murmured between intimates – «Would they change it a little every time!»
From time to time, the operator interrupted the speech to allow foremen to incite the crowd to applaud at opened scene, and resumed after they had given the signal to stop. At the end of three hours, foremen gave the signal for standing ovation. Followed half a hour of applauses, which at first was a shame, as well read on the faces despite efforts to conceal the expression under a mask of enthusiasm, then transformed into a nightmare.
People were tired, heavy arms, faces,first red for congestion, then pale for a incipient illness. Not resisting more, Giuseppe took son from the arms of Maria. The others around, before his wife could change again with her husband, failed applauding as jakals. From their small nucleus, silence spread as a wave into crowd. Giuseppe was painfully aware that he appear to have been the first to stop, as would certainly noticed the snoopers of the regime, baddest matter in berlüscaland.
He sighed, though he didn’t resist another minute. The real point was they were living in a shit country and, what was worse, too many peoples were guilt to have given on April 9, 2006 more credit to berlüsca lies. He, at least, had his hands clean, having voted for the Union, now dissolved and prohibited.
On the way back, having watched around, Maria Salvini, silent until then, shooks her head.
«Excuse me, but it’s also my fault if we are at this point. I voted me too, as many stupids, for berlüsca on April 9.»
«We know, Maria, you are saying all days.» – tried to comfort her Paolo Ferrotti – «However, I assure that berlüsca didn’t win for one only vote.»
«I agree. What I don’t know is how he could, after five years in which he already impoverished us enough.»
«I may explain it, Maria.» – said her husband – «I said not to look at soap operas on his networks, especially during elections. On the foreign press, which can get illegally, it’s said that records of that period were filled with subliminal images of surly propaganda, Cossacks watering horses in the fountains of St. Peter’s and eating children, false gulags with Stalin, Fassino, D’Alema and Prodi together whipping detainees. If we add explicit promises even more amazing and the violation of every par condicio, you understand why he could. All endorsed by UDB, by AR7, by League.»
In the evening, at dinner, after a new inspection of the house with a device to research bugs, Paolo Ferrotti added his views on the issue.
«I agree with law violations, covered by the smaller allies …»
«Thing which has not benefited them anything, because they were dissolved shortly after Union party and got out gradually from places that matter.» – cleared Giuseppe.
«It looks like movie Highlander: will remain One only. I was saying that there was much of our faults, I mean ordinary people. No, Maria, I’m not speaking of your mistake, having seen too many fixed soap operas. I’m talking about too much shit people around. I’m speaking of mobbing, a phenomenon that was in development before berlüsca, honestly, but during his “democratic” five years had become a mass phenomenon, almost a pride, the pride of smart people. At least 60% of the work time in companies produces nothing but attacking or defending, true reason for the country’s economic crisis, I think, with peoples committed to defend themselves by work. People of similar shit was naturally drawn by the mountain of manure that ultimately became berlüscaland. Not that the phenomenon is over now. Unfortunately, it’s now almost an obligation.»
After a moment of painful silence, Giuseppe nodded reluctantly.
«I believe that you are right, Paolo. For the most part we deserved this loathsomeness, too convenient blaming always some mythical other person. But now the shit touches everyone, even those who had not put hand at dirty tricks. Now, as we’ll leave?
The silence weighed even longer, while the lean dinner was over. Taking advantage that their TV set was not yet connected to central control, they remained at table in the kitchen, letting it off.
«Had we left it off then.» – Maria broke the silence.
«They would swindle us in another way.» – tried to comfort Teresa.
Paolo told tentatively, aware saying dangerous words, but with good confidence to be among trusted friends.
«Now it’s early, Giuseppe, coming forward. But someone with a lot of caution, clandestinely, is moving. The important thing is slowly recovering healthy people as much as possible. But it’s like walking on glass pieces barefoot. Each step can be fatal.»
Giuseppe understood immediately what the words of his friend implied. He was momentarily overwhelmed by hugeness, then regained his voice.
«I understand, Paolo, and I agree. But I’ve a child of three years!»
«And you want leave him this shit without doing anything? When adult, he’ll not curse the cowardice of his father?»
After a momentary impulse of anger and insult, Giuseppe replied:
«You are right, Paolo. Tell me.»
«Of course, Giuseppe, but not tonight. I’m too shocked myself. D’you realize that I put myself and my family in your hands?»
«Not at all, Paolo, and you too, Teresa. If myself or Maria …»
«I know, Giuseppe. But I also know that they have pressure systems would break a lonely hero, imagine a normal person with family. Be cautiousest, if you want go down the road of dignity.»
«That’s what I disgust more.» – commented Maria with anger – «Let go poverty and humiliation that we have to suffer, but having to lie in public against all my feelings!»
«You are right, Maria.» – said Teresa getting his hand over her arm – «It’s a thing that makes me ashamed of myself every time.»
1the mythical Ducal square by Leonardo da Vinci.
2one of three TV network of Berlüsca.
3dialectal for Anointed.
4Vigevano dwellings so tell about Ducal square.
5dialectal for Sunday promenade, movida.
6Maroni is dialectal expression for testicles.
7These abbreviations can be the symptom of a parallel world, in ours they are UDC and AN.
