8
The Christmas holidays passed quickly, leaving Palermo in a
memory of the games with family and friends , a few extra pounds and wallets
lighter .
It was always a Christmas citizenship waited with
trepidation, not the usual festivities were experienced as the living
populations of northern Europe , singing snow decorations to excess . It's a
Christmas special , our ...
Students at last, free schools. Their protests cease .
Protests that began mid-November and ending December 20 . Now this is a
well-established ritual , every December 20th all the problems that the school
lives , magically disappear .
Families receive the long-awaited thirteenth , and traders
are preparing to welcome , decorating the city of lights and Santas revelers,
the longed collections. The malls are full and the traffic in the streets goes
haywire .
It is the period of the play, the nights spent playing
baccarat, sfincioni[1] eaten in
the family , household appliances and televisions bought in installments.
The climate also makes its contribution to the distinction
between our birth and the other , the twenty-fifth of December, touched the
twenty-five degrees and thirty-one to twenty-nine was reached . In short,
everything to normal , people were even beginning to forget the murder of the
engineer Leo , also because of the fact that the media had put a little ' by
this story, to devote himself to another piece of news that was affecting the
country the disappearance of a child.
The chronicle , was giving way to the legends . For many,
the murder of the engineer , it really did not show more interest.
It was not leaked anything special about his life, branded
as a crime robbery ended in the worst way , or perhaps a history of horns, or
boh who knows .. But there are those who also claimed that they might be a
cult, there was talk of new Beati Paoli , there were those who swore that he
saw hooded characters prowling at night on the streets of the historic center ,
others argued that this may have been a satanic cult .
My investigation had stopped by that night when I told her
everything Serena , I was too busy in my work and to buy gifts for everyone.
The parties thus spent working and trying to find a little 'space for evenings
with friends and family . My sister Livia for the occasion returned from an
internship in London, he had the opportunity to reunite the family . Obviously
I do not sottrassi to play with friends, and I also began to attend Serena and
Dominic. Often happened to go shopping together, we exchanged films, and
occasionally also to help Domenico in math homework .
January always brings a rather rude awakening to all of us
and especially the door .. the winter. Temperatures will fall by several
degrees , pass by twenty-nine of the ten New Year's Eve of the Epiphany is not
a very healthy thing ..
The alarm clock rang at seven o'clock , another day's work
began .
" Mamma mia, that cold , damn it! I could not sleep a
wink last night , stuffy nose .. I miss just a
illness ! "
I got up , I tried Chimay , I found her at the foot of the
bed wrapped in blankets , I had a moment of envy, she remained in the warm and
I did not.
" But that lousy weather , overcast , and rain! Well
perfect! "
I had to take service at eight, got dressed , I was ready to
face the big chill . Before crossing the door of the building , as I did every
morning I checked the letter box . This time I found besides the usual glossy
brochures , a large yellowish envelope , carried on the back of only one
written in capital letters : FOR ANDREA RESTIVO .
" Dunno, a letter will be doing some charity
fundraising " I put the envelope in the bag and started walking to the
post office.
The weather was really bad , it was very cold and took a
wind which increased the intensity. " Oh yes, winter has begun ."
One good thing about this time had .. decreased the work at
the post office .
The month of December is the month more and more critical
for us who work there. People are rushing in droves to pay bills , arrears ,
blackberry, if there is a suitable time to pay, this is the month of December.
The thirteenth is used , from families , especially to try to settle all
accounts discovered that still hang . Then there are those who send gift
parcels to relatives who live in the north, who sends money to children and
grandchildren .. In short , while many come on vacation , we work three times .
That morning I found the post office, strangely empty , and
the manager said goodbye to colleagues . I sat at my desk and I remembered the
envelope, pulled out of the bag , it contained only my name , open and
contained three photos.
I began to sweat cold in those photos I was there , they
were recent , one depicting me as I walked out the front door of the building ,
the other two were taken in front of the post office. The envelope contained
nothing , I was thrilled, but that meant ? It was a joke ? Who had taken them
and why? I looked back , I had the feeling that someone was watching me also at
that moment, there was silence in the office . I looked at the photos, then the
rest in the envelope and put it all in the bag.
" Maybe it will be a joke .. Sergio ."
My pallor was noticed by Silvano - Andrea 're sick ? You
look pale . - He asked.
I did not know what to say , I decided to minimize -
Nothing, maybe just a little ' flu -
Silvano shook his head - is the fault of the damn time ! We
all get sick . Tomorrow is your day off, try to rest and if you do not feel
very well yet , take a day due to illness. -
I nodded - Yes, but not need be , simply just a little '
rest . -
Once home I called Sergio , answered on the second ring .
- Sergio , hello - surely , was at work, I was sorry to
bother him , but I wanted confirmation that those photos were just a joke .
- Hello Andrea , I'm sorry but I'm working on , what is it?
-
- No , I wanted to compliment you on the joke of the photos.
- I said doing a little laugh , " You made me this time , although I do
not admit anything, you managed to scare me , but I will avenge Stanne sure.
"
- But that joke you talking about? Which photo? Sorry but I
do not follow you , okay hear from us after that I have to do . Hello . -
" Then there is his work ! And who the hell was
that? "
I started again in a cold sweat , I kept turning over in his
hands at those photos , I was entering panic , I was sitting dazed on the couch
, the darkness around me , the wind blew hard on the glass of the balcony , I
was panicked . At one point I heard the phone ringing.
"This is Sergio , who admits to having made me the joke
, what a fool I was , going to the agitation for a joke. "
Instead it was not him , it was Serena .
- Serena Hello , how are you all right? Can I do anything
for you? - My voice was a whole program
- Andrea , hello ! I do not want to bother you, all right? -
"Well, I could be better" - Do not bother me at
all, all right , tell me -
- Well , look, tomorrow is your day off , right? -
At that moment , I remembered barely just my name - Yes -
said dry .
- I thought - she continued - that tomorrow, if you like,
you can accompany me to the faculty. Memories of the photo? We had the
curiosity to know the professor De Felice. - He paused , now remembered .. that
photo.
- I was informed on the timing of his lectures , he holds a
tomorrow from noon o'clock. At eleven o'clock I go to your house and go to
college. What do you think? - I accepted without thinking about it a lot, maybe
because I wanted to cut it short .
- Yeah, okay, then I'll wait tomorrow morning. Hello Serena
tomorrow. - I did not want to talk
- Ok , good evening Andrea ! -
I spent the evening walking up and down between the living
room and hallway , and my nervousness increased when Sergio confirmed to me
that the photos did not know anything.
" But who could it be? And why not? "
I had no enemies , I had no outstanding issues with no one ,
no one else my friend would think of me as a joke .
"What if .. but no, it would be absurd .. but then for
a .. for a photo ! "
I realized that the only person with whom I had a score to
settle was the owner of the photo that I had stolen in December.
" But then imagine if this guy was put to tail me for a
photo ! "
I took the photo and remembered the appointment the next day
with Serena . "Whatever I have to return ! "
Suddenly , I felt him all the harshness of the day, I was
tired, bad weather continued , the rain and the wind were one to several hours.
I went to bed , under the covers , wrapping the duvet, after a while I fell
into a deep sleep.
I was strolling on the seafront in Mondello ,
sandwiched between the beach and the row of palm trees and oleanders, next to
me was Sofia , wore a beautiful dress sleeveless spring , and wrapped his neck
he wore a silk scarf that rested on his back. We walked aimlessly , without a
reason , around us there was a ' living soul, the sky was cloudy and it was one
with the sea , which looked like a silver plate , it was a lifeless sea . There
were no colors, but only an intense light that made everything a ' unique
hue, gray. At one point, my hand brushed Sofia , I turned to her, and I
realized that the only color that was shone in his eyes , a green so intense ,
that I was losing it . I noticed that a tear was leaving the green , then
stopped, stood staring at the sea.
- Andrea - said , my heart was stopping , continued - I have
to say that .. - I could not hear his words , I turned a black car , popped
from somewhere , he was throwing in a mad rush towards us. I threw myself on
Sofia and pushed her on the sand.
- Do not worry - I tried to reassure her - it's me they want
, you stay down and then when I tell you to run away. -
I kissed her , stroked her hair, then I got up and started
running . I turned and saw that the car kept following me , it was me who
wanted to , then I cried in Sofia to run and run. I continued to run, but my
legs were leaving , I was reaching a villa, if I could climb over the gate
maybe I was safe . The gate was almost reached , when you hear a noise like a
gunshot BOOM BOOM ..
"What the fuck is going on? " Woke up
with a start , "What time is it? "
BOOM " What the fuck is that noise? "
I got up, the noise was coming from the front door , I
walked towards the entrance staggered in the dark , arrived at the door I found
a piece of paper on the floor , which had been introduced from outside . I
picked it up , turned on the light , there was an inscription in capital
letters: KNOW WHO YOU ARE .
I was paralyzed with fear , then I looked out through the
peephole , there was no one on the landing, ran to the balcony overlooking the
street , the glass was fogged by moisture , opened it and stepped outside , the
rain was heavy , I tried to see something , I saw a car that pulled away, I
went back , looked at the time , it was three , I was shaking . I closed the
door from inside and lowered all the blinds, I was terrified , I went to bed
completely wrapped in blankets . That night I could not go back to sleep .
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