Trafika Europe 14 - Italian Piazza

A Perfect Idiot

I don’t know my destination yet, but I’m thirsty for change, I left by myself, I don’t know a soul outside of the province, that ’s why I wanted to cal l you.” Then she changed subject: “I’m reading a beautiful book, a story about men of the sea.” I said to her: “I recommend you read something by Álvaro Mutis, he often placed his stories on merchant ships, the only place where Maqrol l the Gaviero felt at peace with himself.” And I added, “I, too, would have l iked to have been a man of the sea.” “You make it sound l ike you tried it and didn’t succeed.” “More or less, I’ve tried a bunch of things, so many jobs, so many places to settle, Mel i , but, maybe because there wasn’t a clever woman by my side, I’ve made nothing of myself.” Mel i was si lent. “Where are you now?” I asked. “In Mi lan, I know, I didn’t go very far, but I’l l explain calmly everything that happened to me.” She should have told me her story immediately, it would have been a lot simpler. “And where do you want to go?” I final ly asked her. “To Naples, along with you.” Whi le she whispered that word, Naples, one letter at a time, I felt everything was acquiring meaning, I tasted more of that bitter coffee I had with Don Vito,

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