lunedì 12 agosto 2013

Different Twins.

Different twins. Marco and Nicola. So similar outside, so different inside. I met both of them at 14, at the beginning of high school at Liceo Scientifico Belfiore. Our classes had PE courses together. From the beginning I was surprised by their extraordinary physical likeness. Identical, like two drops of water. I became friends at first with Marco, more sociable than his brother. Those who didn't know them had to hope that they wore their Ray Ban glasses, same model but green lenses for Nicola and brown for Marco. No other way to distinguish them. All my life I've always been friends with one or the other alternatively, not for choice but by chance. When I was seeing Marco I didn't go out with Nicola and the other way around. They both studied economy in college at Verona: couldn't they study half and pass each one half of the exams twice? Everybody had this idea at the time. Wouldn't you? But they were too honest for it! Too bad. On Sunday night we all went to Casteldario to Stazione restaurant: we were 20 customers no restaurant would have wanted. Alberto, the owner, knew it, and he gave us a private room. Luca also knew it: calling him "waiter" would be reductive. The menu was risotto alla pilota and bignolata (rice with sausage and cream puffs cake). And lots of lambrusco wine. How much did it cost? I think Alberto didn't even reache breakeven point with us. Years after he told me that he really liked us and he was happy to have us around on Sundays, and that earning more money wouldn't have been as fun as having us. Those were different times, and different people. Marco was with us. I've never understood why he ate rice with a spoon. Surely not to eat more, since whenever one of us finished his plate, Luca materialized behind him and fillet the plate a second, then a third time. I know only one person more voracious than Marco. He's'got the same first name but, being a foreigner (Rome), he's justified...       When you saw Marco stuffing himself up with the spoon you felt like a Perigord farmer stuffing up his geese. Nicola is a "gourmand" and a wine expert, like Marco by the way. He loves reading and scuba diving. His favourite destinations for holidays? Places where he can dedicate hilself to his two passions: faraway islands. I think he's visited most islands between Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand: well, all those ending with otu, itu and atu. Except for Vanuatu, which is outside Australia, and Nosferatu, the Romanian island... What can I do? For me geography has got no secrets. I remember like it was yesterday the vacation with Nick in Miami, not least of all for the endless challenges between Nick and I against Gianluca and Emiliocubano. Beach volley, spazzinone, tressette, briscola and other card games. Whatever the game, we would have won anyay... And breakfasts in the small Cuban cafe early in the morning, where Emilio ate his oily breaded meat sandwiches with all kind of toppings and iced beer...  So many trips, so much fun...oh, before I forget: Marco was the lucky owner of the mythical "bariola" corner... But I think I already talked about this, right?

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