Enrico Maso, translated into English by Ruth Stephens
Chapter 4 – Old Friends
With the help of his sons, Antonino has opened a profile on a social network.
While finding his way around it he receives a friend request. He reads the name and looks at the photo; it’s his old friend Umberto! After exchanging a few messages, the two agree to meet in the bar where they used to go every evening when they were young.
Umberto suggests that they try to contact the other members of their old group of friends, and so Antonino spends the next few days in front of his computer searching for them. He finds Alessandro without much difficulty, but can find no trace of Vittorio.
On the day the three old friends meet up in the bar they all recognize each other immediately, even though they haven’t seen each other for almost forty years.
Umberto is tall and well-built; he’s nearly bald now and wears large glasses. Alessandro, on the other hand is very thin. He still has a mustache and curly hair, but both are now white.
“But look at you!” they exclaim, indicating Antonino’s new-look clothes and bursting out laughing.
They spend a long time chatting about what they have been doing and how their lives have changed over all those years. Amid the laughter, the jokes and glasses of wine the atmosphere is soon just as it was when they were young.
“What about Vittorio?” asks Antonino, “Have you heard anything about him?”
“I know he almost became an Indian holy man,” replies Umberto, “Did a lot of meditation; I think he lives in a house out in the country which he converted into an agriturismo. Grows his own organic produce and hates technology.”
“Well he always was inclined to the alternative lifestyle…” comments Alessandro.
“But it would be nice to reunite the whole group, don’t you think?” suggests Antonino. “By the way, guess who’s playing near Bologna tomorrow.”