I turn the pages, and each one is dedicated to one of them.. there are photos, thoughts, memories of the days spent together. I knew that I would never be able to forget them, for all they have done for me: Joseph, Màrio, Michael, Vincent, Peter…the most wonderful people in this world, who have been by my side in good times, but above all in bad times. those years. Initially I went to greet them at parties, as I used to do .. then over time I moved to another city for work and I lost contact, even though they are constantly in my heart. Yeah, after all these years they couldn't get out of it. I remember every moment spent with them, especially with who would later become my first love; if I think back to everything I've done and how many bullshit I've told my mother just to spend a 'miserable' but, for us, bloody important now. Already just an hour.. made of love, passion, but also quarrels and misunderstandings. He was (is) a very particular guy. We were 18 years apart and, unfortunately for me, he was married. Initially I felt disgusted about the situation that had arisen and perhaps this was also the main reason for our breakup. We loved each other for two years, until we drifted apart without realizing it and finally lost contact.
Re-reading this kind of diary it seems to me as if time had stopped in those moments..
***
December 21, 1998
-Elene, hurry up, otherwise he'll go away-
-I'm coming, one moment!-
And here we are again, my best friend Marianne and I, fresh out of school running like crazy to get to the coach depot in time before the boy (and driver), Marianne has a crush on, goes Street.
We attend the fourth year of 'Kennedy High School' and today is the last day before the Christmas holidays and we had the brilliant idea of going to greet the people who pick us up every day of the school year and then take us home and they put up with us more than anyone else - the drivers. It must be said that the undersigned has never cared that much about them, I have always been a taciturn girl and on her own, I sat far from the confusion that can exist in the last seats on school buses and far from the perfect girls they occupied the first places.. let's say I preferred a more central location, and the drivers were, quite simply, people with whom I exchanged a 'hello' and a 'goodbye', unlike Marianne, who had a splendid relationship with most of They.
-Ready?..Good morning!- Marianne knocks on the door and enters quietly after the consent of the head driver, Mr. Joseph.
- Good morning, ladies. And what's your name? -
I stand petrified at the door, with all eyes on me…Mr. Joseph, Michael, Phil, Joseph and Màrio. Red like a pepper.
-She is a friend, Elene. - saved in a corner kick by Marianne.
-Ah, what a beautiful name!- Phil smiles at me
- Yes, thank you. We'll leave you alone for a while, since it's the Christmas holidays. So we thought we'd come say hello..-
-You did well. But..don't stand, take a seat.- We don't have to repeat it twice: Marianne sits next to Joseph, I take a seat in an armchair next to Michael, a handsome, big guy in his thirties. They talk about their work, without me understanding anything, when suddenly a boy from a nearby bar enters with a box of those panettones which also contain a bottle of sparkling wine...a Christmas present from the barman friend for drivers.
Mr. Joseph thanks and opens the box and Phil offers us a slice with a glass of sparkling wine, very good! We are intent on joking and making jokes while Mr. Joseph is concentrated on the screen of his computer to send Christmas cards .. but it seems without much success.
- Miss Marianne, do you know how to use a computer?-
-Of course, the basics..-
-And come and help me a bit; I just can't. Too much technology, I'm not used to it.-
He gets up from his black swivel chair and lets Marianne sit down. All intent on making fun of her when I see that she suddenly becomes serious and purple in her face.
-Good morning! Aeh, boss..you couldn't have chosen a more competent person to seat in your chair(?)-
And who could it be?
With that stupid smile of his, Vincent, Marianne's famous crush, enters the door. Or as I call him: the 45-year-old dwarf with headphones. Are you wondering why? Well, simple. He's not tall enough, he says he's 45 (when he's only 35) and always, or almost always, wears cell phone headphones. Black, crew cut hair.
-More than you, definitely! But if you're so sure of yourself..take a seat!-
-Do not even mention it. Be careful not to crash your computer instead.-
-..Here, he spoke! Your business never, right?-
Maybe a coincidence, but boy, did her computer actually crash. And Michael and I laughing from the chair. I love their constant bickering, I love them.
-Vincent don't think about it. Have a glass of sparkling wine..- Phil offers him the glass.
-Elene unlocks this thing, otherwise I'll make it fly down the window!-
Marianne gets up and leaves the place for me.
- From bad to worse ..- to say that I glared at him is an understatement. –But why, instead of being splendid near the computer, which you're not capable of, don't you wash my car a bit? So I avoid paying the car wash guy.-
-But you pay us..of course we don't do it for free.-
-Ten euros for both.-
-Ten euros?- Phil breaks into the conversation..
-Too true? Let's make five and we won't talk about it anymore!-
-How cute!-
And we go on like this for a long time, until noon. Phil has a shift for the station in Arpa, a nearby town, and he asks me and Marianne for some company. We gladly accepted, also because we liked him and our bus didn't leave before two o'clock.
*
-We're already on the fourth machine, it's really a persecution!-
We're on the bus with Phil and, as always, Marianne counts how many cars she sees that look like Vincent's.
-I have to get that car too, at all costs.-
-But do you like someone who has it?-
-No!-
-What car is it?-
-And I can't tell you, Phil. One would understand..-
-Come on tell me. I keep my mouth shut.-
-Ehmm.. a colleague of yours has it. Which, exactly, I can't stand!-
-Who is Vincent? You really like him, then.-
At that moment Marianne and I look into each other's eyes, in silence. If I know her well, at that moment she would have gladly wanted to be an ostrich.. with her head in the sand without seeing or hearing anyone.
-Hand! I don't like him.-
-And who do you like at the warehouse, come on?-
-I don't like anyone..it's Elene who has a crush on a chauffeur.-
I glare at her, wondering how she didn't catch fire.
-Really?-
-Yes. Peter, right? - Marianne looks at me with a complicit look..
-Certain! My heart beats only for him now. There are no other men..-
I'm starting to improvise.. what don't you do for a friend in difficulty?
The beauty was that I don't really remember this Peter, I vaguely remember him, maybe I've seen him a couple of times. I just remember that he is a very nice guy..
- Wow.. then I'll let you talk to him later, come on. We call him so you give him Christmas wishes, so we don't feel bad.-
-Sure why not?-
My poor unconsciousness .. but how could I think he would really do it?
As soon as we arrive in the coach park Phil picks up the phone and my eye falls on the writing ''call forwarding to Peter'' ..oh holy puppet, now it's me who wants to be an ostrich!
-Peter, what are you saying? Where are you?..no, because there's a girl who wants to talk to you.-
Phil puts it on speakerphone and urges me to speak.. after seconds of silence the only smart thing I can say is:
-PETER, WE ARE ELENE AND MARIANNE..-
-So?-
Shit figure. Shit figure. Shit figure.
-What's up?-
-And nothing.. like this. Phil what the fuck should I tell him(?)-
In response Phil laughs at me, takes off the speakerphone and continues to talk jokingly.
I want to end up 5 meters underground..I feel terribly embarrassed.
After a while Phil ends the call and, as the buses are starting to arrive, Marianne and I jump from one bus to another to wish each other a Merry Christmas... after Phil follow Michael, Màrio, Uncle Felix, then Vincent and Joseph. Finally Juan who is on our coach.
Back home, I thanked that that (school) day was over, and that I would be back after 20 days when everything would be forgotten. Although it wasn't as simple as I thought..