Living Under the Roses

Chapter 4

He walks down the street, head bowed. He comes to a bridge, approaches the railing and sighs. He gazes intently at the gently moving river water. Suddenly, he received a notification on his mobile, a reminder that he had an appointment with his psychologist in 15 minutes. Giovanni had forgotten about this appointment. He heads for his car. He arrives at his appointment, greeted by his psychologist, with long curly hair, an oversized multi-colored T-shirt and pink pants. They sit down.

Miss Messina: Hi Giovanni !

Giovanni: Hello Miss Messina

Miss Messina: How are you feeling?

Giovanni: I'm not feeling very well, but I've had worse, I think, I don't know.

Miss Messina: Is it because you've stopped taking your medication?

Giovanni: Oh no, everything's fine on that front.

Miss Messina: Why do you feel unwell?

Giovanni: I remembered a traumatic experience when I was a child.

Miss Messina: If you want, you can tell me more about it.

Giovanni explains what happened, and the psychologist tells him: "I understand that the traumas you've experienced are horrible, but you absolutely must detach yourself from your father. Today he's dead, he's no longer here to hurt you, this young woman is kind, she's listened to you, I know you have difficulty relating to other people, this woman seems to be trustworthy" Giovanni agrees with what she says. Mrs Messina asks him a question.

Mrs Messina: By the way, did you feel any withdrawal after stopping your treatment?

Giovanni: No. At first it was very strange, it was my habit to take antidepressants every day.

Mrs Messina: Yes, it became a kind of mechanism in your mind.

Giovanni: Exactly! Now I feel better, the dark thoughts have almost totally disappeared, or at least they're lighter. What happened today made me feel bad, but seeing Adèle supporting me did me a lot of good, she means a lot to me.

Mrs Messina: Indeed, it's important to apologize, you say she means a lot to you, doesn't she?

Giovanni: Of course! Adèle is a wonderful woman, she's creative, intelligent and funny. I love being around her. I think that uh, how can I say... (he coughs)

Miss Messina: Yes?

Giovanni: I'm... in love with her

Miss Messina: That's wonderful!

Giovanni: Yes, I'd like to tell her how I feel.

Miss Messina: That's a good idea, Well, the session's about to end, do you have anything else you'd like to tell me?

Giovanni: Oh, right! I was unjustly expelled from Carseta high school...

Miss Messina: What happened ?

Giovanni: (explaine the situation)

Giovanni recounts the ups and downs of his job. Miss Messina shows empathy and dismay at the Ministry's unjust decisions. They end up talking politics for about twenty minutes, with Miss Messina looking at her watch as the appointment draws to a close, and she asks Giovanni if he wants to talk about anything else.

Miss Messina : You wanted to ask me about something else ?

Giovanni: No

Miss Messina: Okay, perfect !

Giovanni: See you in 1 month?

Miss Messina: Right, have a good evening Giovanni !

Giovanni: Thanks to you too, See you soon

Miss Messina: See you soon !

Giovanni leaves the office. He's confident he can improve the situation with Adèle. On the road, he sees a burning mosque. Arriving home, he sits on his balcony, breathing heavily from his day. Suddenly, he sees 3 young people in the street, shouting "Glory to the duche, glory to Rosaria Imparato ! " as they run, brandishing the symbols of the government. Giovanni laments: A few years ago, I used to see young people frolicking, laughing, having fun - in short, enjoying their adolescence. Today I see young people, blinded by Italian nationalism, completely submissive. How is it possible that the far right is everywhere in Italy? Ever since Rosaria Imparato arrived on the media scene, she's converted a large majority of the population to neo-fascism, whether it's the young people who watch her Newhub programmes over and over again, or the old people who watch her speeches on TV. I'm afraid for the future of Italy, for Italians who are like me, against this government...