Living Under the Roses

Chapter 8

The next day, Adèle starts a discussion with Giovanni.

Adèle: I've managed to get in touch with my family by phone. You can also access the phone.

Giovanni: Okay.

Adèle : Don't you want to contact someone close to you ?

Giovanni: I don't really have anyone to contact, my mother's dead and it's been over 7 years since I got in touch with my father after what happened. I've never had any contact with the other uncles etc...

Adèle: Okay, I understand. I'm sorry about that.

Giovanni: You didn't know in detail about my situation, it's okay, don't apologize. So how did your call go?

Adèle: Fine ! I contacted my sister. She lives in Germany with her husband. I explained the situation to her and she said they'd be happy to take us in without any problems. If of course you're still willing to stay with me (blushes) what do you think ?

Giovanni: Sounds like a good idea!

Later that day, Adèle called her sister again, to confirm some final information. 2 days later, at around 6 p.m., under cloudy skies, the ship docks at the port of Hamburg. The passengers leave the ship, Adèle and Giovanni. They were relieved to finally be able to walk on dry land. Through the crowd of passengers on the pontoon, he notices a young woman in a yellow-orange ribbon waving at them with her long arms. "Hannah!" says Adèle. Running to Hannah, Adèle hugs her sister, saying in Arabic: "I'm so happy to see you again. Her sister replies: I'm glad you're alive haha. Giovanni, tired, walks slowly towards the two women

Adele says to her sister, "Meet Giovanni, my boyfriend!" Hannah looks at Giovanni with a smile on her lips and says "I'm delighted to meet you Giovanni" They shake hands. Hannah tells him "Your hair is nice haha, longer than mine. Giovanni replies, "Thanks!" Hannah says, "Well, it's not all that, but you must be exhausted from your trip, or rather your adventures, so let's go home and get some rest." Adèle says: "No, we have to apply for asylum! Hannah nods: Don't worry, Adèle, I've already contacted the nearest office, which is closed. You'll go and do your administrative procedures tomorrow" Adele says, 'Okay'.

Hannah heads for the parking lot. Giovanni and Adèle follow, holding hands. They arrive in front of Hannah's big circus truck. A few minutes later, they arrive at a pretty detached house in a quiet corner. They enter the house, where he has a snack prepared by Hannah's husband Ludwig. They chat for about 1 hour. Giovanni and Adèle are tired, so they tell them they're going to bed. They go upstairs and Adele finds her bearings again, knowing where the guest room is. She opens the door. She inhales through her nose; there's a faint scent of lavender in the room, just as she remembered when she came to see her sister two years ago. She say : "Ah qu'es que ça fait du bien d'être ici tu ne penses pas Giovanni ?" Yes, says Giovanni, approaching her. He sits down on the bed and gives her a long kiss. 2 hours later, after a long sleep, Adèle and Giovanni slowly wake up. Giovanni starts whispering to Adèle.

Giovanni: Adèle, I'm afraid of what's coming next.

Adèle: Why?

Giovanni: I don't know, we were good in high school before...

Adèle: That Imparato will be elected...

Giovanni: Yeah right

Adèle: I understand, for me too it's hard to imagine our future without fear... But we mustn't lose hope, if we're still alive today it's because we've been lucky, let's seize this chance to continue living despite the fact that a new page is turning. Let's enjoy

Giovanni: You're right, we were lucky

Adèle: Yes, it's somewhat unfair

Giovanni: Or fair, after all, it was our choice not to stay under the rose bushes

Adèle: Rose bushes ? What are you talking about, darling ?

Giovanni: That is to say, we made the choice to flee and not to be shot by the RASNI agents, the rose bushes after all, they call themselves the Rosa Ardente Nazionalistas Socialistas Italiana of shit, well, not of shit, but you get my point.

Adèle: You're wrong !!!!! They are the Rosa Ardente Socialistas Nacionalistas not Nazionalistas Socialistas You wouldn't want to associate this hum hum nice government with Nazis after all!

Giovanni: (bursts out laughing) they don't look at all alike... It's true that Nazis don't dress in pink...

Adèle: Sure, but they share the same ideas... How could the Italian people vote en masse for them...

Giovanni: It's all a question of cover. They (the RASNI) showed themselves to be the kind defenders of Italy in the face of "demonic migrant child rapists", "the terrible inflation inflicted on the people by the big bad capitalists" and "the lgbt ideologies that indoctrinate our children". And it worked. Unfortunately, too many Italians are afraid of foreigners and absolutely want their voice to be heard, i.e. for their minimum wage to rise, even if it means that "slightly extreme but not racist" people like RASNI are in power. After all, according to them, it's not racist to say that foreigners are a sub-race because they're terrorists. Which is another stupid generalization, but one that will lead to victory for RASNI. In the end, they're just undercover Nazis. A student of Jewish origin gets angry by shouting Nazism at everything, and is no longer recognized. Today, that's what we're experiencing. Most people have associated wokism, foreigners and capitalism with Nazism without looking any further. In Italy, the majority voted "for the return of a better world". Except that, in the end, they got the return of a much worse world.

Adèle: You're right, it's sad that so many have forgotten that appearances are deceptive...