Memories In Italy

Chapter 10

"Just tell us!" Piero said unpatient. It was already sure it was not good news. The doctor made that very obvious. "Gianluca was very lucky!" he started his explanation. So he wasn't dead! Just after the word 'lucky', I could feel we all were relieved but I still had the feeling, the rest of the doctor's explanation was going to be a nightmare. "He's still alive but he's in a coma! We don't know how he is gonna come out of that. What we know is that he hit his head the most. He also has a broken arm," he continued, not giving me enough time to think about it. I stood there with my mouth open, the rest of my body paralysed, staring to the floor. "Is he stable?" Piero asked. And as if it wasn't already worse enough, the doctor said carefully that Gianluca might not come out of his coma!" I started to feel angry inside. "And you say, he was lucky?" I screamed. "Sssst Aline!" Jonas said while taking me into his arms. I cried very hard, it just was even worse than a nightmare, because this time I knew it was all real. I wish I could undo everything with one single click, like in a word document.

Piero was still talking to the doctor, I heard him ask about what happened. Apparently, Gianluca had a car accident not so far from our house. I knew of course what he was doing that moment. "Oh no!" I cried, "it's my fault!" Piero immediately nodded his head, "no! It's definately not your fault! Gianluca would say that too!" Jonas obviously agreed with Piero. "He was calling to you while driving, yeah that's true! You couldn't know that!"

The doctor went back inside, leaving us all speakless. Nobody knew what to say. Everyone was crying. What if Gianluca would never wake up again? That would be a disaster for the world! Il Volo without him wasn't possible! Definitaly not! Me without him, than there wouldn't even be a possibility I could have a normal life! Meanwhile Jonas was with Carlotta and Piero and I sat on the chairs in the corridor. This time I could sit still but I wasn't able of breathing normaly. "Everything will be alright!" Piero said. That was always what Gianluca said too! He always used to say everything would be alright in the end! And even if we had a very rough time, for more than two years, we came back together. So he was right from the start! But this was different. Our previous problems, laid still in our own hands. We could almost solve them immediately if we wanted. The current situation was nothing we could fix ourselves. Unfortionatelly! Because I woud've fixed it already if I could. "Gianluca is strong!" Piero said! "I know that!" He laid his arm around my neck. I let my head rest on his arm. On moments like that, you could feel who was a good friend. Piero was one of the best! Not only for me, also for Gianluca. I was glad they were such good friends! Not only them but also Ignazio of course, who was travelling already to Abruzzo apparently. "Aline!" I heard from the end of the corridor. It was Ernesto, Gianluca's younger brother. We stood up. Ernesto immediatelly hugged me and gave me a kiss on my cheek, like he had to comfort me while I thought he would be the one who needed more consolation from the others. I was not real family. His parents and brother were. They knew Gianluca a lot more years before I knew him. "How is it with him?" he asked. Meanwhile his parents arrived as well. They looked devastated, very understandable of course. "His situation is still critical!" Piero said sad. By hearing that his mom, Leonore bursted into tears. "Please no!" she cried. It was lovely to see how Ercole, Gianluca's father, took her in his arms. But of course, it would've been nicer if this all didn't need to happen.

A few minutes later

After his parents were able to see Gianluca for a short time, we all sat in the corridor. Waiting. But wherefor? That's what we all thought probably. "Hello!" I heard someone say. It was Jonas who came to say hi to Ernesto, Ercole and Leonore. "Right! I almost forgot," Ercole said. "Congratulations with the baby!"

They all wanted to see Viola and Carlotta so they followed Jonas. When I said we would be in the hospital a lot the next days, I didn't meant this! And Viola was still born two months too early so she could have a handicap or worse, she could die. "This could be the worst day of my life!" I sang in my head on the melody of Il Volo's song, not funny at all of course. Piero still sat next to me, doing nothing at all. He was probably thinking about Gianluca, like we all did.

A few minutes later it was midnight. I thought it was a beautifull moment to make a wish. The most important wish I ever made. 'Let Gianluca live!' It didn't even matter if I had a part in that life of him. As long as this beautiful person was alive, healthy and happy, I would be happy too. But I realised very well that it could end very bad and then I would die too inside. Or maybe for real. I tried not to think about that anymore. I had to stay positive! Gianluca would tell it to me as well. "Aline," he would say, "everything will be alright...in the end!" I always wondered what the exact meaning of 'the end' was. Sometimes it sounded positive, but it could have a negative meaning as well. For sure he meant it in the good way. I prayed that it would not be the end we were all afraid of.

A few seconds later the doctor stood in front of us, like he just appeared with a magic spell or something similar. He instantly got my full attention. "Please let it be good news," I hoped.