Two months in New York

Me, Malcolm and a strange man called Nate

Chapter 1Me, Malcolm and a strange guy called Nate.

3rd November 2026

'The flight from Rome is finally arrived in New York'

Someone said it for sure, among that mass of persons crowding, uncontrolled, over the barrier of the arrivals: maybe the boyfriend who left his girl travel to that "dangerous" peninsula generally called Italy;
or maybe one of that anxious grandmas who usually spend their time into an airport kissing a ten years old photo of their nephew;
or the good student doing his first intercultural exchange and can't wait to party with his new Italian brother.
Anyway, I know Malcolm didn't say it.
Malcolm was a crazy friend of mine who offered to get me to the New York's airport, that day.

I exit from a door and went through the barriers, carrying difficultly my three suitcases, meanwhile, he was quietly sit at the front bar with a big mouthed guy that I had never seen before.

-Thanks, Malcolm, always gentle. - I muttered, raging on a trolley wheel wedged between two tiles.

I went briskly to the two guys. They were sipping something looking like a Whisky.
So, I was arriving from Italy after a two days flight, and Malcolm and... that guy, were drinking into a bar. They probably didn't even notice that the plane was landed from half an hour.

-Well, look what a strange guy. - I thought.

Malcolm always have strange people around him. Maybe I was a strange person too.
So he greeted me listlessly, hinting a "Hello!" and lifting up the free hand. He was very concentrate on an interesting conversation about the ridiculous new underpants of a Neil B., who, listening to their words, seemed like a 'not so smart' man who still lived with his mother. ( And then, women would be the most gossips.)
Anyway, the strange man didn't seem a stupid. It's easy to think that someone may be stupid when you see him laughing so much for a guy he knew who usually wear dotted knickers. But he really didn't seem like that.
Maybe because he had wonderful green water eyes, not a color you see every day, and a man with eyes like that couldn't be stupid.
Or maybe because he had a familiar look. I really was sure I had already seen him somewhere, and evidently, not in a stupid context.

Finally, I was obligated to stop them. However, Malcolm was stupid. You don't need to be a genius to understand it.
- A little help, please? - I asked, disguising my nervousness with a sort of sarcastic smile.
- Sure! - It answered the green eyed Baby Strange, getting down from his stool and grabbing the handles of two suitcases.
I was sure he was not stupid!
So, Malcolm, following the good model, gave a last sip to his Whiskey and grabbed the other one. At that point, we walked to our car.

-This street is endless! - I snort. - Where did you park?
- In the less expensive parking!
- ... Out of the airport?
- Yeah, something similar.
- Oh, I guess this was Malcolm!
- Exact, Lady! It was just an idea of mine: it's a practical and economic parking and it promote the physical training! - It exclaimed Mal, with proud voice.

Well, we crossed all the outside zone of the airport, then the bridge that combines it to the street and, at that point we were in front of a never ending queue of parking cars, our own was the penultimate at the end. These men were really able at parking!
So we reached it, put the baggage inside and everyone got his own seat: Malcolm behind the wheel, the unknown near him and I in the central rear seat.
- How is New York? - I asked immediately, leaning my elbows on the backrests of the two front seats.
- Just look around you. - It answered quietly the strange guy.
- Well, I can't see so much from here. I meant the center of the city.
- It's a big chaos! - Intruded Malcolm.
- But anyway nice, you always have something to do, believe me. Even if it's so cold for the most of the year.
- Oh, It doesn't matter. I just need New York's snow to make some shootings!
- Shootings?
- Yeah. I'm a filmmaker.
- Oh, Malcolm didn't say me this thing. So, congratulations!
- Thank you! - I exclaimed, jerking for a speed bump. - Anyway you still haven't tell me who you are and why you're here.
- I'm Nate, an old friend of Mal and I'm here for work issues too. Today I was free, so we decided to spend this afternoon together.
- Oh, I see. Well, nice to meet you, Nate! - I laughed, just like I had never seen him before.
- And you... Do you have a name?
- Oh yes, sorry, my name's Elena.
- Pleasures. - He also laughed, shaking my hand.

The car, was slowly leaving the airport zone, and the buildings becoming bigger and bigger, the streets crowded, the fog thicker and thicker. So there! New York's atmosphere. It wasn't as nice as I expected, rather it reminded me of Milan because of the grey sky and the giant buildings.
- The coast is better, Elena. I advise you to go there, when you'll got time. - Suddenly said Nate, noticing my disappointment.
- I hope it. Here everything seems so dark.
- Hey Lady, you're from Rome, it's normal that all seems dark for you, here! - Malcolm specified, hinting a laugh.
- You reminded me of an old song by an Italian singer. Basically, this girl decides to go in New York because she feels her city like a cage, but she finally understands that this place is not for her and misses her home forever.
- Ah, I don't think it could be your case. You love to travel!
- In fact I don't think so, I told it just to mention a famous person, as I always do.

And the road went on like that. Between surprise and disappointment, because you know: the skyscrapers, besides that bulky, are amazing buildings if you've never seen them!
Then we also talked about the destruction of the Twin Towers in 2001: I was only a child when it happened and that day I was watching a cartoon on TV and it was suddenly interrupted by the special edition of the TG. I can really say I had an unusual memory of that event.
- Okay Lady. We arrived, I think. - It exclaimed Malcolm, improvising a parking in the second queue.
- Nice! Here the distances are tripled than my city.
- I'll help you to get off the baggage! - Said Nate, getting down from the car. - So Malcolm will park on a right place.

He opened the trunk, got off two suitcases and took me to the reception.
There we found, rather than the typical big lady with the big boobs, a very gentle big mustached man, with elegant clothes and a nice look.
- Hello Messrs, can I help you?
- I'm Elena Marchese. I booked a room for tonight.
- I'll control immediately... Well, well... Marchesi Alice, Marchesini Laetitia, Marchese Elena, I've found you! You just have to fill in this form.
- Thank you, have you got a pen?
- Here... - And he gave me a silver one, with golden decors in the high part and a shiny thing that looked like a Swarowski on the top.

So I filled in the form, wrote my signature in the bottom of the page and finally got the keys:
- Enjoy your stay, Lady Marchese.
- Thank you. Oh, this guy is helping me to carry the baggage in my room. - I specified, indicating Nate.
- Oh no, you don't need him, my assistant Ralph will help you. The rules says you can't allow the access to other people in you room.
- Ah, ok. Anyway thank you, Nate.
- You're welcome. - It answered him, hinting a smile.
- Greet Malcolm for me, please.
- I'll do it. See you!
- Bye... Oh, wait a moment!
- Yeah?
- What if you were...?
He looked me with puzzled look, meanwhile I was thinking if I was saying a stupid thing or not.
- Nothing, forget.
- Ok. - He shrugged and went to the exit.

In the meantime, Ralph arrived. He helped me with the baggage and showed me the room. Can you imagine it?
"The towels are into the drawer of your bedside table; under the mirror of the bathroom you will find a little soap offered by our hotel; the mosquito net on the window has a vertical opening, can you see?
You'll find some crutches into the wardrobe, offered by our hotel too; the breakfast is usually served from 7.00 to 9.00 am. If you need some help you can use the phone on the desk to call the staff or the reception. Enjoy your stay!"

-Finally quiet! - I said, throwing down on the bed.

And there I thought and I thought...
Soon I had to restart the shootings, when I'd honestly preferred to have already finished.
That's the way I am. I'd like to do everything with a snap of fingers, instead it is so difficult, so tiring, even if you really believe in your dreams, sometimes it's easy to give in.
But this was the real question: Did I really believe in the profession I choose?
I knew I always had a secret dream, and it wasn't to become a film producer, but when I had to go to university I decided to cancel it from my mind and dedicate myself to cinema.
I often wonder how my life would be today, if I'd thought more in the past and If I'd gave myself a chance to take the other way. Maybe I wouldn't have regrets, or maybe yes, who knows?
I had to be proud of my efforts and my successes, instead I used to wonder if I made a mistake.
It's hard to accept that past is past, and that probably, we, eternally undecided people, we will never be completely satisfied of our choices.