INTRODUCTION:
In these short stories do not harbor certainties, they are inspired by questions that make up the title, the opening words and the sense of narrative. There are no answers, but only stimuli for reflection: small bursts, precisely, without claiming to contain nothing but the words are written.
"HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ?!?!"
That man on the street corner clung to appear suddenly from behind the corner of the building as soon as he felt the arrival of someone.
Passers-by, unexpectedly surprised by the figure which he is front of him, could hardly avoid it almost before bumping.
Many people had jumped more distracted and we were also clashed.
For all, however, passed the first moment of bewilderment, he had to repeat the same question, which no one could, or could, find the answer.
On the other hand did not lose heart and continued to repeat tirelessly orologeresca with precision and timing of gestures and words.
Only if you looked from a distance, pausing the pace of his fast at least for a sufficient period of time, you could understand everything that's weary of the monotonous movements were dictated by the need to find something or someone who previously had lost, perhaps or perhaps anywhere else in the edge of that corner.
"You know who I am??"
Addressed him with undisguised desperation the unfortunate customer of the restaurant.
The look of stunned and bewildered waiter seemed to know what you cling to justify the unpleasant episode that occurred as a result of his inexcusable neglect: the customer's dress shirt showed a conspicuous spot, right on the chest. The consommé was particularly welcome, since in a few moments had already absorbed.
The continued abuse of the victim with the head waiter, who rushed immediately when he realized that something was wrong.
Moreover, the prestigious restaurant was completely deserted, except for that one customer, in addition mistreated by a service does not rise to the occasion.
"It was she?"
Under the Capellino Borsalino hair carefully collected with colored pegs formed hairstyle that perfectly modeled on photographs of the most popular models.The eyes, carefully hidden by large sunglasses exaggerated oval shapes, they could not recognize or distinguish the color from brown lenses. What do you perceive to be different, but broke away because he was not given evaluation.Under the glasses the face with violence took the form attractive and kept dry cheeks with features deftly leading the eye to his lips, but openly expressive artifacts with exaggerated blushing glow on and, thanks to a famous brand of lipstick in the morning used to hold for as long as possible the expression of smiles. The teeth, perfectly white, almost blinded the unfortunate who were watching them.The blouse, unbuttoned blatantly and unabashedly gay, revealed the smooth white skin that slid up to rise in intrusive forms supported by proper undergarments, hidden only apparently.That the forms were correct there was no doubt, judging from the looks that attracted willing to show all around.That strip of skin that arose between the brevity of the blouse and the meanness of life of the calzone that had helped in the eyes down and not to dwell too much at one point.The same jeans, overly tight seemed to want to show that there were forces all content, but inevitably ended up sliding down to the ankles and shoes, strictly red.They too were branded as the rest of the clothing and accessories, with high heels in order to help make the picture even more slender and attractive, if there ever was needed.The only concern that suddenly attacked the human mind waiting, surrounded by all these women similar in appearance, was certainly the difficulty to recognize which of them was the one with which he had set the appointment.
"It takes a lot?"
The demand, issued at point-blank, in a tone not at all unfriendly and kind, through exile glass that separated those who had expressed outside of the cabin, eager to enter and the one who was inside, with the receiver and intent in hand in an animated conversation with someone who was somewhere, had the effect of overly annoy those who had not only had the good sense to wait another.The receiver gave security to those who had it in hand and made it almost indifferent to everything happening around, imagine if he could be somewhat influenced by the complaints of those who waited with growing anxiety, which came their turn.The cabin was small, difficult to penetrate because of the narrow doors and hard to push, incredibly transparent, and there is no guarantee of privacy, since all the words inside, even quietly, faithfully, and was passed out of anyone who was in the he could hear distinctly the close.Even the most timid or those who entered with something to hide, once taken in hand the phone and dialed the number with which they wanted to communicate, they could not refrain from speaking as if they were on a secluded island, far from everything and everyone, unable to hold back the words that would not have wanted to say and poured dozens and dozens.Often the only limit was placed not by callers, or from the increasing number of people waiting to enter, even though more and more loudly humming, but the money small change or coins that were needed to prolong it.After completing the communication had to be dropped and hung up the receiver, with great satisfaction of those who waited outside.At that time, who fell out of the magical world of words and telephone, in front of their faces grim, tired of the long wait, also had kind words and apologized for the prolongation of a phone call that had to be brief. Those who entered, all happy to get hold of the handset itself magical, calmed the ranks of people who remained outside with the confidence to spend a short time. But as soon as you open the communication, his eyes lit up as a dark force abducted by telephone and were worth nothing and grumbling protests to commemorate the commitment to be brief.
"What time is it? "
The question was asked by a guy who had his arms filled with watches and, as if that were not enough, because he wore a vest, you could see a series of chains protruding from the pockets of that to which they were allegedly attacked by the clocks pocket. Not only! His hat was actually a faithful reproduction of a cuckoo clock. Moreover, even in the watches had ankles.
People who passed by her distracted, answering that question by consulting their watches and saying that the time they found themselves on top.
He figured to receive a "thank you" for an answer.
They had felt a jolt when instead yelling: "Wrong!" And then add: "It's almost less about! Put your clocks which do not specify the exact time !!!".
Only then watched him and thought that it had to have every Friday, or that it was a publicity stunt of some quirky brand of watches.
If someone answered that he did not know, he retorted: "And 'now that you buy your watch!" And then added: "If I want different models, but all timeless!"
In fact, all those so well exposed specimens had one thing in common, besides the fact that watches were equally devoid of hands!
"How long ago? "
The climate had become bizarre was now considered an established fact and a little 'we all had adequate clothing in a manner appropriate to provide, at least in part, all its possible mutations and sudden.
But the thing that was left baffled the effect this might have continuously messed up on people's behavior, which in some cases reached the paradox.
In particular, an individual would spend entire days in walking the short distance that separated her apartment, located in the first floors of a building, from the palace.
From this came just to look out and people who passed on the road always posed the same question.
Depending on the response that we obtained, evaluated quickly if he was wearing clothes that were appropriate and, if they were not, return immediately to change them.
Since the weather was changing him, as the answers that were returned, even in a few moments, he could never be in tune and did nothing to retrace their steps.
He was never convinced of the phrases that were spoken to more people and required confirmation, not finding it at all.
"And the Light?"
The autumn days were very short of the beginning of December and already at half past four p.m. to illuminate the sun stopped and hid behind the horizon, leaving the shadows lengthen everywhere, engulfing the roads and the people who were in transit.Fortunately dell'imbrunire already at the first sign, put the bulbs on top of street lamps were lit and their light illuminating the darkness, allowing passersby to see along the way they did.It was customary that all this happens and no one cared to bother.Late one afternoon, however, the bulbs are not lit streets and plunged into a darkness.Only the machines come with their headlights to allow people who were on the road to see where they put their feet.Everyone walked in his tight clothes, a little 'because of the cold and did a little' for the fear he felt at being surrounded by so much darkness to walk.A road in particular was not very busy and had comfortable sidewalks, rows of trees along both sides and facades of buildings full of sculptures and projections that assumed a sinister aspect in the dark. Moreover, at one point there was a recess in which it could be someone without being seen crouching and leaping out of nowhere.The few people who passed through that night they did out of necessity, and if they could choose, I would have done without.On all other nights no one was worried about the recess, but this time it was approaching was suddenly hit by a commanding voice that made him jump with a seemingly trivial question.The instinct to turn toward it, recognizing nothing in that darkness that characterized dark, not knowing who stammer responses of circumstance, but totally unsuitable, followed overwhelming desire to accelerate the pace and quickly put it into practice, keeping quell'inusuale of experience only an instinctive and deep fear.The same behavior repeated throughout the evening that item left without an adequate response, despite the repetition of the same question to many different people.
The next night, illuminated by the usual bulbs fortunately, some of those passers-by have come back on that road and approached him in the recess, curious to discover the source of that voice that had troubled them the night before, there were no person, nor any trace of his presence there.Disappointed not to have found satisfaction to all the questions that following that unexpected encounter had raised in their minds, were about to retrace their steps when he turned around again, just looking towards the corner of the most hidden recess noticed a tiny drawing of a small incandescent light bulb and one written in microscopic characters. Approached him were surprised to read the words that were engraved: "The Light that you had lost and felt very lack of which was the same as waste normally not worry about it. I just wanted to make a little joke to make you feel as you can without having to hear more. I do not vulgar. A friend. ""P.S. : Prendetevene care! "
"Who are you?"
The hectic life lived to the rhythms of today often leads people to forget the basics of his life and directs their lives to flatten on the second repetition of the same gestures and habits standardized times repeated.Often in all this we forget to feel your heart and limit yourself to be the work that is done or the lives we lead, refusing to understand the deep meaning of his existence.Some time ago, when machines had not yet taken hold on many people and still walked on foot, there was greater ease in meeting, and sometimes, even in speaking, finding a pleasant conversation without anyone to complain.At that time, at times you could run into a strange guy who would stop placed at points of greatest transit with his strange costume and suddenly apostrophizing people who passed before him with the same question asked almost point-blank on the faces of these.Many did not come to understand that question was directed to those sudden and, thinking they've come to the middle of a dialogue between other people, continued without even responding.Some doubt had to be the recipients of this strange question, but a little 'for the distraction of thoughts they had for the head, a little' because they did not know what to answer, smiled in greeting and, without saying a word, continued their way without stopping.In a few realize they have been interrogated and some babbling response consists of a sum of words, though far from satisfactory.One, however, responded almost as if the answer had prepared her for a long time and waited for someone to ask it to him: "I do not know, but I'm shooting to find out. It may be that sooner or later I discover. Why do you ask? "And the other, not at all surprised by the answer, he replied: "I stopped to catch my breath, because it is a tortuous path, but I'm ready to go."
"You have stuff? "
The question asked point blank who did not expect to collect only had the effect of vague answers and no real relationships with the intentions of the interlocutor. These holding a piece of chalk and a tape measure, which came down on his chest from his shoulders he was wearing an elegant apparel, expect an answer, seemed impatient, even if it wanted to see.
Behind him was a table where you could see the big scissors and spools of various colored wires placed in an open box. Needles were definitely somewhere, otherwise how could sew?
What I saw was definitely not just the stuff that had to be sewn.
For this reason, constantly posed the same question to people who passed by her.
At that hour of the morning, though, all those who passed, or intent to go to work or school, or on some errand, fabric in your hands not if it were, if not already sewn the clothes on their backs, but how could they give it to him?
There could possibly be another explanation, although he could certainly seem absurd. The tailor asked the strange stuff that was not the one with which we are enveloped by wearing dress, but what everyone had in himself, closed within its own mind and that often did not know you had.
He then was not there to pack clothes but to help mend the tears that humanity presented with ever more tears.
There remained only speculation: no one stopped and the tailor, tired of asking in vain, that strange sbaraccava table and, as he came, he disappeared.
"And before?"
The streets were laid out with strange marks on the ground, painted with white paints and long before now partly discolored. There were also signs of metal supported by posts at a certain height, so as to be visible from a distance.There were other, much larger, which distracted the eye with eye-catching images. Advertised products with the excuse of the models often display features supposedly available.Of course the streets were full of drivers locked in their plastic and tin cans, raised by rubber tires filled with air that rolled back and forth every day.The roads are often intersected with each other and at the intersections of these were crowded most of the signs.The meaning of the strange signs that we were impressed, however, was almost completely disappeared from the memories of motorists, who often had problems in the dialogue between them at intersections where sometimes clashed, or threatened to do so and did not communicate except with strange gestures and dark words often scurrilous language.In the most dangerous, there were piles of yellow colored heads with strange elongated, dark green, with three colored eyes lit up at times and in different colors. The biggest of these was placed higher up and when he lit a red light that shone from afar was seen and was used to warn oncoming those from afar who had to stop. The other two were of the same diameter, the lower one was green and, when lit, allowed to spread to the parked cars and cross the intersection, while the center was yellow, and those who warned it was approaching which was almost the other way round of parked cars to cross the intersection. The names of these poles were traffic lights and had spread in many intersections in the hope that it did reduce accidents. They do their pre-established and regularly alternated throughout the transit of cars of various streets at intersections. But often their ads remained unheard and sometimes, discouraged by so much indiscipline and broke down, giving up three lights and emit the same orange lights flashing.Sometimes they were at the crossroads of people in uniform who kept watch on the fairness of the car and jotted down the license plates of special pads unruly.Many codes were written with good rules to follow but, locked in their cars, drivers always traveled in the company of a hurry and the roads that were paved or freshly filled holes or covered with patches, despite the many names that distinguished, on the edges show plaques that barely holding back the photos of the many people who at some point of their continuous scroll you were dead.What they really seemed to have lost track was the very meaning of the above.Only an old, discolored front of the crosswalk, with a stick in hand, to sustain the weight of years he carried on his shoulders and you could see well dressed, wondering whether to jump when crossing, if asked in a whisper that hardly felt the demand, while the cars sped to the front and almost wanted to have to invest before they entered the street.
"And it takes ??!!?"
The bully had called for good, beating the few words for emphasis. The other, not at all disturbed by such carelessness, gave willingly and let the inconvenience of so many could follow simple spoken intentions of tangible facts.
The handle was hard to turn, and he did not have the right intention.
The other passengers were already considering to reach another door to get off.
On the glass there was no sign that says "failed", which it did imply the impossibility of opening.
The other doors opened and the passengers were all down there normally.
The first attempt that had the opening he had joined the group that was headed towards one of the two other doors that were near and, after a while, oltrepassatala, he found himself on the dock, just in time to see the door close again and the train again.
Behind the other door, still closed, I fumbled another, had not realized that the handle was locked and that if he wanted to go down, now at the next stop, had to change out.
"Culture Counts? "
They had spent much of their time bent over the books to study the writings of men and women who lived before them, where they talked about the importance of the study and how it found the improvement of human action, always striving towards the progress.
They hunched from the weight of all that study and their heads were struggling to stay above them, was so impressive that they were called to contain.
Outside of those studies seemed useless, even helpless, and every step in this hostile world could be fatal to their tiny living.
No one cared and the people were all taken to running after a mild and often ephemeral fashions.
The books, then read no more, though many wrote it, but often meaningless.
The height of those television blathering posts listened to them, but the audience fell more and there was no way that you get up.
Under the shadow of the great oak is found in the warm spring afternoons, and they talked for hours. Few people speak, but surrounded by the many individuals of which recounted the deeds, thoughts and deeds, there appeared to be listening to a multitude, and even if no one else came close to exchange words, they were never alone.
"Have you seen my hand?"
Interlocution on the edge, right in the middle of a stretch given, subject to significant pedestrian crossing, intent to pursue trajectories of individual, seemingly identical, had long dwelt a young lady who was elegantly back and forth on the same segment of the imaginary and constantly looked to the ground between the feet of the legs, uncertain, as if he had lost something.
People that can occur, intrigued by that behavior, they looked a little 'before continuing, pulled by the arms by their haste. Some, more free from this yoke, could pay more attention and stop and turn into more in-depth observations.
Among these there were a few who felt compelled to pay even an offer of help, figuring that that lady had lost something important, without which it could continue its journey.
At their request if he had lost something, certainly did not expect him to answer with a different tone from the very bizarre.
Their faces, carved into question a smile in amazement, almost unable to formulate a sensible answer, just leaned over to look at her legs, fearful of losing their movements and measured with their legs the distance separating the imaginary their feet in the continuous walking, not finding anything suitable.
As they did all of them to lose their stride has never understood, but it should not because then you have found each other again at that point.
"Can you throw the money?"
TV shows, now for some time, had lost the ease of holding the audience with ease, and since it had multiplied, often on different channels and with similar attractions, encountered increasing difficulties in maintaining the so-called high audience ratings, which for some decades it sanctioned the real success.Viewers weary of repeating copy programs, more and more deserted them to follow well-made films, or technological innovations.They still had some success quizzes, serial television series, in which there were frequent plot twists, the so-called reality shows and those in which the suspense continues through the end of a competitor came to open a package and won the content, between different alternatives.Meanwhile, more and more prepared and less videodipendenti in culture, the audience generally had lost contact with science and literature. Many shows have already put the light on for some time but without causing them any desire for revenge.Suddenly a secondary channel is required the attention of a growing number of spectators. The title of the proposed program that consisted of a question that the competitors had to meet with their answers.The lion's share was in mathematics.The competitors were given sheets on which were written at different numbers of digits that should be added.Only if the money had rivals could just curl up and throw them into their baskets.Who won the most money pulled in her basket.Viewers at home could also sum up their practice to.Given the success of the first edition: the streets were filled with more and more people trying to sum up, in addition to the money the second they started to launch the differences.The third edition is addressed to the multiplication and the fourth was a must to face the division.The fifth was the turn of the powers. For the sixth lap and was passed on to the seventh square roots were welcome.The eighth was not, not because there were issues to be addressed, but because at the end of the thirtieth year, perhaps there would be more work for teachers of mathematics, in preparation exceeded by their own pupils, all regulars of the program taught to draw conclusions.
