Ferdinando

[Luca <nodoubt@xxxxxxxxx>]

He was waiting me at the gas station. It was a rainy day,
and he was in his rental Fiat Punto. Later he claimed he couldn't
afford more than that... or to quote his email: "I have rented a Punto instead of
the usual 33 this time, per la economia?".

It was autumn 2000. Late september or early october.
He was travelling to Italy with her sister: "My sister is travelling with me and 
I hope she agrees to stay in Capestrano while I go north to meet with you and 
Magni and Carrara."
His idea was to visit some relatives in Capestrano, then head north in the Fiat Punto
for some gyroscope related events. He would have met me then and also my alfa romeo
mechanic, to buy some Alfa 33 engine parts (for his gyro).

So after some agreements, we met at that gas station. He had the gas station
guy calling me to give info about where he was.  I reached up, he did shot me 
a picture, and introduced handshaking: "did you imagine I was so old?".
Well, I didn't imagine that. I talked to him via phone only, and his voice 
sounded young matching his energy spirit. But that old man was so strong and
full of energy I couldn't believe.
As a 50 or 60 years difference young friends :-) we left the Punto there and drove 
off on my Alfa 75 Turbo.
As I said it was a rainy day, and I still was on some crappy Avon tires; Fred didn't
miss the chance to blame me for the poor tires, telling me the car should perform
much better (coupla months later I switched to Michelin Pilots Exhalto).
We drove to the mech, we then drove to a fine restaurant (it was after the closing
time, but the guy is a friend of mine, so he opened for us 2). We had a great time
chatting, .... having fun with Fred's italian... that was just his personal 
interpretation of his family local dialect.
After caffe' and grappa we drove off.
I wanted to show him some twisties, so we picked this curvy road, climbing coupla
hairpins, mostly to see the landscape.
It was still raining, and the car slided massively on the corners. Fred kept
blaming me w/o mercy ;-)
I still laugh thinking about that. He also told me to use RainX. He sent me a bottle
of it once back to USA. Since then I started using the miracle thing on all my cars.

Then, while I was driving, the conversation switched to a serious mode.
He told me about his wife Anna, that had just been put in a hospital, due to her sickness.
My friends, I was holding the steering wheel, driving down the road, and listening
to those wise words. Words I cannot forget. Words sounding like a life lesson to me.
Fred was crying. I spotted some tears carving his face.
He simply told me he was ALONE now. Such a long life spent with a woman by her side...
that is now basically gone. Anna was already in serious conditions, barely able to
recognize her own husband. Fred pointed out that Anna was there, but her mind wasn't 
at all. She was kinda gone to him.
He told me... well, he TAUGHT me that one man doesn't need a woman for the marriage thing,
for the children thing or just for any other reason. He said one man needs his woman
for company. Because it is damn too bad realizing, one day, you're there all alone.
It's damn too bad growing old all alone.

I cannot forget those words. I cannot forget that teaching.
And I am sure he never forgot me as a friend: sometimes all you need from
a friend is some listening and understanding. And that's all I offered.

We kept in touch via email. I can really say we became great friends.

Lately, while the digest was fighting over the "WHY THE HIGH UNENPLOYMENT IN THS RICH COUNTRY"
thread, Fred posted one of his sharp emails, and ended it like this (quoting):
"sory if you don't like this sort of thing in the Digest but I simply had to tell somebody."

I perfectly understood his feeling when he wrote that mail.
So I replied privately talking about apreciating his comments and respecting his
ideas 100%, because they come from a long life experience,... experience I haven't
built up yet. I also added (quoting my email to him): "I just wish I will reach your age, 
in your shape, with your energy and passion. You rule man.  I would love to have you too 
as a grandpa."

He replied me. 14 Feb 2003. His last email to me, before going to that hospital from
which only his glory walked out like nothing happened.
His last words to me were: "Caro Luca, Thank you very much for those nice words and 
I woud be very prproud to have you as part of my family. Fred"

I still hold tears back when I read that. It's even harder now knowing I will never
receive a reply to the emails I sent afterward. 

All my love to you my friend.
I will never forget you.

Luca


"When the chosen people 
 grew more strong, 
 the rightful cause at length 
 became the wrong." (John Dryden, Absalon and Achitophel)

937, '87 Alfa 75 Turbo, '90 Alfa 75 1.8ie, '75 Benelli 500 Quattro, RM250
http://members.xoom.it/nodoubt73
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided