Like in an eclipse

🚨 Two friends meet again on a hill not far from home to watch the solar eclipse — a very rare event, finally visible almost in full from their area. The occasion is the perfect chance to confront a few unresolved issues from the past and reflect on the present.

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Well, it shows you’re getting old. Back in the day that fridge of yours would’ve held nothing but vodka or assorted hard liquor. Now you show up with this kind of dirty water…

Tony gave a sarcastic smile without saying a word, just as he always did whenever someone threw a personal jab at him, patiently waiting for the right moment to fire back. After all, he had known Fabrizio since high school and, even though they saw each other only rarely, that sort of adolescent, buddy‑like dynamic between them had never changed over the years.

His rounded shape — which for years had been one of the main obstacles to his self‑esteem — had improved a lot since he had finally decided, now approaching fifty, to start taking care of his body, watching his diet and going regularly to the neighborhood gym.

Unlike Fabrizio and many of their friends, Tony had never left the big city. He claimed that without traffic noise, smog, chaos, and the convenience of the city center he wouldn’t be able to survive, but in truth he simply had never found a stable woman who asked him to follow her.

_{Photo by Letone on Pixabay}

What kind of vodka was I supposed to bring for a lightweight like you? Do you really think I still feel like babysitting you the way I did back in high school? Waiting for your hangover to pass so I could drag you home in at least a semi‑decent state?

They both laughed at those memories. In truth, when they were young, both of them often ended up overdoing it, sometimes recklessly putting their own safety at risk, but Fabrizio didn’t reply. He knew Tony would throw the joke back at him sooner or later — it was their unwritten code. One to one, back to kickoff.

Do you remember that party at Stefano’s place?

Tony almost choked on the sip of beer he was swallowing.

Starting with the memories already, huh? And I’m the one who’s getting old…

_{Photo by Pexels on Pixabay}

Fabrizio accepted the jab in silence, limiting himself to an amused look. He knew the other one also wanted to talk about the past. He could go on for hours whenever they met, but he was too proud to start the conversation and always waited for Fabrizio to cast the first hook.

You know he recently came back from England, right? Nicola told me a few days ago — apparently he’s unrecognizable. Long beard, no hair… Now he teaches guitar in some music school opened by one of his half‑relatives…

Well, he’s always been half crazy. But if he’s happy like that…

A flash. Powerful, threatening, and above all close, followed by a deafening thunderclap. The forecast hadn’t mentioned rain for the evening, even though the clouds on the horizon didn’t seem inclined to reward the efforts of the local weather guru.

I’m afraid we won’t see anything tonight… Look at that!

Fabrizio pointed at the mass of clouds quickly moving right toward the sun. He polished his eclipse glasses — bought online specifically to watch the event — and pulled a couple of sandwiches out of the cooler bag, handing one to his friend.

_{Photo by Pexels on Pixabay}

At least we can fill our stomachs before we have to run out of here…

As he bit into the food his friend had handed him, Tony showed all his satisfaction for the explosion of flavor hitting his taste buds. It was a sandwich filled with chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, and a very delicate yogurt sauce, clearly homemade.

Compliments to your wife, really an excellent sandwich…

At this price, everything tastes good…

They both laughed. It was a joke they had been trading back and forth for forty years whenever one of them offered something to the other.

The clouds were advancing menacingly, while the sun was beginning to change color under the lunar influence.

And you? Seeing anyone?

A shrug. It was Tony’s classic response before launching into stories of fleeting adventures with women no one had ever actually met. But the moment was approaching, and they both knew it. Not the eclipse — the conversation about Francesca. The one topic capable of dividing them.

_{Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pixabay}

It’s been more than thirty years, Tony… You can’t keep dragging this Francesca thing out every time. We were young, we liked each other, and what happened happened. Period. Kid stuff. And besides, you were the one who introduced her to me — there was nothing between you two. With or without me, nothing would have changed.

Two minutes. That was the visible duration of the eclipse before it was definitively ruined by the clouds.

Then if you didn’t feel guilty, why did you disappear for ten years?

Maybe because you went around talking trash about me to all our friends, painting me as a monster, an opportunist, a traitor…

Silence. It happened every time the conversation drifted back to that summer thirty years earlier, when a friendship that had seemed indestructible was tested by a girl. Neither of them held any real resentment anymore, but clearly, as with all deep wounds, complete healing isn’t always possible.

The eclipse unfolded behind the clouds, turning into a colorful sunset.

Did you get the season pass this year?

Same old alternative methods…

A shared look and a shared laugh. Because, just like in an eclipse, the Moon can overshadow the Sun — but only for a while.

Come on, dumbass, get up. I’ll drive you home, otherwise your wife will end up blaming me…

I'm part of ITALYGAME Team

together with:
@girolamomarotta, @sardrt, @mikitaly, @mad-runner, @famigliacurione

👉 VOTA PER NOI COME WITNESS👈