Reggie was six when Nonna Beata took him to the local carnival.
Dressed in his Sunday best she took him by the hand and brought
him through the throng of curiousitors. It took place in Viareggio.
It was a masquerade event for the upper class with masked
dancers and concerts that lasted for almost a month. Viareggio, a really
pretty town with a great seaside promenade. You can find craftsmen
working on their masterpieces (all year long!) in anticipation of the event.
This particular day as Nonna and Reggie walked the sea side, an elderly
man walked around selling red balloons to the visitors. "Ti Piace?" nonna
asked. He was stunned by the sound of her voice which came after a long
interlude of silenced hand holding. All he could do was nod and wait while
the manput a floating red balloon in his little hand. When he got home he tied
it to his bedpost.
He smiled as he recalled last year's carnival in Turin. The epic of the Oranges.
They literally spent a whole day throwing oranges at each other. In memory of
the Napoleonic troops, throwing oranges (was a symbol of arrows once thrown)
At the end of the day they sat at the beach listening to the performers, completely
submerged in pounds of orange’ mash. "Ti Piace?" she had asked with a familiar
smile. Reggie fell asleep that night with the smell of tangerines still in his hair.
He lay on his bed sinking his tired shoulders into the old reliable mattress. The
bible was picked up once again and flipped onto another page of wisdom
Ezekiel 28: 4-5
"By your wisdom and understanding You have acquired riches for yourself . Gold
and silver for your treasuries. "By your great wisdom you have increased your riches
and your heart" tenfold,
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Reggie was six when Nonna Beata took him to the local carnival.
