The three friends nodded in agreement and left the square for their houses. On the way, they mused over the suggestion of the old man and the Teacher of Nazareth that he was talking about.
Felice thought about how he would leave his businesses and go to an unknown place, maybe a different city in search of happiness. And the person he would meet will spend the time talking about Gesù.
“Maybe it is not necessary to go anywhere. I could travel around and enjoy myself. That surely would make me happy,” he said to his friends.
“But you will remain unhappy when you return,” Nuovo said. “The happiness you get from travelling is fleeting, and that’s not what you need Felice.”
“I agree with Felice. Nuovo, you could learn a trade from him. He is rich and can teach you how to make money tomorrow and within a month you will have all the resources you desire.” Anno said, presuming that he was sounding inspiring.
“You forget that I have tried several times, and I am still here. I think we should heed the counsel of this old man. After all, we have nothing to lose.” Nuovo said.
“Yeah, but..”
“But what, Anno! Are you so despondent that you have become numb to change? You have resigned so much to fear, doubts and pessimism that you neither believe nor see that things could change in your life. You are a bright young man, in fact, the brightest of us, but life seems to have taught you bitter lessons you seem not to have learnt from.” Nuovo interjected.
“Yes, Anno. I agree with what Nuovo just said. We all need this change, and we must have that change now. I have tried several things to be happy, but none worked. Let us try this one. If it fails, well, it failed. We do not have anything to lose.” Felice added.
“Alright. I will think about it.” Anno replied as he walked home.
“See you at Piazza San Cosimato tomorrow,” Nuovo shouted as Anno walked home, barely able to keep his head straight.
The words of Nuovo had pierced like a dagger right into his heart. For the first time, he heard someone confront him with his realities; realities that he has always wanted to hide away from everyone; realities he has cried so much about that he is now numb, unresponsive, averse to change and simply putting up appearances. For the first time in a long while he was vulnerable, and it was not a good feeling at all.
Anno was up all-night thinking about the discussion of the evening. He knew he needed a change, but his spirit had been anaesthetised by past ugly experiences. The Holy Scriptures say that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, but in the case of Anno, both entities have been benumbed.
However, before catching an hour of rest, Anno resolved to give it a try. After all, he has always wanted to take a holiday in a different city, so why not exploit this opportunity to ease off stress?
The D-day had come, and they knew that the old man would be waiting for them at the corner of the square at 6 am. Unaware of where the old man would send them, they got ready a few changes of raiment and some coins to make their journey smooth. At 5.30 a.m., Felice and Nuovo were at Anno’s door to encourage him to join them, peradventure he was still undecided. But before they could knock, Anno threw open the door as if he had heard the sound of their footsteps approaching. They smiled, hugged Anno, and left for the Piazza.
As they approached the place of rendezvous, another man walked up to them, asked for their names, and handed over an envelope with a train ticket to each of them. He asks them not to open the envelope but to deliver it sealed into the hands of the wise man they will meet when they arrive at their destination. The three friends thanked him and left for the railway station. On the way, they discovered from their tickets that they were travelling to different cities.
Felice, the richest among them, decided to share some money with his friends to help them cover whatever expenses they would incur during their sojourn. While Nuovo and Anno would take the same train, albeit to different cities, Felice would take a different train. Soon the trains arrived, they hugged one another and departed. After some hours, the three friends arrived at the railway stations of their destination cities. It is the 25th of September, and an important journey is about to begin.
“Do you mind some pieces of chocolate? I have the Belgian seashells.” Luigi said.
“Oh, yes, I would not mind. Thank you.” I replied.
Luigi has been telling me the story for some hours now and he was visibly weak and needed something to boost his glycemia. On the other hand, I had thought that the story would be over now, but with the look of things, we shall be spending the entire journey up and down this mountain on this story. Anyway, it is interesting, and I am also willing to learn this secret. So, I am definitely sticking around until I have received what I prayed for.
