The football and bars (Italian clubs) were the most important things of that period and then everything seemed bigger, it seemed to me to be in the Old West. Then there were no women at the bar, only big men who lash out like orcs. Everything seemed gigantic and frighteningly beautiful together: a new world, male, terrible, but fascinating.

In that bar, then I looked around and saw my grandfather sitting on the corner of a table and watched seriously a game of scopone. Immediately I ran towards him with open arms: “Hello, Grandfather,” I cried happy, “I have found you at last.”

But the old man, unusually, was cold, as if he had not the pleasure of seeing me. I loved my grandfather and I knew very well that also he loved me , so I was not worried about: I knew that this was one of the rules of the bar and in fact was part of the initiation.

Suddenly, in fact, those orcs from the powerful voice with a laugh turned to my grandfather: “Hannibal, they said, ” the boy comes to control you, he comes and get you. You are no more the master of your half-hour at the bar, which immediately your wife sends someone to take you. “

The bar, at that time, as I said, was an exclusively male environment, sentimental intrusions were not tolerated. All the life of the country passed through the bar, people meet , discuss, do business of up to several million, people do buying and selling of cows, land and houses, the same Bank Cattolica del Veneto sends its officers to the bar to treat all kinds of financial affairs.

Certain games of cards went far beyond the game: they were a rite which established and sanctioned the hierarchical position within the pack. This explains why the men at the table of the game were so often rages, cursing, they made fun and insulted themselves, however, always remaining in an ancient and codified system of rules accepted by all.

At the bar, secret unquestioned hierarchies accepted and respected by all, were created. Certain games of cards went far beyond the game: they were a rite which established and sanctioned the hierarchical position within the pack.

The games were, you can say, a metaphor for life. The dealer dialed the cards which were like the genetic code and you had to use that code in the real life at the best way.
For this reason, that day, the grandfather at my entry to the bar had not let go … because he had conquered during the years, a very prestigious position in the hierarchy of the bar “Baku” and now he saw his reputation put in danger by my sudden intrusion.

The orcs watched carefully his behavior, ready to tear him to pieces at the slightest error, “Elsa said the grandfather, brings a coca cola to the boy .” So I stood there for an hour sipping a cola, to watch my grandfather watching his friends play cards. It was a great concession for those times.

Upon returning home, his grandfather hugged me, made me get on the barrel of his bike and he asked about my vacation in Gosaldo. “All right, Grandpa said, but here there is the world, with you, everything is much better. Here I like it. “