When she got to the airplane Marianna was surprised to see how the big city
she had left 30 years before full of expectations was changed.
Observing the frenzy of anthill of people she had an anxiety attack: everything
was the same, everything was different. After the first impact her thoughts
went back to her dear ones. Who knew what her father, her mother, her little
brother Andrea and Angela, her elder sister looked like and what would they
think looking at that 2° years old girl full of energy and dreams that had
been transformed into a woman of 50 with the first wrinkles around her eyes
and her hair streaked with grey?
But it wasn't the moment to think those things, it was time to hurry, to look
for her family and to eat something.
Since she was still fasting, she hadn't been able to eat because of the air
sickness.
Walking next to the reception she saw a small group of people who were watching
at her. Her heart sank when she recognised the delicate features of her mother,
the lengthned eyes of her father and the sweet smile of her sister. It was kisses
and hugs.
They had a lot of things to tell, but they would do it later, in the privacy
of their home. Although she was joyful, Marianna remained perplexed at watching
how they looked.
Surely she understood that after 30 years spent in the jungle, she couldn't
be in van of aesthetic fashion; but by observing her mother's red hair do that,
as she remembered, was more suitable for a 20 year younger woman, or a girl,
she found it pretty weird.
Although she wasn't out of keeping with the sphere. All the women that, at first
sight, seemed the same age of her mother, wore the same clothes and they appeared
perfectly at ease.
Also looking at Andrea she felt a strange sensation, he was well-groomed, it
seemed as he had just come out from a beauty centre. Maybe he was too much trimmed,
but without doubt he appeared well- groomed.
But observing her sister she was consternated. Wow, she seemed another person:
her nose was beautiful, her mouth looked like a small heart, she had a perfect
feature and a bosom … No, 30 years ago it was surely different. No, no!
She didn't seem a 55 year old woman, on the contrary she appeared like a teenager.
Marianna didn't resist - "oh my God, my sister, you're very beautiful,
you could be exchanged for my daughter!" - Angela answered - "oh,
you know, a little change here, a little there, beauticians and specialists
of this sector model you whatever you want, today to stay with the others beauty
is a necessary condition.
Hearing these words "our alive" saw in her sister's eyes a sort of
commiseration towards her, that irritated her, so she looked around and with
a big surprise she noticed that everyone had nothing wrong as far as their physical
appearance was concerned.
How much sadness gave her this statement of fact: everyone was beatiful but
everyone was equal as if they had been turned out by the same assembly line.
Everything had un unreal, phony aspect and, inside of her a question rose: was
it really more awful when on the street it was possible to meet someone fatter,
some other slimmer, longer noses, big ears but everyone different and true?