Alkaid
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Player Character
Posts: 544
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Laurence Anderson
OOC Username: Akivili
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Alkaid on Aug 28, 2024 13:32:30 GMT 9
#s://a~l3n~co/i/Sw7T9a~png Taranto; Italy. late July 2024
There was a trip.
A trip, that you both originally booked and timed it so that you could visit back home just around your birthday. You’d told most everyone at home—relaying via the cousins that were living there, of course—to nonna Angelina that you were coming by and you were going to be adding pictures to the family mantle.
Because you knew that nonna missed family that had moved away; and you were all part of that. You’d even told her in secret that you were bringing your husband over—and he would be the one to tell her himself, in person, about how absolutely fantastic the lasagna recipe you learned from her tasted.
About how much love, and time, and effort you would sink into cooking; because out of you three grandchildren by your father Cardinal Glace, you were the only one who liked cooking and hung around the kitchen a lot, asking her to teach you how this was made, how that was made, how to make pasta by hand, every single thing that a nonna could ever teach anyone willing to listen; as the kitchen was sacred holy ground for all Italians, but especially for nonnas.
But… things changed.
Things happened, and—you weren’t sure if you wanted to make the trip because…
Because he wasn’t coming with you anymore.
All you were bringing with you were pictures, videos, memories—memories that still hurt—and all the love you could bear on your broken heart when you flew across the ocean from the United States back to Italy.
You hadn’t had the time, or the heart, to tell nonna that you were making the trip—but you were making it alone, without him; and all you had to show for Evan’s non-appearance was his wedding ring you now wore on a thin chain around your neck…
How could you face them all, by yourself, while still hurting?
matthew 6:21; [tangent=‘for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’]‘perché dov'è il tuo tesoro, là sarà anche il tuo cuore.’[/tangent]
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Alkaid
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Player Character
Posts: 544
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Laurence Anderson
OOC Username: Akivili
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Alkaid on Aug 28, 2024 14:34:57 GMT 9
#s://a~l3n~co/i/Sw7T9a~png Taranto; Italy. late July 2024
It’s hard to pretend that things are okay, even though deep inside you know they haven’t been.
Only nonna knows you were bringing him along; so it was easy enough to arrive back home, at the sprawling family compound by yourself with your luggage. Hell, all the cousins that greeted you were around the same age now; has it really been ten years since you left?
[tangent=“Oi, Elio, up to no good again?”]“Oi, Elio, di nuovo niente di buono?”[/tangent] you would greet the very first cousin who’d come running the moment your taxi pulled away from the driveway, dropping you off right at home.
[tangent=“Says who? Ah, it’s you!”]“Chi lo dice? Ah, sei tu!”[/tangent]
The rest of the cousins come following; mostly the rowdy bunch—all of you, the idiotas who would love causing trouble for nonno Lorenzo (in fact the nonno you were named after) when getting up to no good. There were so many of you, you could play football out in the fields without having to worry about who would sub in for what.
[tangent=“How’s America treating you? You… you reek!”]“Come ti tratta l'America? Tu… tu puzzi!”[/tangent]
[tangent=“What? Shut up, nothing much has changed! Except the fact that I know English now,”]“Cosa? Stai zitto, non è cambiato molto! A parte il fatto che ora so l'inglese,”[/tangent] you tease back; giving another one of the idiotas, Luca, an affectionate noogie.
[tangent=“Oh, oh, ten years away and you know only one new language?”]“Oh, oh, mancano dieci anni e conosci solo una nuova lingua?”[/tangent]
[tangent=“One? I know two more than you do!”]“Uno? Ne conosco due più di te!”[/tangent]
The bantering continues up until you’re inside; where the other nonnas and nonnos are resting in the living room area; reclined on the sofas, doing their knitting, or—typical behavior—gossiping with one another. Having such a huge family meant that one never got bored because of all the action (and insanity) that went down every single day.
After making the rounds (and your cheeks had gone numb with all the greetings for every single nonna and nonno you saw), you would find her—nonna Angelina, in the kitchen—as always. Even with all of the grandparents that made up the extensive household, she was one of the few who loved being in the kitchen and keeping herself busy.
“Nonna,” you would greet her; tiny, wizened figure bent over the stove in the middle of tasting something—mm, you could smell the tomato sauce from here—while she held up an equally-tiny hand, gesturing for you to stay where you were until she was done.
You couldn’t help but revert back to your seventeen year-old self; shit, that was an entire world away now—and would hang around, waiting until she was done tasting, adding basil, salt, some freshly cracked black pepper—before she shuffled around and saw you.
[tangent=“There you are!”]“Ecco fatto!”[/tangent] she would greet you, setting the wooden spoon down on the pot’s edge. [tangent=“Come here, come here, let me take a good look at you.”]“Vieni qui, vieni qui, lascia che ti guardi bene.”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Sorry I took so long to come back here,”]“Mi dispiace di aver impiegato così tanto tempo per tornare qui,”[/tangent] you would begin once you exchanged the traditional affectionate greetings. [tangent=“Work has been really busy.”]“Il lavoro è stato davvero intenso.”[/tangent]
[tangent=“How has your father been? How is everyone?”]“Come sta tuo padre? Come stanno tutti?”[/tangent]
You would crinkle your eyebrows into this knowing look, before telling her everything that you wanted to share—about how the family restaurant had taken off in Little Italy; about how Dad had gotten so busy with the pastoral work in New York; about how you and your siblings had found their own way into the world—one went into acting; another taking care of cats, much like nonna Gianna—and yourself; working for the Italian Embassy half a world away.
(You were allowed to say that much about your job, NDAs aside.)
[tangent=“So, where is he? The one you told me so much about.”]“Allora, dov'è? Quello di cui mi hai parlato tanto.”[/tangent]
You felt your heart die inside when she went straight for the jugular.
matthew 6:21; [tangent=‘for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’]‘perché dov'è il tuo tesoro, là sarà anche il tuo cuore.’[/tangent]
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Alkaid
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Player Character
Posts: 544
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Laurence Anderson
OOC Username: Akivili
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Alkaid on Aug 29, 2024 14:11:27 GMT 9
#s://a~l3n~co/i/e0NnPa~png Taranto; Italy. late July 2024
You couldn’t look her straight in the eye when she asked that question. You were hoping that she wouldn’t ask that question so soon, but well, she’d pulled out the proverbial knife and went straight for where it would hurt the most.
For a few moments, silence passes between the two of you.
Eventually, you make the first move, and pull out a chair from the nearby table to sit yourself down.
“Nonna,” you begin, uncharacteristically quiet as you find your bearings and stare at the wooden table.
[tangent=“What is it, Enzo?”]“Che c'è, Enzo?”[/tangent] she would hum, approaching the table and joining you alongside a few moments later, pulling up another chair so she can sit closer to you. [tangent=“Is there something you haven’t told me?”]“C'è qualcosa che non mi hai detto?”[/tangent]
Oh, how you wanted to come out and tell her right away, that—
The only thing that comes out of you is a quiet, broken sob.
Your emotions had betrayed you before your words even could.
You look over to her, lips trembling as you try to stop yourself from crying right then and there; but it’s far, far too much for you to keep bottled up any longer.
Instead, you reach for your pocket and pull out your phone, scrolling through the many albums inside it and finding the one which was labeled ‘Cooking’ and pop it open, before showing her the series of pictures within.
[tangent=“You… you remember when you first taught me how to make your lasagna?”]“Tu… ti ricordi quando mi hai insegnato per la prima volta a fare la lasagna?”[/tangent] you continued in that same, uncharacteristically quiet voice.
[tangent=“But of course. I was surprised that you asked about that particular recipe.”]“Ma certo. Sono rimasto sorpreso che tu abbia chiesto di quella ricetta in particolare.”[/tangent]
[tangent=“I… I’ve tried making it so many times, but you know… mine can never come as close as yours.”]“Io… ho provato a farlo così tante volte, ma sai… il mio non potrà mai avvicinarsi al tuo.”[/tangent]
You would scroll through the gallery; pictures sliding by every few seconds showing you in the various stages of preparing the ingredients—until halfway through, a certain blonde joined the pictures, making silly faces at the camera lens while you tried to shoo him out of the kitchen.
[tangent=“Oh, is that him?”]“Ah, è lui?”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Yes, nonna. That’s… that’s Evan,”]“Sì, nonna. Quello è… quello è Evan,”[/tangent] you went on; unsticking your voice as the pictures continued. [tangent=“I… I made the lasagna for his birthday. Every year, at least, until…”]“Io… io ho fatto la lasagna per il suo compleanno. Ogni anno, almeno, fino a…”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Until what?”]“Fino a che punto?”[/tangent] she added, sharp to catch on your changing tone.
Instead of answering her, you get to the part where there’s a video, and you tap on the screen and flip the phone horizontally, the better for her to watch the short clip.
The video clip ended after that point.
[tangent=“Where is he, Enzo?”]“Dov'è, Enzo?”[/tangent] she would repeat, looking around the kitchen, wondering if he was hiding somewhere and would suddenly come out of the doorway when you mentioned a certain word—
[tangent=“That… that’s the thing, nonna. He… he couldn’t make… the trip,”]“Che… è questo il punto, nonna. Lui… non è riuscito a fare… il viaggio,”[/tangent] you breathed out, the phone clattering quietly to the table.
[tangent=“Why couldn’t he make the trip, Enzo?”]“Perché non è potuto venire, Enzo?”[/tangent]
The silence would fall between the two of you, thickening with each passing second as you scramble for the phone with your fingers and scroll through the phone once more, reaching a certain folder that’s locked. After entering the password to it, there are several more folders and videos hidden in here, the really private ‘files’ that you kept to yourself…
The ones that were too painful to watch.
You would scroll through the pictures—you’d only taken a look at them once; and had half a mind to erase them, but you knew that in the deepest reaches of your heart that you couldn’t bring yourself to delete them.
[tangent=“Nonna… he… Evan’s no longer here,”]“Nonna… lui… Evan non è più qui,”[/tangent] you finally answer her question, the phone falling once more out of your fingers and onto the table with a clattering noise.
[tangent=“He’s dead.”]“È morto.”[/tangent]
matthew 6:21; [tangent=‘for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’]‘perché dov'è il tuo tesoro, là sarà anche il tuo cuore.’[/tangent]
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Alkaid
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Player Character
Posts: 544
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Laurence Anderson
OOC Username: Akivili
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Alkaid on Sept 4, 2024 5:51:21 GMT 9
#s://a~l3n~co/i/e0NnPa~png Taranto; Italy. late July 2024
It hurt to say the words—to accept the reality that it had happened, that everything had really occurred, that—
[tangent=“Enzo? Are you alright?”]“Enzo? Stai bene?”[/tangent] nonna’s voice would shatter through the quiet; and you would turn to face her. You’re crying again, and you didn’t realize it was happening until she brought out one of her small towels and began gently patting your face.
[tangent=“I… I don’t know, nonna,”]“Io… non lo so, nonna,”[/tangent] you admit to her. [tangent=“I… I honestly don’t know.”]“Io… sinceramente non lo so.”[/tangent]
The phone lay on the kitchen table, forgotten.
[tangent=“Enzo, if you need to let it out… you can. You know I’m not going to judge you.”]“Enzo, se hai bisogno di sfogarti... puoi farlo. Sai che non ti giudicherò.”[/tangent]
More hot tears were pouring down your cheeks, before you looked over at where she was, still patting your face with all the love and care only a grandparent could give to a grandchild.
[tangent=“It… it’s not fair, nonna. I… I don’t know why this had to happen to him. Why did it have to be him?! It… I wanted it to be me instead… he didn’t deserve all that pain and suffering he went through! It was… it was so sudden, it just happened out of nowhere, we had no idea how bad it really was until all the test results came back and we were told that the survival rate for it was… it was…”]“Non… non è giusto, nonna. Io… non so perché questo è dovuto succedere a lui. Perché doveva succedere a lui?! Io… volevo che succedesse a me invece… non meritava tutto quel dolore e quella sofferenza che ha dovuto affrontare! È stato… è stato così improvviso, è successo dal nulla, non avevamo idea di quanto fosse grave finché non sono arrivati tutti i risultati dei test e ci hanno detto che il tasso di sopravvivenza era… era…”[/tangent]
You knew that nonna Angelina was a woman of few words; but it was her presence that really grounded anyone and everyone who would spend time with her. You knew she would listen.
[tangent=“If the pandemic didn’t happen, we would’ve had more time together… we were supposed to get married in 2020, but you know what happened, right? Everything went to shit,”]“Se non ci fosse stata la pandemia, avremmo avuto più tempo insieme… dovevamo sposarci nel 2020, ma sai cosa è successo, vero? È andato tutto a puttane,”[/tangent] you continued, hiccupping a little because it hurt to talk.
[tangent=“We had to wait almost two years before we could go through with the plans, and then not too long after we got married, everything changed for the both of us—and it… it wasn’t for the better, that was when we found out he was sick, and… and. It literally changed everything for the both of us.”]“Abbiamo dovuto aspettare quasi due anni prima di poter portare avanti i piani, e poi non molto tempo dopo esserci sposati, tutto è cambiato per entrambi, e non… non è stato in meglio, è stato allora che abbiamo scoperto che era malato, e… e. Ha letteralmente cambiato tutto per entrambi.”[/tangent]
You would hide your head atop your arms on the table; resting your forehead on the wooden surface in the process.
[tangent=“All… all the plans we made… they just went up in smoke. He… he was fine, at first, during the early stages, but… it got… it got to the point that he couldn’t walk anymore. It hurt so much watching him struggle on his own two feet, and… and after that… he was bedridden. Bedridden until… until the very end.”]“Tutti… tutti i piani che avevamo fatto… sono andati in fumo. Lui… stava bene, all'inizio, durante le prime fasi, ma… è arrivato… è arrivato al punto che non riusciva più a camminare. Mi faceva così male vederlo lottare sulle sue gambe, e… e dopo… è stato costretto a letto. Costretto a letto fino… fino alla fine.”[/tangent]
You felt a gentle motion rubbing your back; you knew she was there, listening to this literal dam of… of everything spill out of you.
[tangent=“That—that’s why he couldn’t make the trip, nonna… even if we promised you that I would introduce you to him… all I have now, is this…”]“Ecco perché non ha potuto fare il viaggio, nonn… anche se ti avessi promesso che te lo avrei presentato… tutto quello che ho ora è questo…”[/tangent]
Cold fingers would reach for a thin chain around your neck, and you would pull it out, showing her the wedding band you’d given him when you’d exchanged your vows at the altar.
[tangent=“In… in a way, he… he made the trip, it’s just that. This is all I have left of him. This ring, and… and all the memories of him that I have with me.”]“In… in un certo senso, lui… lui ha fatto il viaggio, è solo questo. Questo è tutto ciò che mi rimane di lui. Questo anello, e… e tutti i ricordi di lui che ho con me.”[/tangent]
matthew 6:21; [tangent=‘for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’]‘perché dov'è il tuo tesoro, là sarà anche il tuo cuore.’[/tangent]
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Alkaid
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Player Character
Posts: 544
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Laurence Anderson
OOC Username: Akivili
Arena Points: 10
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Post by Alkaid on Sept 4, 2024 15:11:31 GMT 9
#s://a~l3n~co/i/e0NnPa~png Taranto; Italy. late July 2024
You would reach for the phone once more, scrolling through the folders and finding another one—flicking it open, you would start showing nonna all the pictures in it.
[tangent=“These are from… from our wedding day,”]“Questi sono da… dal giorno del nostro matrimonio,”[/tangent] you shared, flicking through the pictures one at a time. You were waiting down at the front, and the next few pictures had Evan in a simple, yet absolutely stunning white suit as he walked himself down the aisle.
[tangent=“He… he’d cut off contact from his family ever since he turned 18. So… basically, he’d been wandering through life by himself, making short connections at best. At least, until we met and… well, everything changed.”]“Lui… aveva tagliato i contatti con la sua famiglia da quando aveva compiuto 18 anni. Quindi… fondamentalmente, aveva vagato per la vita da solo, creando al massimo brevi legami. Almeno, finché non ci siamo incontrati e… tutto è cambiato.”[/tangent]
[tangent=“How did you meet, if you don’t mind my asking?”]“Come vi siete conosciuti, se posso chiedertelo?”[/tangent]
For the first time, in what felt like a while, the shadow of a smile—not a forced one, but a soft, genuine one—crossed your face.
[tangent=“Oh, nonna. It’s a very long story. Are you prepared?”]“Oh, nonna. È una storia molto lunga. Sei preparata?”[/tangent]
[tangent=“But of course, Enzo.”]“Ma certo, Enzo.”[/tangent]
It felt like some of the weight had been lifted from your shoulders as you scrolled through the extensive collection of folders of pictures you had on your phone, before coming to a stop on a particular one that was labeled ‘Central Park ‘13’, and you opened that one before scrolling through the grainy photos that resided here.
Damn, some of the pictures were really that old? How many Android, and then iPhone transfers had they survived? Quite a few, to be honest.
[tangent=“Believe it or not, we actually met here, and—”]“Che ci crediate o no, ci siamo incontrati proprio qui, e—”[/tangent] you would begin sharing, showing her the pictures of how the other was one of those ‘street performers’ that would spend most of their time wandering through the park.
You were literally, a clueless idiot back then, having just arrived in New York City with the rest of the family after your transfer papers had all been secured and guaranteed the move across the ocean from home. You could swear that Claude and Leanne were terribly homesick back then, so you would take either of them out to explore the new place that you would all be calling home.
[tangent=“Oh, so they knew about him, from back then?”]“Ah, quindi sapevano di lui già da allora?”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Claude did, at first. Then Leanne would find out. But see, here’s the thing. After a few months, Evan would leave New York. He… he went back to where he was living, at the time.”]“Claude lo fece, all'inizio. Poi Leanne lo avrebbe scoperto. Ma ecco il punto. Dopo qualche mese, Evan avrebbe lasciato New York. Lui… lui sarebbe tornato dove viveva, a quel tempo.”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Where was that?”]“Dov'era?”[/tangent]
[tangent=“If my memory serves me right, it was somewhere in Florida.”]“Se la memoria non mi inganna, era da qualche parte in Florida.”[/tangent]
(In fact, it was Florida. So very close to where crocodiles would lurk and loiter in those communal ponds. It was crazy.)
[tangent=“How did you two communicate over the years?”]“Come avete comunicato nel corso degli anni?”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Oh, nonna, it was really expensive, let me tell you…”]“Oh, nonna, era davvero costoso, lascia che te lo dica…”[/tangent] you recount, the soft smile on your features stayed for far longer than it normally would, and you would put the phone down and begin recounting the entire situation about how it was complicated to keep changing service providers, about how expensive it was getting connected to the mobile Internet network back then, about how you two would rack up lengthy phone bills due to all the calls.
[tangent=“You’ve known each other for that long, Enzo?”]“Vi conoscete da così tanto tempo, Enzo?”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Yes, nonna. That long. But you know how it is. We lived in different parts of the country. We were… we were friends, definitely. During that time, well, I started working for the Italian consulate, and… you know. Your attention wanders.”]“Sì, nonna. Così tanto. Ma sai com'è. Vivevamo in parti diverse del paese. Eravamo… eravamo amici, sicuramente. In quel periodo, beh, ho iniziato a lavorare per il consolato italiano, e… sai. La tua attenzione vaga.”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Someone else caught your attention?”]“Qualcun altro ha catturato la tua attenzione?”[/tangent] she would tease you, and much as you wanted to gently tap her on the shoulder at the teasing remark, you couldn’t.
[tangent=“…yes, pretty much. Friends, you know. We’re not exclusively each other’s… you know. Complicated.”]“…sì, più o meno. Amici, sai. Non siamo esclusivamente l'uno dell'altro… sai. Complicato.”[/tangent]
The rest of the story would then shift towards how you met one Skyler Dross, and how much of a coward you were because you were hesitating on telling her about your feelings, so you would hide it behind going out drinking between friends whenever the occasion would allow.
[tangent=“…and then Angelo came in the picture. From then, I knew that I was a goner.”]“…e poi è entrato in scena Angelo. Da quel momento, ho capito che ero spacciato.”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Why?”]“Perché?”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Because… you know how two people were made for each other? That was them. I didn’t want to get in between them, because I’m also friends with Angelo, so…”]“Perché… sai come due persone sono fatte l'una per l'altra? Erano loro. Non volevo mettermi in mezzo, perché sono anche amica di Angelo, quindi…”[/tangent]
[tangent=“You sacrificed someone you loved for someone else to be happy?”]“Hai sacrificato una persona amata per rendere felice qualcun altro?”[/tangent]
[tangent=“…in a way, that was how it was, nonna. I didn’t want to be the third wheel that would drive them apart, so, I let them be, and then that was where I met Daphne.”]“…in un certo senso, era così che andava, nonna. Non volevo essere la terza ruota che li avrebbe allontanati, quindi li ho lasciati fare, e poi è stato lì che ho incontrato Daphne.”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Oh, another lady?”]“Oh, un'altra signora?”[/tangent]
“Nonna,” you would whine a little, embarrassed from the sudden attention. [tangent=“Of course, another lady.”]“Naturalmente, un'altra signora.”[/tangent]
You would continue recounting the stories—about how you would meet over brunch with Daphne, not realizing that she worked for one of the bigger corporations that was on the rise in New York—the moment you found out about it, though, you balked.
[tangent=“…the moment I realized just who she was related to, I was in way over my head!”]“…nel momento in cui ho capito con chi era imparentata, mi sono trovato nei guai!”[/tangent]
[tangent=“And why is that?”]“E perché?”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Because,”]“Perché,”[/tangent] you would trail off, before finding pictures of news articles you’d taken pictures of and showing it to her. [tangent=“How was I to know I was literally trying to date the sister of one of New York’s most influential businessmen on the rise? Stone Industries, that was so embarrassing! Her brother really got on my case when she told him that we were going out, like, together.”]“Come potevo sapere che stavo letteralmente cercando di uscire con la sorella di uno degli uomini d'affari più influenti e in ascesa di New York? Stone Industries, che imbarazzo! Suo fratello mi ha davvero attaccato quando gli ha detto che saremmo usciti insieme.”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Let me guess… is it because of how the West portrays us in their stereotypical way?”]“Lasciatemi indovinare… è a causa del modo stereotipato in cui l'Occidente ci ritrae?”[/tangent] she would rumble, and a brief peal of laughter would escape you.
[tangent=“That was exactly it! Alexander thought I was like some undercover member of the mafia, but I was like, how can I be a part of that if I work for the Italian Embassy? Isn’t that like, contradictory in and on itself? We… we don’t have any connections to them, right?”]“Era proprio così! Alexander pensava fossi una specie di membro sotto copertura della mafia, ma io ero tipo, come posso farne parte se lavoro per l'ambasciata italiana? Non è contraddittorio di per sé? Noi… non abbiamo alcun collegamento con loro, giusto?”[/tangent]
[tangent=“Absolutely not. You can ask your nonno about it, even. We’ve always been on the straight and the narrow. How do you think we ended up with such wealth and influence here? We worked hard to foster trust with everyone else in the community across the years. Across generations. We still do. And we will always do that, forevermore.”]“Assolutamente no. Puoi anche chiedere a tuo nonno. Siamo sempre stati sulla retta via. Come pensi che siamo finiti con così tanta ricchezza e influenza qui? Abbiamo lavorato duramente per promuovere la fiducia con tutti gli altri nella comunità nel corso degli anni. Attraverso le generazioni. Lo facciamo ancora. E lo faremo sempre, per sempre.”[/tangent]
matthew 6:21; [tangent=‘for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’]‘perché dov'è il tuo tesoro, là sarà anche il tuo cuore.’[/tangent]
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