in-another-country

Inthefallthewarwasalwaysthere,butwedidnotgotoitanymore.ItwascoldinthefallinMilanandthedarkcameveryearly.Thentheelectriclightscameon,anditwaspleasantalongthestreetslookinginthewindows.Therewasmuchgamehangingoutsidetheshops,andthesnowpowderedinthefurofthefoxesandthewindblewtheirtails.Thedeerhungstiffandheavyandempty,andsmallbirdsblewinthewindandthewindturnedtheirfeathers.Itwasacoldfallandthewindcamedownfromthemountains.Wewereallatthehospitaleveryafternoon,andthereweredifferentwaysofwalkingacrossthetownthroughthedusktothehospital.Twoofthewayswerealongsidecanals,buttheywerelong.Always,though,youcrossedabridgeacrossacanaltoenterthehospital.Therewasachoiceofthreebridges.Ononeofthemawomansoldroastedchestnuts.Itwaswarm,standinginfrontofhercharcoalfire,andthechestnutswerewarmafterwardinyourpocket.Thehospitalwasveryoldandverybeautiful,andyouenteredagateandwalkedacrossacourtyardandoutagateontheotherside.Therewereusuallyfuneralsstartingfromthecourtyard.Beyondtheoldhospitalwerethenewbrickpavilions,andtherewemeteveryafternoonandwereallverypoliteandinterestedinwhatwasthematter,andsatinthemachinesthatweretomakesomuchdifference.ThedoctorcameuptothemachinewhereIwassittingandsaid:Whatdidyoulikebesttodobeforethewar?Didyoupracticeasport?Isaid:Yes,football.Good,hesaid.Youwillbeabletoplayfootballagainbetterthanever.Mykneedidnotbendandthelegdroppedstraightfromthekneetotheanklewithoutacalf,andthemachinewastobendthekneeandmakeitmoveasridingatricycle.Butitdidnotbendyet,andinsteadthemachinelurchedwhenitcametothebendingpart.Thedoctorsaid:Thatwillallpass.Youareafortunateyoungman.Youwillplayfootballagainlikeachampion.Inthenextmachinewasamajorwhohadalittlehandlikeababy's.Hewinkedatmewhenthedoctorexaminedhishand,whichwasbetweentwoleatherstrapsthatbouncedupanddownandflappedthestifffingers,andsaid:AndwillItooplayfootball,captain-doctor?Hehadbeenaverygreatfencer,andbeforethewarthegreatestfencerinItaly.Thedoctorwenttohisofficeinabackroomandbroughtaphotographwhichshowedahandthathadbeenwitheredalmostassmallasthemajor's,beforeithadtakenamachinecourse,andafterwasalittlelarger.Themajorheldthephotographwithhisgoodhandandlookedatitverycarefully.Awound?heasked.Anindustrialaccident,thedoctorsaid.Veryinteresting,veryinteresting,themajorsaid,andhandeditbacktothedoctor.Youhaveconfidence?No,saidthemajor.TherewerethreeboyswhocameeachdaywhowereaboutthesameageIwas.TheywereallthreefromMilan,andoneofthemwastobealawyer,andonewastobeapainter,andonehadintendedtobeasoldier,andafterwewerefinishedwiththemachines,sometimeswewalkedbacktogethertotheCaféCova,whichwasnextdoortotheScala.Wewalkedtheshortwaythroughthecommunistquarterbecausewewerefourtogether.Thepeoplehatedusbecausewewereofficers,andfromawine-shopsomeonecalledout,Abassogliufficiali!aswepassed.Anotherboywhowalkedwithussometimesandmadeusfiveworeablacksilkhandkerchiefacrosshisfacebecausehehadnonosethenandhisfacewastoberebuilt.Hehadgoneouttothefrontfromthemilitaryacademyandbeenwoundedwithinanhourafterhehadgoneintothefrontlineforthefirsttime.Theyrebuilthisface,buthecamefromaveryoldfamilyandtheycouldnevergetthenoseexactlyright.HewenttoSouthAmericaandworkedinabank.Butthiswasalongtimeago,andthenwedidnotanyofusknowhowitwasgoingtobeafterward.Weonlyknewthenthattherewasalwaysthewar,butthatwewerenotgoingtoitanymore.Weallhadthesamemedals,excepttheboywiththeblacksilkbandageacrosshisface,andhehadnotbeenatthefrontlongenoughtogetanymedals.ThetallboywithaverypalefacewhowastobealawyerhadbeenlieutenantofArditiandhadthreemedalsofthesortweeachhadonlyoneof.Hehadlivedaverylongtimewithdeathandwasalittledetached.Wewereallalittledetached,andtherewasnothingthatheldustogetherexceptthatwemeteveryafternoonatthehospital.Although,aswewalkedtotheCovathroughthethoughpartoftown,walkinginthedark,withlightandsingingcomingoutofthewine-shops,andsometimeshavingtowalkintothestreetwhenthemenandwomenwouldcrowdtogetheronthesidewalksothatwewouldhavehadtojostlethemtoetby,wefeltheldtogetherbytherebeingsomethingthathadhappenedthatthey,thepeoplewhodislikedus,didnotunderstand.WeourselvesallunderstoodtheCova,whereitwasrichandwarmandnottoobrightlylighted,andnoisyandsmokyatcertainhours,andtherewerealwaysgirlsatthetablesandtheillustratedpapersonarackonthewall.ThegirlsattheCovawereverypatriotic,andIfoundthatthemostpatrioticpeopleinItalywerethecafégirls-andIbelievetheyarestillpatriotic.TheboysatfirstwereverypoliteaboutmymedalsandaskedmewhatIhaddonetogetthem.Ishowedthemthepapers,whichwerewritteninverybeautifullanguageandfulloffratellanzaandabnegazione,butwhichreallysaid,withtheadjectivesremoved,thatIhadbeengiventhemedalsbecauseIwasanAmerican.Afterthattheirmannerchangedalittletowardme,althoughIwastheirfriendagainstoutsiders.Iwasafriend,butIwasneverreallyoneofthemaftertheyhadreadthecitations,becauseithadbeendifferentwiththemandtheyhaddoneverydifferentthingstogettheirmedals.Ihadbeenwounded,itwastrue;butweallknewthatbeingwounded,afterall,wasreallyanaccident.Iwasneverashamedoftheribbons,though,andsometimes,afterthecocktailhour,Iwouldimaginemyselfhavingdoneallthethingsthey