Beyond The Horizon

Lucania

1

Summer, 1993

I was walking on the beach. It was winter. And I could smell the summer. The waves’ lullaby seemed to caress my steps. As throwing stones into the water, my thoughts went back in time. I let them to. The wind was allowed to carry them as far as he could. He could push them to the horizon and beyond. They were allowed to reach places that I was not really able to picture. They would go far and I was happy with that.

I knew I was going to be asked a taugh question.

So you’re going to study Business at university, right?, the headmaster of the school asked me. He looked quite self-confident, as if asking was a mere matter of politeness, rather than a real desire to know the answer. He was acting as if he already knew what I would say. And he thought he did, I guess.

I don’t think so, no.

Will it be Law, then?, he smiled. He was still very self-confident.

I’m afraid, no.

Is this some kind of joke?

He wasn’t anymore.

It most certainly isn’t. I want to be a carabineer, so I guess I want to be part of the Armed Forces. I already applied for that. Should I be accepted, I will do my very best to start a career in the gendarmerie.

Exams were finally over. Maturità, as we called it, was a turning point in the life of a teenager and my presentation had just been remarkable. I was done with high school, finally. But still, I had said something that wasn’t quite expected from me. I has said something that had left everyone open-mouthed. The smiles on the professors’ faces fade away. They were stuck and could barely believe what I had just claimed to be willing to do with the rest of my life. I could tell they were disappointed.

I didn’t see why, though.

I will be following my dreams. I’ll be doing what I’ve always wanted to do!, I said.

The headmaster shook my hand coldly. Good luck, then, he said dryly.

I thanked him and said goodbye. Then left.

I had the most relaxing and carefree summer of my life. I spent most of my days enjoying the sun and the sea. I rode a lot, because it was something I had always loved doing. My bike was a life companion to me.

I was waiting for my application to be rejected or accepted. I used to think about that a lot. Possibly more than ever. Certainly more than I had ever been thinking about anything.

I loved the uniform. Divisa, as we call it. I loved it. I wanted to be one of them. That was where I belonged. I was pretty sure of that.

I had taken the chance. It was a risk, actually, and a very big one. Taking the test to became a carabineer meant that, should I fail it, I would be forced to join the Army for one year. Taking the test meant making a commitment that would affect my whole life, like it or not. It wasn’t something one could underestimate.

I had taken the first test. There would be several others, because it was a very selective process. As far as concerned the first test, thought, I found it quite feasible.

But I was anxious anyway. There were so many people. Even if there were many places available, we still were a considerable amount of people.

Summer was over. The wind had blown it away and my dream was still there, stronger than ever. I was waiting for a call. I was waiting for a letter. I was waiting for something, any kind of reply. I was waiting and that was everything I could do.

There were times I felt my dreams were way too huge for me. I wondered if I was illuding myself. But that illusion was everything to me. It was in every part of my body and soul.

Autumn came. As the leaves started falling from the trees, my hopes fell too.

I decided to study Law while waiting.

I attended classes for one month, possibly the worst one of my life. I used to wake up at sunrise. I took the bus while it was still dark. Classes were noisy, even early in the morning. People were always arguing about where one should be seated. People chattered about their nightly adventures.

I felt like it was a huge waste of time. I was being stolen preciuos moments that I wouldn’t be getting back ever again. Lecturers, or professori, were always late. Sometimes they didn’t even bother to show up. Classes were useless and didn’t really teach me anything. I decided I would be studing on my own, alone. I didn’t need to attend such classes. I started with Diritto Costituzionale and Filosofia del Diritto.

February came. I loved the subjects but still, I was headed somewhere else. I was still hoping the commission would get back to me with an answer. Why is it taking so long? Will they get back to me?, I wondered.

Something wasn’t quite right. I felt like I was waiting for something that would never happen, or that would not be happening as planned. I was then told something. It happened entirely by chance. My father’s acquaintance told me that candidates, even the ones that would be joining the Army instead of the Armed Forces, would be put into two lists. The lists would be published on the newspaper. It was 1994 and March was just beginning.

My father was in a bad mood on that day, when he got home. He was sort of smiling, though. He looked quite proud, but worried at the same time. He came to me and handed me a newspaper’s page.

Were you waiting for this?, he asked me.

What’s that?, I asked him back.

Just read it.

It was not an article. It was not a common newspaper’s page. It was a list of names and surnames.

Is this...?, I murmured. I read it all over again. I just can’t believe it!

I would be leaving on March the 16th to start training for joining the Armed Forces. I felt like crying, but didn’t. My tears were not brave enough to pour out of my eyes freely, but they came to my eyes nonetheless.

On the same day I got a call from the Stazione dei Carabinieri, the Carabineers’Station, in my village. My mother picked the phone up.

It’s the Marshal, Vito! He’s looking for you.

Hello?

Start packing, Vito. On the 16th you will have to be in Benevento. Good luck, boy.

I didn’t know how to feel. I was happy. It was my dream and it was coming true. I was scared and quite excited. I had started to believe that I would need to forget everything about it, and now I was back on track. My dream had come to take me. And it would take me pretty far. I started making plans. I had never left home before, not for such a long time anyway. I would need to pick what to bring carefully. I didn’t have much time.

It was an intense week. All I did was focus on myself. I got things ready. I had always been careful. My mother helped me very much, though. I couldn’t have made it, hadn’t it been for her.

I can still see her eyes. She was incredibly happy and proud. And sad. An awkward mixture of feelings I will never be able to forget.

I said goodbye and kissed her. Then kissed her again. I hugged her.

I will be calling you.

Please do... Good luck.

Thank you.

2

The School of Student Carabineers

The train was silently approaching its destination. It was night and I was travelling on an Intercity. It usually is quite a noisy train, but on that night it was incredibly silent. I didn’t sleep at all. I was too busy thinking how my life would be changing. I looked outside the window. My thoughts went back in time. Back to when I was a child.

What do you want to become?, I was always asked.

A carabineer or a policeman, because I want to catch thieves!, I used to reply quite naivly. I had always been living completely immersed in my dreams.

I like to think I already knew who I was. The child knew possibly more than the teenager. My mind was filled with thoughts that lifted me. I was up high and I was scared as well.

Many others were on that same train for the same reason, so we started chattering. We were young, with no beard and short hair. We would have been forced to shave anyway. At some point during the training, we would be asked to cut our hair, so we had all taken some advance.

I had cut it too. I had asked to my barber, or barbiere, not to cut it too short.

And so he didn’t. Still, I didn’t quite recognize my face. I looked as if I were someone else. Maybe I was. I was feeling things that I didn’t knew I would be able to feel someday. It was awkward and hard to control.

None of us slept on that day. We were excited and anxious. Those who were polite enough to do so, talked very low. Others yelled carelessly.

We talked about our past life. What we really cared for, though, was our future.

How will the first day be like?, someone asked.

They’ll cut our hair and scare the shit out of us!, someone said.

My thoughts were restless. I was trying to imagine what, I guess, had already been written by Fate. I would find out soon. I slept for five minutes tops.

I fell asleep at sunrise and woke up at once.

We’re there! It’s Benevento, people shouted.

I collected my luggage. I looked outside the window but there was still nothing to be seen. My heart was beating fast, as if he was shouting.

Let’s get off, one of us said. We did so and went to the exit of the train station. We asked for information, took a bus and got to the school. The Scuola Allievi Carabinieri.

It only took five minutes. We found people waiting for us. We were asked for our ID and let in.

We were told to wait there together. To do as we were told to. It was a nice building. Old, but nice. I had a look around. I took pictures of things thourgh my eyes. My new home. We were into a small square.

Let’s start with the rules!, said the Marshal.

If you have scissors or blades of any kind, hand them in now. You can’t keep them. You will be given by the Armed Forces everything you will need.

We were struck. Rules.

Keep this in mind. It’s a school for carabineers. You don’t know the military code yet, but you must behave anyway. Be polite, say good morning and remember that among the people that are here today there could be your future superior.

Fair enough. Few minutes later, we were walking together. We bumped into a man. His uniform was shipshape. His eyes were cold and he looked very determined. We didn’t say good morning. And he stopped us.

Bad start. You always greet, always, he said.

We were sleepy. We hadn’t slept and we were in an unfamiliar place. Furthermore, we had no idea who the man was. He was an Ufficiale, an Officer. We had broken a very important rule.

We understood at once that we would need to behave. The first day was taugh.

We were split among compagnie, companies. We got to see the rooms we’d be sleeping in, that is our camerate. I would be sharing with a group of five, two of them had a degree. I made friends with them while settling down.

Then we were told to go one by one and pick our bed linen, as well as covers, pillow and bed sheets.

Then we’ll show you how to make your bed.

Why? Is that that hard?, I thought.

That morning flew by.

At lunchtime, we went to the canteen. We were still wearing our everyday clothes. We grabbed something to eat, since it was a self-service. We sat. We were tired and not hungry at all. We were overwhelmed.

Furthermore, the food didn’t look quite yummy. We were used to eating what our mothers, girlfriends and wives had cooked for us.

Military life. I wonder how tomorrow is going to be like, one of us said.

When will we get our uniforms?, we asked each other. On that very same afternoon, we got them.

We also got a big box to store our stuff into.

We were told to wear our uniform. Mine was way too big, but we were told that once given the proper carabineer uniform, we would be allowed to request a size. It would be happening soon, though. Right now we looked like trainees from the army. But