int ‘o rione
noon, 6 August 2021 – 08:56
from Fortunato Cerlino
“Who do we have to see now?” The mayoral candidate asks annoyed. Noticing the gloomy mood of his boss, the prestigious one spin doctor smiles nervously.
“There would still be many on the list … there is Totò’s double, Troisi’s, a self-styled illegitimate brother of Eduardo De Filippo, a distant cousin of Sophia Loren, a secret son of Roberto Murolo, a guy who claims to to be the reincarnation of Masaniello and… ».
«Stop, do me the favor … it already hurts me ‘a capa …». The mayoral candidate sighs deeply, closes his eyes and remains immersed in his thoughts for a few moments.
“Anyway, if I may, the last examining seemed interesting to me …”.
“Yup? And what did you find interesting? ». The politician strikes his collaborator with a stern look.
«Well… I believe that…».
«… do you find it interesting to nominate a nephew of Raffaele Cutolo among our lists?».
The other tries to explain himself. “We must take into account the fact that in this city the surname Cutolo still arouses a certain respect … moreover ‘o Professor left us only a few months ago, his memory is still alive …”.
“But why am I paying you handsomely?”
The young consultant does not let himself be intimidated by the lashing tone of his boss. “Because I’m the best. Because it was I who suggested to your opponents that they should nominate a Maradona in the next elections for mayor, and that is why you did everything to bring me to your side… ».
“Okay, okay… I get it. Go on”. The mayoral candidate scrolls through the list he has on the table. “These here, who would they be?”
“The relatives of San Gennaro”.
The young man lights up. “Of course! I put them at the bottom of the list but those are my trump card! Believe me, if you nominate the relatives of San Gennaro on your lists, victory is certain, indeed, absolutely certain! Not even Maradona revived would have any hope against them! ».
“But who are they?” The politician still asks without getting too bad.
«They are the undisputed protagonists of the Saint’s miracle! The only ones authorized to speak to his bust during the miracle of liquefaction, the only ones who can address him with strong and authoritative words. Do you think that sometimes, when the miracle is slow to take place, these nice old ladies even offend San Gennaro! They address him with colorful and strong epithets, even with reproaches if necessary, as would be done with a relative. Yellow face, they call it, or Faccia ‘ngialluta, due to the color of the face of the bust that is in the Cathedral. Be prepared! Faces or miracle! They urge him decisively! ».
“But are they old women then?”
“And yes, of course. But this is an advantage for us, isn’t it? We nominate one of them, perhaps the oldest, and when time has done its part we will put in her place whoever we like, and in the meantime we have taken home a considerable loot of votes! ».
The mayoral candidate thinks of the spin doctor’s words. «But are they just relatives of the Saint?».
“And who can tell? It is a cult that has its roots in ancient times. It is likely that it is not a real blood relationship but rather a popular investiture transformed into a lineage that has been passed on for centuries. Someone claims that they are actually descendants of Eusebia, the nurse of the Saint, the same one who collected His blood in the famous ampoules immediately after the martyrdom. These women are a real authority among the people, a direct link with the kingdom of heaven. To nominate them would mean giving a sacred, spiritual meaning to his mandate! The very salvation of the city of Naples is kept in the hands of these priestesses! ».
The politician begins to nervously drum his fingers on the list, then suddenly stops. «All right, let’s let them in …».
August 6, 2021 | 08:56
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