Nino
Nel palazzo dove ho abitato per tanti anni c’era un coinquilino che aveva lavorato per anni anche in ospedale come una sorta di factotum. Spesso anche mia madre si faceva aiutare da lui per riparare tubi, lavandini, lavatrice.
Mi faceva ridere sempre con quel suo umorismo sarcastico e un po’ burbero. Aveva sempre la battuta pronta e la sigaretta in mano.
Aveva due figli, due gemelli, più giovani di me di un anno. Andrea era costretto su una sedia a rotelle e ogni tanto lo portavo in giro per il quartiere. Il fratello Gianluca invece è stato uno dei miei primi amici più stretti.
Nino portava sempre Andrea in giro per centri di riabilitazione ma non è mai riuscito ad alzarsi da quella sedia. Il padre è sempre stato con lui, una presenza costante e sicura. Ho sempre pensato che anche a causa del dolore per la disabilità del figlio lui fosse così sarcastico e pungente nella sua ironia.
Una volta mi ricordo che era venuto a sistemare la lavatrice che non scaricava bene l’acqua. Aveva trovato, dopo diverse imprecazioni e qualche bestemmia, la causa del problema: una moneta da 50 lire finita nel filtro lasciata nella tasca di chissà quale indumento.
Un’altra volta ci aveva sistemato una tapparella e quando l’ho incontrato la sera per chiedergli come era andata mi aveva risposto: «Gliel’ho rimollate tre quattro madonne, ma pare che ora vada», oppure mi vedeva tornare a casa a ora di cena e mi diceva: «Sei tornato eh? Inizia a formicolarti il pancino, vero?» sempre col suo sorriso beffardo.
Ironico e generoso, sempre pronto a salire da noi appena mia madre diceva di avere un problema domestico.
Nino se n’è andato il 14 febbraio, il giorno di San Valentino. Leggendo il suo necrologio mi accorgo che aveva 83 anni ormai. L’ultima volta che l’ho visto stava caricando in auto il figlio Andrea. Era magro ma quella volta mi era parso ancora più magro.
Mi chiedo che ne sarà del figlio adesso che lui non c’è più. Il primo pensiero è stato quello: chi porterà il figlio in questi centri di riabilitazione.
Dopo questo però mi è venuto un altro pensiero, è un altro pezzo della mia vita che se ne va, un altro pezzo di quella che è stata la mia giovinezza tra infanzia e adolescenza.
Improvvisamente mi rendo conto del tempo che è passato e mi sento malinconico.
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Nino and Jaffar had led everyone to this strange place. Well, led wasn't exactly right. They took to the fortress under the assumption that their new found friends didn't care enough to follow them.
Of course, they didn't know the extent of the young lords' kindness. Lyn and Eliwood led a march to the fortress, while Hector trailed behind. He was hesitant to waste time and resources on these horrible people.
When they reunited with the two former black fangs, Sonia had flooded the temple. Islands dissappeared and reappeared with little warning and the bridges connecting them were the same.
After killing the final foe in that area, Hector realized he was stuck on one of these islands. With Nino. He groaned loud when he saw her and looked around.
The nearest island was some twenty meters away, but neither Florina nor Heath were there.
"Pent!" Hector called out.
The man struck down an enemy with a flash of fire before looking to Hector.
"I'll try find someone to help you two!" he yelled back.
Pent and his little group disappeared behind a wall, their foot steps growing quieter as they ran, and then there was silence. All they could hear was how the water rippled and dripped.
Hector looked to the girl. She stood in the corner paralyzed and held her tome tight.
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
She blinked and met his eyes, "A little cut, I think."
She rolled up her blood stained sleeve, exposing a wound that was far worse than "a little cut". Lucky for her, Hector always kept bandages on him. He wasn't good with healing magic, so it was the next best solution when he got injured so much.
She froze when he wrapped the bandage around her arm and tied it. The moment he was done, he packed it away and sat as far from Nino as he could.
Neither spoke for a long time, both well aware that they had perfectly good reasons for disliking each other's company. Hector disliked those that Nino loved and Nino disliked that about him. Jaffar was practically all she had now, and Hector wanted him dead.
The silence became stuffier the longer they waited and so Hector decided to say something, "What did you expect Sonia to say when you saw her?"
And the silence continued so long, he almost feared she might be upset by what he said. He was aware it wasn't nice and almost apologized, but Eliwood was not there to hold him accountable and he did not care if Nino hated him.
"I don't know. She's- I thought she was my mom, I don't think anyone can really hate their parents," she said quietly.
"Plenty of people do," Hector answered.
"But my mom was nice to me."
"You're still going to call her mom?"
She shrugged.
While the silence took over once more, Nino wondered why he had asked that if not to hurt her. She wasn't the wisest on human behavior, but she wasn't dumb either. She knew Hector hated her. She knew he did not care if she was hurt or not.
Still, he offered a bandage before… Was that only to shut her up? But she wasn’t making any sound, he looked surprised at the sight of her wound… Why had he done that? To gain her favor? Make her dislike him less? Build trust? If so, would he betray it later?
If now was the time for uncomfortable questions, she would take her chance.
“Why did you give me the bandage?”
He didn’t hesitate, “The others would get angry if they found out you were wounded and I did nothing.”
“So you only helped me out of an obligation?”
“Yes. I think I have made it clear that I don’t want to be your friend.”
Harsh. But it wasn’t surprising.
After another long silence, Nino thought to make another attempt at small talk, just to lighten the mood. They might have to wait for hours, and so tension would be horribly uncomfortable.
Linus and Lloyd had always said small talk was important and even went so far as to train her to speak with strangers about nothing in particular. They had all laughed together, preparing small cards of possible conversation topics.
“You have a brother, right?”
“What, are you gonna kill him too?”
Nino’s stomach lurched at the thought of killing Uther, she felt horrible just thinking of Leila. She had not met the woman or even learned her name until after her death, but she still felt a sort of connection to her.
Jaffar had worked closely with her prior to the discovery of her true profession. He spoke of her often. Never in clear admiration or disdain, just plain facts.
"She would sing to herself sometimes," he once said, "She liked wearing purple," he mentioned another time.
He did not see it himself for he did not know what love was, but Nino saw that he cared deeply for her. She often thought that if he was not forced to kill Leila, Jaffar could introduce them and the three of them could have been good friends.
But she was dead. And Hector mourned her. Just mentioning her death, he would be on edge. Apparently, he thought of it and feared a similar situation.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Hector muttered after noticing how long Nino went quiet.
"It's okay. What's your brother like?" she asked.
"Serious, I suppose. I haven't spent much time with him in years."
"Why not?"
"He's busy."
"He doesn't make time for you?"
Hector glared at her from across the island. Whatever she said had hit deep. It could be useful ammunition in the future, but she did not care for hurting him the same way he did her.
"I'm sorry."
The silence stayed for hours, until...
Distantly, they heard Sonia shriek. Nino heard the all too familiar sound of her mother's magic, how it failed. The fortress began to rumble, dust falling from the ceiling and pieces cracking off everywhere.
As suddenly as it started, it stopped again. Everything was still once more, eerily so. The water did not move, even the sounds of breathing or their own heartbeats were gone.
"She's dead," Nino gasped.
Hector turned to face her and watched as her face distorted when she started wailing. Her sobs and screams were the only sound to be heard, echoing endlessly throughout the fortress like a torture chamber.
For a moment, Nino was not a wicked member of the black fang. She was not an assassin, a criminal or even a bad person, only a child who felt pain no one so young should ever feel.
Tears pricked at the corner of Hector's eyes as he recalled the day his parents had passed. He had cried the same way Nino did, only he had Uther and dozens of friends and even strangers who shared in his grief, countless people to support and help him as he grieved.
Few knew Sonia, and even fewer would mourn her death. Ultimately, Nino was alone in that.
Hector scooped her into his arms, holding her tight as she wept. She hardly seemed to care it was him, merely hugging him tight as she kept wailing. He felt tears threatening to fall but did not stop them.
Several minutes passed in such a manner before Hector heard footsteps. He did not want to let go of Nino when she was still so weak, but he had to kill any foe.
Luckily though, it was only Pent returning with a little rescue group. Florina and Heath flew to the island the lord and the child had been stranded on.
Jaffar jumped from the back of Heath's wyvern, running to Nino's side. He did not understand what she felt and hardly why she cried, but comforted her regardless. In his presence, she seemed to calm.
She whispered something to him and he looked to Hector. Their eyes met and they exchanged no words, but finally found common ground they could agree on. Nino must be protected at all costs for she was merely a child.
WAS HECTOR GETTING TRAPPED ON THE ISLAND WHEN I WAS PLAYING PARTIAL INSPIRATION FOR THIS…… honored if so…
also gosh hmm wonder where heath is. a real mystery
THAT ASIDE. BWAUGH. WHWHUGH. HHHHHHHH PIE I AM GOING TO EXPLODE. IMMINENTLY. ALL THE STUFF WITH NINO THINKING ABIUT WHAT TO SAY AND WHAT HECTOR’S ANGLE IS AND JAFFAR’S STUFF WITH LEILA AND AAAAAAAAAA
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