Cycling in the park is prohibited

2008-10-08

“The boy was sitting on the bench, with his rucksack beside him, the girl was standing up, she was walking back and forth in front of him saying nothing.

I lifted up the dog which had dragged me there because I had a feeling that something unpleasant was about to happen, something that would make me wish I were elsewhere: the guy seemed subdued and she was furious.

Finally it happened. Slaps, with both hands, all over his head and face.
He didn’t move, he didn’t even defend himself. It looked as if it was all over when the final blow struck, violent, with a smack that obliterated the blackbirds calls.

She then took the rucksack and bike lying on the grass, and she walked off.
At the end of the path, or at the beginning, but it was an end in this case, where the sign was, she got on the bike and started pedalling.”.

(Alessandra Galetta, Cycling in the park is prohibited, 2008)

Text in italian

Categories : books

one comment

  1. […] Cycling in the park is prohibited (traslation of Andrea Pacquola) “The boy was sitting on the bench, with his rucksack beside him, the girl was standing up, she was walking back and forth in front of him saying nothing. I lifted up the dog which had dragged me there because I had a feeling that something unpleasant was about to happen, something that would make me wish I were elsewhere: the guy seemed subdued and she was furious. Finally it happened. Slaps, with both hands, all over his head and face. He didn’t move, he didn’t even defend himself. It looked as if it was all over when the final blow struck, violent, with a smack that obliterated the blackbirds calls. She then took the rucksack and bike lying on the grass, and she walked off. At the end of the path, or at the beginning, but it was an end in this case, where the sign was, she got on the bike and started pedalling.”. […]