Buzzati’s Restless Nights Part 4 of 5: The Scandal on Via Sesostri
December 18, 2009 by dr. lam
There lived a famous surgeon by the name of Professor Tullio Larosi who died all of a sudden to the shock and dismay of all around him at the elegant and famed address, 5 Via Sesostri. The funeral procession was scheduled for the following morning, and his wife who was still quite young as the Professor wed later in life was mourning dreadfully.
That afternoon, the local police officer, Commissioner Luccefreddi came to me and announced that he had alarming news about the good Professor. Apparently as the Commissioner recounted, the professor was in fact an escaped Nazi who committed grievous atrocities during the war that are hard to recount aloud and then fled in 1942 after having been found out to have had a Jewish grandmother. He circumnavigated the world, landed in the Americas, and returned to Italy under an assumed name, now pretending to be the great Tullio Larosi, a renowned gynecologist.
The commissioner wanted to share more news with me that night over dinner, as most of my friends know that my maid makes one of the most delicious dinners that could be imagined. I could not envision any more details of the story that would shock my little world more considering that 5 Via Sesostri, this building, is occupied only by the most dignified tenants in the world; and until this present time I thought was the envy of the world as the premiere address in all of Italy.
That night after a meal of homespun papardelle and native mushrooms in a cream sauce, the Commissioner and I retired to the living room to discuss matters over a port digestif. He began by saying, “Did you know that Franco on the first floor of this building is the famed convicted felon Niccolo Abruzzi who escaped 5 years ago from prison. I found that out by digging deeper into his records. Moreover, Signora Vicenzo who occupies the entire fourth floor is the woman who killed her first husband, went on trial, was acquitted, but then killed her second husband and is now a fugitive.”
I was shocked to say the very least. “That’s not all. The third floor, the distinguished banker Alessandro Vinano is the famed rapist who is obviously using an assumed name who escaped from France after having committed multiple crimes that I dare not repeat. He is known as the Strangler of Les Halles. On the second floor, the young lad Giorgio is also a convict who escaped his trial after having committed untold counts of embezzlement against the Church in South America. “
The Commissioner turned to me, “Unfortunately, you Serponella are the terrorist who after the bombing in Lyon changed your name from Luis Serponella to Luigi Andromatta. I have found you out by studious evaluation of your previous records. Don’t try to move. I have a cordon of police officers twice encircling this building.”
“Dear Commissioner,” I replied, “Do you not know that I have done the same research on you. I know that you go by the Luccefreddi name now but in fact you are part of the famous Nicolai crime family and have committed 3 murders yourself. You are not what you seem either. Now, I assume you will let me escape your men?”
“Well dear Serponella, you have proven to be a tough adversary. After coffee, I shall let you walk out before my men come in. We are friends after all, right?”
Buzzati’s matter of fact style is so beguiling because it sets up the story as being something that it ultimately is not. As it unravels, we start to see the underbelly beneath the veneer of respectability with which he begins his journey. I have shortened his tale in my own words, as I have done for all of these stories, so my apologies go to the deceased writer for perhaps telling a condensed version that lacks the flavor and build of his original stories.
Nevertheless, we can all learn the valuable lesson that humanity is a bit more complex thans what we as individuals purport to be. Are we a simple titled individual like surgeon, mother, daughter, or maid? Or do we have a rich complexity that may not be as perfect in our mind of what we hold ourselves to be? We only show the world a certain side of us that we believe is sturdily constructed and in short flawless. We don’t allow our cracks to come through nor are we allowed to see the cracks in others. Buzzati’s fantastical, Kafkaesque writing reveals perhaps who we are as humans more than we would like to behold in ourselves.
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12 Responses to “Buzzati’s Restless Nights Part 4 of 5: The Scandal on Via Sesostri”
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Very true! Great story and thanks, Dr. Lam, for going out of your way to share this with others!
True, Heather. I thought he was writing when it came to parpardelle sauce, native mushrooms…
Have a great day everybody.
haha, perhaps you detected my voice in it!
I love this series of blogs. The twists in Buzzati’s writings are unexpected and profound. I look forward to your next entry…or maybe I should buy the book
Thanks Phebey. Remind me. I’ll find the book at home for you to borrow. His stories are fun and bizarre with a nice moral tale (of course which I then interpret for you).
Phebey, you need a gravatar!
Haha..ok.. I’ll work on getting one…
Awesome! Another blog buddy!!
Nice gravatar, Phebey!!!
Phebey! Welcome! Phebey runs the front for my spa! She is AWESOME!!!!!!
Yes, glad to greet Phebey here. Beautiful gravatar.
Yes, Dr. Lam, I am good at knowing your voice and like so much the way you describe things.
Regarding today’s blog…I recalled a moment very long ago, seeing a lady I knew. We were at a four-way stop. She was cursing traffic, gesturing at another driver. This was completely out of character. Seeing this made me giggle, but didn’t change my view of her. Just having a moment like most of us do at some times.
Great stuff here. Thanks.
GN
cool nord!