Three eggs, 100g of sugar, 300ml of milk, 200g of flour and 50g of butter. This is the very simple recipe for my happiness. I don’t have that many memories of my grandmother, so I’ve always kept this recipe clear in my mind, as a way of remembering her. Every time I think of my […]
My name is Anna and I’ve been at San Patrignano for one year and a half. I came into the program when I was 18 years old and I assure you that it wasn’t an easy choice I remember it as if it were yesterday. I remember that felling of insecurity, of not feeling quite […]
The water that descended from the gutters, and the noise it made, that gurgling sound, made her think of mountain rivers. The city, absent and desolate, gave voice to its silence late one evening. The only thing to broke this silence was the evening news: “Hello and welcome to News 24. The top story tonight. […]
Do you know who chose your name? I did, just before you were born. I remember that I was in the bath tub, I was six years old and I was with our mother… I guess you were there too, inside her enormous stomach, just waiting to come out Nicolàs. You were going to be […]
Hey! Remember we met last time? I’m Luca and I told you about the visit with my family. After a year I saw my little sister Irene, who is the person that I care the most about in the whole world. To look at her has always held a special meaning to me; it’s not […]
The alarm clock goes off. It’s time to wake up. I don’t think there is a more annoying sound in the whole world than an alarm clock going off in the morning. The sound sets off a series of motions inside my head. I sleepily wait for my turn to go to the bathroom. I […]
Marco flips through his newspaper. “Boy, under the influence of drugs, beats up his father after yet another furious quarrel”. Page seven of the local chronicle. Suddenly the memory hits him like a lightning bolt, thoughts of his past, of his family In an instant, Marco is enveloped in a cloud of lies, of violence, […]
My name is Andrea and I’m a mechanic. I have always had a passion for engines and powerful machines; I’ve always loved the rush of adrenaline I used to get when I pushed myself to the limit, and I’m not just talking about when I was behind the wheel I was pretty young when I […]
I stop. I let the sounds, rhythms and words wash over me. My breaths become shorter and shorter and shorter, until they become more and more shallow. I feel tiny in front of all the fire that surrounds me. All of this has a name. It’s called life, and I’m scared. What am I afraid […]
Ice. The road is covered in ice. I’m cold, my teeth chatter. I can’t tell if it’s the weather or if I’m in the early stages of withdrawals. I finish my last cigarette. All this waiting is making me nervous and I start to get second thoughts. I can still change my mind. I’m so […]
The DJ scratches the record and then lets it run, and with it Prince starts to dance. He is a break dancer, and his first move is called “the helicopter”, a classic. He spins wildly and the students, mouths wide open, start to cheer. He’s come a long way. I remember when I asked him […]
This is a story of a friendship shared between Ale and myself. Ale is a fantastic person who is currently in recovery, and completing the program at San Patrignano. You are probably asking yourself how anyone could have feelings for a junky. Well give me a chance to explain myself and perhaps you will understand. […]