The Oath

The Oath 2

He first took a puff and continued, "The rotating statue is the representation of a Saracen; the knight must hit the target, and above all be fast! The Saracen, by virtue of the blow suffered on the target, to discharge the energy received, rotates on himself, and if the knight is not fast enough in the passage, he can be hit by the Scourge!", he concluded and, "Well...! It's noon, and now we're off to eat: let's go up to Mount Piselli..., let's go to the mountains!" he decided, getting up. I just had to follow him.

« The taxi took us up to San Marco hill, and then, there, we took a cable car to go up to the top. The cable car advanced slowly: it was not a real chairlift, and the passengers remained standing in a basket, with wire mesh walls a little higher to the trouser waistband. As we ascended, we began to glimpse a magnificent mountain landscape, and the air became increasingly cooler. The cable car did not reach the top, but in the vicinity of a refuge: the top was about a hundred meters, to above. At 1800 meters, so much was the altitude reached, the panorama was 360 degrees; on one side the Adriatic, and to the south, right next to it, another mountain a little lower and, further back, the Gran Sasso chain: the highest mountain in the Italian Apennines, which with its top, the Corno Grande, reaches 2912 meters. Drawing my attention to the North-West, Pasquale pointed out another mountain range where the highest peak was Mount Vettore that, with its 2476 meters, overlooked the others.

"That is the chain of the Sibillini Mountains; and it is there, on the plateaus of Mount Vettore that we cadets do our weapons drills!", he said, showing a hint of pride.

Soon after, we entered the shelter: because outside, the air was quite cool, almost cold. As we entered, I was immediately struck by the lit fireplace.

"Here, at the beginning of September, at 1800 meters above sea level, it is as if you are on the plain at the end of October!" specified Pasquale.

Leaning against the counter there were two customers, which they sipped a glass of wine, and talking happily; maybe they were friends of the manager: I thought at that moment. Some tables in the room were already set: we chose one and sat down. The manager, a rather stout middle-aged man, looked like a mountaineer: big mustache, black leather waistcoat, dark brown corduroy trousers, checked flannel shirt matching the trousers and with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, and mountain boots. After having a chat about the weather, and, with my brother, about military life, he took over and walked away. The two of us, while we were waiting, lit a cigarette.

« "I have the qualification of storm trooper, and my weapon is the MG 49-52: a light machine gun, with 1200 rounds per minute; it is so fast, that when I shoot in a short time the fifty-shot tape runs out; it's not like shooting a rifle, where you hear every single shot fired: this weapon, when it fires, is as if it were singing! It's easier when you are on the ground, and with the gun resting on the stand; but when you shoot while standing, in a simulated attack, you have to place yourself well on your legs and keep the butt well-placed at the side, to have a direction of stable and optimal shot!" told me Pasquale, more than ever proud of his task; and he finished, seeing coming the first courses: Pappardelle with hare ragù.

« It was the first time I ate Pappardelle, and I must say that they were really excellent; while I had already eaten the hare sauce as a kid, but with Apulian Orecchiette.

While we were waiting for the second dish, Pasquale began to tell "Down in the barracks they told me that, with the end of the course and the appointment as sergeant A.U.C., my destination will still be Palmanova; I'll be back there again, but as a sergeant this time!"

"You will remain there as a second lieutenant?" I asked him, eager to know.

"No! When I am appointed officer, I will have a short leave and I will come home, because I will also have to prepare my uniform: the Diagonal, as it is called, and there they will notify me of the new destination!"