Living Under the Roses

Chapter 3

2 weeks later, Giovanni and Adèle receive an email from the Ministry of Education.The email states that they have been invited to work at a new school, Rivoli High School, but that if they make another mistake, their teaching diploma will be withdrawn. Stunned by the e-mail, Giovanni and Adèle wonder about their future and the non-existent justice system. They tried to contest the blackmail by telephone and e-mail, but the Ministry of Education would have none of it. The Ministry reminds them that they have a new job thanks to them, and that they must respect the directives.

1 week later, Giovanni and Adèle find themselves back at Lyceum Rivoli with a steady salary. The two teachers find themselves alone in the staff room. Adèle starts talking

Giovanni: Hi Adèle !

Adèle: Hi Gio! How are you?

Giovanni: Fine, and about you?

Adèle: Moderately, a few students aren't being respectful to me.

Giovanni: Who are they ?

Adèle: Lorissa and Amaryllis

Giovanni : No wonder, they don't do anything in my classes, they just chat and talk on their phones.

Adèle: Same thing ! They're really unbearable.

Giovanni: If they do it again, I'll definitely pull them out of class.

Adèle: I couldn't agree with you more ! They deserve it, those bitches

Giovanni: You shouldn't talk like that

Adèle: I know, but frankly I'm sick of it !

Giovanni: I understand

Adèle: Oh yes, and I don't know if you've heard, on Nexhub, a rally is planned tomorrow against the government is planned not far from here on Villa del cielo street against the introduction of cameras everywhere

Giovanni: Yes, it's all nonsense...

Adèle: Yeah, I don't want Italy to go through the same thing as China. That bitch of Rosario thinks she can do whatever she wants...

Giovanni: Really horrible...

Adèle: So, I'm going to protest with them ! Would you like to join us ?

When he hears the word "protest", Giovanni doesn't respond to Adèle and suddenly steps back, lowering his head. He recalls a discussion with his father that left a deep impression on her. When Giovanni was 14, sitting opposite his father on the dining room table, his was leafing through his newspaper attentively, while Giovanni was quietly looking at Instagram on his smartphone and noticed, in his news feed, a publication by his boyfriend, he was on a photo taken during a gaypride, in the description it said: Because our fight for our visibility is more than necessary, #im here #forlgbtrights. Giovanni likes the photo. He looks up and sees his father, starting a discussion with him.

Giovanni : Father, there was an LGBT rally, some friends of mine went. They asked me if I wanted to go with them, I said no and they asked me why, but I didn't say anything, I didn't dare tell them I was against homosexuals.

Father: How long have you had homosexual friends?

Giovanni: They're not homosexuals, they just support LGBT as hetero.

Father: So they're deviant all the same.

Giovanni: But Father, I spend time with them, they're good people.

Father: No buts, I want you to stop hanging out with them. I don't want them to manipulate you and take you to these "demonstrations" where they make propaganda.

Giovanni: Father! It's not propaganda! I want ... I want to demonstrate with them!

Father: THAT'S ENOUGH!

⚠  TRIGGER WARNING : CHILD ABUSE ⚠

Suddenly, Giovanni's father, enraged, grabs him by the collar and slaps him across the face. He screams, LISTEN TO ME IF YOU DARE SPEAK TO THESE ORDERS AGAIN, I'LL DENY YOUR EXISTENCE! He then orders his son to drop his pants and beats him with his belt. 20 minutes later, his father stopped beating him and let him go. The frightened boy left the dining room crying. After recalling the trauma, Giovanni shakes and loses his balance. Adèle catches him and asks how he feels. Giovanni says he's feeling moderately well, and explains to Adèle that he's remembered a trauma he suffered as a child. Ado gets angry and says: "It's not normal to beat your child... He's just an asshole!" Giovanni looks down and says yes shyly, and Adèle wants to comfort her friend, so she hugs him. A few minutes later, the bell rings and classes resume. Adèle tells him he can go home, given his condition. Giovanni replies that it's all right, it's just the last class. Adèle tells him he's exaggerating, but it's his choice. The young man and woman head for their class. 2 hours later, class ends and Giovanni has a headache. He asks the students to hurry out.