I was only young when the war broke out. It was like something I had never seen before; faces of joy would change to faces of grief. I would see people not much older than my brother going into war to fight for something that I hadn’t understood yet. They would put their lives on the line for some reason. Why would they be willing to put their lives on the line for their friends? For their family? For me ? I wouldn’t understand why people had to die for whatever reason it may have been. As I grew up I would see many families completely destroyed and separated, including mine. It wasn’t a pleasant view or experience. My brother & father had died when he went to this war. As I didn’t have anyone next to me, my desire was to be with someone, someone that would spend all their time with me. My father always told me ” una donna e come una rosa nel deserto, prendersi cura di quella rosa ” to take care of a rose in the desert does not mean ruining its life. My mother’s life was ruined without anyone next to her to help her and support her and I was not willing to let that happen again to any girl.

I was not able to receive love from my mother. I would just receive anger and isolation from her. I began to look for love and a passion in something else, anything. I was never brave enough to disrespect the teachings which were set in me by my parents. I could not be arrogant, violent nor selfish; it simply wasn’t a part of me. I would look for a girl that was willing to become my friend and companion. I was on a journey where no one understood me and couldn’t help me. As the  months passed by i was constantly confronted with the thought of my father and brother. It was a never ending thought, why would they go and leave us, it just didn’t seem right. Some years passed and I went on to work and provide food for me and my mother.

I would travel along the countryside of Italy everyday to go work I would see incredible things. I would see these amazing birds soar through the air, where the sky is their limit, the air bending as their feathers slice through it. As I look down from the skies, I see the beasts of the earth resting on what God has placed on the land for them; feeling the delicate grass on their feet as they stride through the land in search for their shelter. As night slowly creeps up on me the sky changes from light to dark with the sunset displaying its wave goodnight with these warm colours , and the stars would greet me as they appear one by one showing itself. As I look into the sky I would forget all my troubles and remember that my creator is watching over me and taking care of me.

My everyday journey from the city to the countryside was something I would never take advantage as i was able to see the good, the bad, to see betrayal and loyalty; to see love and hate. My aim was always to provide for my home and i was rewarded with these amazing sights as i would see the sun set and rise.Everyday was different and unique in its own way.On my journey to work I was encountered with a beautiful lady she was caring and compassionate towards me nevertheless I didnt pay attention to her and carried on but she saw something about me.I was confused, I was simply a young man holding up a broken home. She would walk with me on my journey tell me stories and teach me things. As we walked she told me about her father which also went to war and said” he was a good man, he always loved me and took care of me, but clearly not enough” I could understand the way that she felt. She was just like me, living in a broken home. She was the rose that my dad told me to take care of.

On the journey to work I had taken another route , so as I travelled along my path I would see my boss telling me to hurry up to work, I could see him from afar that he wasn’t angry or happy but worried and confused. I started running as I got closer I could see that the land was destroyed, all my work destroyed. A discovery was made; bones, weapons, could my brother and father be here underneath our feet?.