Minuet

San Mauro Torinese, June 15, 1997, 7:10 p.m.

May I enter?
Come in.
You've fixed the house well.
I did my best.
It's so hot today. Do you have anything to drink?
I'll bring you some iced tea. Sugar?
I like it bitter, don't you remember?
No. Should I?
I don't like it at all, actually. Do you have any Chardonnay?
But weren't you teetotal?
It's not that I drink: I like Chardonnay. After all, if Chardonnay is the most famous white grape variety in the world, there must be a reason. The base wines produced with Chardonnay, fermented and aged in inert containers, are fresh, fragrant, with fruity and mineral notes, but the wines fermented and aged in new barriques bring out much more mature, honeyed and buttery notes. Chardonnay is also used to produce the great classic method sparkling wines, starting with Champagne, of which it is the protagonist together with...
Shut up, Freddy. I have a bottle in the fridge.
I was counting on this.
How is the baby?
Very good, thank you. He's sleeping in his cot.
Drink too, keep me company.
No thank you.
Why?
Because I'm not thirsty.
As you prefer. Cheers!
And the wedding?
She rarely smiles or says a word more than is necessary. She is terse and honest in her judgments and no one has ever seen her cry or get upset about anything or anyone.
That's what you wanted, right?
Indeed. I'm crazy about her.
But?
I'm cold, little sister.
…
Yes, I know what you think: it's hot, but the heat of June is a fake, anomalous heat. It's July that's torrid, with long days and little rain, while August is cooler, especially towards the end, which is already a prelude to autumn; in the countryside, tomatoes, aubergines, cucumbers, peppers, courgettes are in full harvest, not to mention that cabbage, fennel, chard, chicory, radicchio, cauliflower are sown...
Shall we go to the bedroom?
What's wrong with this sofa?
Nothing, we can stay here too.
No, actually: standing against the kitchen table. Take off those slippers, they are totally anti-erotic. You've gotten fat, two sizes too large.
You don't like me? Let's stop right now.
Slippers are fine. But at least take off your tights, otherwise what am I going to do?
You tear them up like usual, right?
Oh yeah. You're hot. Very hot. It's like entering an oven.
Concentrate, Freddy. You're falling apart, you're panting, you're sweating. You know you shouldn't.
You're right, I have to keep control of the situation.
You have to be cold, hard and mean. I'm worthless, you don't even know if you like me, remember?
Yeah damn, I remember. I despise you from the bottom of my soul, God how I despise you. Can you feel it, little sister?
Yes Freddy, I can feel it.