The Geese That Lay The Golden Eggs. Nicola Maria Vitola
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evening he tells her heâs chatted to his daughter. Sheâs sent him a kiss writing: âSMACK!â in large letters. Silvia is moved by this and smiles. She tells him itâs beautiful having such affectionate children.
After the roses and flowers, we can expect an ill-fated event
Contact between Henry and Silvia is interrupted for about ten days. She doesnât get in touch with him. After all, apart from the flattering declarations of love, sheâs not really interested in him. Or at least, sheâs not interested enough to go looking for him or get worried about his absence.
Henry suddenly gets in touch again, telling her heâs been mugged shortly before returning home. Without beating about the bush, he asks her to help him out with some money, because heâs been left high and dry. He has nothing. He tells her the details of the armed robbery that heâs suffered at the hands of two thugs. Frightened of being killed Henry gave them everything he had on him: his wallet, his credit card, his gold watch.
Silvia answers that she is sorry. Henry insists on asking her to send him money. She doesnât have money and tells him so, but Henry continues to describe all his trials and tribulations. He says he has nothing, not even the minimum to be able to eat. Silvia advises him to make a complaint to the police. He answers heâs already done that, but all the same, heâs still without any resources. Only she can help him.
«No.» replies Silvia. «I donât have money to give to anyone. I can barely cover my own expenses!»
«Youâre heartless!» the man rants, «I need the money for my children!»
So, she starts questioning him. The usual questions that would come to mind to anyone. She asks him where his relatives in the real estate business are. She wants him to explain why his children are in Ivory Coast and not in France.
Henry gets cross, he tells her she hasnât understood a thing of what heâs told her. He makes excuses for his contradictions. Then he changes tone and asks her for a lower figure. A thousand euros will suffice. «Can she send whatever she can! Heâll pay back every cent.»
Silvia interrupts the conversation. Embittered she does some research and discovers heâs a scammer.
She was about to fall for it too, but in this case, sheâs always kept a level head. She didnât let herself be enchanted, a little thanks to her personality, a little because basically that unknown man never really seemed completely convincing to her. To be precise, letâs say the romantic talk on his part was fake, there never was any on her part.
Daria
«It happened to me as well. Two months of really loving letters and sweet words that any woman would love to hear».
This is how Dariaâs story begins; she calls the person who scammed her a shady individual. She says she used to think these things happened to old-age pensioners or to little naïve, lonely women, and she specifically uses derogatory phrases to define the individuals in this story, because sheâs full of contempt for herself. She feels stupid, with no excuse, just a poor, weak woman. Daria tells her story on Massimo Cappaneraâs blog, the clinical psychologist who is an expert on web scams and invites people to tell their stories of what happened to them, so those reading are warned and donât fall into the same trap.7
I spent two months living in the clouds
Marcello says heâs Italian when he approaches Daria. But from how he expresses himself, itâs clear that heâs not. She points out that his written Italian is not very good, and he justifies it by explaining that he was born in Italy, but his mother is German. His father died when he was a child, and on the death of his father, his mother decided to relocate to Great Britain where they lived for many years.
Daria speaks several languages and she tells him to choose whichever he prefers: Spanish, English, German.
«Iâm a widower, and I have a twelve-year-old daughter - he explains - I travel a lot on international business. I take my little girl and the baby sitter with me because I donât like leaving my daughter alone. Itâs just the two of us all alone in the world.»
At this, Daria starts to nourish compassion and understanding for this widowed man with his sweet daughter always at his side.
«Iâm based in Bristol for work - continues Marcello - but my business takes me everywhere. I organise big expensive tenders.»
«Thatâs quite a demanding job!», observes Daria.
«Yes, but Iâm used to the work and to travelling. Iâm happy with the way business is going. The only thing missing in my life is a woman to sweep me off my feet. Iâm happy because Iâve found her now, but my happiness will only be complete when I can embrace you.»
«Will that day be soon?»
«Sooner than you think!», Marcello assures her emphatically.
«When?»
«I hate talking about money, but I can tell you. I chose a tender for 7.5 million instead of 12, because the first is shorter and we can see each other sooner. I canât wait to meet you. Youâre so beautiful, lovable (the man starts to list her qualities and the feelings he has for her). Sweet Daria I do nothing but think of you!»
Marcello goes on to explain his plans for their meeting which will take place on his return from a trip by ship to Cyprus where heâs about to go to buy equipment that will be used for the construction of a bridge.
«Everything was going marvellously well - says Daria - even if there were a few small contradictions in his words which however, having decidedly thrown caution to the wind, I didnât pick up on».
And here are the incredible aspects of this story
Marcello often speaks of the mystical dimension of their meeting, it was without doubt Godâs work. Itâs the fate of two hearts which resemble one another and seek each other to achieve happiness. They meet with divine intervention and love each other for life.
All fine, then! But here too - as in a tried and tested screenplay - a catastrophe occurs. Daria is informed of something unexpected and unusual. Marcello is in the port of Cyprus when pirates storm a ship that left before theirs. The captain is dead, having been killed, while shots ring out wildly, and blood flows everywhere. The pirates take some hostages. Marcello has a container full of cash and the precious documents for his tender.
«My darling - he tells her - you know Iâm alone in the world without you. Youâre the only person I trust. Do me the immense favour of looking after the package I managed to hide, until I arrive in Italy.»
«Okay,» replies Daria.
«Give me your address!» says Marcello.
Daria sends him her address and phone number. He explains that he has already paid eight thousand euros for transport and there should be a small fee for domestic taxes which the company cannot estimate before the arrival of the package at its destination.
The woman spends two distressing and very long days almost without sleep because of the anxiety this unexpected situation is causing her. She thinks of Marcelloâs safety, of his incolumity. Sheâs afraid. She doesnât know what to do in the meantime, until late at night she receives a delivery note by email from a transport company called Turkiye Diplomatic Security Company. The note is full of stamps and has the appearance of something very important and official. However, something is missing for the delivery to be made. For the companyâs security agents to deliver the parcel to Dariaâs home