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MarcoFiorentino

ProfessorMacMillin

MMC3104C B52WritingStrategies

November15,2010

TheIdeaofBeingNew

TheBadSip

Thefirstsensationthatcametohismindwasthatofreluctancetocomplywithherrequest.

Afterallthelies,thecheating,thedishonor;hewasnotinthemoodtoaccepthermothersrequest

tohavetea,especiallyfiveyearsaftertheincident.

Therulesweresetbyhim,acomplicatedyoungman,andthemiddleagedwomanaccepted

themasiftheywerethewordsofadeity.Itwasathercoffeeshopwheretheyfoundthemselvesfor

thefirsttimeafterfiveyears.Hewasonhiswaytoseeafriendwhohappenstoworkatthesame

buildingwhereshehashersmallcoffeeshop.Hisgarmentswerenoticedbyherbecausethey

changedcomparedtotheoncehewouldwearyearsago,ashesportedItaliansuedeshoes,apairof

nicetrousers,adressingshirtandajacket:quitefarfromwhatshesupposed.Shequicklyfixedher

hair,untuckedhertshirtoverherjeans,soshewouldntlookbad.Butshedid:thetimeoverher

shouldersforcedherwardrobetochangedrasticallytofitthebudgetofsomeonewholost

everythingshehad.

Whenheenteredhercoffeeshop,sheimmediatelyrecognizedhim.Hello,Marco,she

said.Howareyoudoing?Shesmiledarrogantly,lookingintohissolidbrowneyes.Imfine,and

yourself? Herepliedwithapokerface.Imgreat,sherepliedquicklyandleftthewordhangingto

seeifhewouldfinallyaskthatquestion.Good.Ateaplease,withasmallcupofnonfatmilkonthe

side,hesaidtearingherplanapart.Therewasthatawfullapseoftime,wherebothwouldlookat

eachotherasiftheywereonastaringcontest.

Histenaciouseyeswerethewindowofaserenespirit,theonethatoncewasinjuredand

learnedtohealslowlyandpainfullywiththesandoftime.Shefoundnoreasontokeeponlooking

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andoncehavingdepletedherresourcestokeepplayingthatstaringgame,shelookeddownand

backtohiseyes,attackingthistimewithherprose.Youknow,Lucilawasaskingforyoutheother

day,shesaid,tryingtoplungeadaggerintohisheartwhichwasalreadycoatedonsteel.The

silenceheproposedinresponsetoherstatementwasmorethanenoughforanormalsituation.

Howeverafterlookingattheboardbehindher,whenheturnedhiseyestomeethers,shecame

backtopushthatdaggerevenmoreinordertobreakhisarmor.Ithinkthatthisistimeforyou

guystomeetandtalk,shemarked.

Helookedseriouslytohisleft,likedenyingthesituation.Whenhecameback,hiseyeshada

bignowrittenonhispupils.Whatyouthinkmadame,withallduerespect,doesntconcernme.I

believethattheresnothingelsetosayonbothparts:nothinghasbeenleftunsaid,hesentenced.

Marco,dontjudgeherlikethat,perhapsthatswhysheleftyou,becauseyoujudgedheractionsso

hardlythateventodayshefeelsthreatened,sheclaimed.Sandra,youaretryingtodefendthe

indefensible.Listen,Idonthavetimeforthistypeofissuerightnow;Ihavethingstodo,hesaid.

Areyoutellingmethatyoudontwanttotalktoher?Areyoutellingmethatyougaveup?she

asked,pressuringhimforaresponse.Itsbeenmorethanfiveyears,letitgo.Theresnothingwe

candotogetourtimeback.Theresnothingwecandotorecoverwhatwevelost.Itsbeenfive

yearsofreasoning,understanding,revising.Idontreallythinkthatweneedtoreviseaclosedcase,

Sandra,hesentenced.Herresponsetothatlaststatementwasmoreaggressivethanthelastone:

shewantedanotherchanceevenwhensheknewshedidnthaveit.Well,perhapsyouthoughtthat

youkneweverythingaboutthatcase,buttheresnewevidencethatmightchangeyoursentence,

sheargued.Butthenewevidenceasshecited,wasntenoughtocoverwhathappenedbefore.

ItallstartedatanothercoffeeshopnamedPiacere,whichinItalianmeanspleasure,where

hewasworkingat,wearingakhakiuniformtshirtwithblackpants.ItwasaSundayafternoonwhen

sheshoweduptothecoffeeshopwithherhusband.Shestartedtoaskhimseveralquestionsasif

shewouldbeanFBIagent.Sheleftgivinghimageneroustip.

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ThenextSundayofthatweek,sheshoweduptotheplacewithherdaughter,Lucila.Aftera

verynervebreakingconversation,sheleftherbusinesscardonthecounter.Heoncedescribedthis

movementasthebesttipIhaveeverreceivedbutatthattimehewasunawareofthedamages

thatcardwouldcausehim.Datingataferociouspace,andbeingintroducedtoherwholefamily,he

thoughtthataseriousrelationshipwasgrowingoutofthatsituation.Itwassomethinggrowingin

deed,butitwasjustnotseriousatleastonherbehalf.Shemanagedtoconvincethatyoungman,

sellinghimmirrorsthatwouldbreakatthefirstglance.

Amonthintherelationship,afteranightofexcesses,sheconfessedtohimthatshewas

datingapersononalongdistancerelationship.Shecrieddrytears,begginghimtounderstandher

situation,butafterhedidshestabbedhimintheback.Inordertobreakupwiththeothersubject,

shehadtotraveltoArgentina.HepromisedthathedbewaitingforherinMiami.However,after

thetrip,shecamebacktoMiamibutneverbacktohim.Thiscrushedhisheartintheworstway,and

thatwaswhyhewasnotkeenongivingher,hermotheroranyonethatcouldspeakonherbehalf,a

chancetoreachhisheartagain.

Afteraffirmingthatnewevidencewouldgivehimanewperspectiveonthematterinorder

toopenhercasebackanddealwithit,shestaredathimwithherwateryhazeleyes.Shewaslooking

foraminimalchancetomakethingsbetterforhimandherdaughter.Hehad,atthatprecisetime,

hismomentofweakness.Heacceptedtotalktoherontheconditionthatshewouldcomealoneto

meethimatanearbyStarbucksafterfive.Helefthiscardonthecounter,grabbedhisteaandleft

theplace.

That

same

afternoon,

when

he

arrived

to

the

Starbucks,

he

ordered

a

coffee

and

sat

on

one

ofthewoodenchairsinordertowaitforhertoarrive.Itseemedtohimthatshewouldtakeforever.

Hiscoffeehadnoflavorwhatsoever;nomatterhowmuchsugarhewouldputinit.Nomatterhow

muchhewoulddrinkthatcoffee,hedstillbethirstyformore.Then,afterabadsipofit,heopened

hiseyestofindhimselfbackinbed.Itwasfourinthemorning.

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Thatsameday,afterhewokeup,heknewthathehadtogotomeetupwithhisfriendat

thatbuildingthatafternoon. However,despitetheexperiencehehadthatnight,hepaidnomind

aboutit.

Whenheenteredhercoffeeshop,sheimmediatelyrecognizedhim.Hello,Marco,she

said.Howareyoudoing?Shesmiledarrogantly,lookingintohissolidbrowneyes.

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Marco Fiorentino

Professor Mac Millin

MMC 3104C -B52 Writing Strategies

December 4, 2010

The Stigma Stops With Me

Ignorance and Fear

When I approached the door of the auditorium, where Dee Cruz was conducting her lecture,

I knew what I would find. I am not referring to Dee Cruz, no. I am referring to the ignorance and fear

that I have regarding AIDS.

I am 26, and even though I conducted different blood tests in my life, I had never tested

myself specifically for AIDS. For some reason, every time I wanted to test myself, something

different would occur, and it would frustrate my attempt. However, that afternoon, I fully

comprehended that its important to get tested regularly.

If theres something that terrifies me about AIDS, it is not the disease itself. It is not the

person who carries the disease as well, as I patiently explained to Cruz. I am terrified of the test

results to be positive, even though they have no reason to be. My girlfriend tested herself and it

came out negative. Besides, I perform a blood analysis annually and all my values are perfect. In fact,

Im a hypochondriac, and even the most minuscule problem will be a life-or-death matter for me.

Every time I watch Cruzs videos, the only thing that I can imagine is if I would be in her

place. The mental image of the situation frightens me even more. This mental image shows me

realistically how valiant I am: I can stand physical pain; I can confront any man; but AIDS, thats

something that you cant handle. Therefore, prevention is the best solution to the problem, because

at this moment is the only solution that exists.

When I approached the subject, I tried to find a way to relate to Cruzs problem, but her case

is really one of a kind. I dont really think that I would be able to react the same way to a terminal

disease. It is quite incredible that she has been able to survive the disease up until today without

medication, because 17 years is just too much for a person to resist. However, what amazes me is

that despite her resistance, the cure has not been found.

Convincing everyone to get tested is today a good way of prevention, but it demands a lot oftime and effort. I hope that before she has to convince the whole world, researchers put their best

so they can save peoples life with a vaccine.