7/29/2019 The Track

1/4

Victor Val Mas

English DRAFT

The TrackViolent vibrations and jostling jolts accompany the train as it exits out of one of Rome's numerous

railway tunnels. The opening of the tunnel perfectly frames the omnipresent cupola of St. Peters

Basilica, a symbol of faith and devotion for more than 1.5 billion Christians worldwide.

The interior of the carriage is penetrated by the rays of the rising morning sun. The passengers

vigorously rub sleep out of their eyes and awaken from their slumbering state. Today the train is

only 10 minutes late. Some workers complain that they will be early for work. One commuter offers

the alternative of going out and getting a cappuccino. The other man agrees as long as it is

bollente and accompanied by a cornetto (Boiling with a croissant).

I stare out of the window at the passing ground beside me. Piles of trash line the sides of the track

and a blur of graffiti covers the illegible sign that once read "Stazione St.Pietro" . The train tilts and

changes its course, resembling a stomach churning experience in a Ferrari 599 Italia. The slowing

train passes a homeless man who is urinating in front of a billboard. The billboard depicts a famous

tennis star in revealing clothes. Behind the billboard, the peak of the cupola can barely be seen.

What a dignified arrival Saint Peters has planned for you.

The train screeches to a halt. The air brakes compress and air gushes from the underside of the

carriage. A beep, the doors open, commuters exit, and new ones come in. I witness this routine

daily, but little did I know that on this occasion two very special passengers were making their way

towards the empty seat in front of me.

The white garment appears first; as she turns, I catch a glimpse of a white cloth covering her hair.

Finally, she rotates her head and smiles. Her smile seems natural, and her young face radiates

beauty. She seems smooth and fragile; she has an air of authority and power as she sits down in

front of me. Behind her comes another nun who is shorter and shows signs of age.

7/29/2019 The Track

2/4

Victor Val Mas

English DRAFT

The air hisses again as the brake is released. The electric engines thump, powering on. The train

gathers its strength and slowly pushes forward. I scrutinize the two new passengers carefully. Both

are calm and seemed relaxed. Their clothes are spotless, they inhale and exhale in an almost

synchronized manner, and their posture is almost identical.

Curiosity begins to grow in me. Who are these women? Do they speak Italian, Spanish, English? How

old are they? I looked around me and noticed that several heads are turning in our direction. This

gives me the confidence to start a conversation. If I dont, who will?

Good thing I do, for my conversation might been the last this elderly nun has before she goes off to

heaven.

Dove andate? are the first words a stranger has said to them in the last five years.

These nuns are from a small town near Viterbo, a city in the Roman countryside. They live in a

cloister and do not communicate with the outside world unless under absolute necessity. In five

years, this is their first trip out of their building; I have the chance to be the first person they talk to.

Five years is a long time, especially if you are confined to communicate, live, and work with just 16

other souls.

At under 30 years of age and with six years of confinement in the cloister, the young nun is the more

interesting of the two. She was a singer through high school and had worked diligently to earn her

place in the Italian National Choir. Little did she know that this would change not just her career, but

also her way of life. Her plan was to go to university, become a nurse and work like any ordinary

citizen. Because of her prestige, she was chosen to sing at one of the popes numerous visits to one

of the cities near Rome. There, suddenly, she felt the calling of God. She tried to forget this calling

and return to normality, but she simply could not. This divine presence became the most important

priority in her life.

7/29/2019 The Track

3/4

Victor Val Mas

English DRAFT

With the calling of God in her soul, she went to a local monastery. It happened to be a closed in

community. Admission was a delicate process, which she explains in detail. At first she moved in

with the nuns for a short time, a trial period to see if would adjust. Having passed this phase, she

was accepted as the youngest member of the community.

It is surprising how openly she speaks of her private life and experiences while in this cloister. It

seems so natural and easy for her to explain this to you. Her lack of social interaction is barely

noticeable. More notably, her conversation is the longest and most interesting I have had with

anyone on the train.

Her job is not easy, getting up at six in the morning to pray and then work in the garden. The nuns

are almost totally self-sufficient. Yet, they manage to stay informed by reading the newspaper and

watching the evening news.

She claimed that if she were allowed to leave the buildings she would become distracted and would

not be able to dedicate herself to praying. I have met few people who are so well balanced and

down to earth as this nun. Her explanations are thought provoking, regardless of whether you

believe in God or not. The unhurried and unbroken pace with which she talked shows confidence

and reasoning.

The train keeps on moving, loading and unloading passengers at every stop. As we reach the station

where I get off (Olgiata), I cannot help but wish, for the first time, and possibly the last, that the train

ride could be just a little bit longer.

Often ordinary citizens know little about closed religious communities. This means that these

communities can be wrongly associated with mystery and suspicion. The dialogue and the clarity of

the conversation with this nun contradict this. Who knew a train ride would unravel so many secrets

and thought provoking dialogues, especially, considering that this lady is isolated from the rapidly

changing world?

7/29/2019 The Track

4/4

Victor Val Mas

English DRAFT

The trains wheels start rotating, pushing against the steel track. Metal on metal, equal forces

opposing each other. This time the train is going too fast. Suddenly, the conductor uses the

mechanical brake and instantly a raspy scrape is heard. I am back in reality. I say goodbye to the nun,

and half-jokingly add that I will expect her on the same train in in 2017.

The train slowly leaves the station, taking with it a figure only a few have the privilege to meet. The

passengers who get off at Stazione Olgiata hustle down the stairs. One lady screams into her

telefonino, a young ragazzo listens to his ipod, an elderly lady fixes up her hair and a man tries

to push his way down the steps.

I, however, concentrate on the track. The unbroken steel rails cut a straight path across the nearby

fields and forests. The track verges with the horizon and disappears into the mist surrounding Lago

Bracciano. Over sixty thousand passengers follow this track on a single day. We all follow the same

path, sit on the same seats and look out of the same windows. This track not only serves as

transport, but it also gives us a unique opportunity to learn from the other thousands of passengers

who make the same journey every day. Approximately one hundred nine million five hundred

thousand passengers will follow this track before the nuns step into this train again. Surely we can

also learn something from them.