My grandmother was a backer. She was living in a huge labyrinthine building in the center of the city. Downstairs the shop and the giant furnace, with strange machines all around. It was forbidden to touch anything there. Everything was full of white flour and I was deeply fascinated by that strange undiscovered world. On the first floor a lot of rooms, the patries where they put the goods and the laundry. On the second floor the house, which in the entrance had a huge amphora with a lot of peacock's feathers. Everytime I was spending hours in front of that feathers trying to understand if they were watching me or not, exploring their texture, tripping with my phantasy. The floors of the house were all inclinated and this gave me some vertigo. In never wanted to go on the third floor, the under roof. It terrified me. Full of strange objects and with pigeons from all sides. My grandmother was not really physical or affectionate, but I was the most affectionate person ever, so with me she was a bit different. I was giving lots of kisses all over her skinny hands and arms and she was laughing telling me to stop but letting me do that at the same time. She was embracing me often, I think I was the only one embracing her strongly. She taught me to store up everything, cause you never know if it can be useful for the future. I'm still doing it. She allowed me to enter in the furnace while my grandfather was sleeping. Was an amazing experience to be in there, feeling the mortal danger of that magic place. She taught me ho to make the bread, even if I don't remember anymore. She was giving me money secretly while no one was looking.
Last time I saw my grandmother she was almost not recognizable. That shocked me. After that day I dreamt about her many times, always nightmares. Friday she died after a long suffering.
I've never been a person who cries in this kind of situation, but after losing my father I know what means for a son to lose a parent. She was the mother of my mother. I can imagine how my mother could feel now. A piece of my life comes from there. I cannot avoid to remember and to let her go in peace, with all my love.