The coast of Kenya is not an earthquake zone.
Neither is the rest of the country, the craters extinguished for millennia in the Rift Valley have created beautiful lakes and mystical caves on sacred mountains.
In Malindi, however, until last year we had the Max Volcano.
A continuous eruption of joy, positivity, dreams and projects.
Mario Aquilino left suddenly a year ago, really too soon, and it is still difficult to forget his wake under the African sky.
I know Max, you would not have wanted me to write something commemorative, let alone sad.
In fact I only mentioned it, but I will not.
On the other hand, your famous motto "It's a sin to complain" has also become mine.
I prefer then to write what we would have done together in the last twelve months, among the charitable initiatives in favor of Asante Sana Children Home in Italy, the shows and a new format to help young local talents in Malindi during the Christmas period and the concretization of other two or three ideas that you had in mind and that were taking shape, discussing them together.
In the midst of this constructive confusion, we wouldn't forget to enjoy memorable dinners, sunset aperitifs, relaxing swimming and chatting by the pool and walks on the beach in Silversand, with the interruption of your sketch with the lobster seller or the "mama kikoy".
Then in March everything would change for you too and I daren't dare to think about the caged lion you would become in Treviglio and how many you would make up to make people feel better and keep up everyone's morale while parading the coffins under your house and lengthening the tails of frightened and sad people in the family pharmacy. He would have needed you, Bergamo, your enthusiasm, your ability to find diamonds even in manure and convince everyone that living is a challenge, but luck is being able to tell it like an adventure.
And then, as soon as the borders were opened in August, you would have come back as always to your Malindi.
And here we too would have realized that, with you among the boxes, the world was better.
But it still is, thinking of you. Because...it's a shame to complain.