Enzio
Chapter 12 and Snapshot
Snapshot
Most people have held a variety of jobs over their lifetimes. Waiter, fast-food worker, resident, attorney, and the list goes on. In the process of getting a job, everyone has to be vetted. The process is often thorough, if not overkill. Americans love to evaluate and assess. It is often about power, however momentary. I can remember applying for some jobs where you might have thought the future of IBM was at stake: resumes, interviews, references: the whole nine yards.
Ironically, a man vying for the country’s most important position escaped serious vetting. Think about it. He was not a serious college student; he failed at numerous business ventures; he had a long, documented history of cheating contractors by failing to fulfill his end of the contract. He was a lifelong philanderer who was married three times. He was a friend of the owner of Lolita Island and a convicted felon. Why wasn’t he evaluated more closely? How did this happen? Where was the public? The fox was in the henhouse, and no one said anything.
Enzio
On Friday, the couple took a cab to the central Rome railway station and bought tickets to Sorrento. The trip was enjoyable, and they chatted along the way. Enzio couldn’t believe how comfortable he felt talking. When talking with Gia, she was assertive but clear, friendly, and sincere. She seemed to like him and was very interested in America and M.I.T. She was clearly a serious student. Although she was extremely beautiful, she wasn’t interested in settling down right now. She wanted to study and become a computer scientist. Her goal was to become a university professor, and she wasn’t going to let some clever Italian guy stand in her way. Many had tried, but none had succeeded. Enzio thought maybe she saw him as harmless and not a threat. Time would tell.
While Enzio looked out the train window, the reflection of Gia Orsini came into view. She was 5’3” tall, with long black hair. She had a very attractive figure and a dark, alluring complexion. Enzio briefly thought he was looking at a painting in the Villa Borghese or another famous Roman museum. His reverie was interrupted when she said, “What are you looking at, Enzio? What do you find so interesting?” He replied, “Well, if you must know, I was looking at your reflection. You’re incredibly beautiful.”
Enzio couldn’t believe he had said those words. It was completely out of character for him, but he felt as if he were under some spell. He couldn’t hold back and had to say what he was thinking. Gia smiled and went back to reading her book. Enzio thought that if his high school classmates from Revere saw him now, they would be shocked. They would wonder who this guy was. It definitely wasn’t the Enzio they knew.
Dave - you ask why in your commentary and how could this happen. Like you, I have been puzzled by why so many seemingly have lost their standards for character and decency. I recently read an article in the Atlantic called “The Banality of MAGA-fication” by Johnathan Chail. This has really helped me understand. The article discusses a book by John Tillman called Political Vise. The basic premise makes sense to me. MAGA will accept any horrible turd as their leader as long as they get the outcome they want.