TS 2 Part VI Chapter 4

Chapter 4

March 25^th, 2010

Bahia Negra

Paraguay

“Fuck, none of you will ever pass as a birdwatcher in a million years. Can you change your executioners' faces?” Fedérico whined the minute the small plane landed after several bumps in the earth made airfield, leaving a large trail of dust behind it.

“It's a good excuse to be in the countryside. Nobody comes here unless he does some ecological tourism,” Ratko growled, still checking at the birds guide.

“That's right, but you all look like the Ladykillers,” Fedérico sighed.

“We are here to watch the Urutau,” Milan carefully voiced the last word. “It's a bird,” he clarified as he looked through the window the only decrepit hangar and the well cut grass growing next to the track.

“Yeah, I know. It sings like a woman howling in pain. Your blood will freeze once you hear it in the middle of the night,” Fedérico explained. “This is a very small place, so please let me do the talking. I'm your official translator.”

Bahia Negra. Paraguay

The Eternal City- Part II

T

The Eternal City- Part II 

As forewarned the previous night, Konrad returned to his flat to find a bigger disorder than the day before. However, the sight of a pile of dirty dishes didn't kill his exuberant mood, and he simply ignored it. He vaguely heard Ferdinand babbling very excitedly about two young actresses he had met at a party he had been with Armin, and that they wanted to meet Konrad.

“They are fantastic. Like Anita Eckberg, and they want to go on a date with us.”

“Good, take Albert with you,” Konrad answered distractedly, his attention focused on the two white shirts he was inspecting, trying to choose what to wear to go to the cinema with Fabrizio. “Which one?” he asked showing them to Ferdinand.

“Are you serious?” his friend asked looking at the plain, custom made shirts.

“Yes, of course. It's only to go to the cinema. Maybe I should take a sport jacket and a less formal shirt,” Konrad pondered.

“Those two are for drinking tea with your grandmother Konrad,” Ferdinand informed him. “And what is this?” he asked snatching one of the shirts to inspect it. “Did you have your initials embroidered?” he shouted and almost bended over himself with his laughs.

“Sure. So none of you can ‘borrow’ and use my shirts.”

“You are not coming with me wearing these things,” said Ferdinand. “You look like this guy, Michael Caine, in Get Carter. You'll scare the girls away!”

“All right, light blue it is,” Konrad mumbled as he picked another shirt, and Ferdinand snorted very loudly. “What is the problem with my clothes? You have been criticizing them since we got here.”

“Nothing if you want to look as if you are forty or a Londoner gangster.”

“What is your suggestion then?”

“Buy a ticket to watch the Hair or Tommy musicals.”

“And burn my passport down too? Or protesting against everything would do?”

“Nothing so extreme. A new pair of jeans, a colourful shirt, changing the lapels of your jackets, some flowers in your hair, and that should be enough,” joked Ferdinand.

“And join the Hare Krishna too,” mumbled Konrad. “Is it not a bit pathetic that our generation defines itself by the length of our hair?”

“They'll kick you out. You're a hopeless case of boredom and self-conformism, my friend.”

“I'm more rebellious than all of them together. I stand against their rebellion.”

“Good for you,” chuckled Ferdinand. “You take the reverse path. Now, a conservative; and an anarchist when you turn sixty-four?”

“Where would be the fun otherwise?” Konrad answered with a smirk as Ferdinand, defeated, mumbled, “Your loss, then. Two hot looking blondes, can't decide myself over them.”

* * *

The Eternal City-Part I

The Eternal City

July 15^th, 1975

Rome

The small flat's appearance was like a bucket of cold water poured over the three youths’ heads. Rococo was so...

“At least it's not the Trastevere,” Albert mumbled, his gaze lost over the heavily ornamented furniture: a large sofa, two armchairs and a ridiculously large—for the tiny place—dining table with six matching chairs. “Is this thing Victorian or what?”

“Cola di Rienzo is very well located,” Konrad affirmed. “It's just a short walk from the Vatican,” he added and his friends looked at him in disbelief.

“Are you planning to go to Mass every day?” Ferdinand asked.

“Friederich told me to go to the service at ten. It's still in Latin.”

“Konrad, dearest cousin of mine... What did we all promise on the plane? We are here for a holiday and that includes, at least in Ferdinand's and my view, no religious services, no studies, no museums, no Christian, Pagan or whatever crypts you're planning to visit, and certainly not waking up at an ungodly hour to do some sightseeing.”

“I don't remember agreeing to your plans. I have registered for a summer course at the National Museum. Friederich spoke with one of his former superiors and he was able to get me a date to see the Christian catacombs. You can come along or not.”

“The only Coliseum I'm going to visit is that new disco my brother spoke about,” Albert said sternly. “You can come along or not.”

“If it doesn't interfere with my plans, I might well go.”

“You're seriously crazy, Konrad,” Ferdinand said. “We closed the books not two weeks ago, are in Rome alone for a month, unsupervised and free to do whatever we want, and you want to check on some rotten bodies?”

“Yes, I do. It's where it all began for us.” Konrad challenged his friend and Ferdinand sighed defeated.

Konrad turned around and inspected the apartment with a critical eye. Although on the walls and ceiling there were still some rests of what had been good paintings done on vernis Martin and framed by ormolu moulds, moisture had finally erased the chubby expressions on the angels’ faces. 'The del Brando house is not doing so well as they did in the past,' he thought as he compared it with his grandmother's residence in Venice.

“Houston, we have a problem.” Ferdinand shouted from the other room.

TS 2 Part VI Chapter 3

Chapter 3

February 17^th, 2010

Ciudad del Este, Paraguay

“My reputation will be ruined if someone sees me next to all of you,” Fedérico smirked when he saw the four Serbs coming out of the green olive Land Rover. “What the fuck is this car?” he snorted. “Do you want to get mugged?”

Goran venomously glared at the young man dressed with faded jeans, a shiny red polo shirt from a dubious Lacoste origin, trekking shoes, sunglasses and nothing else. The dusty and dirty bus station where they had agreed to meet a week ago was grating his nerves as the Argentinean didn't seem to be in a hurry to look for Guntram. He had been contacting some of his snitches and the best he had found was some new Russian gangsters activity in the triple border of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina.

“Shit! It looks like the Blue Brothers went to Africa!” Fedérico added with a laugh when he saw the conservative beige trousers with cream or white shirts they all wore. “Panama Jack is on tour!”

“Do you have something better in mind?” Mirko growled and Fedérico looked at him in a way that made the youngest Serb feel very uncomfortable.

“I might, but you all have to try to look normal. We are not in the Balkans! This is Latin America and we are happy people. Damn, you all look as if you would have the word “Executioner” tattooed on your ass. The people we are going to visit is very sensible about their lifestyles and we are still in the peaceful and diplomatic phase, right?”

“What do you want us to do?” Goran asked very darkly but his stern expression didn't seem to affect Fedérico's demeanour.

“First, we change the car for a convertible Suzuki Grand Vitara. The dumpers are much better.”

“What? That car is for girls!” Mirko shouted and the other three men gaped at Fedérico, unable to understand the logics behind the request.
“You'd look hot as Officer Barbie,” Fedérico chortled and evilly winked at the young man who blushed from fury and embarrassment at the same time. Milan was fast enough as to catch him by the arm before he would have jumped at Fedérico's neck.

“You see, now? Your attitude is all wrong. Even if I could get you to look normal, you would still stand out in the crowd. We crack jokes all the time. Look relaxed or a bullet will relax you,” Fedérico explained them very seriously. “Come with me.”

Ciudad del Este skyline 

Ciudad del Este streets.