Sul Campo Del Mare - Vilenica

V2-2010.PM52916/13/100, 12:14 PMAris Fioretos(2) THE ZERO (whenever he was uncertain, the area between his eyebrowsknitted together, transforming itself into the surface of a walnut.One day he heard that the oval spot Indian women painted between theireyebrows was not a sign of their caste but a cosmetic measure. When theteacher explained that its Indian name could mean ‘zero’, he was strengthenedin his belief: the source of his bafflement, too, was a nullity);(3) SMALL CONTAINERS FILLED WITH THE TWITTERING OF BIRDS(the occasions were few, but always unpredictable: a grandiose self-sacrificein one of the books he devoured, surprisingly cold water, a monstermade of air and darkness under the bed – and suddenly the hairs on hisarms and legs stood on end. At once his skin seemed covered in bloodlessinsect bites. He took them for what they were, however: small containersfilled with the twittering of birds);(4) GOD’S FINGERTIPS (two indentations on his cheeks, equidistantfrom the bridge of his nose. Since they only became visible in connectionwith joy or sadness, anger or tribulations, he felt betrayed by them. Again,God had pressed His fingertips into his cheeks – as a warning); as well as(5) THE CLOUD (a weightless something that rose through his belly,mostly associated with expectation, but sometimes also with the sole –and incomprehensible – sort of happiness capable of assuring him: hedid not only exist inside his own coat of skin).TotstellreflexEach time he experienced fear, his tongue would swell and thicken. Suddenlyhis mouth harboured an alien creature, and he was unable to speak.Whatever he did, he was never able to predict its arrival, much less preventit. Did the animal live in his lower jaw? Did it descend from his palatelike a terrible deus ex machina? He could not even spit it out, so one dayhe decided he had had enough. Climbing the ladder to the diving boards,he knew fear would set in ten metres above the ground. He had hardlywalked to the edge of the highest board before his tongue swelled andstiffened. It was now or never. Shaking with adrenalin, he stepped intospace. In the act of falling a transformation must have occurred, for barelyhad he left the board when a scream escaped his lips. The tongue hadshrunk again, and now he could make himself heard. As he broke the surfaceof the water, he realised that good advice did not come cheap. Thecreature may have been chased away, but the scream had used up all theair. When finally he breathed again, his mouth was like a funnel. After thisthe creature never returned. Instead, its place was taken by anxiety. Andhis mouth transformed itself into what it would remain: a cage, out ofwhich only oxygen could escape.291