Padre e Figlio – Last Saturday

I just remembered something that happened to me on Saturday that I didn’t put in my update. When we got out of the subway station at il Duomo, we were immediately stopped by some African guy that wanted to give us “friendship” bracelets. I eventually got one because another guy later wouldn’t leave me alone and he was willing to keep walking and tying while I walked away. He got no euros out of me. Anyway, this first guy hounded us for a couple of minute telling us that it was free and it was just for friendship. Whatever.

I’m traveling with two other guys. One of them is in his late 50s or maybe his 60s. I don’t know which. I’m told he’s actually not as old as he looks, but I just find it hard to believe. The other guy is maybe a couple of years older than me. I’ll put the upper limit of his age at 37, and that’s pushing it. So the African guy finally lost us completely when he asked if I wanted a bracelet for me and my father. First of all, what self-respecting 30-something gets matching thread bracelets with his father, in any culture? Second, you might think he was talking about the older guy with me, but you’d be wrong. He was actually calling the guy that’s just a couple of years older my father. He said we look alike. I don’t see it, but maybe that was just his pitch. At first I just felt incredulous that he thought we were that far apart in age. I know I don’t look 33, but I didn’t think I looked like a teenager. I don’t get carded when I go for a drink anymore, so I must look at least older than 25. And “dad” doesn’t look all that old either. Like I said, the upper limit of his age is 37, and I know that would be too high. After getting over the incredulous feeling I started calling him dad, but only for a few minutes. I don’t want to rub something like that in too much.