The Ball. Erik Pethersen

am looking at the empty cup that I hold in my hands.

      «Now I can tell you that my matt car is doing well and I guess my parents too, I mean, they are doing only too well. I add that I do not live on my own, I have occasional and normal contact with the other dwellers on planet Earth, and you are one of them.»

      «Thank God, Brando, you have stopped hanging around with the aliens, this is a positive thing. Did you start hanging around regularly with somebody else, I mean, with the opposite sex?»

      «No, I didn’t. I stopped with the aliens, just give me some time to change my habits, meet new people to hang around with. Maybe zombies, there are so many around.»

      «Very funny. Let’s take a note: nothing new, the candidate does not point out any recent changes in his lifestyle. I am sure that if you behave like this, the sentence to home confinement will be revoked, sooner or later.»

      «Home confinement that I was granted being trapped inside myself?» I wonder, puzzled.

      «Right that one.»

      «I was asking because I was afraid I had got lost.»

      «So, are you dead on not trying to repent?»

      «I don’t think I need to repent for anything. That’s the way I am: I do not hang around with aliens, zombies nor human beings; I am gloomy and a bit down but I have always been like that. Maybe lately the whole situation has gone a bit worse, maybe I find it difficult now to put up with some situations that I used to somehow manage before.»

      «Attention, please. We have here some sort of explanatory sentence which expresses a whole thought» the notary says sarcastically. «Are you talking about work in general or something more complicated?»

      «It is the whole situation, what is around us: people, in particular. It is the attitude that people have towards each other. Not just in the working environment: it is something that makes me sick, it makes me feel bad.»

      «People. People make you sick: disturbing. What do you mean, Brando?»

      «There is some sort of pathological apathy everywhere. They all just want things and expect them without doing anything useful for themselves or for the others.»

      «That has been my feeling too for quite some time.»

      «Do you know the history of do ut des?» I ask.

      «Sure, do ut des and do ut facias, are the foundation of private law. You are talking about a wider picture, don’t you?»

      «Yes, a wider and more trivial scenario. Men have always acted this way: you give something to get something else back. I think this is fair, quite normal. The problem is that now it is only a des: give me this because I am entitled to it, I want this because I am more worthy than you. The synallagma has changed: everybody expects something but nobody does anything.»

      «Interesting analysis. Is that what makes you gloomy?»

      «I don’t know. This is for sure something that I can’t stand. And there is so much more to it.»

      «Talking about do ut des, did those guys from Newco Dating Ltd avail of the legal counselling service, didn’t they?»

      «They did, they dropped in on a Wednesday, two weeks ago. They are two guys from Eastern Europe who want to start a dating business on the internet. Actually, I am not too sure if they are real rendezvous, which are organized on the web or virtual dating, like online chats or something like that. Anyway, they were telling me that their web site is ready for the users and they are trying to create a mobile app too.»

      «Right, that was exactly the idea behind setting up legal counselling service» Alessandro says. «Giving everybody the chance, especially needy people, to have free legal service for every need.»

      «Wonderful idea which compels me to get in contact with many needy people for three hours a week...»

      «Correct. This would be only do, without ut des: something done for a noble principle. You are really great at dealing with needy people, Brando». The notary stops and looks at me smiling. «So today we will help needy people to run the usual virtual brothel: it is nothing new, it must be the third one already. This year only.»

      «I think that word of mouth is what gets them going in this environment, but massage parlours have almost disappeared» I say.

      «True, I haven’t seen them in a while: it is probably because the Town Council close them all down» the notary replies. «Anyway, wasn’t the deed scheduled for 12:30 pm? It is 12:45 pm already and they haven’t shown up yet.»

      «They may run a little late, I fear.»

      «We should look into this legal counselling service...»

      «Maybe so. Often helping people in need is not taken in the right way by people, or several people consider themselves in need but they are just in need to have something for free» I say.

      «Come on, let’s get back to the do ut des...»

      «Mala tempora currunt, Brando.»

      «Sed peiora parantur» I reply.

1.2 LIFE - THREE

      «Good morning, sirs. Now, we are here to register Newco Dating Ltd» the notary starts.

      «Here we are» they reply almost at the same time.

      «Did you check if there are other websites registered with similar names at the Board of Trade, Brando?»

      «The gentlemen here actually wanted to name their company Newco Ltd. I took the liberty to point out that this name was not so original and that it would be necessary and useful to attach another word to it. So then Newco Dating came out, it sounds a bit more original.»

      «Excellent, and Newco Dates it is then» the notary adds, and then he says: «Each of you will own a share amounting to 50% of the share capital. Are you both residing in Brescia, right?»

      One of the two men says: «Yes, we have been living here for twenty years now».

      «And the company will be based in the municipality of Bre...» the notary says this and he stops suddenly. «In the municipality of Codogno» he continues saying, with a slightly surprised tone, looking at me. «Which is in the province of Cremo...»

      I look at him and I shake my head.

      «Which, surely, is in the province of Piace...» he goes on saying, lowering his voice, while I shake my head again.

      «Lodi» one of the two partners says. The notary looks at him.

      «Of course: Lodi. It is an important town, isn’t it? It is a busy city, right?» he asks while staring at the guy in front of him.

      «That’s right, it is a busy town» says one of the partners. «We decided to have it as our headquarters because our computer technician and the server are going to be based in Codogno.»

      «I see» the notary says. «Are you aware that if you ever decide to shift the headquarters outside the Municipality, you are going to need another notarial deed, aren’t you? Why not choosing Brescia as the headquarters, considering that both of you are residing in here?»

      «Yes, yes, your colleague told us» says the plump partner with Magnum P.I. style moustache «It’s better this way for us for... how can I put it... confidential reasons.»

      «I see, I see» the notary cuts him short. «And Codogno it is» he says looking at the desk. He browses through the Statute then and he briefly points out some aspects to the partners, who do not seem to pay too much attention.

      «25% of the share capital amounting to €10,000 has to be paid over by the partners to the administrative body. So, we are talking about € 1,250 each» the notary says.

      «Yes» Magnum P.I states, «here, all in €50 banknotes.»

      «Great»