Arsenal
I arrived punctual to alumniza. At 7:30 a.m., as we had stayed. I prefer to arrive on the agreed time, it bothers me to attend for me. Much more on one event like this, after I was the brand new group. Neither is it that I prefer to be the primary and look forward to others whereas to play with freshly served beer and fake curiosity within the cellular. However when one arrives from new to a website, though that website is a bunch of associates, doing so late appears to me a disrespect.
So there he was, coming into the aluma with the punctuality of a Swiss watch. My buddy Jacobo had invited me. Nice man, Jacobo. I met Jacobo a few years in the past, due to his husband of one in all my spouse’s childhood’s childhood. Madrid of Galician roots, at first it appeared reasonably dry. Reserved. Employee. Severe. Just a little like me: simply phrases and one thing tense with strangers. However a kind of guys whose shell hides a beneficiant and good soul, and whose friendship, as soon as the wall with which it protects its intimacy, forges iron ties is crossed: with out effusions, with out alharacas, however unbreakable.
Hey, my sister -in -law can not come to Bernabéu on Saturday, so I’ve a free admission. Do you are feeling like? That was the primary time. Since then, each time he invitations me to accompany Bernabéu he asks me if I really feel prefer it. As if I did not know my reply upfront. It’s a little bit of its humorousness, refined, disguised as seriousness, and one other is its manner of being: consubstantially respectful, with out assuming that I’ll don’t have anything higher than to make the afternoon spend with him, even whether it is to see Madrid. Phenomenal, as a result of if you consider about 7:30 for altiza, are you aware the place it’s? I normally keep there with associates for the earlier one, take one thing and from there we go to the Bernabéu. So I current them.
Jacobo is from Atleti. And Madrid companion. Such a contradiction, how might or not it’s in any other case, offers rise to fixed jokes individually. That it’s not that you’re a Madridista and have no idea, it’s that you’re a Madridista and you recognize it. That a number of water with the Atleti mouth, however when it’s time to pay to see soccer, you’re clear the place you set the cash. That Atleti ought to make you a monument for being the primary mattress accustomed to residing the glory of the Champions League. Anyway, typical chanzes. He smiles enjoyable and returns the polishes with ingenuity and with out animosity, as if he weren’t bored with listening to many times the identical teasing of his Madrid associates.
Jacobo and his associates have arrived even earlier than me, and I discover them sitting at a excessive desk, chatting animatedly between beers, tapas, scarfs of Madrid and the bustle of the alústiza on sport days. Jacobo presents me. Good folks, it seems from the primary second. The dialog revolves disorderly from the present Madridist to the operation to which one of many Tertullians might be submitted; of the disenchantment of the coverage narrated by one who was a councilor in a small city in Asturias the place Veranea, to the juicy insider anecdotes delivered to the desk by the brother of a sports activities journalist in Onda Zero. And from there again to Madrid and sport schemes, and Actual Madrid philias and phobias, and proves the Russian salad, which they do right here as a movie and serve it in a gizzard, and what you recognize Jacobo, and I see that you’re a mourinhista, I additionally, however watch out with this one that’s delbosquista.
The time of the sport is approaching and we’re heading for Bernabéu. Simply 5 or seven minutes. We stated goodbye after we arrive, till subsequent time, delighted to satisfy you, the identical factor I say, a pleasure, hugs, Hala Madrid, and every one in direction of his stadium door. We stayed Jacobo and I alone. There are nonetheless a couple of minutes till the start of the sport. When crossing the door of the stadium I feel that doing so remains to be a ceremony, that I nonetheless really feel the identical tingling of early emotion that flooded me after I first did it, nonetheless a toddler. And that although, with life, I’ve developed many different pursuits and hobbies, solely Madrid attire me so straight, so instantly to pure feelings, to luminous happiness, with out shadow, of childhood.
I don’t bear in mind who the rival was that day, it was not a number one workforce. The Valladolid, maybe, or maybe the Almeria. What’s extra. Madrid received simple, for 2 or three objectives aside. It caught my consideration that Jacobo didn’t see the sport indifferently: he pissed off when Madrid spoiled an assault earlier than opening the rating, and celebrated the white objectives. Not with the unbidden enthusiasm with which I did it, however I used to be getting up, applauded, extolled the play and congratulated me with a smile. I miss a Atleti follower. From Jacobo I’d by no means have anticipated something apart from good manners even in a spot as given to the shortage of urbanity as a soccer stadium. However his factor went additional: there was a sure pleasure, a happiness maybe calm and damping, however real, for the victory of Madrid.
Inform me the reality: in the event that they provided to vary your Madrid card for one from Atleti, would you? We left the stadium, it was already closed night time and the chilly chilly of autumn started to throw himself like a blanket on the Castilian. I requested him in a joke, as if he made a parody of an inquisitor; He needed him to know that it was a sport to impress him, though I used to be true for the reply. He checked out me very severe and answered with out hesitation.
I can’t do away with this card whereas I stay. I’d by no means change it for one from Atleti, or another. First, as a result of anybody who enjoys soccer is aware of that there isn’t any higher place to stay the emotion of the nice video games than the Bernabéu. However, above all, as a result of this card was inherited from my father -in -law. He was at all times a companion of Madrid and Madrid to the core, however neither of his two daughters was novice. So after I married his daughter, he started to ask me to soccer, and that grew to become a sacred custom. He by no means bothered that I used to be Atleti, nor thought that there was any contradiction into turning a mattress into his companion of Madrid feelings. He by no means talked about my standing as Atlético, as there isn’t any speak of one thing unimportant, as one doesn’t cease considering if he would favor that his son -in -law would love cinema or literature extra. I merely handed the home, I picked up by automobile and we had been going to the video games collectively. That was all. He at all times handled me like a son, and I discovered to get pleasure from these occasions along with Madrid as an excuse, till he grew to become a second father for me. I got here to like him very a lot, and when he died and inherited his situation as a companion, I knew that he would proceed to make use of that card till the day I die. As a result of I owe it to him and since on this stadium I’ve been very comfortable. And since I preserve feeling it.
That’s the reason I can by no means be an antimadridista. I owe Madrid among the greatest recollections of my life. You should have observed, I’m glad the victories of Madrid, besides whenever you play in opposition to us. I favor a thousand occasions to Barcelona’s cheats. As well as, generally, the Madrid gamers are good folks, though you typically put insufferable along with your conceitedness and your conceitedness.
The chilly had easted from the night time already positively, and a moist and blurred fog fell, which turned the lights of the lampposts and the site visitors lights into diffuse, yellow, inexperienced and crimson contours balloons. Hey, Jacobo, it is chilly from the fuck, however has stayed a treasured night time. I do not really feel like going residence. Why do not we name your pals, which is able to nonetheless be shut, and we’re going to take some reeds?
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