         |
At the City Café Chalie hobbles down to City Café in the church square, and sits down at the formica table. Inside, there are people smoking. There was once a smoking ban in public places. “Bongu Gann… te?” – he asks his mate inside the bar. “Iva, gib!” “Two teas, Joe, halib tal-bott mhux tal-Gvern.” From behind the counter, you can hear Joey getting the tea ready. He lifts the boiling water and pours it over into the small brown sieve from a height. Then he pours condensed milk and allows a few drops to colour the tea. He stirs it violently, the spoon tinkling against the glasses. He looks at Ganni and calls out: “Kemm zokkor, Gann?” Gann drags the cigar away from his yellow teeth with two nicotine-stained fingers. “Ostra Joe, I have been coming here for twenty years, don’t you remember that I do not take sugar?” Chalie looks at Ganni and gives him a look of agreement. “Kemm hu gh***.” They sit under a small note attached to the wall, warning clients that they should not smoke and that politics is not to be debated. As they sip the tea, their spectacles fill up with condensation. Chalie removes the specs and looks at Ganni: “Gann, did you see parliament yesterday?” “Dazgur, kienet tajba hux! X’riklam ghamlulhom lil tal-MaltaToday. That Tonio never seems to learn. Just imagine had it been one of ours.” “Ehh Gann, it would have been the end of the world, il-Gesu Bambin, kieku… we would have had a programme minn dak il-qasir Bondì jahseb li hu xi Errol Flynn, another with dak il-laghqi Peppi and then we would have had the Times and God knows who! Gann, did you read the story?” “I bought the newspaper for the first time… bla kantunieri. That Fenech should have resigned when he returned from that trip to see Arsenal with Tumas and Gasan, imma you see Gonzi, how he defended him. He did the same with Johnnie Dalli eh?” “Gann, you see what he’s going to do now, he is going to get rid of Dalli by sending him to Brussels as Commissioner. First he tried to send him to the other world by using the Joe Zahra story, and now this. Ara he may be a hopeless Prime Minister imma he is a real h****j. See how he has treated JPO u anki Louis Deguara.” “Chal, who is Joe Zahra?” “Ma tiftakrux? Big fat policeman, always next to Lorry Sant? Kiesah, and then, wonder of wonders, he started to work with dak in-nazzjonalist Bondì. They are all the same, the guys who ruined our party ended up with the Nazzjonalisti. Then he came out with that invention that Dalli was somehow on the take in Mater Dei. He was given a two-year sentence because of that.” “Iva, Iva, I remember – this Zahra was a freemason too. Pulcinell ta! And then Bondì had that programme on freemasons. I heard they wanted to skin this Zahra alive.” “Not only that, he had programmes on devils and Satan, and everyone knows that it was all a big messa in xena.” “Safrattant, Bondì is still there together ma’ dak siehbu… jimpalaw il-liri?” “Gann, you are just jealous, you would have done the same if you had the chance.” “You bet, le noqghod kif jien, qisni pastizz.” “And all these stories about Tonio, and not one word from Gonzi. Isn’t it obvious that something is being kept in the dark? He has not said a thing. I can understand it – without Tonio, Gonzi is nothing… without Fenech u dak li ghandu ma saqajh, what’s his name… ?” “Dak l-ohxon?” “U le, not Pullicino, dak his mind is on Sicily and you remember what a mess he made with those development zones. And he pretends he is some Padre Pio” “I see you are talking about, Edgar… Galea Testaferrata.” “U le, Galea Curmi, kienu joqghodu Birkirkara, a good family, ma nafx kif hareg hekk hu!” “Why do say that?” “Uuuu… because he is a real schemer, and he is the real Prime Minister not Gonzi!” “Iva Gann, but this last story kbira ta. Biex tara how Tonio doesn’t even know how to screw, ara how stupid. Of all the developers in the world he chooses Montebello, l-ikbar falluti li hawn, and gets them involved in his new home. They overstretched themselves with Mistra, Jerma, the Galaxy and the Addolorata cemetery mansions. Everyone knows that the Montebellos needed to sell Jerma and what does Tonio do? He gets them to do up his villa! Lanqas huma kuntratturi dawn. I heard that Tonio knew the Montebellos for quite some time. And isn’t it strange that after he got rid of the subcontractors he went to Gap – tal-bewla – to continue with his works?” “Tajba. I heard that Joe Saliba is working for Gap…” “U Gap tal-bewla, you know he was first maghna then he became a Nationalist and now I heard he wants to come closer to the party.” “Gann, qishom tad-Dallas!” “Chal, if you ask me, there is something fishy in all this. And from where is this Tonio getting all his money? Dan mhux bicca paga ta’ ministru ghandu?” “Gann, this company Rainbow that Montebello subcontracted for the works, look rather serious. They are not all laburisti ta – one of the directors is a Nazzjonalist, but they are tal-punt. And they would have to be mad to have invented such a story. I am dying to hear what they are going to say in court.” “Eh, Cal – did you see Godfrey Grima this week?” “Iva, ma Julia Farrugia, hux?” “He said that he knew that Tonio did not tell the Prime Minister that when he was going to Spain, he was not going to be with Tumas and Gasan. And not a word or a denial from anyone.” “And I do not know anymore, where we are going. I can’t keep up with all of these things? Sometime I ask myself is there a God?” As they talk, a sexy girl passes by. It is none other than Ira Losco. “Ara Gann, Ira Losco.” “Cal, look, look, see how great God can be, Ostra kemm hi pupa... imma zghira…” “Imma sabiha Gann ta.” “Take care Chal, at our age, we should not be thinking about these things.” “I heard she wrote a book…” “Book?” “Mela she can write?” “Write, write… insomma, I am sure she has nothing to say about Tonio. Nowadays the new thing with these youngsters is to talk about hmerijiet. Mohhom fiz-zokk u all that noise they call music. What do they care about politics?” “Gann perhaps they are right after all. Look at Tonio, he thinks he is Maria Goretti and all he does is take us for a ride and no one cares. Just because they wave the newspaper in parliament will change nothing. U dak Gonzi bhal ta’ qablu… he knows the best policy is to say nothing.” “Maybe Chal. That is why there is a heaven and a hell…” “Mhux hekk! Knowing my luck, we will go to heaven and be seated next to Tonio Fenech. Le Gann, I prefer to go to hell. Maybe I’ll end up with Losco.” “Tajba Chal, heh-heh! Oqghod attent ghax if Tonio Fenech doesn’t kill us with his paprati, Ira will!”
Any comments? |
 |
EDITORIAL MT Surveys Robert Arrigo ‘most wanted’ for minister Cabinet thrives, but Fenech and Gatt hit rock bottom Bleak times – depression at the Grand Harbour Budget 2010 – Raise taxes or cut benefits? Only 35% will be taking a holiday this summer Corned beef? a matter of class Labour poised for absolute majority Labour Party heading for absolute majority EU MEMBERSHIP – FIVE YEARS LATER Restaurant review by Moniqie Chambers |
Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email