Awakening
That morning, Maffeo woke up with a stone in his heart. He had gotten up early, dressed in his black pajamas, sunglasses on his eyes to hide the first rays of sunlight that flooded his room when he opened the curtains. His bath was already prepared, and after freshening up, he quickly went downstairs to have breakfast. The pain in my chest still hadn't gone away. A kind of anxiety. He took a big sip of water, telling himself that it would eventually pass. He was far from imagining that it was a sort of premonition as his mother often said. It should be mentioned that Maffeo was not the type to believe in his things. Moreover, as we learned later, he had left his parents in the prime of his life. He had just obtained his first diploma, opening the doors to universities with a scholarship to study abroad.
He did not hesitate to choose between remaining in the country and continuing his studies. Even if he had chosen the second option, the family in this case his father would have done everything to persuade him otherwise.
Maffeo's father certainly had a sense of family business but he complained every time the opportunity presented itself that if he had taken the trouble to go further he would have made more. To put an end to his thesis, his associates said he often lacked respect for him and did not hesitate to remind him of this in a subtle way.
The phone suddenly rang, interrupting his morning routine. It was the receptionist at the hotel where he was staying, visibly concerned. She told him of the urgency of his mother's call, and Maffeo was intrigued by what could push her to contact him at such an early hour. He didn't hesitate and got out of the taxi, leaving the driver surprised and confused.
On the other end of the line, his mother announced to him the tragic disappearance of his father. Maffeo was shocked, the phone falling from his hands. He was in a daze and tried in vain to reconnect with his mother. The receptionist sat him down and handed him the receiver again. Her mother's familiar voice rang out on the other end of the line, but this time, she was calm despite the tragedy she had just announced.
The day after this sad news, Maffeo still felt dizzy from the grief and the effects of the alcohol he had drowned in his sorrow.
This is news that will shake you up for a lifetime.
Back to school has barely started when he has to drop everything. Everything for him to be beaten so much and spend sleepless nights. Maffeo was a professor teaching young students.
His task was to give them a taste for engineering. A sector in search of disappearance. He himself had a higher technician diploma in engineering.
He was both a teacher and a friendly person appreciated by his peers.
What to do ? How to proceed ? He hadn't planned to return anytime soon except in winter to spend Christmas with his family, a family he hadn't seen since he left. Almost six years since he and his loved ones last saw each other. The telephone and electronic means of communication are the only means by which they communicate.
He gave himself a few days to think carefully about the decision to make.
During these few days of reflection he informed the administration of the University where he gives periodic courses.
The administration also gave him their support and comfort.
And given his impeccable academic record, having never stood out for his absence and his unfailing devotion to work; the general principal orders him to take his time and whatever decision he makes he will respect it.
The decision, difficult as it was, was made by maffeo. Family instinct took over
The heart has spoken.
Concerned about preserving his reputation and that of the University, recognized for producing experts in their various fields, he informed the council headed by the principal of his decision to renounce his duty as a teacher.
He packed his things in a sturdy rectangular suitcase and took a flight home. Arriving at his destination, he called a taxi to take him to his mother's address.
