FOURTEEN
Mario was a tall cheerful man a little past his forties, and he had been assigned to be your driving instructor. His teeth were as big and white as a donkey’s, and his upper lip had a small cleft that made him look like he was always half-smiling. He wore civilian clothes because he wasn’t a military man. He was an automobile technician whom the base employed for his skills. Mario told you there were many technicians like him who worked in the military bases as civilians. During his spare time and holidays, he worked as a driver to earn extra income because, he explained, his wife, Signora Franca, was so demanding he was always out of money, forcing him to sacrifice his leisure hours to guarantee a higher standard of living for her than the wives of other techniciansenjoyed..
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