Viale Jenner

From the street all i can see is a small building, two floors high, reduced in a ruin. In the past there probably was the aim to restore it, or at least to prevent it from collapse, ‘cause it still has the scaffolding around the whole perimeter. The ruin got  hold of that too, the weeds grew around the metal poles completely rusty. It really is a show to look at, cause it looks like a chopped tower of a long time ago, it is so ruined. The roof is not there anymore and windows and frames disappeared completely, enough to make me imagine that they have never been there. In few weeks the building will be completely hidden behind green shiny leaves. This is not a nice street, and i don’t feel so secure, althought it’s morning and the sun has never been so bright. This beautiful winter day makes the building even more spookie, cause it feels like being in another dimension, another time, very far from us. And i’m going to plunge myself inside the silence it sends out. A high wall doesn’t let me see what happens beyond it, but getting next to it i realize there’s a big gate wide open. What i see taking few steps inside, leaves me completely without breath: it’s a big area, in front of me an open space, surrounded by many small buildings. It reminds me of a labirynth, cause there’s no way to find the main building. I take a pictuce to my small fortress, walking in te middle of the weeds, but remaining next to the entrance, so that i can be seen from the street. In that moment three women arrive from inside the area, chatting cheerfully. They look at me with disattention, as somebody used to see strangers around. My curiosity is enough to brush away my shyness. I don’t ask them what that area has been in the past, but only if in theyr opinion there would be any problems if i went around taking pictures. There’s no problem as they concern, but they also tell me to be carefull, cause all the buildings are inhabitated by clandestines. So then i ask them what there is inside the area, why are they passing by. There’a a public medical section, specialized in infective diseases. They have been moved there not from a long time, not more than two years. Only one of the small buildings have been restored to give them a place to work. They are too enthusiastic telling me that twice a day they have to cross the entire abandoned area to reach their offices. During the summer time they can see men, with no shirt, stretching out after a good sleep. I imagine it’s not a good feeling, specially in the winter, when daytime is shorter and it gets dark early. This area is impressive enough during a bright day, i can’t imagine what it must be like when you can hear the cars passing by outside, but everything inside is silent and dead. I’m alone today, and the women tell me again to watch myself and not to go too much inside the buildings. I was already shivering for the cold, but now the fear is getting higher and i can feel the adrenaline growing.