Today the funeral of Samuel Paonessa. Friends: “He was reserved, but if you knew him well he gave you his soul too”
IVREA. We are near the house of Samuel Paonessa, who died at 17 the night between Monday and Tuesday, and the group of friends we are surrounded by increases every minute that passes. In a moment the air is saturated with affection, memories, anecdotes that have marked their lives. Today they will accompany him by motorbike to the Cathedral, at 2.30 pm in the funeral procession, and they will make the engines roar for him. “He organized all the laps, we never went without him,” explains one of them, still wearing his motorcycle jacket. “Just Saturday evening – he says – we saw a video on Tik Tok, where there was a similar funeral. He said: “If it ever happens, I want it to be like this too” ».
We can’t remember all their names. But we will never forget their words. They form the collective story of a life. «He was a reserved boy at first – explains another -, but then if you knew him well he gave you his soul as well. He was the type you would call if you stopped at night, on the street, and he would come to pick you up even at 3, he had a heart of gold ». There are those who remain with their heads bowed, then try to raise it to add a piece. «Rather than being wrong – he smiles -, the world turned you until he was right. Sometimes he used absurd words, conjugated verbs in the past tense. I called him the Duke. Even at Carnival he was one who got very dirty. What he was interested in was being in company, with friends ».
In addition to motorcycles, Sam loved photography. «Half of those I have – says another friend – he made them for me. He loved being behind the goal rather than in front of it ». On the other hand, it is from behind that things are seen more clearly. “He was curious, thoughtful, he wanted to know,” he adds. Guessing is easy: “Did you love to read?” We ask. “Yes, he especially loved history books – explains his friend with blue eyes who seems to know him more than anyone -, I want to say, he was a great lover of history”. Then, the life of all the kids. Video games: “If you started one, it didn’t come out until you got it right.” Music: “He listened to everything from cartoon songs to metal, maybe he even shot classical music to relax.”
He also liked airsoft, a passion he shared with many friends. “I am reminded of the episode in which there was one of us who had to go home – one of them continues – and he who shot the sinkers behind him while the wild boars rooted at night”. Here, to tell the truth, this is precisely the anecdote with which one of the boys broke the ice, after the initial silence. Not out of embarrassment, but because they didn’t know where to start to tell their Sam. They wanted to choose the right words and anecdotes.
Sam was a proud Arduino, one of those who got less dirty, it is true, but he pulled above all to be with his friends. Which is the deepest meaning of the Carnival of the orange throwers. For this reason, the banner that scorpions dust off only on January 6th will accompany him to the Cathedral. “Now that we’re trying a little to reopen our headquarters – explains the president Giancarlo Maffeo – was among the guys I was about to contact to help us. It is an event that has deeply affected us all, unfortunately our story begins with the loss of one of the founders at the age of twenty ».