The Sunglasses Effect - Chapter one - "The Routine"

I have never imagined that one single act such as forgetting to wear your sunglasses would carry many consequences that would change the course of the life which you have lived for the past ten years.  This is exactly what happened to me.

Since I moved to live in Rome few years back, my daily life started to be defined with the basic word "Routine", except for every other weekend where I would fly my private jet north to Turin to attend Juventus games whenever they are playing home. Although I have been invited to attend any game I want in the executive suite of the club by the head of the club Andrea Agnelli, whom I have built a good relationship with because of the history with the Agnelli family (owners of Juventus club and major shareholders in FIAT group)  in executing some profitable real estate deals to them, I would always prefer to cover my face with the late Juventus legend Allesandro Del Pieros scarf and stand in the "Curva sud" location, which is the south stand of the stadium which is known to hold the ultra fans which are called "the Drughi's". My issues with John Elkann (Managing Director of FIAT Group and Andrea's cousin) were never the reason of why I have always avoided the executive suite. Andrea knew that despite my issues with his cousin, the main reason was that I have always avoided public places when are surrounded by media. But my love to Juventus forced me to be there in the field and watch them play, my love to Juventus is very special and rare because I have forgot what love really means, love was eliminated from my life, there are no emotions in my soul… do I even have a soul? What I have can only be described as an empty dark tunnel, a long tunnel where I saw a light coming from the end of it. This light was not the escape from the darkness; this light was a train coming my way. I have lost all means of love, joy, and pleasure, except when I see Juventus play. Andrea understood that, how can he not understand me when he was the only person who I have spoken to about my tragedy. The tragedy which I have never expected to get worse because of a single act, forgetting my sunglasses.

My "Routine" starts when my alarm interrupts the loud silence in my penthouse apartment to wake me up for Fajers(dawn) prayer, usually I'd still be awake, I did not have a straight 5 hours sleep in years except in some limited counted occasions. Frequent set ups and pushups before I leave the apartment which is located near the Colosseum. I usually take a run towards the Colosseum and whenever Guiseppe is guarding the spectacular landmark he would let me sneak in and continue my run in the ancient roman arena. More often I plug my ipod to the amazingly piece of art albums of DJ Tiesto's Search of Sunrise series, no matter how old they get, they keep me company and they bring  lots of memories back. I get my coffee on my way back from Rossi café' next to my apartment. I always ask myself if Starbucks ever going to open an outlet in Rome? It's been years since the last time I had a sip of a White Mocha, I would never forget the taste of that last sip which I had in London 6 years back, walking in Carnaby street, having my last sip of White Mocha. I would then shower, get dressed up silently, mostly in a black suit with a black shirt. Black color is the closest thing to be described about me. That’s why most of my clothes are black. Mostly I'd walk to the office leaving my dream car, the red Ferrari F50 which I have bought and not used much in the garage. I reach my office, start my mac and begin working. Since I moved to Rome I have been working in the real estate business where I got lucky in executing many successful deals and gaining some crazy million dollars fees. I usually grab a bite from Ristorante Alla Rampa which is hiding near the famous Spanish Steps, go back to the office and work for another couple of hours before I leave the office back to the apartment to read until the Alarm mixes up with the silence again.

Why did I forget my sunglasses at the office? My day went "Routinely great". Surprisingly, I had some four hours sleep, I did hundreds of setups and pushups, I had a great run, and Giuseppe was there. At the office, I sold a big land in Sardinia to one wealthy French man; French are always stupid when it comes to spending. They never negotiate and accept the very first price offered, so my Sardinian client decided to give me a good cut. But wait a second, really? Does money really matters in my case? I used to dream of becoming extra wealthy, but now when I have it all, the money, the connections; it is worthless without your basics, simple basic needs. I went to Alla Rampa to have lunch as usual, but while having lunch I discovered that I forgot my sunglasses in the office, not a big deal I thought. And I had no idea what was coming next. I left the restaurant after having a T bone steak and headed back to the office. It was summer and Rome was packed with tourists, as I kept walking towards the office I thought I heard something behind me, I did not stop, I continued walking, then I heard it again, this time I was sure, it was a lady's voice calling my name "Khalid! Khalid!" it has been years since someone called my name this way in public. I did not turn around and continued walking, but she was insisting until I felt a hand tapping on the back of my shoulders, I had to turn around, I turned around and I faced the lady. I was shocked, out of all the people I knew in my life, out of all the places in the world, here she was, standing in front of me, holding the hands of whom I have guessed, her son.