«At 11 the joints, at 14 the pills, at 16 the cocaine, at 20 I had lost family ties, work, friends and smile. I had nothing left but drugs." Thus begins the story of Alessio Melis, a 34-year-old from Arbus who today, free from any addiction, sees his past of pain and loneliness in that of many poor families. Just to them, in these festive days, he thought of giving a gift: on December 25th for everyone a pizza delivered at home by Santa Claus. «Now that I have fulfilled my dream of opening a pizzeria, I want to share the joy with this small gesture. Many have helped me drive away loneliness. Now it's my turn".
The story
«Already from the school desks in elementary school - recalls Alessio - I was rebellious, I didn't want to stay in class, doing homework was a chore, any excuse was good to stay at home. In sixth grade I failed four times, at 13 I dropped out of school. From school to construction sites and then to the seasons on the Costa Verde as a pizza holder at the table and at home. They paid me well. With the first money in my pocket I started going to discos. And there the first contact with cocaine. It got worse and worse. I broadened my knowledge and there were those who took drugs more than me». Gradually he moved away from family and relatives. “Sometimes I stayed on the street day and night with strangers. I lost my job, I didn't have a penny in my pocket, I was a drifter. I was just thinking about cocaine."
Drug
It was now an obsession. “I was ready for anything. The constant search for money turned my dear aunt against me. Maybe it was the best thing that could have happened to me. It was then that the call of my relatives, the fear of really losing their affection, the support that in any case had never failed, the nightmare of ending up in prison like a boy I knew, stunned me. I didn't understand why everyone scolded me. Sad, angry faces», continues Alessio. The turning point came when he saw his mother cry. “I think I can still hear it. He said “My son, let's go, I'll accompany you to the community. You'll see, everything will work out." The first step after a few days. «My mother wrote a letter to San Patrignano. He accompanied me and after a couple of talks with the managers the doors opened».
The community
At 24 inside, at 28 outside the community and drugs. "It was hard. The first year especially. A tutor followed my every step. Sometimes it seemed to me that he even read my thoughts. Zero freedom. The second year went a little better, the third and fourth year I worked in the community cellar and prepared the pizzas, I was in charge of a room where there were 12 boys. I resumed my studies, obtained a middle school diploma and a course for pizza maker. The certificate from the “Accademia pizzaiolo” made me as happy as a degree. So I began to regain possession of my existence and to take responsibility for myself». Then, the phone calls to the parents, the first outings and the return home.
The turning point
"What surprised me is that after 17 years I have turned my back on such a bad period only with dialogue and not with the punitive means that I feared". A lesson that Alessio swears not to forget. «Today that I have a partner, I am the father of two little girls, I work in my pizzeria, I want to do something for others, in memory of all those I have seen suffer more than me. I can give what I have and know how to do: a pizza, perhaps in homes where there are children. I will ask the mayor to help me find families in need. Fifty or sixty pizzas, it makes no difference: the important thing is to give a smile to those who have lost it and have not yet found it».
Santina Ravi
