Three scientists \u2014 Papaia, Banani, and Ravioli \u2014 and their assistant Igor, who work at NASAL, start getting interested in creationism. Their superiors, worried, send them to the psychologist, Professor Faggioli, a shady character determined to get them fired by making them look insane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are in Professor Faggioli\u2019s office, where Ravioli is undergoing evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli was recounting an incident that happened during Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a flashback, we go back to the day Ravioli visited his parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interior \u2013 Christmas Living Room \u2013 Evening<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The atmosphere is perfect. The Christmas tree shines in a corner, loaded with symmetrical and bright decorations. Ravioli\u2019s relatives are all seated neatly in the living room, like in a furniture commercial: uncles in suits and ties, cousins wearing Christmas sweaters ironed to perfection, grandma with the look of an Olympic judge of decorum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the glass coffee table, the sweets are arranged by shape and color. Everything is in its place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli\u2019s Mom: (with a sweet voice and teary eyes)
“Dear Raviolino\u2026 I have a surprise for you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (scared):
“W-What is it?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom: (laughing)
“Look what I found in the attic\u2026”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(she proudly pulls out Ravioli\u2019s old middle school backpack, faded and battered)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uncles and aunts together:
“Ooooh\u2026”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom:
“Your old middle school backpack! I kept it all these years\u2026 Imagine all the memories! Let\u2019s open it together!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (turning pale):
“Uh\u2026 no, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s a good idea\u2026”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom (determined):
“Come on, don\u2019t be shy. It\u2019ll be a trip down memory lane!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aunt Gertrude:
“Come on! Now I\u2019m curious!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (serious):
“Listen, mom! Don\u2019t do it\u2026 I\u2019m serious!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a theatrical gesture, mom opens the backpack and dumps it onto the glass coffee table. A rain of crumpled old notebooks, wrinkled papers\u2026 and along with them\u2026 pieces of rotten fish fall onto the sparkling table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aunt Mirella:
“What\u2026 what\u2019s that?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uncle Ernesto:
“That\u2019s disgusting!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A toxic cloud of infernal stench spreads through the living room. The rotten fish, accumulated during afternoons at the after-school cafeteria, covers everything like a kind of putrid snow. A silence filled with terror precedes the tragedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grandma: (covering her mouth)
“Glgh\u2026”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cousin Giulia:
“Sorry\u2026 I can\u2019t\u2026”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uncle Ernesto:
“The ribollita from \u201998 is coming back up\u2014”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then: the chain reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A synchronized vomit show erupts in the perfect living room. A cousin runs to the bathroom screaming, an uncle collapses onto the carpet heaving, grandma shouts something in Latin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom: (through tears, staring at the glass coffee table)
“MY DESIGNER COFFEE TABLE!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli remains motionless, paralyzed by terror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
End of flashback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Igor then commented:
“After decades of lies, finally the truth came to the surface. But we can\u2019t say the same for those fish\u2026”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“No! Those had been dead for years!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n