Flashback: We return to little Ravioli\u2019s house, right after the rotten fish incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 had been telling the story of when, on Christmas Eve, he made all his relatives throw up after his mom emptied his old backpack \u2014 stuffed with rotten fish hidden there since middle school \u2014 in front of everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Ravioli\u2019s mom is holding the foul backpack with a tissue pressed to her nose. The whole family is still shaken by the pestilential smell that has invaded the house.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom (with a choked voice):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Ravioli… would you care to explain… how all that rotten fish ended up in here?!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(All eyes are on Ravioli. Dead silence, only the squeak of his chair as he squirms.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (sweating profusely):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Uh… you see, Mom… when I was little… at after-school care they used to feed us fish…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Mom nods, pressing the tissue tighter to her nose.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (confused and trembling):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“But… I… I just couldn’t stand fish. And if you didn\u2019t eat it… they made you sit at your desk until evening…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Everyone holds their breath.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (collapsing):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“So… I… I started hiding it in my backpack! So I wouldn\u2019t have to eat it! And then at home… I forgot to take it out…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(An uncle coughs weakly. Mom slowly lowers her arm, her face a mask of disbelief.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom (coldly):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“So… ALL those times you said you had learned to like fish… were ALL lies?!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (in a whisper):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Uh… yeah…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Mom clenches her fist, trembling. The guests exchange awkward glances.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom (shattered):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I… I used to brag about you to everyone! And you… YOU were mocking me! You lied to me FOR DECADES!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom (holding back tears):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Ravioli… why didn\u2019t you just tell me? If you had told me, I would have gone to talk to the teachers! I would have fixed everything!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (head hanging low):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I know, Mom… but I was scared that if they found out, they’d make me eat even more fish…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Igor then commented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Ravioli didn\u2019t tell his mom he was being punished all day for not eating fish because he thought if they knew, they\u2019d make him eat even more? Oh, come on, I\u2019ve heard some crazy excuses, but this takes the cake.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“…Did he seriously believe that?!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“…Like, imagine his mom going to the teacher…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(As Igor speaks, we fade into a flashback of an alternate past imagined by Igor.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re at little Ravioli\u2019s school, where his mom has come to complain about the punishments inflicted by the teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Miss, please, don’t force Raviolino to eat that fish anymore. Raviolino can’t stand it, and he’s been hiding it in his backpack…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Teacher (feigning innocence):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Oh really? I had no idea: I thought Raviolino actually liked fish now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How terrible! I\u2019m so sorry. We won’t make him eat it anymore.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(The teacher smiles politely, but her smile is far too sugary to be genuine.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom walks away relieved, but as soon as she\u2019s out the door, the teacher turns and fixes Ravioli with a murderous grin and a cold stare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Teacher (in the style of a 1920s gangster villain):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Well, well, well! Little Prince Raviolino doesn\u2019t wanna eat his fish, huh? Ah, ah, ah!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today you\u2019ll eat double!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if you dare tell your mommy, it’ll be triple! Janitor! Confiscate his backpack immediately!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n