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A NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO MY DAD
My dear dad was born on October 30th. That means that tomorrow, if he were still with us, he’d have one more year on the clock. I won’t tell you which one, though; otherwise, you’d end up calculating my age. And there’s absolutely no way we’re getting into that sort of consideration.
No, here I just wanted to pay tribute to my 'papituche' (Papi + tuche), because yes, there’s Northern blood running through my veins. I took care of my papituche for weeks on end. What am I saying, weeks? Months of preparing his favorite El Mordjene toast. Because yes, my papounet/tuche was Algerian. And not just a little—truly Algerian, the kind who trembles in his throat when he gets angry.
My dear dad ended up alone after his wife had the poor idea of leaving him behind. Well, I say his wife, but it was mostly God—or maybe even Elon Musk (who controls the Matrix)—who decided it that way. In the end, the result was the same: I lived with my boyfriend at my dad’s place, who didn’t want to hear a word about moving.
It was up to us to make the move, to make the effort, not to pull him out of his routines. I kept telling him that coming to our place was a chance. That we had tons of movies to watch and a PlayStation, as well as an Xbox and a Switch. But no, it wasn’t enough to get him out of his comfort zone. So, we lived at his place, in the back room. The room that had seen me grow up, make my first mistakes.
Here I was, returning to the nest, even though I thought I had done everything necessary to escape it. But no, just like in The Godfather Part III, life pulls you back where it wants. Why am I talking about The Godfather Part III? Because, deep down, Italians are like Algerians who don’t quite know themselves and put everything on style. As for my father, it was very simple: class. His style was natural—a light blue tuxedo paired with white patent leather loafers. In this way, no one bothered him; his appearance kept him out of trouble.
So, you got it right: my papituche was quite the colorful character, a true guide. You might say, "Okay, but what’s he doing in a newsletter that's supposed to make us dream about dazzling shoes?" Well, guess what? This man of many talents is the one who encouraged me into the wonderful world of standout footwear. So, it only made sense to honor him on the eve of his birthday. A fitting tribute from the shoes.
