There are some pieces of news you would never want to receive. It is not a rhetorical flourish: it is the truth. On Thursday, 3 September, that news arrived. When, in mid-morning, I received the phone call telling me that Franco was no longer with us, I felt empty.
It was a day in December 2023 when, over the phone, you were explaining to a hopelessly clumsy fellow how to find your house. You began teaching me about the different printing methods, and that evening I went home without having understood a thing. But you did not lose hope and, patiently, you kept explaining and showing me until I finally understood lithography, letterpress printing, photogravure and offset printing.
You placed your trust in me, allowing me to expert some of the material you received. At first, I made the occasional mistake, which you corrected. You used to scold me for writing stamped in certificates instead of cancelled or obliterated.
And then there was the time we had to reprint all the certificates because I had confused the recto with the verso. And I was even convinced that I was right. Week after week, the experience I was gaining allowed me to grow and develop more and more.
In January 2027, I was supposed to begin my own activity as a philatelic expert, although I always hoped I could persuade you to carry on for a few more years because, as I told you, working with you was fun; doing it alone was boring. But Our Lord had other plans for you.
In getting to know you, I found not only a mentor who took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew, but also, and above all, a dear friend. From the very beginning, you and Anna treated me like a son and even spoiled me a little — which, mind you, I did not mind in the slightest.
Now you are gone. You will no longer be there to help me when I have doubts, or to give me advice. We will no longer have lunch together or talk on the phone. I have to carry on alone and bring forward the start of my activity. But I will always carry you in my heart.
You were kind and generous. You were an example to me and to many others who knew you, and that is the greatest recognition a person can receive in life.
One day we will see each other again and we will go back to talking about stamps. Until then, I ask you to keep an eye on me from time to time.
A hug, my dear friend.
