Last week police officers responded to a call in Rome after someone reported they had heard crying and shouting coming from an apartment, but when they arrived they were met by an elderly couple.
The Italian couple were in tears, not because a crime had been committed, but because they were overcome by loneliness and tragic news events.
According to a Facebook post by Roman police, 84-year-old Jole and her 94-year-old husband Michele told officers they had not been visited by anyone in a while and spoke of their isolation, particularly during the summer when their neighbors go on vacation.
In a poetic post, police wrote: “Life is not always easy, especially when the city empties and the neighbors are away on holiday. Sometimes loneliness dissolves into tears. Sometimes it’s like a summer storm, it suddenly overwhelms you.”
In an attempt to comfort the couple, who have been married for almost 70 years, police decided to cook them a simple meal – spaghetti with butter and parmesan. Officers also spent the evening socializing with the couple, learning about their lives.
The Facebook post says TV keeps the couple company, but the reports of attacks and abused children upset them
“There are two lonely souls that need reassuring,” police wrote.
“Jole and Michele love each other. But when loneliness is a burden on the heart, it can happen that they lose hope. It can happen, like this time, when their despair makes them scream so loud that eventually, someone calls the State Police.”
The heartwarming Facebook post has since gone viral, attracting almost 25,000 shares.