Feeding the Enemy

by J. R. Sharp

  Bruno thought for a minute. “Well if that is what you want, and I am sure everything will be fine. You will need to write home every day and let mom know how he is doing. I will catch the morning train back, and if you need me to come back call the general store in Cimpello and leave a message for me, and I will return that day. You should go back in the hospital and see if Gino needs anything.”

  Catherina gave Bruno a big hug and kissed him then said goodbye to him and went back into the hospital to take care of her love. Bruno looked at his watch and thought to himself that he had time for a quick coffee before his date with Betty at the Continental.

  ***

  Betty was looking at herself in the mirror that was hanging on the bathroom door, and she could tell that this was one of her better hair days and was ready to shop with her escort, Bruno. Although she was very jealous of Bruno’s beautiful sister, she always thought that she was better looking than Catherina, and besides, she came from the farming side of the Cimpello and not the town side. Everyone knew that if you lived in the town you were better off than the farm folks—and more sophisticated. Even so, she liked Bruno who was very pleasant and handsome.

  As Betty entered the elevator to go downstairs to meet Bruno, she thought about meeting Francisco’s uncle the next day, which was the other reason for her being in Treviso. The thought of escorting a man twice her age wasn’t pleasant. But she wanted to stay in good standing with the Pro-Fascist party, which took care of all her needs while she was in Treviso. This was a very nice arrangement and one that she wanted to continue and needed to make it during these tough times in Italy. The promises that ll Duce had made were not taking shape, and she was making it in her own way, even though most folks didn’t agree with some of her choices. She was paid well and always put something away for her mother and father. The dream of becoming a countess was very strong and one that she really believed could happen if the Pro-Fascist movement took hold and she married Francisco. The rumor was that Francisco’s uncle was a direct decedent of the royal family of Italy and that he would soon become the count of the Prodenone providence, which would encompass most of the northeast of Italy.

  Betty entered the lobby from the elevator side and everyone immediately stopped what they were doing to look at the beauty of this woman. Bruno was sitting on the lobby couch smoking a cigarette. He stood when he saw her.

  “Are you ready to go shopping for your new clothes?”

  She smiled and kissed him on his cheek. “Yes, I am. Let’s get going before the stores sell out of all their good dresses.”

  After three hours of shopping and walking, Bruno was exhausted but enchanted after spending most of the day with the beautiful Betty. As they arrived back at the Hotel Continental, Bruno looked at his watch. If he wanted to he could make the evening train back to Cimpello, but he would have to leave now.

  Betty was leading the way and went directly to the elevator and told the elevator operator to take her to her floor. Bruno followed. As they reached her floor, Betty thanked the operator and walked towards her room.

  “What a glorious day of shopping. We bought some very nice clothes for me, don’t you think, Bruno?” As she reached for her key, Bruno again looked at his watch and then at Betty who was entering the room. She reached for her hat and threw the hat on the sitting chair and opened the window. Bruno looked at her behind and noticed how perfectly round it was. She turned around and leaned against the windowsill and looked at Bruno.

  “You can put all the packages down beside my hat, and then come over here and look at the view, it is amazing.” Bruno complied, took his hat off, and looked out the window with Betty at his side.

  “Where are you staying tonight?” she asked.

  “Well I haven’t looked at any hotels yet, and there isn’t any room at my friend’s house. What do you think I should do?”

  She put her right hand on his face and took his left hand and placed it around her waist. “I would let you stay here for the night but I have Francisco’s uncle to pick up in the morning and take him around town. It wouldn’t look right if I had you spend the night here, but we have time now to spend with each other.”

  She leaned in for the kiss she had been waiting for all day. Bruno responded with one of his famous kisses that the girls in Cimpello talked about at the dance hall. Bruno was enjoying the kiss and at the same time worried about Francisco finding out he had been with Betty. He broke from the kiss and looked into Betty’s eyes.

  “My dearest Betty, I would so much like to enjoy the rest of the afternoon with you here but I must catch the train back home this afternoon. My business here is complete, and I must help my father on the farm starting tomorrow before the ground gets too hard.”

  Betty’s smile turned into a frown, and she thought to herself that mentioning Francisco was a mistake.

  “My sweet Bruno, always thinking of other people before himself, that is why everyone loves you. If you must go home I understand, but if the train should pass you up or not come, I will be here trying on some of my dresses and practicing my poses.”

  “Betty, thanks for the offer, and I will surely be coming back if the train ride doesn’t work out. You look amazing in all of your new clothes, but I must go now.” Bruno leaned in for a goodbye kiss and made sure it was better than the first kiss he gave her. Betty could barely stand when he let her go; she felt weak in the knees and could barely catch her breath. When Betty opened her eyes, Bruno was gone, but not her urge for him. There will be another time to make this happen, she thought.

  ***

  When Bruno exited the elevator, he looked at his watch and noticed that he had enough time to go by cousin Patricia’s house and tell her that he was leaving.

  “Where is Catherina?” she asked.

  “She is with Gino at the hospital. Patricia, please tell her that I am leaving this evening and going back to Cimpello on the next train.”

  “I will, and have a good trip back. Tell your mother I will write her a letter soon.”

  Bruno waved back and turned and made his way to the station as quickly as his legs would take him. As soon as he arrived he noticed the train pulling into the station. He quickly ran to the ticket office and got in line. Luckily, there were other passengers waiting for their tickets for this train going to Cimpello and other destinations on this route so the train conductor was holding the train until the ticket office sold the last ticket to Bruno.

  As the train pulled away from the station, Bruno felt a sigh of relief from today’s events and really wanted to get back to Cimpello and relax. This excursion took a lot out of him, and he noticed that his energy was low. He glanced out the window one more time and then fell asleep for a well-rested ride back to Cimpello and the farm life.

  ***

  It had been a week since Bruno left Treviso and Gino’s condition hadn’t changed. Catherina was becoming discouraged. Twice a priest had visited to give Gino last rights, and Catherina just couldn’t believe that her love was ready to leave this earth. There was so much love that she could give to him. She promised that if he came out of this ordeal that she would be there for him for the rest of his life.

  As the priest and doctor went past, Catherina got up and went back into the room to check on Gino. It was getting close to lunchtime and she wanted to make sure everything was ready for his meal. As she approached his bed, she noticed that the sunlight coming through the window was brighter than normal, and that his skin seemed to be more normal than the pale white that she was accustomed to this past week. The sheets were not wet and his eyes were steady and not moving rapidly back and forth either. As she approached, Gino suddenly moved his head towards the sunlight. Catherina grabbed his right hand and squeezed it, and he returned the gesture. She almost fainted from relief.

  Catherina had not moved from that side of the bed for hours. She heard people talking and jumped nervously when she noticed that the priest was at the end of the bed.

  “Oh, Father, I am s
orry I didn’t see you there, and you startled me for a moment.”

  “I am sorry if I startled you, my child. How is he doing this afternoon?”

  “He seems to be getting his color back, and for the first time his sheets are dry, Father.”

  “Well that is good news. Private Cartelli has been one of our more difficult cases and hopefully this is a turn for the better. How long have you two been married?” asked the priest.

  Catherina didn’t want to say anything, but she couldn’t lie to a priest, not with her strict Catholic upbringing. She remarked that they were not married and that she and Gino were very much in love and that they planned on getting married soon after this ordeal was finished.

  “Let us pray for the full recovery of this brave soldier and that his bride-to-be gets her wish and that all that the Lord has to give is given to this wonderful couple that is before me here.”

  Catherina bowed her head and prayed with the priest for a few moments.

  “I have to finish my rounds and will return later to see how he is doing. I will tell the doctor that he is doing better and see if he can come by and check on him, my child.”

  Catherina thanked the priest and just then the nurse walked in with some food and asked Catherina to see if Gino would eat. He did, but only small bites and without opening his eyes.

  After the meal, the doctor entered and picked up Gino’s chart and read for a little while and walked next to Gino and looked at his face. He checked his pulse and looked into his eyes, and then using his stethoscope listened to his heart. The nurse was standing next to the doctor waiting for the next set of orders.

  “Let’s see if this guy is going to make it. Nurse, go ahead and disconnect the IV and stop all medications. It is about time to see if we have broken the fever and see if this soldier’s body can recover on its own.” The nurse smiled and did as she was ordered, and for the first time since Catherina came to the hospital over a week ago, Gino wasn’t hooked up to any type of IV or medication drip.

  After a few hours the nurse returned and said, “Let’s give this guy of yours a sponge bath and let you get home tonight.” Catherina was sitting beside Gino’s bed reading the Bible and shook her head in agreement. As the nurse put the small tub of water down on the table next to Gino’s bed Catherina had already started to grab Gino from the back to turn him on his right side. Catherina grabbed the sponge and rinsed it in the tub and started to clean his back. Gino’s body moved towards the nurse for the first time, and all of a sudden Catherina heard a voice.

  “Who is getting my back wet? Where am I, and who is holding me on my side?”

  Catherina dropped the sponge on the bed, took one step back, and put both of her hands over her mouth. The nurse was smiling and moving Gino back to his lying position.

  “Catherina, am I lying on something wet? Is my bed wet?”

  As he looked at her, he noticed a stream of tears coming from both eyes and her hands were over her mouth, covering the biggest smile that he had ever seen on her face.

  “Well, young man, I guess you better roll over towards me and let your bride grab that sponge from your back so you can finish your sponge bath.”

  “I need to go to the bathroom. Which way is the bathroom?”

  “It is down the hall, but are you sure you can walk to the bathroom?” asked the nurse.

  “Just try and stop me,” Gino said with a smile. Catherina still hadn’t said a word or moved since she removed the sponge. The nurse made a gesture to Catherina to help Gino get up and help him walk to the bathroom. Catherina rushed to his side as he got up from the bed and stood for the first time in over a week. He was dizzy but steady, and he held on to Catherina as he made his way around the bed. Catherina put Gino’s right arm around her shoulder and started to walk with him towards the bathroom, which was down the hall in this hospital. The nurse handed Gino a cane to help him with his balance, but he declined.

  “I don’t need a cane. I am fine and can make this walk to the bathroom with Catherina.” Catherina smiled at the nurse and started walking with Gino. For the first time she really noticed how thin he had gotten. He was always on the slim side, but now she could feel his bones surrounding his rib cage and his legs were very skinny. She needed to get him to start eating more and get his weight back up so he could recover from his wounds, surgery, and malaria.

  Chapter 2

  FASCISTS EMERGE

  PIETRO WAS READING THE paper in the kitchen and thought of his eldest son, Chester, who was in Ethiopia fighting for the expansion of Italy. He also thought about Chester’s best friend, Gino, lying in the hospital in Treviso being taken care of by his beautiful Catherina. His third thought was of his town of Cimpello and what it used to be like before all the changes. The open markets, stores to shop in, restaurants to eat at, social events, and the evening walks that everyone would show up for in the middle of town. Now the town seemed like it was more of a recruiting station and Fascist rally center. Gone were all the social events and many stores and the restaurants—with the exception of the coffee shops—and the country and the Fascist supporters of Mussolini controlled everything. At least he had his farm that they didn’t control and he could provide for his family. It would only be a matter of time before they controlled all the food in the country, including this farm and all of the other farms in this area, he thought.

  Bruno walked into the kitchen. “So, Dad, how is your day so far? Need any help today? I was thinking about going to the train station and seeing if they need any help this winter. We could always use the extra cash for the farm, and I am close to getting my motorcycle.”

  “Bruno, before you go to the train station I want you to go to the Martin, Manzon, and Pelliccia farms and talk with the fathers and tell them we are having a meeting here at the barn tomorrow night at seven o’clock to talk about winter crops. Tell them that they need to bring their wives as well and that we will be serving dessert and wine.”

  “Dad, you never have meetings about winter crops. There are no winter crops. What is this all about?”

  “Just tell them what I told you and no more. I will explain at the meeting. You need to be there as well. Tell nobody else about the meeting.” Bruno shook his head and told his dad that he would go to the other farmers and relay his message to them before he went to the train station to look for winter work.

  Bruno left the kitchen and Pietro returned to looking at his empty fields and the pump that provided all the water his family needed. Pietro heard a noise of someone coming into the kitchen, and he thought it was either Valasco or his newest and last addition to his family, his sweet little Valarie. But it was Anna.

  “Any news from Catherina about Gino?”

  Anna looked at her husband and just shook her head from side to side.

  “Do you want something to eat? I plan on going to town tomorrow and checking the mail, do you want me to call my cousin to see how things are going?”

  “No, she is an adult now and has to start making decisions on her own. Besides, this trip will do her good and make her stronger as a woman and maybe someday as a mother. Where are Valasco and Valarie?”

  “They are outside playing in the front yard,” Anna said.

  “Tomorrow we are having a meeting with the other farmers in the barn to discuss the winter crops,” Pietro said. “We will need dessert and wine for all those who are coming. I sent Bruno to tell everyone to come, and he is going to the train station to look for work during the winter. I am still mad at him for not staying with his sister in Treviso, but in retrospect it was good for him to come back and help out around here. My body isn’t as strong as it used to be, my love.”

  Anna smiled at her husband. She knew what the winter crop meeting was about. Things were changing very fast and the farmers needed to stay ahead of what was coming or face a dismal future and life of poverty. Anna walked over to Pietro and gave him a hug, kissed him on his cheek, and went to the pantry to see about the dessert and wine for tom
orrow’s winter crop meeting.

  ***

  Bruno arrived at the train station about ten minutes before the office was closing. He told all the farmers about the meeting. The Pelliccia family always acted superior to everyone else in the area because their farm and barn were larger than the other farms and they had more animals. But they did respect the Zucchets because they produced more crops that were of better quality.

  As he entered the office, he could feel the tension coming from the office employees. Bruno had worked at the train station the previous year, and it had a more pleasant atmosphere than this year. He stepped up to the front office window and asked if there were any openings for workers this winter. The employment lady wore a uniform just like Francisco’s. Bruno knew this was another sign that the Fascists were taking control of everything in the country. The lady recognized Bruno.

  “Mr. Zucchet, we are going to need people for winter work. Please fill out these forms for us.”

  “Madame, this is a lot of personal information about my family and where I live, but not too much about me. Are these the right forms?”

  The lady looked at the forms that Bruno handed to her and she smiled back at him. “Young man, those are the right forms. Please fill them out completely to ensure we can contact you about when you can come to work.”

  Bruno took the forms and noticed that there were about four other young men that he recognized that were filling them out at the community table in the middle of the employment office. He walked over to the table and took a moment to think about how he would answer. The questions made him uncomfortable, but he decided that his family could always use the money for the farm and, perhaps, he could buy a motorcycle. He decided to leave out some personal information about the members of the family, stating that he simply didn’t know the answer.