by Seth Coleman
“But why would God tell you to hang him when we haven’t had hangings in Italy for more than twenty years?” someone in the crowd yelled. “It has been outlawed.”
The monsignor, knowing about the law and wanting the public execution, shrugged his shoulders. “Who can know the mind of the Lord? As his servant I do not question. I only follow his divine direction.”
The monsignor looked over the faces in the crowd and then lowered his head. “Please, I hope you will understand how hard this is for me. I would like to dispense with these necessary duties as quickly as possible and return to the parsonage.” At that he turned to the executioner and nodded, moving toward the stairs. Slowly he labored down two of the steps, then paused and slouched forward for a moment, pulling his hands to his heart. The crowd gasped. Catching himself, he continued, “I’m sorry; this is too much of a strain. Please excuse me. I must rest.” One of the parish priests moved quickly to the monsignor’s side, offering him his arm and then helping him across the square toward the church. The crowd watched in silence until the doors of the sanctuary closed behind their beloved monsignor.
Had Peppino been able to see the crowd, his anger would surely have erupted. When they had seen the monsignor start to slump, many of the older women quickly crossed themselves and offered a prayer for their man of the Lord.
Movement from above caught his attention. Repositioning himself, he listened to the sound of the rope being thrown over the boom and then being pulled lower, allowing slack for the noose to be widened so that it could be placed around Nicola’s neck.
“Wait! Please wait!” the girl hollered at the top of her voice. “You can’t do this!” she screamed frantically.
The crowd started to grumble as the guard ordered her to keep quiet while motioning impatiently to another officer in the crowd to come to the platform.
“No, no, I won’t,” she cried bitterly.
Peppino watched the commotion through the small space in the planks of wood. Two policemen rushed to the girl and tried to restrain her.
The young woman, noticing that other officers in the crowd were starting to move toward her and away from the platform, fell to the ground and started yelling. “Why are you hurting me?” she screamed. “What have I done?” With all of her might, she flailed her arms into the air and at the officers so all could see. “Help me! Someone help me!” The entire crowd’s attention was focused on the commotion.
Peppino flipped the latch, allowing the trapdoor to freely swing downward. Quickly he launched himself high enough to grab hold of the edge of the trapdoor, and with the strength of youth he pulled his slender frame through the opening. Needing something to hold onto, he grabbed at one of the executioner’s legs and started yanking on it with all his might.
The executioner, caught by surprise, found his leg was being pulled out from under him. Trying to regain his balance, he lifted it for a second and then forced his weight down hard on his captured foot at the precise moment Peppino had managed to pull it out over the opening. Finding no flooring to hold his weight, the man’s body tumbled down awkwardly into the opening, causing his shoulder to ram against the opposite side of the hatch on its way through. Peppino could hear the sharp crack of a bone breaking.
He watched as the man’s body came to rest on the earth beside him, aware of the silence from the crowd who had not yet reacted, mainly because most of them had not seen what had happened.
Quickly, he leapt upward again, this time bracing his hands on either side of the trapdoor. He lifted himself over the edge while swinging one knee onto the flooring and pulling himself over and onto the decking in what appeared as one sweeping motion. He quickly untied Nicola’s hands. For an instant he noticed the surprised look on Nicola’s face.
Ignoring his surprise, Nicola quickly removed the noose from around his own neck and was shocked to hear the young aristocrat shouting orders at him. “Nicola, follow me; hop on this horse!”
Nicola nodded quickly and scanned the crowd. He saw a melee of confusion and noticed several policemen fumbling to get their guns out of their holsters.
“Here!” yelped Peppino, pointing.
Nicola turned and saw Emilio charging toward the platform, bridling a horse behind him.
“Hurry! Get on!” Emilio hollered nervously as he brought the two horses to a halt beside them.
Peppino almost laughed when he saw Emilio galloping toward them in a girl’s dress.
Nicola jumped on the bridled horse while Peppino leaped into the saddle behind Emilio. They raced through the crowd toward the girl while Peppino yelled for her to jump on. Holding Emilio’s belt to keep himself atop the horse, he leaned his body to the side, stretching out his hand and arm as far as he could without losing his balance as he grabbed for her. Emilio reined in the horse long enough for Peppino to get a strong grip on her, when suddenly a gunshot brought the uproarious noise of the crowd to immediate silence. The girl stiffened as pain crossed her face. Peppino watched as her eyes moved back in her head and her legs folded beneath her. In horror, and as if watching in slow motion, he saw her body collapse at his feet.
Peppino started to dismount in an attempt to rescue her, when he heard Nicola yell, “No! Leave her. Let’s go!”
Peppino delayed a second, staring directly into Nicola’s piercing eyes, and then lifted his leg back over the saddle. Their horse whinnied and started off in a gallop with both of the boys on its back and Nicola racing beside them.
The sound of a second shot rang out. This time Peppino grabbed his side as he felt the sting of the bullet that had ripped through his shirt. Grabbing his waist he could feel blood starting to ooze onto his hand. Using his other hand, he leaned forward, groping for the saddle horn. Peppino, bouncing from the motion of the horse, started to slip off to the side and then with a burst of strength pulled himself back up, right into the saddle.
The horses rounded a corner and raced down a side street toward the outskirts of town and safety, when Peppino felt himself starting to slip into unconsciousness. Moments later he was aware of Nicola lifting him with effortless strength onto his saddle. “You’ll be all right, kid. Just hold on.” Peppino slumped forward, feeling Nicola’s strong hands encircling his waist before he lost consciousness.
Chapter 3
“Hey, my young friend, how are you holding up?” Nicola asked Peppino as he groggily opened his eyes.
“Where am I?” Peppino asked, momentarily disoriented and looking at the shabby surroundings.
“You’re in a cabin in the hills near Palizzi, about seven miles from your home. You’ll be all right,” he said, smiling. “The bullet went clear through, just above your hip, without hitting anything important.” He grinned again. “If it had been a foot lower and a little to the right, you might have had to worry about grandchildren, but as it is, you will be up and around in no time. It was nothing serious.”
Emilio moved to the side of his bed and sat on the edge next to his friend. “We did it, Peppino. I bet the monsignor must be mad!”
“But the girl?” Peppino insisted, trying to lift his head off of the pillow. He grimaced as he felt a stabbing pain in his side.
“Stay still,” ordered Nicola.
“The girl!” Peppino asked, demanding an answer. “Why did you leave the girl? She helped you escape just as much as we did, and you just left her there? We trusted you. How could you do that?”
Nicola smiled down at the boy lying on the bed and placed his hand on Peppino’s shoulder. He spoke with gentleness and concern. “It was the best thing we could do for her.”
“Why? We left her there with the monsignor and the polizia.” Peppino’s voice was anguished. “She was hurt. When she recovers, they will throw her in jail as an accomplice.”
“You are right; if she recovers, that is exactly what they will do. When that happens, we will make plans to break her out. Her name is Elena, and I have known her since she was a baby, Peppino; I will take care of her. She is a friend and
a brave girl.”
“That doesn’t explain how you could abandon her when she was hurt.”
“Peppino.” Nicola’s voice spoke with an edge of irritation. “She will be better off in the town where she can get medical help. I watched her fall from the platform. She was knocked out cold. It looked like she took a bullet in the back, and if she did, she will need medical attention right away. If we had tried to bring her here, she’d be dead right now from all the bouncing around on the back of the horse. It was better to leave her in the care of the townspeople. She has many friends there, and so do I. They will make sure she gets the help she needs and keep me informed.”
“He’s right, Peppino,” Emilio agreed. “She’s better off there. Besides, we figured out a way to get Nicola, so we can do it for her too after the doc fixes her up.”
“That is, if she makes it,” mumbled Peppino, disgruntled and still not satisfied.
“Right now we need to get you out of here and back to your own home,” Nicola said firmly. “You’ll be safer there in case someone recognized you. Several of the people saw you in town earlier without your mask, and your clothes are noticeably fine for that area of town. Hopefully the townspeople will keep their mouths shut, but who can know what will be said after the monsignor gets through interrogating them?
“Listen, we’ve been here for about an hour, and I’m sure the polizia are searching for me. I need to leave now. I am going into hiding for a while, but I will be in contact. Will you be OK?”
“Sure, Emilio will help me. Won’t you?”
“Of Course,” said Emilio, turning toward Nicola. “If you can lift him on the horse, I’ll take him home right now.”
“Good,” said Nicola. “Emilio, go and get it ready. Take the brown one. I’ll need the other. She’s faster in case I run into trouble.”
“You’re just concerned about yourself,” Peppino accused.
“Peppino!” Emilio said angrily. “Stop it! Nicola could have brought us here and left, but he stayed because he wanted to make sure you were all right.”
Peppino turned his eyes toward Nicola, revealing his shame. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s OK.” Nicola nodded slightly. “I’m glad you have those convictions. Let’s get you going now. And listen, you’d better hurry up and get better. I can use a brave boy like you.”
A smile crossed Peppino’s face at Nicola’s last remark.
Emilio disappeared outside as Nicola lifted Peppino into his arms and carried him out the door. “Does it hurt bad?” he asked.
“No, I’ll be OK. I’m just a little worried. How am I going to keep this from the baroness? I will try to keep out of her sight, but if she sees me, she is sure to notice.”
Nicola stared at the boy in his arms for a moment before boosting him into the saddle. “She’s a tough woman. She will be angry but will know exactly what to do. She’s your mother.”
“No, she’s not! She is not my mother,” Peppino said emphatically.
“I’m sorry, I thought she was,” he said, calmly lifting Peppino’s leg over the saddle and adjusting his young friend securely in place.
“That’s OK; everyone does. She’s really my aunt, but my mother gave my custody to her,” Peppino said sadly. “She owns me.”
“Well then, you don’t have anything to worry about. She won’t let anything happen to you,” Nicola said, tightening the straps under the belly of the horse, securing the saddle. “She’s the most powerful woman in Reggio Calabria.”
“Yeah, but if she finds out that I got hurt protecting you, she will use that power to find and kill you.”
Nicola laughed good-heartedly. “Don’t worry about me, young man,” he said, strapping Peppino’s legs to the saddle. “God will protect me. He has so far.”
“God!” said Peppino, shocked. “I thought that was what this fight was all about; you don’t believe in God, do you?”
“Of course I do,” Nicola answered. “Why do you think I have been fighting for the rights of the people so hard?”
“But if you believe in God, then you must believe he is the one who has tried to have you killed. You heard what the monsignor said.”
Nicola laughed out loud again. “You have a lot to learn, my young friend. God does not want me dead. In fact, I think he is the one who is helping me. Learn about faith, Peppino.”
“Never!” Peppino said, looking at Nicola, who was perplexed. “I am not interested in him.”
Nicola understood. “Listen, we don’t have much time to talk about this now. But just understand this one thing. Many people do things in God’s name but are far from his heart. God does love his people; the monsignor, on the other hand, only loves himself.”
“But he talks with God; you heard him say it today.”
“He talks to someone all right. But I think it is more likely the devil,” Nicola said, smiling.
“We’d better get going, Peppino,” Emilio insisted.
“He’s right,” said Nicola, giving the horse a light slap on the rump. The horse whinnied and started moving forward slowly.
Peppino turned and yelled back, “When will we see you again?”
“I’ll be in touch, and don’t worry about the girl. I’ll take care of her. And Peppino...”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
Peppino nodded and then turned forward, slipping his thumbs through Emilio’s belt for support. Feeling nauseated, he leaned forward, resting his head on Emilio’s back and then smiling to himself. He said softly, “Emilio.”
“Yeah, Peppino?”
“We did it.”
“I know.”
“Emilio?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m only concerned about one thing right now.”
“You mean the baroness?”
“No, she’ll get over it. She always has before when I’ve gotten in trouble.”
“Then what?”
“I’m concerned about you.”
“Me? Why? I’m fine; I got away without a scratch.”
“No, that’s not it. I want to know when you started wearing girls’ dresses!”
Emilio smiled, taking the bait. “Actually, today was the first time. Didn’t you like the color?”
Peppino smiled slightly and slipped off into a semiconscious state until they arrived in a stand of trees near Villa Bologna.
“Peppino, wake up. We’re here.”
Opening his eyes, Peppino watched as Emilio dismounted and untied his legs. “Do you think you can walk?” Emilio asked.
“Yeah, but go and get Antonia.”
“Are you serious?”
“She’s all right; we can trust her.”
Emilio left and returned a few minutes later with a very distraught housekeeper.
“Peppino!” she cried, clasping her hands against her face with a distraught look. “Mamma mia! Are you all right?”
“Yes, it is just a brush wound. I got hurt hunting. But you have to keep this a secret from the baroness. Help me to my bedroom.”
“A secret, how can I do that? She is very angry with you since you weren’t here for breakfast or lunch.”
“If she finds out what really happened, she’ll be furious,” Peppino said sarcastically.
“Oh, Peppino,” Antonia said, helping him toward the house. “You’re incorrigible. What kind of trouble have you gotten into? Emilio,” she said without waiting for an answer. “You go home right now; if the baroness catches you with Peppino, you’ll be in a lot of trouble.”
“All right, Antonia,” Emilio answered obediently. “Peppino, after everyone has gone to bed, I’ll stop back to see how you are.”
“Thanks, but there’s no need; I’ll be fine. We best not see each other for a while until things cool. Try to find out what happened to Elena, and get a message to me, but don’t come yourself, understand?”
“Va bene! I’ll talk to you later,” Emilio said, mounting his horse and waving good-bye to his friend.
Chapter 4
Peppino lay in bed listening to the chirping of baby sparrows from a nest in the tree outside his window. He hadn’t even known her name. Yesterday it didn’t seem important, but today it was upmost on his mind. She’s the bravest girl I’ve ever met, he thought to himself. He had seen prostitutes before; there were even a few in Brancaleone, but he’d always thought of them as weak and shallow. Yet this one had risked her life for a friend. What were her reasons? he thought, truly perplexed. He promised himself that he would go back to Bovalino to see her as soon as it was safe.
He sat up in bed, looking out his window again, hoping to see Emilio walking up the hill. Most of the night, he had lain awake staring at the ceiling, replaying all the exciting events that happened the day before. He had proven himself a hero.
Antonia had been faithful, as he knew she would. She had helped him to his room and then cleaned his wound, agreeing to not say a word—not only to keep him from getting into more trouble with the baroness, but because it wasn’t too serious of a wound. As it was, she told Gaetana, but he hadn’t minded that. It had given him a reason to spend a few minutes with his real mother. Peppino smiled to himself. She was really worried, he thought, remembering her concern. She even looked in to see him a few times during the night. After telling her the same story as Antonia, she agreed to keep his confidence too.
The baroness had been told that Peppino had come down with a malady and just needed a day in bed with some good food and rest. She had walked into his room only once the night before, standing rigidly by the side of his bed while laying the back of her wrist to his forehead. Not feeling a temperature, she exhaled a “humph,” turned, and walked out of the room without saying a word.