Bell for Adano, A - John Hersey [103]
Now there began a general rush for the truck. As the children fought for positions at the ladder, they squealed: “Caramelle! Caramelle!”
Then one of the children shouted: “Think of our friends who are not here tonight, they would hate to miss this.”
Another said: “We are selfish not to call them.”
One said: “Antonino the son of Ugo is not here. I’ll get him,” and the child ran off.
Another said: “Wait for me. I’m going to get Romano.” Another said: “Where is the red-head Occhipinti? Wait while I get him.”
Little Erba, who was just as stupid as his father, said: “Someone is not here who ought to be. Who is it? Who is it?”
As the children ran off for their friends, Gargano said: “Hurry! Hurry! We haven’t much time. There is a party for grownups as well as for children tonight. Gargano hasn’t much time for the caramels. Hurry!”
Little Erba said: “Who is the one I am thinking of? Who is the one who wears a blue suit?”
The ones who had run off began to trickle back with their friends. All the children in the truck still squealed: “Caramelle! Cararnelle!”
But little Erba kept muttering about the one who was left behind. just as the last of the ones who had run off came back, he shouted: “Cac, Cac, it is something, it is Cacopardol” He hurried down the ladder and said: “Wait for me! The Cacopardo who wears blue! He holds my hand! I must get him. Wait!” And little Erba ran off.
Gargano got impatient. It was already seven twenty, and the party was scheduled to begin at seven thirty, and already couples were walking down the street toward Quattrocchi’s house.
Little Erba ran two blocks and then realized that he had no idea where Cacopardo lived. He shouted the name, but no one answered. He looked for someone to ask, but there was no one in sight. So he started home to ask his father.
Gargano could wait no longer. He ordered the truck to go.
Now the children were shouting in unison. “Caramelle! Caramell!”
The truck diove off toward the police station, where there was not a single piece of candy.
The committee of hosts stood waiting in the entrance hall of Quattrocchi’s house. Old Bellanca was there, ex officio, and Cacopardo, the only resident of Adano who owned a swallow-tail coat and the only one who would wear one if he had it, and the fat Craxi, who appeared to have exceeded his limit of three bottles of wine for dinner, and Signora Carmelina Spinnato, representing as well as she could the fair sex, and the white-haired Lojacono, who was included because he had done such a good picture. The ones of the committee who were absent were Tomasino, out of respect for the dead fishermen, and Gargano, who was otherwise engaged.
It was ten minutes after starting time, and the guest of honor had not arrived. Giuseppe, who had arranged the whole thing, hovered in the background, saying over and over: “The Mister Major will be here any minute now.”
The Mister Major was at that minute calling for Tina, and Tina, in the way of all women, either was not ready or was not willing to admit that she was ready.
Finally, at a quarter to eight, Tina came out of her room. She was dressed in a flimsy white blouse and a huge red taffeta skirt.
Major Joppolo’s slight annoyance at being kept waiting dissolved at once. “This was worth waiting all night for,” he said.
Tina curtsied gravely. She gathered some of her skirt on her left arm and reached with her right hand for Major Joppolo’s arm. He offered it to her and the couple left, shouting good-byes to Tomasino and Rosa, who was beady with perspiration from helping her daughters get ready.
On their way down the Via Umberto the First the couple heard two small children crying. In the darkening evening they could just make out two little figures huddled on the curb on the other side of the street. They crossed.
They found the ragged little son of Erba and the welldressed grandson of Cacopardo sitting with their arms around each other crying hard.
Major Joppolo crouched