Bell for Adano, A - John Hersey [7]
Major Joppolo, seeing Giuseppe’s embarrassment, said: “Giuseppe, I want to speak to the priest of the town. Will you get him for me?”
Giuseppe said: “Which priest, a boss?”
Cacopardo said: “In Adano are thirteen churches, Major, and in some, like Sant’ Angelo and San Sebastiano, are two or three priests.”
Major Joppolo said: “Which church is best?” Cacopardo said: “In churches ought not to be good and bad, but Sant’ Angelo is best, because Father Pensovecchio is best of all.”
Major Joppolo said to Giuseppe: “Get him for me, will you?”
“Yes, a boss,” Giuseppe said, and left.
When he had left, Major Joppolo said to Cacopardo: “Is this Giuseppe fellow not to be trusted?”
Cacopardo bowed and said: “I mention only the electrical chair, I am not one to name the names.”
Major Joppolo spoke sharply: “You said you came to advise me. I must know about this Giuseppe. Is he to be trusted or not?”
The old man bowed again and said: “Giuseppe is a harmless one.”
The fat Craxi was growing very annoyed that Cacopardo was getting all the attention. He said: “I have a telegram. Please to deliver.”
Major Joppolo said: “This isn’t a telegraph office.
There’s a war going on. Do you think we have nothing better to do than deliver telegrams?”
Craxi was apologetic. “I am anti-Fascist. I have a telegram. You are the one who can deliver it.” And he pulled out from his pocket a piece of ruled paper, folded four ways and pinned shut with a safety pin. He handed the paper to the Major, who put it down on his desk, to the disappointment of Craxi.
The Major said: “You say you’ve come to advise me. Then tell me, what does this town need the most right now?”
This time the fat Craxi got there first: “To eat,” he said, “much to eat.”
Cacopardo said: “It needs a bell more than anything.”
Craxi said: “Foolishness, a bell. More than anything, to eat is necessary.”
Cacopardo said: “The town needs its bell back. You can always eat.”
Craxi, who had been rather slighted in the conversation anyhow, now became quite angry. “You can always eat, you Cacopardo,” he said. “You have a million lira, you sulphur. You can eat, but not all the people here can eat.” And he turned to the Major: “To eat here is most necessary, more necessary than any bell.”
Cacopardo broke into furious Italian: “Fat one, you think only of your stomach. The spirit is more important than the stomach. The bell was of our spirit. It was of our history. It was hung on the tower by Pietro of Aragona. It was designed by the sculptor Lucio de Anj of Modica.”
Craxi said in Italian: “People who are very hungry have a ringing in their ears. They have no need of bells.” Cacopardo said: “By this bell the people were warned of the invasion of Roberto King of Naples, and he was driven back.”
Craxi said: “People with malaria also have a ringing in their ears. “
Cacopardo said: “The bell warned the people when Admiral Targout brought his French and his Turks to this place in 1553 and burned many homes and churches, and all that was left in the Church of Our Mother was the little silver crucifix which you will see now in the Church of San Angelo.”
The Major said in Italian: “We have no time for this recital. I wish to know what things are pressing and must be taken care of at once.”
Craxi said: “I have spoken. Food is the first thing.” Cacopardo said: “The bell must be taken care of at once. The bell did not warn us of this invasion, or we would have been in the streets with flowers to welcome you.
Craxi said: “I needed no bell. I was on the beach to welcome the Americans. My woman was with me, the formidable Margherita, and my seven children. We were on the beach in spite of the shooting, to greet the Americans. But what did my children shout? They did not shout: `We miss the tinkling of the bell.’ They shouted: `Caramelle! Caramelle!’ They were hungry. They wanted candy.