CHAPTER ELEVEN.

Peppi saw Luca waiting for him by the fountain when he pedalled into the piazza. It was early and, like Peppi, he was bundled up to keep warm in the morning chill. He greeted Peppi with a nod and the two pedalled off together. waiting for him by the fountain when he pedalled into the piazza. It was early and, like Peppi, he was bundled up to keep warm in the morning chill. He greeted Peppi with a nod and the two pedalled off together.

"Where are we going?" asked Peppi. "I know I've been gone a long time, but I still remember that the mulino is in the other direction."

"I know," Luca replied, "but I thought we'd go this way first so I can show you a little more of the area around the town. That will give me a chance to get a few extra kilometers in before I go to the factory."

Peppi let his friend lead the way. As anxious as he now was to see the mulino, he was content to follow along. Luca was right, it would be a good chance for him to reacquaint himself with the area. They rolled along at a gentle pace, spinning their legs easily to work out the stiffness left over from the previous day's ride. As they pa.s.sed the houses, Luca pointed out the ones in which their childhood friends had grown up.

"There's Ernesto's old house," he said, gesturing to one home. "And there's Toma.s.sino's," he said, pointing out another. "You remember Toma.s.sino. His father was the baker. They moved out years ago. Last I heard, Toma.s.sino had married some girl from Naples, but I don't know what's become of him since."

On they went through the outskirts of the village, waving as they pa.s.sed the children awaiting the morning school bus. Before long the village was behind them and they rode off into the rolling countryside beyond. The sun shone brightly through the chilly morning air and though they pedalled along at a gentle cadence, they were soon feeling warm enough to unzip their jackets. They rode for a while without speaking, each content for the time being simply to listen to the hypnotic whirring of their gears as they turned the pedals over and over.

"I've been thinking," Luca finally said.

"What else is there for men of our age to do?" noted Peppi.

His friend chuckled. "You have a point. But seriously, I've been thinking about the mulino."

"What about it?" said Peppi.

"Well, it's just that the house has been abandoned for so many years. There's no electricity, no running water. How are you going to manage there?"

"I'll make do," replied Peppi. "I don't need much."

"Maybe so," Luca went on, "but no matter what, you'll need some time to make the place livable. So I was thinking that perhaps you could stay with us for a while."

"No," said Peppi, genuinely grateful for the offer. "I couldn't impose on you and your family like that."

"What imposition?" said Luca with a wave of his hand. "You forget that my family once lived above the factory when I was a boy. We still have a whole apartment upstairs just sitting there empty. Someone might as well use it. And it might just as well be you until you get settled."

"We'll see," said Peppi with a smile, "we'll see. Now take me to my mulino."

"Sure," said Luca softly. Then he made the sign of the cross and pedalled on ahead.

Peppi followed close behind, the antic.i.p.ation within him starting to grow. So many years had pa.s.sed since he left Villa San Giuseppe, but the image of his boyhood home that he had always carried in his heart and mind was as vivid as ever. He could still remember the road that led out of the village, through the valley, and up a long gentle hill. How could he not, for he had pedalled up it countless times! The mulino stood just over the crest of the hill, set back from the road where a little stream tumbled down from the mountainside. As a boy he had spent endless afternoons fishing in the stream or simply lying on its banks, gazing up at the clouds in the crystal blue Abruzzo sky. Sometimes his father would join him and the two would just sit there quietly listening to the water as it babbled past them. Those tranquil moments were some of his favorite times. When he wasn't playing by the water, Peppi loved to ride his bicycle into town to visit friends and family. He became a familiar sight, darting in and out of every street and alleyway in Villa San Giuseppe. Whenever his aunts and uncles came to visit, one of them would inevitably pat him on the head and say to his father, "Sandro, how long will it be before your son is champion of Italy!"

But not all had been fun and games for Peppi. As soon as he was old enough, he worked side-by-side with his parents in the mulino. He arose early and worked grinding the cornmeal each morning for a few hours before walking to school, dusting himself off the whole way as he went. After school he would return home to help fill the sacks and prepare them to be carted off to market the next day. It was hard, simple work that didn't make them rich, but it gave them enough to keep the family together with a roof over their heads and bread on the table. Only fools, Peppi's father often told him, wanted more than that from life.

As he had promised, Luca led him on a route that looped back through the village and out onto the road that led to the mulino. He suddenly slowed, though, and beckoned for Peppi to come up alongside.

"Are you sure you want to go out there right now?" he asked.

"Of course," Peppi replied. "Why wait?"

Luca pursed his lips. "I was just thinking that maybe it would be better to go back to Sulmona and get your things first. Then we could do it all in one trip."

"Don't worry, my friend," laughed Peppi. "I've brought next to nothing with me. I could carry it all here by myself on my bike. Andiamo!" Andiamo!"

Luca sighed. "Whatever you say."

Peppi could feel his heart pounding as they rode on. It was all coming back to him and soon he realized that he recognized the twists and turns of the road. So much had changed, but so much had stayed the same. Before long the road straightened and gradually began the long climb that Peppi knew would crest at the mulino. He could contain himself no longer, and with a burst of energy that he had not felt in months, he rose off the saddle and sprinted ahead of Luca.

"Wait!" Luca cried after him. "Not so fast!"

But Peppi raced on toward the top of the hill, eager to see the roof of the mulino come into view as he drew near. He pedalled and pedalled as hard as he could until he felt the road starting to level off. He was near the top of the hill, but still the roof of the mulino was nowhere in sight. He was certain he should have seen it by now. Had he been mistaken that this was the road? Was the mulino farther along than he remembered? Peppi had his answer when he coasted over the crest of the hill and came to a stop.

His heart sank.

Peppi had not been mistaken, the mulino was right there, just where he remembered it, except what was once a proud, strong building was now nothing more than a pile of rubble. Peppi laid his bike down and stood there gaping at the scene.

Luca rolled up behind him and laid his bike next to Peppi's. "I didn't have the heart to tell you, my friend," he said sadly, patting him on the shoulder. "None of us did."

"But what happened?" said Peppi, bewildered.

"Terremoto," sighed Luca, shaking his head. "An earthquake, the same one that knocked all the frescoes off the ceilings in a.s.sisi. Around here it was next to nothing, a little rumble in the ground, barely an echo of the big one. But for some reason it hit this spot just right. Who knows, maybe the stream made the earth settle deep underneath the house. Or maybe there was a crack in the foundation. But whatever the reason, when the ground shook just that little bit, one wall fell and the rest caved in like a house of cards. Just incredible." sighed Luca, shaking his head. "An earthquake, the same one that knocked all the frescoes off the ceilings in a.s.sisi. Around here it was next to nothing, a little rumble in the ground, barely an echo of the big one. But for some reason it hit this spot just right. Who knows, maybe the stream made the earth settle deep underneath the house. Or maybe there was a crack in the foundation. But whatever the reason, when the ground shook just that little bit, one wall fell and the rest caved in like a house of cards. Just incredible."

Still stunned, Peppi wandered closer, trying hard to rebuild in his mind the image of the mulino out of the shattered ruins that lay before him. Try as he might, Peppi could not force his imagination to do it, for his home was now nothing but a pile of rock and splintered beams. Even the great stone wheel of the mill was toppled over and half-buried.

Peppi walked to the back and gazed out toward the stream that still flowed lazily past the site. He sat down on the dry earth and leaned back against part of the crumbled wall. Closing his eyes, he thought of his childhood and he thought of Anna. He thought about how his life had brought him full circle to this spot and how everything he once cherished had now been destroyed. Peppi wanted to cry, but there were no more tears left in him.

Luca came to his side and sat down next to him. He said nothing, for he could think of no words that would comfort his friend.

Peppi opened his eyes and gazed off into the distance. "It's all gone now," he said, his voice heavy with the feeling of surrender. "Now what do I do?"

Luca looked off with him into the distance. "You come home with me," he said finally. "You sleep and eat and rest, and then you figure out a way."

"A way to do what?" said Peppi.

Luca stood and tugged on Peppi's arm. "A way to start over again," he said. Then he pulled Peppi up and led him back to his bicycle.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

It was a little apartment, just one small bedroom, a kitchen, and a bathroom with a shower. A heavy, musty smell greeted them when Luca opened the door, for the apartment had been locked up and left unused for many years. All was still within. They were in the quiet part of the building. Most of the comings and goings in the factory downstairs took place on the opposite end. Below the apartment were the company offices and a few storage areas. just one small bedroom, a kitchen, and a bathroom with a shower. A heavy, musty smell greeted them when Luca opened the door, for the apartment had been locked up and left unused for many years. All was still within. They were in the quiet part of the building. Most of the comings and goings in the factory downstairs took place on the opposite end. Below the apartment were the company offices and a few storage areas.

The shades were all drawn and the scant rays of sunlight that managed to filter their way in from the outside spread across the room like a dim, gray film. Luca tried the light switch, but the bulb overhead was dead. He stepped inside, parted the shades, and threw open one of the windows. A rush of fresh air and sunlight brought the room to life. Luca turned and beckoned Peppi in.

"It's not the Pitti Palace," he said with a shrug.

"I'm not royalty," Peppi replied. "This will do just fine."

"Good," smiled Luca. "Let's go get your things."

When they returned from Sulmona there was a great commotion in the factory. At first, as Peppi and Luca carried the luggage up the walkway, it sounded as if there were many people screaming at each other inside. As they drew nearer, however, it became clear that only one voice was doing most of the screaming.

"Imbecilli!" came the shrill cry of a woman's voice. "Are all of you fools!" The sound of doors slamming followed. Shortly thereafter, a smartly dressed woman with copper red hair and dark wild eyes burst from the building and stomped toward them in a blaze of fury. came the shrill cry of a woman's voice. "Are all of you fools!" The sound of doors slamming followed. Shortly thereafter, a smartly dressed woman with copper red hair and dark wild eyes burst from the building and stomped toward them in a blaze of fury.

"O, Dio," muttered Luca. muttered Luca.

"Sono tutti imbecilli!" the woman declared as she blew past Peppi and Luca like an express train barrelling down the tracks. "They are all idiots and I can't stand to look at them for another moment today. the woman declared as she blew past Peppi and Luca like an express train barrelling down the tracks. "They are all idiots and I can't stand to look at them for another moment today. You You deal with them!" deal with them!"

With that the woman hurled herself into a nearby car, started the engine, and tore away from the building in a cloud of dust.

"Madonna mia," said Peppi. "Who was that?" said Peppi. "Who was that?"

Luca looked down and shook his head. "Uff," he grunted. "That was Lucrezia-my daughter."

Peppi looked off into the distance at the car speeding away. "I think she's having a bad day," he remarked.

"That's bad news for us all," sighed Luca. "Let's go find out what happened."

They left Peppi's bags by the door and went inside. The workers were huddled at the far end of the factory, their voices raised in fits of mutual recrimination. At seeing Luca enter, they rushed over to him en ma.s.se, all of them beside themselves with anguish. Their hands open in supplication, their faces the very picture of contriteness, they all began pleading with him at the same time. Those who could not catch Luca's eye turned helplessly to Peppi, who could offer no other consolation than a sympathetic shrug.

"Please forgive us, Signor Luca!" some cried.

"It was all our fault," others admitted.

"It was an accident, we didn't mean it," cried others still.

Luca held his hand up for quiet. "Calm yourself," he implored them. "Ch' e successo? "Ch' e successo? What happened?" What happened?"

At that they all began talking at once again, each trying to tell his version of the story. Luca held his hand up again for quiet.

"One at a time," he told them, "one at a time!" He pointed to one of his supervisors. "You there, Enzo, you go first. Tell me what happened."

"It was an accident," cried Enzo, tears filling his eyes.

"I think we've pretty well established that fact," sighed Luca. "Now tell me all about it from the beginning."

"It all started first thing this morning," he began, "when they brought in the new shipment of boxes."

Enzo went on to recount the whole wretched tale. The boxes, he told Luca, through some act of G.o.d (for how else could these sort of things be explained?), had somehow gotten themselves switched. The boxes for the chocolate-filled candies were packed away where those for the vanilla-filled candies were normally stored, and vice versa. The workers began the day expecting to fill a large order of the chocolate-filled for the company's distributor in the Veneto region.

By this point in his telling of the story, the beads of sweat were rolling off poor Enzo's forehead. "We finished making the chocolate-filled and started to pack them into the boxes," he continued, his voice full of torment. "We'd been going for a while when your daughter came out of the office because she wanted to take a box of confetti to a friend. I said I'd get it right away for her, but when I brought her the box she said, 'No, Enzo, I don't want vanilla. I want chocolate.' Dio mio, Dio mio, that's when I knew something was wrong!" that's when I knew something was wrong!"

"Let me guess," sighed Luca, giving Peppi a sideways glance. "You packed the chocolates in the vanilla boxes."

"Santo Giuseppe," cried Enzo, "when your daughter found out, I thought she was going to cut off our heads!" cried Enzo, "when your daughter found out, I thought she was going to cut off our heads!"

Luca looked at him kindly. "Now now," he rea.s.sured them all, "I'm sure it wasn't as bad as all that. How many boxes did you fill before my daughter discovered what was happening?"

Enzo scratched the back of his neck. "Difficult to say," he replied sheepishly, a pained look coming over his face. "Thirty dozen, perhaps. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less." He cast his gaze down toward the floor and shook his head. "What a waste," he sighed.

At hearing the amount, Luca made a pained expression of his own. He gave a little cough and scratched his chin for a few moments. The workers gazed at him in suspense. "Well," he said at last, clearing his throat, "it's not the end of the world, is it? Life gives us lemons, we'll make lemonade."

"I'm not sure I know what you mean, Signor Luca," said Enzo.

"Don't worry," he said, patting Enzo on the shoulder, "it's an old American saying I once heard. Now tell me, besides being in the wrong boxes, is there anything wrong with the candies?"

"Nothing at all," Enzo a.s.sured him.

"And you followed the family recipe," Luca continued, "the one that was handed down to me from generation to generation?"

"To the letter," said Enzo with conviction.

"Then other than being in the wrong boxes, the candies you made today are still of the highest quality, the quality that has made them popular all over Italy?" said Luca expansively.

"But of course!" replied Enzo with fierce pride. "We would produce nothing less."

"Then everything is okay," said Luca with a smile. "We'll just take those thirty dozen boxes and give them away at the schools or the churches. Or maybe there's some local charity that would love to have them to resell to raise money. We'll find a use for them. Nothing will go to waste."

The color was starting to come back into Enzo's face and an audible sigh of relief rippled through the workers all gathered around. "Are you sure, Signor Luca?" said Enzo, visibly grateful for the reprieve.

"I'm sure," said Luca. Then he gave them a stern gaze. "Now, you still have a big order to fill, so back to work, all of you!"

"Subito!" they answered in unison as they scurried back to their positions. they answered in unison as they scurried back to their positions. "Grazie, Signor Luca!" "Grazie, Signor Luca!"

"And don't forget to use the right boxes this time!" Luca called after them.

Peppi stood by Luca's side and watched the workers return to their jobs. Soon the factory was humming again like a beehive.

"You handled that very well," said Peppi. "But your workers seem a little intimidated by your daughter."

"They're terrified of her," said Luca. "But you know, they love her too."

"That's a strange mix," said Peppi. "How did it come about?"

"It's a long story, my friend," he sighed. "I'll tell you about it another time. For now, let's get you settled in."

"D'accordo," Peppi agreed, and the two walked out to get his luggage. Peppi agreed, and the two walked out to get his luggage.

"But thirty dozen boxes," Luca muttered to himself. "What imbeciles!"