Eye for an Eye - Occhio per occhio

Racconto tratto dalla raccolta di:

A SONG OF LOVE

And Others Stories

 

BY

CARLO GABBI

 

 Occhio per Occhio

Sebbene siano lontani dalla laro terra natia la loro vita appartiene  a Cosa Nostra.

Sono stati scritti dieci comandamenti che ogni membro della Mafia deve strettamente rispettare.

Uno di questi impone, “E` tuo dovere innanzitutto di essere, come prima cosa, disponibile a Cosa Nostra, anche se a quel momento tua moglie è in procinto di  partorire.

 

 

Questo racconto, me la maggioranza dei miei  è narrata nella lingua Inglese. Per coloro che non siano completamente padroni in questa lingua premetto una sinopsi in Italiano, sicché possiate seguire più facilmente il racconto.

 

Sinopsi di “OCCHIO PER OCCHIO”

 Era stato rilasciato su parola dal carcere ma sapeva che non vi era alcuno a casa ad aspettare il suo ritorno. La moglie, Lola, durante i tre anni in cui fu in carcere, mai si interessò di lui, infatti  si da quel giorno era andata a vivere con  il suo amante, Maso Garrone.

“Portami al Club, Turiddu.” Chiese Luke all’autista, che era stato mandato dalla “Famiglia’’ per riportarlo a casa.

Al Trocadero, Luke incontrò un caro cugino, e con un paio di doppi Scotch davanti a loro,  brindarono al tempo passato, al tempo in cui avevano la loro orchestra, ed intrattenevano la raffinata clientela del Trocadero. Ricordarono pure il complotto che aveva incriminato Luke, e rivissero l’agghiacciante agguato nel quale lui con il fratello Salvatore furono coinvolti nel quale Salvatore venne brutalmente ucciso. Luke venne accusato ingiustamente dell’ucesecisione.

Vi furono esibite false testimonianze, e con queste Luke che venne trovato colpevole. Quello era null’altro  che un ben orchestrato complotto per tenerlo lontano. Ma da chi E chi fu l’artefice? Esistevano unicamente vaghe congetture, che dicevano fosse Maso Garrone colui che aveva pagato per aver Luke fuori dai piedi e lontano da Lola.

Quella sera, sempre al Trocadero, Luke ebbe modo di incontrare Rossana, la sorella di Lola. Luke, alla sua presenza si era sempre sentito a suo agio. In quella occasione Rossana consiglia Luke di starsene lontano da Lola, per evitare altri guai e lo invita a andare con lei, a Surfers Paradise, dove lei aveva ottenuto un contratto come cantante per la prossima stagione e dicendogli che assieme avrebbero potuto incominciare una nuova carriera di lavoro assieme.

“Si Rossana, la tua proposta è attraente, ma non posso decidere ora. Aspetto che il Godfather della famiglia, mio zio, mi chieda di ripristinare l’onore della famiglia. Io sarò lui che dovrà  confrontare l’assassino. Nelle mie vene scorre lo stesso  sangue di mio fratello, quindi è mio obbligo livellare l’oltraggio.”

This is a story that will keep you reading till the final conclusion of justice.

 

 

 

     EYE  FOR  AN  EYE

 

Even away from their homeland their lives belong to Cosa Nostra.

Ten commandments have been written and each member of the Mafia must strictly respect these rules.

One of the commandments tells, “Always be available for Cosa Nostra. This is above all your duty and comes before anything else, even before your own wife when she is ready to give birth.”

 ~*~

       He had been released on parole after spending three years of the fifteen imposed by the sentence. On that day “The Family” had sent someone to pick him up and take him back to Leichhardt, the ‘Little Italy’ suburb of Sydney.

    “No point in going home, nobody is waiting for me.” Luke thought bitterly.

    “Legally, I’m still married to Lola, even if she had never, in all the time I was in jail, contacted me with either a visit or a phone call.”

    He had been told that soon after he had been incarcerated, she had left and she was living luxuriously with Maso Garrone.

    Luke thought that he had nothing left from his previous brilliant life. No love or friends, apart from some strict relatives.

     “There is only one place where I could go and where I’ll always be welcome, my brother’s widow’s house. But it’s much too early to go there yet. Maybe this evening or even better tomorrow morning. Seeing me again she will cry. Just now I’m not in the mood to see someone spilling tears over me.”

     Then speaking Sicilian, he instructed Turiddu, the driver who had come to met him at the jail gates,     

    “Take me to Kings Cross, Turiddu, to the Club. Someone will be there who is able to tell me the latest news and buy me a couple of drinks. Have you ever been in jail Turiddu? I need to catch up the lost time.”

     At the door of the Trocadero, the bouncer stopped him.

      “Hey Gianni, don’t you recognize me?”

      “Luke? When did you get out?

      “Only a couple of hours ago, I need a drink and some friendly faces around me.”

       “Of course, welcome back. Your cousin was here a short time ago. He will be surprised to see you. Nobody is expecting to see you out so early.”

       Luke went upstairs. At that time of the day there were only a few who sat on the high stools lined along the bar.

     On the stage, the band was rehearsing a new song and a female singer had a music sheet in her hand, and was trying her best to get into the proper tune. She modulated her voice and moved her body sexually, at the rhythm of the music, and expressed in this way the amorous words in the song.

    Luke ordered a double Scotch on the rocks. During his stay in jail he had missed a real drink. He was in need of something stiff and strong to feel that he was finally free and back to the old days when he had his own orchestra and was used to entertaining the patrons of the nightclub.

    Someone came from behind and patted him on the shoulder. Turning around Luke saw Michael, his cousin. Both were taken by emotion as they kissed each other on both cheeks.

     “Glad to see you free, Luke. Let’s sit and talk.

     “How are things, Michael?”

     “Since the night you were ambushed in the back lane, and your young brother lost his life in that brawl, not much has changed here in the club. Many comments had been done about that day. Many, including myself, believe in your innocence. People said you were canned…they were saying that someone with money had wanted you locked up. They paid someone to falsify the facts and to accuse you.”

       “Yes, Michel, I was framed and false evidence was presented. I have been the one who had to rot in jail for three long years.”

       “I have always believed in you. I suppose you know who was behind this and why he wanted you to be locked away.”

      “I suspected the real reason all the time. Just tell me, Michael, did Lola run away with him? Is that why she never visited me since that day? Does she still lives with him?”

      “They saw her in Melbourne, and I have been told she lives a rich life. I saw her a few times in Kings Cross with her sister Rossana. She would be the only one who can tell you of Lola. But be careful, I think it’s not worth you try to see Lola again.”

      “I have to. I must know where I stand.”

      “Do you want my advice Luke? Forget about the painful past. Tonight we are going to celebrate your freedom and talk. Tell me, would you be interested in forming a new band? Of the old band, only you and I are left, the others have moved away from Sydney. But that’s not a problem, we can work things out. We only need a good guitarist and someone who knows how to ply the drums. I know of someone who could be interested in it. I recently heard them play and they are really good. We can be back in business in no time if you say yes.”

     “I’m not sure yet; I cannot make a decision until I hear from my uncle, the Godfather. You well know this sort of family businesses we are in. We have to work out how to pay back for the killing of my brother. After all we are Calabrian’s and “The family” and Uncle have made up their mind that I, as the nearest relative have the duty to settle the score and restore the family’s honour. But its much better live all these hurdles for tomorrow. Tonight, as you said, let’s be free and enjoy. Let’s have a good time in the way we used to in the old days.”

     “Don’t forget the bill is on me, Luke. I suppose that just now you are not swimming in money. I can spare a few hundred tonight. I’m been paid for a job, so we celebrate.”

~*~