Part 14.
- Dada is neither my child nor my heir. - the Padrone
began in a quiet voice.
The Gardener stared at him, frozen.
- Surprised, aren't you? That the owner of such vast
wealth has nothing to leave to his ward? But what should I leave? I possess
nothing myself.
Now, cynicism had mingled with the Gardener's look of
surprise.
But the Padrone continued:
- All of this that you see and everything you don't see,
all this property, movable or immovable, it all belongs to Dada already. She is
not just an heir; she has been the owner for a long time, though she doesn't
even know it. She simply isn't interested. For her, property has no value.
Spiritual peace is far more precious. If it becomes necessary and she wishes,
she will distribute everything immediately, as long as no one disturbs her and
no one dares to touch her innocent world in a bad way. Dada is the most
trustworthy, kind, and elevated soul. Hurting her heart is equivalent to a
crime against humanity. Among the most innocent on the face of the earth, she
is the most innocent being. Because of my sins, even if she wanted to, she
could not be held accountable, because we do not share a single drop of blood,
and therefore she is free from all my vengeful enemies. A rich, beautiful young
lady, though she lives her own life in her own world, she has many suitors, yet
she hasn't let anyone close yet. She hasn't been able to grasp anyone well
enough to let them near her soul. - The Padrone fell silent for a moment and
looked even more intensely into the Gardener's eyes. - And do you even know why
she has taken an interest in you?
The gardener's throat went dry, and he swallowed with
difficulty. He could not speak.
- So, you don't know! Very well, then I will tell you! -
the Padrone continued, not taking his eyes off the gardener. - She was simply
looking for a desired model, and here, on our estate, among the local
inhabitants, she chose you as a muse. Or rather, as one of her muses, since she
has painted almost all the residents of the estate. That is all there is to it.
And as for her caring for you, you can inquire well—she is like this with
everyone and demands the same from others, do you remember? She thought you
were some poor, wretched old man. Her heart ached at the sight of you, and she
couldn't even eat. She immediately let you in, fed you, demanded that everyone
respect you, and gave you work. She even protected you from Zeki. That is how
my girl is, my little girl. For her heart, I will stop at nothing, even though
I possess nothing. She is my only wealth, and because of my sins, she cannot be
held accountable. She is the only innocent being I have ever met in my life.
The Padrone paused for a moment, trying to imprint upon
the gardener's mind that he should not harm the girl in any way; on the
contrary, perhaps he might pity this innocent creature and even help her.
- Dada is not my child, and no one knows this secret
except Zeki. He brought her to me; she was very small, wandering the streets
with vagrant children who were tormenting her and mocking the mute girl. To
this day, I don't even know if she was born that way or if something happened
to her. It might surprise you, but even the cruelest and most heartless Zeki
felt pity for this little girl; he took her in and removed her from those
filthy city streets. - The Padrone embellished the story of Dada's arrival in
his life just a little, perhaps so that the gardener would feel even more pity
for the girl.
- Zeki is a ruthless and relentless man. Ever since the
day Dada appeared, he has protected her; that is why he had such a reaction and
lunged at you so furiously. It is true that he went too far, but I neither
blame nor justify him; it was a manly act on his part to protect a helpless
girl. Even though he didn't even know what was happening, what he saw was
enough for him to rush out like a madman to defend Dada.
The gardener still had a clear scar on his face from an
old wound; at the mention of Zeki, the scarred side twitched slightly. The
Padrone noticed this too and looked even more intensely into his eyes. Hugo
continued to stare, frozen, and remained silent. What surprised Hugo most was
the Padrone's sharp mind; he perfectly understood the essence of this
conversation—the man was protecting his ward, and that was why he had confided
the secret. He realized that with this, the Padrone was asking the gardener to
protect Dada, and in return, he was ready to offer himself as prey to his
enemy.
The Padrone intended to say much more, but the door
behind him opened, and Dada entered the room, followed by a servant carrying a
large tray.
At Dada's entrance, the gardener's eyes lit up, and he
did not hide this joy; on the contrary, he greeted her with a smile. The
Padrone stood up from his chair. He skillfully hid the weapon. There was no
point in staying there any longer. As he left the room, he looked back at the
gardener; in his eyes, the gardener noticed both anger and a plea.
The Padrone locked himself in his study. He secretly
reinforced the security again, both in the house and in its surroundings. He
slumped into the chair at his desk, sipped some cognac, and kept his eyes
closed for a long time, starting to analyze everything just as his grandmother
had taught him. He went over every mimicry, every breath of the gardener in his
mind more than once.
"I wonder who he really is? I hope he understood
me. Perhaps he truly likes Dada? Maybe that is why I should have more hope that
he will really protect her.
Just let no harm come to this girl, and I would leave
this world this very day! What is my life worth on this cursed earth if I
cannot even protect an innocent being! To hell with all this property and all
my wealth!"
Then he suddenly remembered Zeki. He was nowhere to be
seen again. Zeki did not like the cold; as soon as he felt winter approaching,
he would migrate to warmer lands like a crane. How could a pure-blooded Gypsy
stay in one place? He managed perfectly well everywhere, and he never hesitated
to resort to robbery elsewhere either. Thanks to his charm, he had a place to
spend the night in many places. He was also generous; he would reward the
ladies he charmed quite well. And they, in turn, wanted nothing more—they
always greeted the appearance of a handsome young man with joy.
"Could Zeki really have done this?"
thought the Padrone, sipping cognac with his eyes closed.
"Zeki is a willful, unscrupulous boy, but he is
not so foolish as to notice something and decide to act without me, without my
intervention. Perhaps he himself wanted to settle scores with the man who was
sent here? But Zeki is arrogant; he would not have hidden it—he would have told
me with such pride that he had destroyed the enemy. But what if he did it, then
found out that the man survived, and is hiding it from me?
But when he was planning the murder of this one man,
he should have thought about how many more tails would need to be cut off
behind him, or why didn't he warn me?
I didn't even notice his car these past days. Perhaps
he snuck in quietly, stabbed him, and then rushed back out?"
Zeki could run for a long time without stopping; thanks
to his old experience, it was possible he hadn't even used a car, as that would
keep him more unnoticed. While the assassination attempt did resemble the
cunning Zeki's style, there was still something suspicious that the Padrone
could not yet explain.
"Did he really move against me?
No, no! It bears Zeki's mark, but...
But perhaps it was them...
If they realized that Ugo has truly grown fond of
Dada.
Perhaps the gardener begged for mercy for her?
'I cannot harm this girl,' he might have said...
And that would have shattered their entire scheme.
Perhaps that is why they decided to eliminate the
gardener themselves—and in such a way that...
In such a way that the blame falls on Zeki!
And then, Zeki and I would turn against each other...
Hmm, if that is the case, if it is really like that,
they know me far too well.
They are weaving a much smarter and more cunning trap
to destroy me!
Perhaps!
Perhaps!
Perhaps! I no longer know what to think!"
The Padrone jumped up. He clutched his head with his
hands and began pacing the room. His head was bursting from his thoughts.
"Dada! Dada!
My poor girl!
God, what a mess I have dragged you into! Perhaps it
would have been better if Zeki hadn't found you at all?
Someone childless or a large-family woodcutter would
have adopted you.
You would have lived peacefully, quietly in a poor
hut, and nothing would have threatened your life!
But now...
How can I protect you? How?!"
Ever since he had made his grandfather kneel, he had
never felt so helpless, although he was just a child back then and afraid of
that cruel man; that fear had been justified. But now, he despised himself for
turning out to be so helpless and pathetic. A man of immense wealth and
influence, who lacked the power to protect one small, innocent girl.
Furious with himself, he grabbed the bottle and smashed
it against the wall. The noise jolted him out of his thoughts. He quickly
regained his composure and carefully picked up the shards, but still managed to
cut his hand. A little blood seeped through the wrapped napkin; the Padrone
smiled.
"If Dada were here now, she would make such a
fuss at the sight of blood."
Suddenly, he grew gloomy, feeling a terrible weight in
his heart.
"Dada! Dada! God help her. Even if they kidnap
her and demand a ransom, it will be Dada who has to pay from her own fortune,
and then to hell with it! Let them demand anything, I still have nothing to
lose! Let her distribute it if necessary! Even if she takes it from the hideout
and hands it over! The main thing is that she is well and they don't harm her.
I have no fear of the future at all! We will start
everything from scratch! We will settle on a rock and build our lives there! I
will still have my way, and I will not leave this world without seeing this
girl stand firmly on her own feet!
Dada! God! Protect this girl from all evil!"
LEX, February 26, 2016, Friday
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