Part
17.
Dada woke up in the middle of the night. She was still
half-asleep when she heard Chopin playing from somewhere far off. She woke up a
little more and listened. It wasn't from far away; the sound was coming from
the gallery.
Who could it be?
No one else touched Dada’s instruments, and besides, at
such an hour, who would dare?
Could it be one of the servants?
But so late?
They should at least fear the Padrone. Only Dada could
play at any time. There was nothing unusual in that; they had long been
accustomed to Dada's quirks, and no one was surprised anymore, but now Dada
herself was surprised. Really, who could it be?
She sat up in bed. Now she could hear it clearly. The
sound was definitely coming from her gallery. She stood up, walked down the
corridor on tiptoe, and pushed the gallery door slightly ajar. In the depths of
the room, in the light of the lanterns filtering through the window, she
noticed a familiar figure.
Ugo was sitting at the piano, playing Dada’s Chopin.
The girl smiled.
"Why didn't he tell me earlier that he played so
well?"
She thought to herself and approached with cautious
steps, not wanting to disturb the idyll.
The gardener sensed Dada's approach; he could have
distinguished her scent among a hundred thousand women.
He stopped playing but did not take his hands off the
keys, nor did he look back; he squeezed his eyes shut tightly. For a moment,
the whole world stood still for him; only Dada’s scent wafted behind his back.
Dada touched Ugo's fingers gently, then struck a chord on
the keys.
The gardener gripped her hand and looked into her eyes:
- Dada!
The girl stood still.
The words stuck in the gardener’s throat; it was very
difficult for him to speak. He had been preparing for this for a long time, but
now he could not figure out where to begin. Or how to explain it?
- Dada, listen to me. - Ugo paused for a moment. - It is
very hard for me to say this, but I must get out of here somehow!
Dada looked surprised. She could not understand anything;
why did he have to leave? Did he really feel so bad with her?
The gardener continued:
- Do you remember? How many times you saved me and helped
me?
Dada nodded.
- Well, now it is my turn; I must save you! I must help
you! But first, I have to escape from here!
Dada looked at him, confused.
- I cannot explain anything now; I cannot tell you
anything. If I do not get out of here, I cannot protect you!
Dada shrugged; she did not understand anything, and she
could not fathom how or where she could let him go.
The gardener had entered the gallery hoping to find an
exit, but he could not find the door anywhere. He remembered the corner
correctly, but he could not find the key. He had to rely on Dada's help once
again and used Chopin to draw her out. He knew that Dada was a light sleeper.
Dada's bedroom was closest to the gallery; at such an hour, with the sound of
Chopin playing in the gallery, no one else would dare enter. Everyone would
assume that Dada herself was playing and no one would dare to disturb her.
- Do you remember when we sneaked in here? You and I, in
the rain?
The girl nodded; of course, she remembered.
- Well, now you must let me go the same way! - Ugo paused
for a moment. - Do not be afraid, I will not abandon you! I promise, I will
definitely return! Only now, somehow, immediately and quietly, let me get out
of here!
Dada became sad and hung her head. Her eyes filled with
tears.
The gardener’s heart tightened at the sight; he was on
the verge of tears himself. Then he forced himself to stay strong, gathered his
thoughts, and cupped Dada's face in his hands:
- I am counting on you; you must help me one more time.
You must help me so that I can return and save you from the danger. I know you
do not understand this now, because you know nothing! You know absolutely
nothing of what is happening outside, in the other world! And there is no need
for you to know. There, along with good deeds, a lot of evil and terrible
things happen. The Padrone has shielded you from everything bad and terrible,
and you live here in this paradise, peacefully and happily, but...
Dada had such eyes that the gardener found it difficult
to continue speaking. The words were getting stuck in his throat. Dada’s
sorrowful eyes completely confused him. He no longer knew what to say or how to
explain to the girl who he really was and why he had come there.
Dada became terribly sad. She lowered her eyes. This time
she wasn't crying anymore. She even made him take his hands off her face. She
stood up slowly and intended to leave the room. She turned back for a second
and gestured to the gardener to wait.
Ugo was a little confused and became all ears. He thought
that perhaps Dada had gone to call the Padrone, but Dada headed toward her
bedroom.
A little while later, the girl who entered the gallery
was holding a large, beautiful oval-shaped box and handed it to the gardener
sadly.
- What is this? - Ugo stepped back.
Dada
offered the box again. Ugo shook his head in refusal; it was clear the girl was
offering him some kind of gift. But Ugo stepped back again, having no intention
of taking the box.
Dada opened the beautiful box and offered it to the
gardener again, this time open.
The gardener stared in astonishment at the box full of
precious jewelry that Dada was offering him. He must have thought that...
A faint smile appeared on Ugo’s face:
- Dada, I know that all of this means nothing to you, and
I want you to know that it means nothing to me either. It has been a long time
since I have coveted anything, especially things that belong to others. In this
house, you are the only precious treasure! And once again, I humbly beg you,
help me get out of here somehow! Let me go so that I can return and protect
you! Believe me, I cannot tell you anything more right now! Just know that you
can count on me! I will definitely return! I will return for your sake! Only
for your sake!
Dada still did not understand anything. Sadly, she went
to the corner and gestured which side he should press against the wall.
Ugo opened the door. Dada did not move, nor did she try
to say goodbye to him. With a frozen gaze, she stared at the gardener, who was
dying to get out of there, yet hated the thought of leaving Dada behind. He
knew why he was acting this way, but he could not explain everything, and there
was no time for lengthy explanations anyway.
The gardener hugged Dada tightly to his chest and
whispered in her ear that he would definitely return.
Dada still stood there, frozen, gripping the jewelry box
so tightly, as if someone were trying to take it away from her.
Ugo hugged her one more time, promised to return once
again, and headed down the stairs with cautious steps.
LEX. Monday, February 29, 2016
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