Part 20.
Time passed, but nothing changed. The Padrone still kept
his security reinforced, though no one appeared to bother them or inquire about
them in any way.
Added to Dada's gloomy life was the fact that the man
with the dangerous eyes had increased his visits. Just as before, Dada found
his presence terribly unpleasant and it irritated her greatly, but whereas she
used to look at him with fear, now she met him with a cold, frozen gaze, and
the man with the dangerous eyes no longer dared to look into Dada’s eyes so
boldly.
Dada’s gray days were becoming even more colorless as
time went on. There was peace all around, as if nothing had happened.
Everything was just as it had been before the gardener appeared.
Everything was the same as before, except for Dada.
Once a cheerful, happy, and always joyful girl, she had
now become cold, harsh, and uninterested.
Everything else was indeed the same as before, but the
Padrone still could not rest. He felt that Ugo’s appearance and disappearance
from their lives would not pass without a trace, which is why he was always
vigilant. From time to time, he would check his collection of weapons. He even
had a small museum set up behind the door leading from his study. Dada had
never entered there and had never shown any interest in the weapons, which is
why the Padrone was greatly surprised when, upon entering that room, he found
Dada there.
Dada had uncovered the glass top of one of the tables and
was examining the weapons; she looked at some and even touched others. She was
interested in everything, and the Padrone explained them one by one, letting
her examine them closely. Dada listened with full interest and observed them
carefully. Some seemed very heavy to her, others awkward. The Padrone promised
to teach her how to shoot and even to gift her a weapon—one that would suit
her, that she would like, that she could easily hold in her hand, and that
would also be much more beautiful, making it easier for her to shoot.
Dada nodded with joy; it was evident that she liked the
Padrone’s suggestion very much. However, along with the joy, another spark
flashed in her eyes, which did not escape the Padrone's sharp gaze. He could
not figure out if Dada was planning revenge or if it was something else.
Or how was she supposed to seek revenge?
Where was she supposed to find Ugo?
"Is that why she befriended Zeki more, to help
her find Ugo? As long as she doesn't harm herself, as long as she doesn't hurt
herself."
The Padrone thought, and doubt gave him no peace, so he
set off to talk to Zeki. He was furiously angry when he learned that Zeki had
been teaching Dada how to shoot for quite some time, and that she was not a bad
student at all.
- What’s the matter, why are you making such a fuss? Dada
asked me herself to teach her to shoot, and what of it? - Zeki replied,
surprised.
- What if she harms herself? Have you thought about that?
- the Padrone snapped at him.
Zeki shrugged his shoulders:
- I don't think so! She wouldn't do that, although... -
Zeki fell silent.
The Padrone lost his patience:
- What 'although'? Tell me what else you know! What else
are you hiding from me?!
Zeki got angry:
- What would I be hiding from you? If she wanted to kill
herself, why would she wait this long? She also got interested in a
double-barreled shotgun, she shoots quite well; she even asked me to take her
hunting yesterday!
The Padrone fell into thought. He could not figure out
what motives were driving Dada. No, this interest of hers did not look like a
suicide attempt at all; it looked more like revenge, like preparation for a
well-thought-out plan.
"Oh, Dada... Dada... how you have changed so
much? I wonder what you are thinking? What do you want? What are you planning
to do?"
The Padrone decided to talk to Dada now, before it was
truly too late; he wanted to know everything in time.
Dada took the Padrone's fear in stride. How could she
explain that there was nothing to be afraid of? To the Padrone’s surprise, it
turned out that Dada was not planning to kill herself nor to seek revenge on
anyone; she only wanted to protect the family. She also wanted to take part in
the defense and security of the estate and wanted to be prepared for
everything.
The Padrone smiled and hugged the girl, although he read
something else in her eyes. It was clear that Dada knew something. The Padrone
did not miss this. The girl was clearly hiding something, and the foster father
also realized that, at this stage, he would not be able to learn anything more
from her.
"I wonder what Ugo told her before he left? What
did he leave her with? Or what did he promise her? And why hasn't he appeared
for so long anyway?"
The Padrone wondered, although ever since the gardener
disappeared, he had never mentioned him to Dada. Especially since Dada, too, no
longer showed any interest.
LEX. Monday, March 7, 2016.
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