Part 31.
The Padrone had a deal with the man with the dangerous
eyes for years. What business could the owner of a large, major bank and its
several branches in the city have with a leader of bandits, unless he himself
was a cunning bandit at heart?
He moved among great and distinguished people. At
different times and places, he would have them rob and raid the houses of his
clients or their friends. The information about the luxurious houses was always
accurate, and to a certain extent, the large loot also turned out to be a good
reward for the bandits. Of course, he was also entitled to a share, but for
some reason, he always asked for a minimal portion. No one ever wondered why he
asked for so little. Only the Padrone would ponder this, feeling that this man
was driven by some other goal, although he still could not understand what it
was.
One day, the client demanded too much. He requested the
almost simultaneous raiding of five houses in a single go. In particular, he
categorically demanded that one house be not just robbed, but completely
destroyed.
He didn't just demand it; he almost begged. At times, he
even seemed to threaten a little.
That was exactly when the Padrone realized what was
driving this man with the evil eyes. All this time, he had only wanted to level
that one family to the ground. The robbery of the other houses was only
necessary to cover his tracks.
The demand of the man with the dangerous eyes—that no one
should be left alive in that house—was carried out to the letter.
Zeki fulfilled the task honorably. They robbed and burned
the house, and wiped out all the family members. Then, at some point, it seemed
to one of the robbers that someone had slipped into the dog kennel. Zeki, since
this task was his personal responsibility, decided to check it himself.
He approached with cautious steps. No one was visible,
not even a whisper could be heard; only a dead shepherd dog, tied to a long
chain, lay nearby. Zeki suddenly shone his flashlight, and large green eyes,
widened with fear, flashed before him.
A little girl was huddled in the dog kennel. The boy
froze. For the first time in his life, he hesitated. For a second, his breath
even caught.
He heard the quiet whistling of the boys from behind.
This was the signal that they had to leave the place in time.
For security reasons, Zeki sent the boys ahead and told
them to take different routes.
He turned back himself. He threw the girl over his
shoulder and took shelter in the forest. The next morning, he brought her to
the Padrone, pretending she was a child he had found in the forest that
morning.
It was that momentary hesitation of Zeki that saved Dada.
Zeki had always wanted to tell the Padrone this story,
but he did not dare; later, as more time passed, he became more ashamed of his
"cowardice" at the time and let that time be forgotten forever.
Zeki did not even know that the mastermind behind all of
this was the man with the dangerous eyes who visited the Padrone so often.
LEX. Saturday, March 19, 2016.
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