Крестный отец

           Shesaidthiswithoutanykindofemotion,butJohnnyFontane,staringupattheceiling,knewshesaiditasanatonementforthoseotherthings,thecruelthingsshehadoncesaidtohimwhentheirmarriagehadbrokenup,whenhiscareerhadstartedgoingdownthedrain.

           "Bytheway,guesswhocalledme,"shesaid.

           Johnnywouldn’tplaythatgame,heneverdid."Who?"heasked.

           Ginnysaid,"Youcouldtakeatleastonelousyguess."Johnnydidn’tanswer."YourGodfather,"shesaid.

           Johnnywasreallysurprised."Henevertalkstoanybodyonthephone.Whatdidhesaytoyou?"

           "Hetoldmetohelpyou,"Ginnysaid."Hesaidyoucouldbeasbigasyoueverwere,thatyouwereonyourwayback,butthatyouneededpeopletobelieveinyou.IaskedhimwhyshouldI?Andhesaidbecauseyou’rethefatherofmychildren.He’ssuchasweetoldguyandtheytellsuchhorriblestoriesabouthim."

           Virginiahatedphonesandshehadhadalltheextensionstakenoutexceptfortheoneinherbedroomandoneinthekitchen.Nowtheycouldhearthekitchenphoneringing.Shewenttoanswerit.Whenshecamebackintothelivingroomtherewasalookofsurpriseonherface."It’sforyou,Johnny,"shesaid."It’sTomHagen.Hesaysit’simportant."

           Johnnywentintothekitchenandpickedupthephone."Yeah,Tom,"hesaid.

           TomHagen’svoicewascool."Johnny,theGodfatherwantsmetocomeoutandseeyouandsetsomethingsupthatcanhelpyououtnowthatthepictureisfinished.Hewantsmetocatchthemorningplane.