Крестный отец

           Still,theydidnotknowexactlywhohewasexceptthathewasinhidingandtherecouldbenobabblingabouthim.FabrizziosometimesbroughtMichaelafreshcheesestillsweatingthemilkthatformedit.

           Theywalkedalongdustycountryroadspassingdonkeyspullinggailypaintedcarts.Thelandwasfilledwithpinkflowers,orangeorchards,grovesofalmondandolivetrees,allblooming.Thathadbeenoneofthesurprises.MichaelhadexpectedabarrenlandbecauseofthelegendarypovertyofSicilians.Andyethehadfounditalandofgushingplenty,carpetedwithflowersscentedbylemonblossoms.Itwassobeautifulthathewonderedhowitspeoplecouldbeartoleaveit.HowterriblemanhadbeentohisfellowmancouldbemeasuredbythegreatexodusfromwhatseemedtobeaGardenofEden.

           HehadplannedtowalktothecoastalvillageofMazara,andthentakeabusbacktoCorleoneintheevening,andsotirehimselfoutandbeabletosleep.Thetwoshepherdsworerucksacksfilledwithbreadandcheesetheycouldeatontheway.Theycarriedtheirluparasquiteopenlyasifoutforaday’shunting.

           Itwasamostbeautifulmorning.Michaelfeltashehadfeltwhenasachildhehadgoneoutearlyonasummerdaytoplayball.Theneachdayhadbeenfreshlywashed,freshlypainted.Andsoitwasnow.Sicilywascarpetedisgaudyflowers,thescentoforangeandlemonblossomssoheavythatevenwithhisfacialinjurywhichpressedonthesinuses,hecouldsmellit.