Notes

Summary of the Chapter

The author and his companion had been driving near the city of Verona, when they were stopped by two small boys who were shabbily dressed, selling strawberries. The author’s driver cautioned the author against purchasing the fruits. The boys were very skinny but their eyes were sincere and attracted attention. The author took an instant liking for these boys and ended up buying their biggest basket of strawberries.

Next morning, the author noticed those two boys polishing people’s shoes. The boys smiled and told the author that they performed many other kinds of jobs, like escorting tourists around the city. Impressed, the author had the boys immediately. Due to close interaction, the author discovered that the boys were very friendly and innocent. Beneath their cheerful smiles, however, he could discern seriousness, a hint of sadness that defied their age. The author didn’t regret his decision since the boys proved to be resourceful. The author found their eagerness to do work really remarkable. The author was struck by their desperation to do more and more work, but he was surprised to know that they still wore torn clothes and hardly ate anything.

The author’s trip was coming to an end. Before leaving, he asked if he could do something for them. Nicola, the elder one refused, but the younger one requested the author to drive them to Poleta, 30 kms away, next day. As a last gesture of goodwill, he volunteered to drive the boys himself. The following afternoon, they all drove to the tiny village, near a hill. The author was surprised to halt beside a villa. Before he could question, the boys leapt out and asked the author to pick them up from the same place, after an hour. The author couldn’t restrain his curiosity. He went in and was greeted by a nurse, and through a glass partition, the author saw that the boys were seated beside a hospital bed, with a girl aged 20, who appeared to be their sister. The author refused to be ushered inside, as he didn’t wish to interrupt a happy family reunion. On being asked, the nurse told the author that the children’s father had been killed in a war, and a bomb had destroyed their house and rendered them homeless. Since the Germans ruled the city for many years, the children had to undergo a lot of suffering, and their sister, Lucia, who wanted to be a singer, couldn’t bear the cold and starvation, and contracted tuberculosis of the spine. The boys brought Lucia there, and every week, they brought enough money for her treatment.

The author was rejoined by the boys and they drove back to the city. The boys remained tight-lipped, and the author also decided to remain quiet, because he respected their privacy. The author left, filled with admiration, at the courage and relentless effort of two young boys who remained determined despite the setbacks of the war.