"Carmela's sobs softened. She told Cousin Maria that when she was cleaning the colonel's bedroom he came in with a towel draped around his waist. Carmela said, 'The colonel looked at me with fire in his eyes. He told me to kneel in front of him. I cried, but he grabbed my shoulders and forced me to my knees. Then he dropped the towel. I said, no, Colonel, please. It's a sin to see a man's part.'"

Harry became agitated; he pounded his fist on the table. "Bastard!" he shouted.

"Demetrio, do you wish me to stop?"

"No, no, this is why I came. I need to know why my father gets angry when I asked about his father. Nobody will tell me."

"Okay, you're sure?"

"Yes, go, go ahead."

Angela reached across the table and took his hand.

Marcella continued, "Carmela told Cousin Maria that Schullo laughed at her. He pushed her face up against him. He told her to take him into her mouth. She shook her head and tried to stand up. The colonel got angry, pull her up by her hair, punched her in the face and threw her onto his bed. When she tried to roll off the bed, he pushed her down, lifted her skirt, pried open her legs and had his way with her."

"Wait! Marcella, Schullo raped my father's mother? He's my grandfather?"

"Yes, yes, Demetrio, I'm sorry."

Angela squeezed Harry's hand.

Tears of anger flushed from his eyes as he choked out, "Was...was he arrested?"

"He's a big shot, a rich and powerful man," Angela said. "The police are afraid of army men, since Mussolini is in charge. Besides, the Trumfios were afraid to say anything. They shepherd Schullo's sheep and tend his crops. Without him, they'd starve."

Harry wiped his tears with a napkin.

Angela sat next to Harry and turned his face toward hers. "You sure you want to hear more?"

"Yeah, yes, I need to know the whole thing."

Angela squeezed his hand again, and nodded to Marcella.

Marcella continued, "Carmela told Cousin Maria that she pleaded for Colonel Schullo to stop. She kept screaming, 'No! No! Please, please, it's a sin! Please stop.' Her cries made no difference. When he finished, he lit a cigarette and told her to go downstairs and make coffee. Carmella did as he commanded. She had no choice; the family needed the money she earned. Cousin Maria and Carmella kept what the colonel did a secret. All was quiet until Carmela realized she was pregnant and told the colonel.

Schullo went into a rage, he slapped her and yelled, 'Get out and never come back. How do I know how many men you peasant sluts sleep with. The bastard's not mine. Get out!'"

Tear came again to both Angela and Marcella. Marcella took a deep breath. "The beast took Carmela by the arm, dragged her to the door and threw her down the porch steps. She lay sobbing in the dust. Schullo followed and kicked her in the stomach and spit on her."
Harry lowered his head and groaned.

"Demetrio," Marcella came around the table, put her arms around him, titled his chin and looked into his eyes. "You need to know that your grandmother was a virgin when the colonel raped her. She carried his child, there was no one else, and there was no mistake."

"Thank you for telling me that," Harry said.

Marcella continued, "Carmela crawled away from Schullo house and headed for home. Cousin Maria was weeding her garden when Carmela approached the house. She heard her sobbing. Then she saw that Carmela's face was bruised and that her clothes were tattered and dirty.

Alarmed, she rushed toward Carmella screaming, 'Who did this to you?'

Carmela collapsed on to the ground and uttered, 'Colonel Schullo.'

When Cousin Antonio, Carmela's father, got home, Cousin Maria told him the story. He went into a rage, grabbed a pitchfork and set off for Schullo's ranch. He pounded on the ranch house door and shouted, 'Schullo, I'll kill you for what you did to my daughter. I'll kill you.'"

Marcella continued, "The butler opened the door and Antonio tried to push his way in, but the butler was bigger and stronger. He wrenched the pitchfork from Antonio's hands, and slammed the door in his face. Antonio continued to beat the door and yell.

The door flew open, the butler pointed a double-barreled shotgun, 'Leave now or I'll blow your head off.'"

Marcella said, "Antonio had no choice but to return home. Early the next morning, an army officer and three soldiers arrived at the Trumfio house. The officer told Antonio, if he made any more trouble, he and his family would be arrested."

"Could they do that?" Harry said.

"You must understand, Italy is not America. The rich get what they want here."

Harry turned to Angela, "Angela, where does this Schullo bastard live?"

"No!" Angela said, "he'll kill you, no questions asked."

Marcella nodded and squeezed Harry's arm, "Don't go there, Demetrio. He's a bad man."

"I need to see him. He's my grandfather." He squeezed Angela's hand. "Tell me, Angela, please."

More tears welled in Angela's dark eyes and trickled down her cheeks. Her lips quivered.

"No! Angela, don't, he'll kill him," Marcella shouted.

Angela sighed and turned to Marcella. "Mama, Demetrio has a right." Angela continued, "You must be careful. Behind our house, you'll see two hills. He lives over the second hill. Like Mama says, don't go there, please. He's an evil man."

"Thanks, Angela, but I must see him. I'll go in the morning and tell him I'm his grandson. He might be happy to know, and I'll ask about my grandmother."

"Oh, Demetrio, you're a brave boy," Marcella said. "You stay here tonight. We've no bed to offer, but I have blankets, and you can sleep on the floor by the fireplace."

"Thanks, Marcella, I'll stay tonight, but tomorrow you know I must go."

The two women nodded their heads. Harry spent a restless night, tossing on the wooden floor by the fireplace. Again, the black horse and rider galloped through his dreams. When he awoke, Angela was sitting at the table. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and pointed to a washbowl on a dry sink. Harry washed his face and sat down next to her. She offered him bread and poured him hot tea from a pot hanging from a hook in the fireplace. He munched the bread. She watched, but didn't say a word. After he drained the last drop of tea from his cup, she opened his suitcase and placed a small bundle inside.

"If you must go, keep this for later when you get hungry," she said.

Tears watered Harry's eyes, "Thank you. Thank you and thank your mama for being so kind and telling me the story. I'll always remember you, Angela Fortuna. Thank you."