Nino's Heart (Nino #1) by J.D. Keene

Author:J.D. Keene [Keene, J. D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-02T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Rome, Italy

Nino’s Dormitory

His room was in the basement. The cold, damp hallway felt refreshing on a warm day.

“The last room on the right—room six,” the dormitory manager had said.

Before he put the key in the warped wooden door of his new home, something caught Nino’s attention. There was a small gap in the brick wall at the end of the hallway. He felt the cool breeze first. It had a unique smell that made him nauseous.

The room was much like the hallway, damp and enclosed with crooked bricks, laid centuries earlier. There was a small stove heater in the corner with a pipe protruding through the wooden floor of the room above. A stack of wood lay next to it.

Two desks sat adjacent to bunks on opposite sides of the room. He had hoped for a window but accepted that wasn’t the case.

Nino opened his suitcase and laid his Bible on the desk.

My neglected friend.

My Dear God, I am sorry I have forsaken you. Please forgive my indiscretions.

Nino removed a piece of paper, pencil, and envelope and sat down at his desk to write to his mother.

The door flung open.

“Ciao, mio amico. My name is Vito Bianchi. It looks like we will be roommates. Where are you from? I always want to know where my roommates are from. Where they are from tells much about them, you see. I am from Milan. My father is a doctor. And you?”

Nino stood. “I’m Nino Servidei, from America. New York City.”

“New York City? Do you know any gangsters? American gangsters from Italy are always in our papers. They are famous, like actors.”

Nino remained silent.

“Being an American in Rome is good, amico. The signorinas love Americans. Especially Americans who look like handsome Italians. I bet you’ll bed more ragazze than even me, and that is quite an accomplishment. What are you here to study? “

“Here? Philosophy first. Then I hope to get into the Pontificio Collegio Etiopico.”

“The Vatican? You want to be a priest?”

“Si. My desire is to be a priest.”

“Oh my, Nino. I hope you take no offense, but I need to request a different room. It is nothing personal, but this room is small, and I have been known to bring my evening companions back to my dormitory. Last year, my roommate just put his pillow over his head to drown out the sound of my squeaky bed springs. But having a priest in the room is no good. It will cause me to lose my concentration.”

“I take no offense. But I don’t think you will have any luck finding another room. I overheard the dorm manager tell someone there were no more vacancies. Why do you think we are in this dungeon? There is nothing else.”

Vito put his hands over his face and fell back on his bed.

“Oh, no. It is because of Mussolini’s war in Ethiopia. Cowards are attending university to avoid the army. What are we going to do, Nino? I can’t room with a priest.”

“I don’t know what you are going to do, Vito, but I am going to get an education.

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