The Prince by Vito Bruschini

Author:Vito Bruschini
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atria Books

* * *

Saro ditched the black horse as soon as he reached Columbus Park, having eluded his pursuers.

Now his problem would be finding a place to sleep, for he couldn’t go back to the funeral home anymore.

He decided to get as far away as possible from that area. He had to mingle with the crowds, disappear—and in such an immense city that would certainly prove easy. Saro began looking for businesses displaying the barbershop pole, thinking that if he was lucky, he might find a job. Or else he could go back to the port, where Vincenzo Ciancianna could direct him to some other work.

He was walking along the Bowery, beginning to get clear signals from his stomach that it was time to put something in it. A hot dog cart was parked on the corner of Bayard Street, giving off a faint smell of burning rubber. He approached and saw a man stuffing long rolls with strange, pale sausages that he had never seen before. Apart from the smell, they looked inviting and succulent, with that odd yellowish cream spread on top.

“Are they good?” he asked naively.

“Of course. They’re hot dogs,” the German replied.

“I have no money.”

“Get lost, then; you’ll scare away the customers.”

“I can give you a shave and trim your mustache,” Saro said, pulling out his razor so quickly it frightened the man.

The vendor fingered his rough beard. “Why not?” he thought. Business was slow, not many people around, so he agreed.

Fifteen minutes later, the German looked as if he were spruced up for a special date, and Saro was able to taste a hot dog. He sat in the shade of a doorway and savored it as though it were a five-course dinner. He was able to relax now that his stomach was no longer rumbling. Finally, a little peace after the morning’s excitement.

He reopened his eyes, convinced that he had spent only a few seconds dallying with the image of Mena. But the light had changed completely, the hot dog vendor was no longer on the corner, and the sound of a band, composed of a bass drum and a trumpet, had rudely awakened him. The musicians were dressed in dark blue uniforms, and as soon as they finished playing, a woman, the third member of the group, started shouting something into a megaphone.

Saro pricked up his ears.

“As long as children go hungry, we will fight for them! As long as human beings are imprisoned, we will fight for them! As long as there are casualties of addiction, we will fight for them! As long as individuals are forced to sell their bodies, we will fight for them! As long as there are people in need of the Lord’s light, we will fight for them!”

At each refrain, the bass drummer struck his instrument with resounding force. Small groups of children had formed in front of the musicians and were pretending to conduct their own orchestra, waving their hands in the air.

“Come!” the woman went on shouting through the megaphone.

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