Coppice Row

Within a week Ragazzo's strength returned and when the daily jobs were done, he and Stefano would play together. As he put on a little flesh, it was clear that there was only a year or two between them. Sometimes he would entertain Rosa with the tricks he had learned, standing on his head and turning cartwheels over and over again till Rosa was dizzy.
Once when he was showing her how he could walk on his hands, his shirt fell down over his head, revealing a dark red mark on his left shoulder.
"Oh, there's blood on your shoulder," cried Rosa in horror. "You're bleeding!"
Quickly Ragazzo stood up, pulling down his shirt and stuffing it into his breeches.
"No, it's nothing. It's not bleeding. It's just. . . Just a mark."
"But how did you get it?" said Stefano.
"I've always had it," said Ragazzo shyly.
Stefano grew more inquisitive. "But your name, Ragazzo. That's not a real name. It just means Boy. Can't you remember your real name?"
Ragazzo shook his head.
"Or where you come from?"
Ragazzo shook his head again.
"Papa and Mama come from the Ticino," said Stefano proudly, "that's far away all across France on the other side of the high mountains."
"When Papa was a boy, he walked across the mountains," said Rosa.
"He joined a band of chestnut sellers and they walked all across the Alps, over 600 miles. It took them six weeks. He went to join his father in the Great Market in Paris." And then Stefano added, "Later on, he came to London."
Something in Ragazzo's memory stirred - chestnut sellers. He remembered chestnut sellers - a group of men setting out on a journey. He remembered being told to wave goodbye. He found Stefano staring at him. Quickly he said, "But your home is here?"
"Yes, but once in a while we go back to the Ticino. We went when I was six, across the sea and then by coach for days and days. I remember but Rosa was only a baby so she can't." Ragazzo felt ashamed - ashamed that he did not know where he came from, ashamed and sad that he had not got a family.
"You don't remember your Papa and Mama?"
Ragazzo shook his head once again, but he knew his answer was not quite true, for distantly in the back of his mind, he had a recurring memory which woke him in the night, a memory of a dark cold room, lit by one candle, and on the bed a young woman, once warm and loving, now cold and silent. Was that his mother? He could not be sure and he could not bring himself to tell others of it.
"Where did you learn the tricks?" broke in Rosa.
"The padrone taught me. You see I was the youngest of the boys and all the others were cleverer than I. Giovanni learnt the violin and Luigi the flute and the others would sing. But as for me, I just couldn't sing in tune. The padrone was angry with me and said 1 was good for nothing. So," he added sadly, "he taught me tricks like a dog."
For a moment Stefano was silent, aware of the hurt that Ragazzo had suffered. But Rosa pressed him.
"The barrel organ, did it have a monkey?"
"Giacomo - yes. He had a little red cap, a red waistcoat and a bell round his neck. He would dance and collect pennies."
"I should like to have a monkey," said Rosa.
"But one day someone in the crowd pulled his tail too hard and Giacomo bit him and the Police came and took him away. The padrone blamed me for not looking after Giacomo. I was afraid. 1 thought they would take me to prison."
"Well, you're safe with us," said Stefano comfortingly, "Papa won't send you back, I'm sure."
And it was true that within the house, Ragazzo did feel safe, both amongst the family and in the attic, where he slept on a rough straw mattress with the men who worked for the signore. Their laughter and talk, the sound of their breathing at night, the comfort of their companionship lulled his fears. But for many weeks he would not venture out into the streets for fear either the Police or the padrone might see him and take him away.

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