Page 301 - The Grotesque Children's Book

Chapter 39.

Pledges at the Arno

Santi and Aurelio were at the banks of the Arno, with their sketchbooks, still not quite
sobered. Their pads were filled with lines, arrows, dots and torsos, tails, devil’s horns and
angels’ wings. To anyone but the two of them, it would look like random markings from an
artist’s pencil. To Santi and Aurelio, they meant:

“Aurelio, this evening when I lost not only all of my money, but all of yours as well, I
realized how far I am from fulfilling my pledge to you.”

“What pledge?”
“I said I’d get you enough money for you to book passage to London and see that doctor
who teaches the deaf to speak.”
“Dr. Cardano? I’ve given up on him.”
“No, you can’t give up! If you learn to speak, your father will have to recognize you as
the inheritor of the family fortune.”
“I’ve tried, Santi. But not any longer.”
“Your brother doesn’t inherit for another year or so. You still have time.”
“I have twenty-two months. You’re very kind to offer help, Santi, but I don’t see how
I’m even to get to England, let alone to the doctor.”
“We could pool our money. We could go to London together.”
“You have your father still here.”
“He’s not long for this world, Aurelio. Another three or four weeks, perhaps.”
“I’m so sorry, Santi. First your mother, then your wife.”
“Yes. Still, I don’t know what’s worse: losing a family one by one as happened to me, or
losing them all, all at once, as happened to you.”
“I think yours is worse, Santi. Such sorrow.”
“And I think yours might be worse. their disavowing your very existence.”
“They’re not alone in that. The whole world doesn’t acknowledge the existence of the
deaf man.”
“I’ll think of something, Aurelio. I’ll get you to England.”
“Don’t do anything rash.”
“I just might have to.”

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