
The Return
In 1965, I was twenty-three years old and was studying to become a high school language and literature teacher. An early, September spring was in the air, and very, very early one morning, I was studying in my room. My house was the only apartment building in that block, and we lived on the sixth floor.
I was feeling sort of lazy, and every now and then I'd let my gaze wander out the window. From there I could see the street and, just beyond the sidewalk across the street, the manicured garden of old Don Cesareo whose house occupied the corner lot, the one which was cut off diagonally at the corner; hence, his house had the shape of an irregular pentagon.
Next to Don Cesareo's stood the beautiful home of the Bernasconi family, lovely people who used to do nice, kind things. They had three daughters, and I was in love with the eldest, Adriana. So, every once in a while I cast a glance toward the sidewalk across the way, more out of a habit of the heart than because I expected to see her at such an early hour.
As was his custom, old Don Cesareo was watering and caring for his beloved garden which was separated from the street level by a low iron fence and three stone steps.
The street was deserted, so my attention was unavoidably drawn to a man who appeared in the next block and was advancing toward ours along the same sidewalk that ran in front of the homes of Don Cesareo and the Bernasconis. Why wouldn't my attention be attracted by that man, since he was a beggar or a tramp, a veritable rainbow of dark-colored rags?
Bearded and skinny, his head was covered by a yellowish, misshapen straw hat. Despite the heat, he was enveloped in a tattered, grayish overcoat. In addition, he was carrying a huge, dirty sack, and I assumed he kept in it the alms and remains of food he collected.
I continued to observe. The tramp stopped in front of Don Cesareo's house and asked him for something through the iron bars of the fence. Don Cesareo was a mean old man with an unpleasant personality; without acknowledging anything, he simply made a gesture with his hand as if to send the fellow on his way. But the beggar seemed to be insisting in a low voice, and then I did hear the old man shout clearly:
"Go on, you, get out of here, and don't bother me!"
Nevertheless, the tramp again persisted, and now he even went up the three stone steps and struggled a bit with the iron gate. Then, losing his meager patience completely, Don Cesareo pushed him away with a fierce shove. The beggar slipped on the wet stone, tried unsuccessfully to grab hold of a bar, and fell violently to the ground. In the same, lightning-flash instant, I saw his legs splayed upward toward the sky, and I heard the sharp crack of his skull as it struck the first step.
Don Cesareo ran down to the street, bent over him, and felt his chest. Frightened, the old man immediately grabbed him by the feet and dragged him out to the curb. He then went into his house and shut the door, in the certainty that there had been no witnesses to his unintentional crime.
The only witness was me. Soon a man passed by and he stopped next to the dead beggar. Then came others and still others, and the police came too. The panhandler was put in an ambulance and taken away.
That's all there was to it, and the matter was never spoken of again.
For my part, I was very careful not to open my mouth. I probably behaved badly, but what was I to gain from accusing that old man who had never done me any harm? On the other hand, it hadn't been his intention to kill the panhandler, and it didn't seem right to me that a legal proceeding should embitter the final years of his life for him. I thought the best thing would be to leave him alone with his conscience.
Little by little, I gradually forgot the episode, but every time I saw Don Cesareo, I experienced a strange sensation on thinking that he didn't know I was the only person in the world aware of his terrible secret. From then on, I don't know why, I avoided him, and I never dared speak to him again.
*
In 1969 I was twenty-six years old and had my degree in the teaching of the Spanish language and literature. Adriana Bernasconi hadn't married me but some other fellow, and who knows whether he loved or deserved her as much as I did.Around that time, Adriana was pregnant and very close to delivery. She still lived in the same beautiful house as always, and she herself looked more beautiful every day. Very early that suffocating, December morning I was giving private grammar lessons to a few young high school boys who had to take an examination, and, as usual, every now and then I would cast a melancholy glance across the street.
Suddenly, my heart - literally - did a flip-flop, and I thought I was the victim of a hallucination.
Approaching along exactly the same path as four years before was the beggar whom Don Cesareo had killed: the same ragged clothes, the grayish overcoat, the misshapen straw hat, the filthy sack.
Forgetting my students, I rushed headlong to the window. The panhandler was gradually shortening his steps, as if he were already near his destination.
"He's come back to life," I thought, "and he's come to take revenge on Don Cesareo."
However, now treading on the old man' s sidewalk, the beggar passed in front of the iron fence and continued on. Then he stopped before Adriana Bernasconi's door, pushed down the latch, and entered the house.
"I'll be right back!" I said to the students, and, mad with anxiety, I took the elevator down, dashed out into the street, crossed on the run, and went into Adriana's house.
Her mother, who was standing by the door, as if ready to leave, said to me: "Well, hello there, stranger! You ... ? here ... ? Will miracles never cease?!"
She had always looked favorably on me. She embraced and kissed me, but I didn't understand what was going on. I then learned that Adriana had just become a mother, and they were all very pleased and excited. I could do no less than shake my victorious rival's hand.
I didn't know how to ask, and debated whether it would be better to remain silent or not. I then reached an intermediate solution. With feigned indifference, I said:
"Actually, I let myself in without ringing the doorbell because I thought I saw a panhandler with a big, dirty bag slip into your house, and I was afraid he might be getting in to steal something."
They looked at me in surprise: panhandler? bag? to steal? Well, they had all been in the living room the whole time and didn't know what I was talking about.
"Then I must surely be mistaken," I said.
They then invited me into the room where Adriana and her baby were. In situations like that, I never know what to say. I congratulated her, kissed her, looked at the little baby, and asked what name they were going to give him. They told me Gustavo, like his father; I would have liked the name Fernando better, but said nothing.
Back at home, I thought: "That was the panhandler whom old Don Cesareo killed, I'm sure of it. He didn't return to take revenge, though, but rather to be reincarnated in Adriana's child."
However, two or three days later, my hypothesis seemed ridiculous to me, and I gradually forgot it.
*
And I would have forgotten it completely if it weren't for the fact that in 1979 an incident made me remember it.
Further on in years now and feeling capable of less with each passing day, I let my attention touch lightly on a book I was reading next to the window, and then I allowed my glance to wander here and there.
Adriana's son, Gustavo, was playing on the flat roof terrace of his house. That was certainly a rather immature game for someone his age. I thought the boy must have inherited his father's scanty intelligence and that, had he been my son, he would doubtlessly have found a less insipid way to amuse himself.
He had placed a row of empty cans on the dividing wall and was trying to knock them over with stones thrown from three or four yards away. Naturally, almost all the rubble was falling into the neighboring garden of Don Cesareo. It occurred to me that the old man, absent at the time, was going to have a real fit when he discovered a large number of his flowers destroyed.
And just at that moment, Don Cesareo came out of the house into the garden. He truly was very old and walked with extreme unsteadiness, putting down with great caution now one foot and then the other. With frightful deliberateness he walked to the garden gate and prepared to descend the three steps that led down to the sidewalk.
At the same time, Gustavo - who didn't see the old man - finally hit one of the cans which, as it ricocheted off two or three juttings of the walls, fell with a loud racket into Don Cesareo's garden. The latter, who was in the midst of the short stairway, started at hearing the noise, made a sudden brusque motion, slipped wildly out of control, and shattered his skull on the first step.
I saw all of this, but neither the child had seen the old man, nor the old man the child. For some reason, Gustavo then abandoned the flat roof terrace. In a few seconds, a lot of people had already gathered around Don Cesareo(s corpse, and it was obvious an accidental fall had been the cause of his death.
The next day, I got up very early and immediately installed myself in the window. Don Cesareo's wake was being held in the pentagonalshaped house; there were several persons smoking and conversing out on the sidewalk.
Those people stood aside with revulsion and uneasiness when, a bit later, out of Adriana Bernasconi's house came the panhandler, once again with his rags, his overcoat, his straw hat, and his bag. He passed through the group of men and women, and slowly, gradually disappeared off into the distance, in the same direction from which he had come two times.
At noon I learned, to my sorrow but not to my surprise, that Gustavo was not found in his bed that morning. The Bernasconi family initiated a desperate search which, with stubborn hope, has continued to the present day. I never had the heart to tell them to give it up.
Comments
the very first story i can understand on this website.quite..
the very first story i can understand on this website.quite suitable for our chinese students to lear english.
best story ever seen!
best story ever seen!
This is a very fun short story and a great story for..
This is a very fun short story and a great story for showing irony. This story could have been better if the narrators character was explained better. I liked the irony of both the men dying because of sliping and hitting their heads on the first step. It adds to that eerie scary part of this short story. Overall this a well writen short horror story.
This story is good, but Adrianas child Gustavo was not a..
This story is good, but Adrianas child Gustavo was not a good name for you. Your first name is Fernando, and you wanted Adrianas child to be named Fernando, your first name. I think you should have wanted the name to be Dave or John, you know, a bit more common. You may have meant something totally different, for example...humour, but that is not the way I saw it. Other than that, it is a great story, especially the bit when Gustavo accidently kills Don Cesareo
I believe this story was one work of art!
I believe this story was one work of art!
i failed to see the wow in this story, all the favorable..
i failed to see the wow in this story, all the favorable comments left by earlier readers must have been in refernce to another short story
I really wasnt intrigued with this story at all, it was..
I really wasnt intrigued with this story at all, it was more comical than scary... did I miss something?
Ive read this via another translation (entitled "The..
Ive read this via another translation (entitled "The Visitation" from one of the "Sudden Fiction" series of books - I used it in an English class as a teacher). It is a very good story and a great teaching tool.
In regard to the "September Spring in the air" confusion by one poster - please note the author is South American. In his world, spring is at that time.
I really hope this story doesnt stay on the web. Anyone who..
I really hope this story doesnt stay on the web. Anyone who read this story is now a 1/4 stupider. Who is the cite rater?
When I first started reading this short story I was..
When I first started reading this short story I was interested. Then I finished, not too satisfied. I didn’t like the fact that it wasn’t scary. To me this story dosent seem like a horror story. It was a good story, but I don’t think it should be in the horror section.
Well Done. A very intresting story with enough detail for..
Well Done. A very intresting story with enough detail for the use of an imagination.
Sigh! People complain when the stories are..
Sigh! People complain when the stories are thought-provoking and open to interpretation, and then they go and complain when the stories are too literal and, as another reviewer stated, "spoon-fed." Great story. It gave me chills!
Kat
it is a well written story,a very intesting story to read on
it is a well written story,a very intesting story to read on
a weak horror story yet visually stunning. sorrentino is an..
a weak horror story yet visually stunning. sorrentino is an excellent storyteller, very wise in choosing the words to descrbe every situation. its like i was there when the event happened... just visually excellent!
=== carl r. of the philippines
Para Kat: Te agradezco tus amables comentarios. Si quieres,..
Para Kat:
Te agradezco tus amables comentarios.
Si quieres, puedes escribirme (en inglés) al CONTACT AUTHOR, y yo te responderé en seguida.
All the best,
FS
GOOD STORY, EXCELENT GERRARD CAMPBELL
GOOD STORY, EXCELENT
GERRARD CAMPBELL
why does the boy have to disappear?
why does the boy have to disappear?
This story was alright but I didnt like how the beggar came..
This story was alright but I didnt like how the beggar came back and accidentally killed Don. If he came back then he came back to get revenge. I dont see the accident. It would have been better if he didnt have the beggar come back incarnated in the child.
NICE
NICE
Interesting story, has a ring of fate and destiny. Kinda..
Interesting story, has a ring of fate and destiny. Kinda interesting to see the loop come back around fully.
Well done, I enjoyed it.
i would not call this a horror story exactally, but i still..
i would not call this a horror story exactally, but i still liked it very much!!! :D
very nice
very nice
This story was a bit weak and certainly not horror. Lee
This story was a bit weak and certainly not horror.
Lee
I expected more!!! but it was still an ok read :)
I expected more!!!
but it was still an ok read :)
It was a good one... but why had the boy disappeared with..
It was a good one... but why had the boy disappeared with no reason...
This story should have been classified under fiction, not..
This story should have been classified under fiction, not horror. Nevertheless, it was an excellent story that kept the reader wanting more until the very end. The words used were very professional, yet suitable if one understands my meaning. Since the author chose himself as the main character, it leaves me pondering on whether this incident actually happened.
I liked the story and copied it for my students( im..
I liked the story and copied it for my students( im teaching English to adults in iran). My students loved it though we muslims do not believe in reincarnation, but i myself liked the idea of "the Gods hidden hand".Good luck!
Not horror but really really good all the same. Loved it!
Not horror but really really good all the same.
Loved it!
yup its a gud story
yup its a gud story
Goods: couldnt stop reading it, strange of what happened,..
Goods: couldnt stop reading it, strange of what happened, swift writing, storyline was nice.
Bads: Not that scary.
i liked it because it didnt read like a story..it felt like..
i liked it because it didnt read like a story..it felt like a friend is telling me abt bizarre things that happened to him.
that was a crazy story
that was a crazy story
Not very engaging at all to me, sorry. Couldnt bear to read..
Not very engaging at all to me, sorry. Couldnt bear to read much beyond the first page; impossible to appreciate any of the characters, from the narrator to the old man to the beggar who was killed. Did not finish the story but skimmed hastily toward the end, and even the hint of reincarnation could not make it salvageable, in my opinion. Good effort with the language used, just a poor plot, boring people.
i didn;t like this story very much because it sounds like..
i didn;t like this story very much because it sounds like something a friend would tell you. it doesnt sound like a story and its much to boring...it doesnt suck you in.
i think ita wonderful short story. It makes you keep..
i think ita wonderful short story. It makes you keep reading and wanting more from the author. It wasnt scary at all, but if it actually happened to you it would be. The story also makes you gain an emotional attatchment to the main character because its written as if hes talking to you.
That was good! I liked it. It wasnt extremely engaging at..
That was good! I liked it. It wasnt extremely engaging at times, but it still had a kind of eerie, spooky air to it! I do have to say I have never read a story quite like it though, so I found it interesting.
This story was great and interesting i could barely let my..
This story was great and interesting i could barely let my eyes look away ......Great Job Dude your awesome
I really like this story, and I thought it was nice. To me..
I really like this story, and I thought it was nice. To me this wasnt a horror story , it was more like a thriller / mystery story. I also liked the names of the characters. My question is, what race were the characters , and what state were they in & wheres the setting?
This was nice I liked the ending but just one thing this is..
This was nice I liked the ending but just one thing this is not a horror story but it was really good.
wow crazy story...i had to read this for my online course..
wow crazy story...i had to read this for my online course (English 12 york region if anyone is out there HOLLA!)....
....but i want to ask, is this a true story? because if it is, then it is really really truly crazy.....
i found this story very interesting, and engaging, because personally i like these types of mysterious life and death unknown topics....and this was REALLY interesting for me....
thanks,
-DAN
hi... it may not be that scary, but then its a very nice..
hi... it may not be that scary, but then its a very nice story...
I like the writers use of voice and I enjoyed the surprise..
I like the writers use of voice and I enjoyed the surprise ending!
I would like to say that this story is a very good..
I would like to say that this story is a very good one....its mysterious....but yet obvious. I
i hated this story it was so bad because for a horror..
i hated this story
it was so bad because for a horror story it was more of a tale to tell a 2 year old if you wanted to scare him or her
ive read picture books scarier than this
This is one of the greatest short story I have read...its..
This is one of the greatest short story I have read...its full of mystery....and it keeps you asking and waiting. The only thing I did not like was that it didnt give much information about the plot or setting. Other wise , it is such a great story. I would just like to say Mr. Sorrentino, you are a GOOD story writer and dont listen to the bad comments.......they just dont under stand the true meaning of the story.......
wow...this book is cool...i think its very spooky and..
wow...this book is cool...i think its very spooky and cool...its a good book to read...it would be better if you read it in the dark with youre friends...and it feel like you were there...i would recommend this book to others...i think this book is one of the best books i have read in my life...me and my friends think this book is true ...=D
I think the story was really mysterious, i liked the ending..
I think the story was really mysterious, i liked the ending ..... but he shouldve told
I liked this story because it was ok for a horror story,it..
I liked this story because it was ok for a horror story,it wasnt to scary and to bad.If you ask me I think it was great.
sincerely:
Tony
COOL STORY
COOL STORY
I loved the idea of the story - the revenge and the..
I loved the idea of the story - the revenge and the
mystery - but too much was told. Nothing was left for
the reader to interperet or discover.
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