The Sky Of Nadira

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Winter 1060 (452 from the Hegira), Rabaḍ by Qasr Yanna

Corrado's face lit up with the colour of the sunset, getting red like the shades of his hair. Nadira had been back in the house for hours, refusing the help he had asked for; from that moment no one had shown up.

Then, just at sunset, Corrado started to shout deliriously:

« Umar, come out! Come out and face me! »

But a voice behind him, coming from the courtyard entrance, begged him:

« Please stop it! »

He replied:

« Nadira, coward ... is this your pity?»

That voice behind him then identified himself approaching the pole. A man from the debt collector in charge of the guard also approached him, but he made him threatening and intent on making him pay the insult to his mistress.

« No Please! He is feverish ... he doesn't know what he says. He even believes that I am the future bride of the Qā'id. »

Despite Apollonia's pleadings, the guard threatened:

« Another word and I'm taking his head off!»

Apollonia cried, while a few steps stared at him worried.

« I am your sister. Look at me, Corrado, look at me! »

Ma lui ruotava la testa convulsamente e continuava a mugugnare un suono indefinito.

Apollonia dunque gli si gettò addosso in un un abbraccio compassionevole. Corrado era l’uomo più alto del Rabaḍ e lei una delle ragazze più minute, perciò la testa della sorella si perdeva nel suo petto, lasciato scoperto dalla tunica strappata e dalla coperta sulle spalle.

«Come on… come on! It won’t last long»

«Sister…» he answered in a very low voice

« You finally recognize me!»

« How long have you been here?»

«I've been here for a long time. I stayed here all the time, my brother. I would have stayed even after I brought you this blanket last night, but our mother forced me to come back. »

« And where are they? »

« Our parents are afraid of the Qā'id man, and they also prevent Michele from coming here. »

« And you, sister?»

« I am nothing, the consistency of a drop of dew ... who cares about me?»

Corrado closed his eyes and had a sort of spasm in his face, then said to her:

« Go home. Don't you feel how strong the sun is at this hour?»

Meanwhile, the guard had approached again to prevent the girl from helping him.

« Stay away from him!»

Apollonia broke away from that embrace and replied:

« But don't you see he's delirious? Wasn't the lesson enough?»

« Go and talk to Umar ... if it were up to me I would have already freed him and I would have gone back to my house to stay warm..»

Apollonia then ran to the entrance of the owners' house. So when Umar was warned and came to the door, she threw himself at his feet and pleaded:

« Please, My Lord, I will do anything ... but let my brother free!!»

« I promised him three days, I can't withdraw the word.»

« He won't survive this night; he already has high fever! Please, my Lord, tie me to that stake, but let him go or he will die.»

« He will die if it has been written that he will die, otherwise he will live if it has been written so ... Throw another blanket on him if you want. And don't humiliate yourself this way for those who don't deserve it. »

So he commanded someone nearby to deliver food to the prostrate girl at his feet and then send her away. Apollonia got to her feet and answered angry, so much so that she made herself heard for the whole house:

« I don't want your food, I already have someone who feeds me! »

So the door was slammed in her face without being given the opportunity to challenge that decision. Now her legs gave way and she slipped on the door, crying louder than before.

When the muezzin then called the faithful for the sunset ṣalāt28, she, observing that the guard was preparing to bow to Mecca and facing the condemned man, took advantage of it to violate the prohibition that he could not approach.

« Corrado, my breath and life ... Corrado! »

However, he emanated a kind of bellow, softly and with closed eyes.

Apollonia then took her face in her hands and said to him:

« Remember who you are, Corrado, remember who your father is.»

«Alfeo… from Rabaḍ.» he replied in a weak voice.

« Corrado, brother, remember who your father is..» Apollonia repeated desperately, dissatisfied with the answer.

«Alfeo… our father.» he reiterated, always keeping his eyes closed.

« I do not mean who loved you like a son, instead remember who generated you. Those stories that you told me in the evening in front of the fire, those that your father handed down to you ... your real father. Remember when you told me about the moors of the north, made of ice and snow, and how the people of your race are used to the most extreme cold. Remember that, Corrado, and maybe your northern man's blood will warm you up to make you survive. »

« The Norman company …»

« Exactly, Corrado, the Norman company ... keep remembering!»

« My father, Rabel ... Rabel de Rougeville.»

« Yes, Corrado, it was during the summer of twenty years ago the last time you saw him; you told me a lot of times..»

« I saw the walls of Syracuse …» he finally muttered, before losing consciousness in a deep feverish sleep.