[Fanfiction] Between the Mountains and the Plains, 4/5 (so far), "Don Camillo" stories
Posting this vignette again because I accidentally deleted it the other day - *facepalm* - and also because, wonder of wonders, I recently got unstuck on the 5th chapter and I'll be posting it here and on Dreamwidth presently! The way I'm stuck on the 6th, it's likely to be very, very long in coming... But I haven't lost hope :o)
I had fun creating Peppone's little family, even if trying to stick to canon turned out to be something of a headache. None of the kids are named in the books, and even the exact number of siblings is unclear (Guareschi usually wrote "six" at some point); I took my cue from the films, especially the first two, in which we see little Marco, his slightly older brother Beppo (who escapes from his city school in the second film), an older little girl and a taller boy. (Turns out there was a fifth child in one scene, a tiny mite I hadn't even spotted till now.) And Libero Antonio Camillo Lenin, who's born in the summer of 1946, just at the beginning of the first film :D So - just to keep everything straight - in my stories (and headcanon), in early 1944, Tonino is 9, Lucia is 7, Beppo is 4 and Marco is 2. On with the story now.
Title: Between the Mountains and the Plains
Fandom: Giovanni Guareschi's The Little World of Don Camillo stories
Genre: Humour/drama
Rating: G
Summary: We only ever get hints in the books and films of what Don Camillo's and Peppone's clandestine activities were during the German occupation. Here's my take on the idea.
Chapter: 4. Whoever saves one life...
Giosuè
May 1944
Rain had started to fall before dawn and it was still coming down in buckets when Don Camillo left the church after morning Mass. He had barely taken off his hat when he heard a faint rapping at the rectory door.
When he opened the door, there was nobody in sight. Then he looked down, and saw a child.
“Are you Don Camillo?” said a small, somewhat trembling voice.
Don Camillo nodded, too surprised by his find to do anything else at first. Then he opened the door wide, picked up the boy, and then closed the door quickly.
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(The rest of the chapter is here - it was too long for LJ.)
This is probably my favourite chapter, to tell the truth. I had a sudden inspiration for it as I reached the middle of chapter 2, and I just had to write it right away. I just hope that I did everything justice, and that you like reading it :o)