I feel bad about letting you down and leaving you in the lurch like this. P.S. Let me know if you want anything on the inside.
In Name of the Heel
Arturo’s father had two watches, the one he usually wore on his wrist, and the other he kept in a bowl with loose change up on the commode in his room.
One day, at school, Arturo told the boys in his class his father had given him a watch as a present, but no one believed him. “It’s true,” he said. “He’s got a lot of watches, but one of them he doesn’t wear. He said I could have it.”
As if to prove it, Arturo described the watches, the one with luminous dial and date, and the other that did not have a luminous dial but still showed the date.
“You’re lying,” said one of the boys.
“I’m not,” he said. “I’m telling tell you my dad’s got lots of watches. He doesn’t need all of them. He gave one to me.”
Arturo’s classmate was going to say something else, but just then the teacher came in and they had to sit down to their lessons.
When Arturo got home from school, his mother was in the kitchen, preparing lunch. He put his satchel down in the hall. His mother called to him. “Don’t forget to wash your hands.”
Instead of washing his hands, Arturo went into his parent’s room.
The commode was on the far side of the room. Arturo could not see the top of the commode, so he climbed on the chair next to it. The watch was in its usual place in the bowl of loose change.
Arturo picked up the watch and sat down on the chair to look at it.
He was still looking at the watch when his sister appeared at the door. “What are you doing looking at dad’s watch?” she said. “I’ll tell mum.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Yes, I will.”
Arturo put the watch back and got down from the chair, but it was too late. His sister was already in the kitchen telling on him.
“Arturo was looking at dad’s watch.”
“You’re talking rubbish,” he said.
“I saw you,” his sister said. “I saw you standing on the chair.”
His mother looked at him. “Why were you doing that?”
“I wasn’t looking at the watch,” he said. “I was looking at the photo of you and papa. Was it taken before I was born?”
His mother looked at him hard. “Well,” she said. “Did you remember to wash your hands?”
His sister was gloating and he wanted to hit her, but he had been told not to hit girls.
The following day, at school, Arturo’s classmate asked him about his watch.
All day long, he teased Arturo, pointing to his wrist. “Look at my watch,” he said. “Go on! Look at it!”
“I have got a watch,” Arturo said.
“I don’t see it,” the boy said. “It must be a figment of your imagination.”
Arturo went red with rage, but he could not do anything about it. The boy knew he was lying. Arturo swore he would prove the point and wipe the smile off the boy’s face.
That evening, over dinner, Arturo asked to see his father’s watch. His father, who was in a good mood, took off his watch and gave it to him.
Covering the watch with his hand so he could see the luminous dial, Arturo said to his father:
“Papa, will you buy me a watch?”
His father, who was tucking into a piece of bread dipped in meat sauce, did not answer. Arturo thought he had not heard him, so he asked again:
“Papa, will you buy me a watch?”
His father put down his bread and reached across the table. Arturo flinched. The blow had caught him on the cheek.
Later, as his mother came to tuck him up, he asked about the watch. “Mum, why can’t I have a watch?”
His mother said:
“You must listen to what your father says.”
That would have been the end of it, but the following week his father went away. While his mother was busy in the kitchen, Arturo seized his chance and went into his parent’s room. He pulled the chair up to the commode, took the watch out of the bowl and pocketed it.
It was the watch with the luminous dial. Arturo realised his father must have been wearing the other watch for a change.
During the night, he put the watch on and stared at the luminous dial under the bedclothes.
In the morning, when he woke, he felt the watch on his wrist. He was still smiling to himself when his sister came into the room. “What are you smiling about?” She said.
“Nothing,” he replied.
The watch was on his hand under the bedclothes. “Well,” she said. “You better get up or we’ll be late for school.”
He left the watch under his pillow and went to wash. After he had dressed, he pocketed the watch and picked up his school bag.
Arturo walked into class with the watch on his wrist. He took it off and cupped his hands so his classmates could see the luminous dial. Just then, the boy who had not believed him came up and tried to grab it.
The teacher came into the class; Arturo was shouting:
“Give me back my watch!”
Arturo was in disgrace. His mother came to pick him up from school. Arturo had wanted to explain, but his mother sent him to his room.
Only later, in the evening, did she appear to relent when his sister came to call him to dinner.
While he was eating his vegetables, his mother said:
“Arturo, you must promise me you will never do that again.”
Arturo was silent.
“Do you promise?”
“You won’t tell papa,” he said.
She sighed and looked at him. “Arturo, you must be a good boy, you hear.”
Arturo nodded and went to kiss his mother on the cheek.
“Now promise me,” she said, “you won’t take that watch of dad’s.”
Arturo’s father had returned from his business trip. They sat down to dinner. His mother brought over the first course. Arturo’s sister poured wine into his father’s glass. She mixed the wine as he liked it with a little sparkling water.
They were all ready to tuck in when his father began to say grace. But Arturo could not wait. – It was home-made macaroni – Arturo’s favourite! He picked up his knife and fork.
A hand reached across the table.
SLAP!
Arturo was sent to his room in disgrace.
A few days later, Arturo’s father was looking for his watch, but he could not find it. “Where’s my watch gone?” he cried. “Has anyone seen it?”
They all started looking for the watch, all except Arturo, that is, who remained sitting in front of the TV.
“Someone has taken it,” said his father. “Has anyone been in the flat while I have been away?”
“Beppe,” said his mother. “No one has been here. How could anyone steal your watch when we have all been at home? You probably put it somewhere else.”
“It’s always been in that bowl on the commode.”
“Maybe you left it in the office.”
“Wife, I am not in the habit of leaving valuables in that den of thieves.”
“Have you tried your briefcase?”
“Of course!”
“Your jacket pockets?”
“A hundred times!”
“Well,” said his father, finally turning to Arturo, “what about it? Have you seen my watch?”
Arturo shook his head.
His father grabbed him by the arm.
Arturo went kicking and screaming into his room. “If you don’t tell me where the watch is,” his father said, “I’ll give you the worst hiding of your life.”
“I swear I haven’t got your watch.”
What Arturo said was strictly true; he did not have his father’s watch. When he had thrown it off the balcony, a man passing in the street had picked the watch up and pocketed it.
All through the worst hiding of his life, Arturo told himself: “I’m not the thief. He is.”