Antonio Mondavi, Vodacce Swordsman

We met Antonio on a recent trip to Vodacce, he's a very personable, likable fellow. We invited him to join us, and I was very glad he accepted. Seems far too preoccupied with sisters cousins and aunts though! B.

My name is Antonio Mondavi. I am from a great family that rules the north east of my beautiful country - Vodacce. I was born three and twenty years ago, the first male child for my parents after they have three girls. I was much spoilt because of this when I was small, and so I have always been a bit - as you say - cocky, also to survive the teasings of three older sisters much cockiness must be developed.

My father, he look after the grapevines in the hills - make the best wine in all Vodacce. So we live in big villa on big estate with beautiful hills and trees and vines everywhere. We have many horses and I learn to ride very young.

I am always very fast, even as small child. I run everywhere and climb everything - walls, trees, towers - anything I could make hold. Two years after me, my brother come. Michelangelo. When Mickey was three years old he got very sick and after he could not walk properly. He had very bad limp in right leg, and I am always waiting for him to catch up. But I would wait because I love my brother. He is so smart, he has all the brains in the family. He learn to read and write when he was very, very young.

My mother had sister who never married and she lived in our villa with us. Every day she make me and my brother sit down and she would teach us words and numbers and how great our family and our country was, and about all the Vaticine Church and religion. She would frighten us and tell us if we did not be good, the witches would come and give us their stumpana - the evil eye, and we would shrivel up and die. I hated it. I wanted to run and be outside and play. But afterwards my brother Mickey would talk like my aunt and make her face. But exactly. I would laugh till my face was wet with tears. When I grow up I see my aunt is Sorte Strega - a witch - herself. I am glad I not know this when I am small!

When I am seven, I discover that not all girls are like my sisters. My father has older brother who is the head of the Mondavi family. My uncle is a prince and he live on island in the south in big city, but he has a villa close by he sometimes stay in the summer. He is short, round and quiet. But he demand great respect. Many years after, I find out he is one of the best swordsman in all of Vodacce. He and his first wife had three sons all older than me, Vincenzo, Paulo, and Stephano. His wife die before I was born and my uncle married again to a younger woman. They have a little girl one year after I was born.

On my seventh birthday, my mother and father made me a big party. All my cousins and people from the village are all there. I remember my sisters talking to some boys from the village and my father and aunt always standing close by to them and watching. Mickey was next to me, leaning on a special wooden crutch my cousin Vincenzo made for him. Then my uncle and his family came in and I saw little Isabella. Her face was scrubbed and her dark wavy hair was in pigtails and she wore a pretty yellow dress with flowers on it and she was so beautiful my seven year old heart broke into little pieces.

I have loved my cousin ever since.

When I am twelve years old, my uncle ask my father if he want me to train with my cousins in fighting with the sword. My father agree and I am very, very happy. I will stay at my uncle's for three weeks and home for one. I will be outside and training and jumping and I will see Isabella almost every day. Mickey was sad at first, but he have his books and his history and numbers. And soon he become very good horseman, and can come and visit me with my family.

When I first see city my eyes could not believe it. It is so big! We come on boat and see city from water. Big cliffs and on top many buildings look like sitting on top of each other. When we stop I see all streets like rivers with boats and many people. But we go straight to my uncle's villa. He live way on top of hill and look down on all the city,

And so four years pass. I train all day, first two hours with my uncle himself teaching us, then the rest of the day with different sword masters and trainers. I remember the first rule my uncle tell us. In a fight use anything and everything to make sure you win and it is not you lying dead in your blood. Let those stupid Montaigne prance and prune when they fight, they will not look so pretty when their brains are smashed in because you hit them from behind. I liked my uncle, he was tough but always fair with us.

In the evenings I would play boccale with my older cousins, or sit and talk and laugh with Isabella. She have a wonderful laugh. Her eyes so dark and shine so bright. She like me too, but when I try to hold her hand she gently pull it away. I think she was very much afraid what her family would say. So at night I would lie in my bed and dream of Isabella's breasts.

Soon after I was sixteen my mother surprise everyone with new baby, my little sister Carmelina, and me I made my first visit to the lower city with my cousins. There I fell in love again, this time with the city itself. The smells, the food, the taverns, the theatres, the merchants, the people and the people's daughters. Especially the people's daughters. I never saw so many pretty girls one after the other. Tall, short, skinny, fat - they were all beautiful. And all very much guarded by fathers and brothers. My cousins showed me all of the city, and all the places where girls were not as closely guarded by their family.

But everywhere in Vodacce you risk your life to even look at a girl. It make me very depressed. One day, when I was still sixteen, I realized my troubles was not my love of women, but women are not free to give themselves to me. It was the fathers and the brothers I should be rid of. When I see this I at once become great supporter for freedom of women. All women should be free to love who they want - especially me!

But soon I have waiting for me a big heartbreak. My beautiful Isabella is to marry the son of a powerful merchant family. His name is Consilgio Clemenza and he is ancient. He is twenty-six years old. I could not believe it. They cannot do this! What will happen to me?! The wedding was to be very soon. I knew Isabella was not happy but she was a good girl and would do as her father wishes. I could not stop it and soon that Clemenza bastard came and took my Isabella away.

I drown my sorrows after by pushing myself more in my training and by many trips to the city. I chase girls, drink and fight in taverns, learn to dress for the ladies and risk my neck with many midnight rendezvous. I get away with much more than other young men because my family connection. But of course, some day I have to get myself in trouble.

One day when I was eighteen I was in tavern drinking and teasing waitress who work there. She was laughing and I was having fun but a boy took insult to what I said. He was young - younger than me even - drunk, and I think he liked the girl. He asked me to go outside with him and fight him. I did not want to go and in my drunken state I pulled my sword. I wanted to make a fool of him and send him on his way but he panicked when he saw my sword and went to grab his own. I remember thinking I will disarm him and make his pants fall down, it will be a great joke. He pulled out his sword, swung forward and tripped. I was drunker than I thought and did not move quick. He fell, my sword gone through his throat. I felt cold sickness in my stomach. I seen dead men before - some by my hand, but not stupid death of boy still green like this.

Boy's family have no money so I pay to bury him. But I promise myself I never kill anyone again unless I mean it.

My uncle did not speak much to his other cousins. They all have their own lands and fight among themselves but he leaves them alone and they leave him alone. He has one cousin he likes OK who is big merchant and owns many ships. My father and my uncle agree to send me to work on one ship. Will make me grow up, they said. I did not complain and wanted away from there myself.

I stay on ship three years, go on many journeys and learn much. I make friends with Eisen man on ship - very big man - and he teach me his language and I teach him Vodacce. Hard work make me strong and sun make me very brown and I practice still with the sword every day and learn to shoot the pistol. Life is good but one thing, no women on ship only in ports. Sometimes there are many weeks without women. Drive me crazy. Some men on ship like each other. Lucky them I think, but me, no women make me depressed.

So I say goodbye to friends and leave ship in Montaigne. For two years I travel Montaigne (women are beautiful but very snobbish, wine not bad but not as good as Vodacce wine), Eisen (not long in Eisen, not much to see except mud) , Castille (people are nice but too much Church) and back to Vodacce.

My family is very happy to see me. Mickey now helps my father look after the wine. It is already even better wine than before. My father not say much but I see he is glad to see me. He tell me now I am back I will work with the family. My older sisters are married and have children. Marianna, the oldest is Sorte Strega. She live in villa now not very far. Other sisters live in cities on south islands with husbands' families. Carmelina is now seven, and she look exactly like Isabella when I first see her. My heart still ache when I remember Isabella. Then my mother tell me Isabella is visiting her family in the summer villa. The boys are in the city - they are all married now, but my uncle and aunt are with Isabella and her husband. I ask my mother how is Isabella and my mother's eyes look up and she shrug her shoulders. She is not look good, my mothers says, she always look sick and she never have any children.

When my mother tell me this I feel like I eat big rock in my stomach. I think tomorrow I go and visit.

My uncle is happy to see me. He say I look pretty strong, but am I still practicing with the sword every day. I say of course, and he say I will have to show him if I can beat my old uncle yet. I go inside and say hello to my aunt and then I look and see Isabella sitting quiet in big chair. I do not see that Clemenza bastard anywhere so I walk over to say hello. She is dressed all in black and looks pale and very tired with black under her eyes. I think my heart will break then she sees me and smiles and I see a little bit of the old Isabella in her eyes.

It is hard for me to talk of this so I will not say too much.

Clemenza left that morning to go back to business. Isabella begged him for her to stay a few more days because she does not much see her family. She said he said yes because her father was not far away, but she will be in trouble now when she is home. But she said she does not care. I take her outside for us to walk in the sun. She ask me many questions what I do, where I go. I tell her everything. Working on ship, many travels, many countries. She ask if I have many girlfriends and I say no she is still my only one and she laughs and I say no it is true. I ask her many times what she is doing and she not say anything.

When sun go down we go inside and eat with uncle and aunt. After we talk some more then Isabella say she is very tired and will go to bed. She say thank you to me and she have very nice time today. When Isabella go to bed my uncle and aunt not look happy. They no say anything but I know they are very worried. Soon they go to bed too.

I sit in my chair and drink wine and think about Isabella. After time I go upstairs to my room. But I stop, stand in front of Isabella's door. I stand maybe 10 minute then start to walk away. I hear a voice call soft - Antonio. I open Isabella's door quiet and I see Isabella sitting in her bed, light very bright from full moon outside. She look at me, I come closer I see she is crying. I sit on the bed next to her and she tell me everything.

She has been like prisoner in her home. She cannot go outside, she cannot talk to anyone, she cannot do anything. Then she tell me worse. That bastard Clemenza is sick in the head. He like to hurt her. He not have sex with her, but he stick things inside her - sometimes hurt her very much. And he cuts her. Little cuts where no one can see. I feel cold, sick, angry. I want to cry, I want to kill that bastard. Then Isabella start crying and she cannot stop. I hold her and she cry like whole body shaking apart. When she stop she look up at me. I cannot help it, I kiss her and she kiss me back. We tear clothes off each other and make love so much passion I think I am to explode! After we lie next to each other, and fall asleep.

Something in my dream wake me up. I move in bed and I hear man scream. I roll quick and sword go through pillow where my head was. I kick hard and I see Clemenza fall over bed and Isabella jump up. I jump for my sword and turn, Clemenza up again aim for my throat. I flick his sword away and aim straight into his heart. He stare at me one second, then fall, dead. I pull out my sword and stand up.

Then new scream from door. My aunt standing there looking at me, naked, my sword dripping. I hear footsteps running down hall. I look at Isabella and she say go! I look last time at breasts I dream for so long and jump out window.

I fall, find my sword and run. I run all night, I don't know why I don't hear my uncle's dogs or guards chasing me. Next day I steal some pants from farm and run again.

When I get home my family already know. My father is so angry. He say his brother is very, very angry. Even Mickey is angry. He say I am incredibly stupid. I not argue. My father say my uncle not kill me. He make up story to Clemenza family. But I must go. If my uncle see me again he will kill me. My mother cry, my brother not speak to me.

My father give me money and I go.

I think my uncle not kill me because he hate that Clemenza bastard too, but I think he mad because I porka his daughter, and make much trouble for him.

I hope one day he forgive me, and I can see my family - especially Isabella.

But I am glad I kill that Clemenza bastard.