When the Night by Cristina Comencini Page A

mother disappears for an hour, to them it’s as if she’d left forever. They think she won’t come back, that they’ve been abandoned. There’s nothing more terrifying.”
    The brother is staring at me with interest.
    “Did you study child psychology?”
    Psychology! Albert has lost his mind. I just told him what she did to her son.
    “No, but when I was pregnant with Marco I read a lot of books. I wanted to be ready to be a mother. It’s the same for men too. Do you have children?”
    “Yes, three. Two boys and a girl.”
    “Do they live here at the lodge?”
    “Yes.”
    “They must not have many friends to play with up here.”
    “They don’t really need them. When they go to school they play among themselves. We grew up the same way.”
    “Do you have good memories?”
    “We were free, and we could go wherever we liked.”
    What is she aiming at? And Albert keeps answering her questions.
    You thought you’d defeated me, you bastard, but you don’t know me. Marco holds his fork out to me and offers me some cold spaghetti.
    “Thank you, my darling, but I’m not hungry.”
    Keep talking to the brother, Marina, just act like he doesn’t exist.
    “You’re right. They’re free here, and the air is clean, and it’s quiet.”
    I’ll make you shut up, you foolish woman.
    “Exactly. The dangers lie in the city, in people’s homes.”
    Don’t look at him, don’t answer. Just ignore him.
    “Manfred helped me when Marco hurt his head. He must have told you. He drove us to the hospital and took care of us. I was in such a terrible state! I couldn’t remember anything and I could barely speak. I must not have made a very good impression! I was so afraid that he was badly hurt! I’m so grateful for his help. And now he’s brought us here. It’s a beautiful spot. Isolated but beautiful. I wonder if I could live in a place like this. Does your wife enjoy living here?”
    “She’s used to it.”
    “Is she one of the two women behind the bar?”
    “Yes, the one with the dark hair.”
    “Excuse me, I need to change Marco. He’s wet. Where can I take him?”
    “The bathroom is downstairs. Take the stairs by the door.”
    I pick up the boy and squeeze him in my arms as I walk between the tables. My boy.
    “MANFRED, DO YOU want to send away every woman you meet? You should see a doctor.”
    “She’s just playing the role of the good mother for your benefit. That’s all she does all day long. Albert, listen to me: I came into the kitchen, the baby was on the floor, out cold, lying in broken glass, with blood on his head. And she was hiding.”
    “She was terrified, like she said.”
    “Just think for a moment: the baby cried, she screamed, then there was a bang, and then nothing.”
    “Something similar happened to Bianca.”
    “What?”
    “Silvia cries all the time, as you know. She’s the youngest, the only girl, and we spoil her. One day Bianca spanked her and she started to cry. She wouldn’t stop. She ran away, crying, slipped, and banged her head. I found Bianca sitting on a chair staring at her. Blood was pouring out of the child’s head.”
    “And what if you’d been outside, banging on the door like crazy? Wouldn’t Bianca have opened the door?”
    “Manfred, forget about it. That woman has read all sorts of books, she knows more than you or I. You haven’t gotten over what happened with Luna.”
    “Explain this to me: I walk off with her baby and leave her on the mountain by herself and she yells at us to wait for her. But now she strolls in, perfectly calm. Even thanks me for carrying him up here and feeding him. ‘So kind of you,’ she says.”
    “So?”
    “She has something to hide. If someone did that with one of my children, I’d punch him.”
    “Because you’re crazy, Manfred. That’s why Luna left you.”
    “YOU’RE ALL WET, even your pants! But your cheeks are nice and pink.”
    “Pink.”
    “Yes, pink! Were you scared without your mamma?”
    He stares at me