Che Guevara and his love affair with Prague’s SOPRANO (Ukázka, strana 99)

and success was largely due to him. Wasn’t that enough of a reason to merit their help now? He had helped so many people on the verge of starvation, wasn’t it natural that they help him now at this critical time. He was going to be shot, damn it.

He sent a message to the four smugglers through his wife. It simply said “Help!”

Most of them weren’t even willing to listen to her. It was too dangerous, they said. Exhausted and disillusioned by her lack of success her last resort was Michail, who used to regularly give them ducks as gifts. “Yes, Michail has to help me,” Juana said to herself. She didn’t know where he lived but knowing that he came from the south she searched all the villages of the south, with an almost saintly dedication, knowing that her husband’s life depended on her success.

She visited dozens of small villages, going into the inns asking if any one knew a blonde smuggler called Michail. After many days of searching she finally found him; he lived on a farm no to far from Michulov. She got on her bicycle and rode to the village, which was several kilometers away. She reached the house at midday and the front door was open so she went in.

“Hello, hello is anyone home?”

She knocked but no one answered. She went around to the back of the house and found Michail sitting on the patio with a cup of tea in his hand, reading an old newspaper that someone had brought from Vienna. She stood there waiting for him to invite her to take a seat. Several seconds passed before he acknowledged her. He made a sign for her to approach, without taking his eyes off the newspaper. He finally got up and extended his hand.

“What a surprise Juana! Come let’s go to the dining room. My wife and children are out. They will be back later, they went shopping to Don Marcelo’s shop.

She followed behind him and sat down, looking around the room. It was a giant storeroom. There were sausages hanging from the ceiling, whole hams and strings of garlic. A good sized piece of cheese was on the table and looking at all this food made her suddenly hungry. She had a yearning to bite the whole piece of cheese as if she were a mouse. As if he read her mind he cut a piece of bread, a piece of cheese and several slices of ham and served them to her on a plate.

“Help yourself.”

She timidly took the bread and cheese and made herself a sandwich, closing her eyes and biting into it.

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“Its good, isn’t it?” he said without looking at her.

She chewed slowly savouring the unexpected delicacy. She looked at him, asking permission to cut another piece. He nodded and she cut herself another piece although this time it was smaller. She didn’t want to give the impression she was dying of hunger. But with Ricardo in jail things weren’t going well and the daily rations were never enough. And of course they didn’t include sausages or ham.

“I had been waiting for you,” he said.

She looked at him timidly. She was tired. She had ridden more than twenty kilometers on the bicycle to get there and she was exhausted. The upsetting events of the last few days had ravaged her face which was marked with dark rings under her eyes. Her hair was a mess and it had been a few days since she had last bathed. She sensed that she smelled bad but it didn’t matter.

“Ricardo, it’s about my husband Ricardo,” she said.

“Do you want some tea?”

“Yes, please.”

“Have some more cheese and bread. It will do you good. Calm down, relax.

Yes, these are difficult times for everyone.” But in fact they weren’t that bad for him. He had what no one else could obtain: food, medicines and even American dollars. He was smart because he sold his goods to both factions sending one truck north and the other one south.

What was the secret to his success? He had a special pass that classified him as part of the “organization” which gave him many privileges. One of those was that it allowed him and his vehicles to cross the road-blocks without having to answer any questions. Those were the orders. He got a good price for his merchandise and since his meeting with Ricardo, he donated one fourth of all the food he obtained to the hungriest people in the area, so he was loved by all.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He was heavyset, around fifty, with white hair and his wrinkled face suggested he was a man who didn’t shy away from a fight. His eyes were covered by thick glasses and they had and inquisitive look to them. His hands weren’t those of a labourer, he was the kind who had others do the dirty work for him. They were tidy and you could tell he took care of them. He wore a black shirt and grey trousers, which had seen little use and had recently been laundered and ironed. His feet were clothed in rabbit fur slippers and she noticed he didn’t wear socks.

“Here, have a little wine. It’s from the vineyards of the area. It’s very good, it

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goes well with the cheese.”

She accepted and without realizing it she drank the whole cup in one go. It had been a while since she drank wine, and she had always liked it. He refilled her glass. This time she drank it more slowly, chewing a piece of bread and cheese.

She relaxed, she felt the anguish fall away. This man deserved her trust. She thought of Ricardo.

“My husband,” she said.

“Yes, Officer Ricardo. He is in a bind. A neighbour denounced him. He committed the grave error of lending her money. It is a common trick to denounce someone you owe money to.”

His words left her cold. She trembled with anger. She couldn’t believe that their neighbour Tania could have denounced him. She was her best friend and she had been the one that had convinced Ricardo to lend her the money. In a way his detention was her fault. She had said she had many debts and that she needed the money to buy coal and medicines because her two sons were sick.

She closed her eyes. He refilled her glass again.

“Please, if you don’t help him he will be shot,“ she said her voice faltering. “I know it is unfair to ask you to intercede and ask the authorities for a reprieve but he doesn’t deserve to be shot. All he has to do is survive a few more months because the war will end soon and if he survives until then he will be set free. At least have them postpone the execution for a few months. That will be enough. That’s all I ask. Please,” she pleaded, “remember everything he did for you.”

He didn’t reply, but she was right. Half of the goods he obtained came from the military zone controlled by Ricardo. Without his help he couldn’t have made the fortune he had accumulated in jewels and gold, which he had buried in the stables. Ricardo could have denounced him at any time and then he would be the one in Ricardo’s position. The smuggling and movement of goods with army vehicles that were not authorized to be on the road after curfew was penalized with death, and his trucks moved around freely in zone four well after midnight. Except on one or two occasions, they had never been searched.

“It will be difficult but I promise to do everything I can to prevent his execution.

Yes, I will do the impossible. He could have denounced me but on the contrary he helped me. Besides he is young, I love him like a son. I will talk with Commander Komarek tomorrow to stop or at least postpone the execution.

He owes me certain favours. And you are right this damned war will end soon.

Ukázka elektronické knihy, UID: KOS213317