Madam. Eve's break is finally over, there's no need for Bella to babysit anyway, she's fine now Bella took enough clothes for days because Miss Donatti's house is far away and they might have to stay there for a long time, Madam. Eve suddenly raided the room, where do you think you're going before telling me, you want to put me in the lunatic asylum!! If someone has to get in there and stay there forever, it's you.
Bella replied with a voice that could almost be heard, calm down, madam, please, I would never do such a thing, who told you that?
Father Giovanni went to the doctor yesterday and this surprise was waiting for him !? you want to get rid of me, Do you know something, I don't blame you, I pity you, your delusional mind always misleads you and gets you into trouble. I pray you don't end up in a mental hospital, or you know what? If I ever hear delusions like the ones you uttered to Father Giovanni, that Stella is my daughter. I will take you myself to one of these hospitals.
Bella's patience has completely come to an end. Excuse me, my lady, if you do not believe me, you should see the doctor yourself, and you should know that even if I want to put you in one of these hospitals, I can't, and if you are sick, so what is wrong with that, you are sacrificing your health for what? If any of us is delusional, it is you, madam. You and Father Giovanni are afraid of people more than the Lord Himself and now will you excuse me?
Bella went without waiting for an answer. If she would allow Madam Eve to speak, she wont stop all day, she also wants to keep it a secret.
Bella thought, How could Father Giovanni know, um, that's easy. Everything is easy for this bastard. Surely he used his power. He must have filled the doctor's mind with lies. It doesn't matter. But if he and Madam. Eve wasn't hiding something about Stella, why bother with my ridiculous accusation, they're hiding something, I can smell it. Bella continued her possibilities, she deleted one possibility and added another until she got to Paolo's house.
Paolo was surprised to see her early. I see you have prepared your equipment, you look determined to go.
yeah, Paolo, yeah let's not waste another minute, I'm fed up with all These secrets.
don't you want me to make you breakfast? at least a cup of coffee, you don't look good.
No, Paolo, you can prepare whatever you want in Miss Donatti's house. As soon as they are on the road, Bella returns to their inquiries. Do you know Paolo, she scolds me.
Madam. Eve this morning.
Paolo replied sarcastically, is that surprising?
you are so cheerful this morning as always, but what I meant, Paolo, is that she scolded me about Stella, I asked Father Giovanni if Stella was Madam Eve's daughter, I had to be sure but he told her and she got upset, she wouldn't scold me if she had nothing to hide if it didn't matter them, why did he tell her?
That devil, no one knows what he's hiding. Anyway, here we are at Miss Donatti's house. Remember not to ask your nosy questions, please. Paulo knocked on the door, and as soon as he opened the door, Bella took a few steps back, froze in her place, and left Miss Donatti's hand hanging in the air, any fool can see the resemblance, she looks like someone she knows well, that can't be a coincidence, that hair The dark blackness that hangs over her forehead, the drops of sweat that accompany the confusion of the first encounters. Bella had witnessed this mixture of those brown eyes with the same deep look. Oh my God, it's the same innocent look that Miss Donatti still gives her, she knows that look more than she knows herself. Bella extended her hand to shake Miss Donatti's hand apologising to her after she arranged her thoughts. she tried to fake regret in her voice, I'm sorry. Miss Donatti interrupted her. It's okay honey, come on in, I've already made breakfast, would you like to join me?
Paolo answered for both of them. Yes miss, I told Bella about your food, she always wanted to try it, right Bella? He asked her to focus her attention and he noticed her wanderings.
Yes, yes, Paolo, for sure. It's an honour.
Miss Maria said Bella tried to notice her facial expressions if she was confused or rattled, but she remained steadfast as a stone. Either she trained a lot to keep her secret, or she was innocent of Bella's suspicions.
And you too, Bella. Paulo told me a lot about you. I always wanted to meet the girl who charmed his heart. She said that and retreated as if she had unintentionally revealed a secret, but I was very surprised that you decided to trust me. the rumours in this town, Bella interrupted her, that all it's, man, rumours, I do not like to sell them, each of us has his impression, it is not wise, however, to follow such misleading judgments as Giovanni's, he is to compete with the devil.
that troubled Miss Donatti to finally confirm Bella's suspicions, if that was the case, if there was a relationship of some kind between them, that all the evidence she need to indicate that she was Paolo's mother, it must be that hidden thing that linked her to this town, it is clear that Paolo did not suspect or even Think about it.
At the same time, Miss Donatti had gathered herself and said okay Bella if you've finished your breakfast, let's move to the living roomPaolo told me but I would like to hear from you in more detail.
Well, miss, all I remember is that I was lost and alone in the woods, losing all memory of even my name for a week, more or less, I don't know if many animals accompanied me, or if I followed, you understand, I was very disparate. I know, miss, it sounds silly, but I swear to you I'm not making any of this up, as there was Vera, she was my guide during these days, she was a voice without a picture I almost lost my mind, she comes and goes without warning me. I wish it all was a silly dream, but I assure you that it is not like that. She said that and her face got strange and her voice and attitude changed suddenly as if he was defending herself diligently against false accusations.
The lady calmed her down. Well, my dear, I believe you, but I won't promise you would remember something of what happened, only you can and perhaps you will never be able to know, but believe me, it is not a big deal, I assure you I met many during my studies who had similar experiences, and experience teaches a person more than he hopes to learn from any book.
Relax and calm down, my dear. Now tell me more about Vera, for I don't quite understand much.
She is not a person, she has a voice that comes and goes as it wills, I called her Vera, but I never knew what it was.
So it's not a voice in your head, but outside, you hear it as if it were another person but you don't see it?
correct..yes that's exactly what it was.
Could Vera be you but her suggestions and thoughts were against everything you knew, so you pictured her as someone else? your inner voice trying to break free from its chains, the part that wants to take care of you, you alone?? Is that possible, Bella?
I had never thought of her like this before, although she suggested things that I did not like, she always had my best interest even if I did not like the method, meaning that the end justifies the means for her. As for me, Bella, I think about others a lot.
Do you still hear it, my dear Bella?
I heard it once or twice after I got home but now it's gone, it's gone, it has a habit, as I said, to disappear suddenly, but this is the longest it goes, I think it's gone forever, Bella's voice shook like a sail on a stormy night, she seemed to tremble Involuntarily, but she did not notice it, one could smell her fear and tension for no reason, she felt threatened, her memory returned to the first moments when she woke up in the woods, Miss Donatti has noticed and Paolo as well, so they stopped talking, so did Bella.
she was lying on the sofa, she got up suddenly and fixed her gaze on one corner of the room. A girl was sitting across from her. She had never been there before. My God, she is so familiar. Bella has a bad memory of shapes, and places, but not sounds. She can't forget a voice she had never heard.
Miss Donatti and Paolo watched with great attention what was going on, but they could only see an empty corner. Bella spoke to her in a voice full of fear, "Who are you?" she snatched a peek at Paolo, don't you see her, she's sitting there. Don't you know her?
Paolo kept silent because he didn't see anything. Miss Donatti intervened. We'll come back to her later Bella. She was sure that now Bella is seeing Vera. She separated herself from herself. She didn't want to admit that they were two sides of the same coin.
Bella, did you say that Vera disappeared? The girl in the corner smiled slyly at Bella, not quite, hey Bella you were a good girl so there was no need for me but I was always here, and soon she was gone Bella suddenly shouted Vera, it's Vera I see her now, and lost her consciousness.
Bella woke up and the sun was about to go down, Paolo was sitting next to her, Oh Paolo, thank God you are here I had a nightmare, I saw Vera, she was...
It wasn't a nightmare, Bella.
The miss handed her a cup of tea that she was carrying. Here you go, Bella. It might help you relax. Bella drank her tea and quickly returned to continue her journey, Miss Donatti this all gave me a headache, but I want to get over it, that's better, I'd rather tell you everything at once.
Don't worry, Paolo just told me everything, Bella, your brain is trying to tell you something, you don't have to be afraid of Vera, although it's not normal to see and hear someone like that you were under a lot of pressure, maybe that's the only way your mind has found to warn you from something unusual has happened, or it may happen sometimes that our mind is trying to protect us from ourselves or from something we have witnessed or committed.
and that is the problem, not Vera. All that matters now is to find out what happened to you there, and to Stella too, all things trace back to Stella.
you said you saw a fox, Are you so sure? maybe you didn't see, maybe it's your brain again trying to send you a signal? Do you have any cunning person in your life?
Yes, Madam. Eve sure.
No, Bella, Mrs. Eve, though cruel, is plain, and from what I understand you pay her no attention, disobey her orders and such, she may hide things, we all do, but she is generally a good person, she can never be crafty, think a little.
I told you Madame Eve, but I don't know anyone else. I met PaoloLater, and the old man, yes the old man was kind to me though Madam. Eve used himFor all her threats, he would never do anything wrong to me, I'm sure of that.
Paolo moved his hand across his chin and said only Stella left, from what I understood that you loved her so much that you would follow her into that forest. Is it possible that you lack memories of her because you did not know her that well? Isn't that logical?
Good Paolo, that's logical thinking.
Bella agreed, yes, this is logical, my feelings always blind my insight, so this may be logical, but the most important question remains, what happened to Stella?? Where did she go? Why doesn't anyone talk about her? Anyway, Miss Donatti, Who is Stella?
Sure, Bella, how can you ask that, everyone knows she's Madam. Eve's daughter.
Bella paced the room back and forth, I told you, Paolo, it was!! They are hiding something. Is she her daughter or not? She cannot be her daughter. If she were, I would not be there. I know for sure that I am not her daughter, and we have previously decided that it is a mutual benefit.
She benefits from me and I do too. This is very understandable and acceptable. but that could mean one thing, Stella and I knew each other before Madam Eve, but how?
Let's leave this question for tomorrow, it's late, don't stress your mind too much thinking come on Bella, I'll get you a place to sleep but Bella had one last question gnawing at her, if you think a fox is some kind of sign, then what is a snake, but that was real I know for surePaolo replied before Miss Donatti could answer, that it was a kind of snake that lives by the deserted bank of the river, I'll take you there tomorrow Bella, you might remember something.
Miss Donatti prepared a room for them, and she apologised that she had only one guest room.
The house is big and full of empty rooms and no one lives here but her. Is she afraid that I might see something I'm not supposed to? Bella wondered!
Paolo, we have to get up early tomorrow morning and go to the river bank without missing a beat.
Well, but why without her, even though she won't go because she only leaves the house for work or something necessary, but are you suspicious of her too, Bella?! You are unbelievable!
I know you disagree with me but I don't trust her. I can't risk telling you yet you have to give me some time but I promise I will tell you as soon as I'm sure.
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