The drive back to zia Maria’s house was different since I hadn’t done much driving at night. I followed Claudio as we sped along secondary roads; twisty narrow and wet secondary roads with only our headlights to light the way. On either side of the road, rows upon rows of tall corn. I wondered aloud what it would be like to turn sharply off the road and drive through it. “Don’t you dare” said my father, taking the threat seriously – I’m convinced he thinks I’m crazy. I seized the opportunity and egged him on. “But I’ve seen them do it in the movies; we should try it! It looks like fun. What could go wrong?” But then dad pulled a reverse on me when he said “I don’t need to try that again.” Again? What was he talking about?
Dad begain to tell the story of how one night he and his friends, Renzo, Egidio and Severino among them, were out driving when they spotted a rabbit in the middle of the road. Thinking of his hungry stomach, the driver hit the gas and aimed his weapon. Thump! Mission
The rabbit was skinned and brought to a local restaurant where it was prepared for the group. After dinner, full of rabbit and polenta…and wine, the group decided to try and get another rabbit in the same way. They headed for some open cornfields and tried to run a few down but they weren’t having any luck. When he got home, dad washed the car to get rid of the muddy “evidence”. He didn’t need the mud on the car to connect him with the fresh skid marks in the field.
CSI Friuli…cue soundtrack!
Okay, now we know when all this rabbit business started! I would put a bet that your father was the one who skinned the rabbit!
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