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rest' like ancient paladins... but you tremble... why do you tremble?" I asked, turning my head a little.

"I didn't tremble. I giggled. I giggled. Keep going."

"When we entered, we stopped in out tracks, there was a moment of silence. Then we began our tour and the 'Ave Marias' started again.' My heart broke when the American cousin stuffed a piece of paper in the bag, I knew the paper was worth more than the pennies I usually collected. Jackie and I were about to go back to the sacristy when the cousin stretched out his arm again towards the bag: 'You have already given' I said to him in a low voice. And he: 'There are two of you. One each.' he smiled. We rushed to the sacristy to look: two dollar bills! The next day, first to show up punctually at 4 in the chapel, again the cousin of America gave us 2 dollars; and so the next day and for all the ten days he stayed in San Michele."

"And what did you do with all that money?" 

"We bought many packs of candles, many boxes of wax. The rest we gave to the parish priest for the poor children. But first we offered each other a double ice cream. We had decided it was not a shame to use some church money: after all we had worked a lot to put the chapel back in order and to persuade everyone to come every day to say the rosary."

"I'm sure Our Lady del Rosario will have approved of the double ice cream." 

"I think so too. When I wasn't playing Indians, I was always in the chapel cleaning or praying that summer. But, how stupid I was then! I let my big brothers persuade me to be tied to a log as an Indian prisoner and after a few dances around the tree those cowards left me tied up like salami. I don't know how long it took before Stefano heard my screams and came to free me. You know, even now...