A Little History

Palermo/Sicily

For the two years after the Germans were driven out of Sicily, Theo spent his time helping his grandparents in the little bakery. In the afternoon he would go out back and target practice with the various guns and rifles left to him by the German, American and British soldiers he befriended. It was during one of those times he was out back practicing, when a stranger approached him.

“Bravo. Bravo. What a shot. You must be Theodore Gresco,” he said.

“Yes I am,” Theo answered.

“I heard about a boy who could shoot better than anyone around these parts and I wanted to meet him,” he told Theo.

“Why?” asked Theo.

“Well because I fancy myself a good shot as well and I wanted to see if you were better than me,” he responded.

“May I try?” he asked Theo.

“Sure. But you’ll have to pay me for the bullets you use,” Theo told the stranger.

The stranger stared at Theo for a few seconds.

“I tell you what. If you beat me at our little game of target shooting, I will pay for all of the bullets we use. How does that sound?” he asked Theo.

“I don’t want to take all of your money, Mister,” Theo responded.

Laughing the man replied,

“Call me Fredo. I am Mr. Fredo Nicoletta. Perhaps you have heard of me?” he told Theo.

“No, sir. I never heard of you,” Theo responded.

Fredo Nicoletta stood almost six feet and weighed over 200 pounds. His well-groomed black hair and neat blue suit separated him from the town regulars, who for the most part wore dingy work clothes.

Walking up to the nearest rifle he looked down its site and took aim. Gesturing back he told Theo he was going to shoot the bird sitting on top of a fence some 50 meters away.

“No,” shouted Theo.

Fredo turned around and looked at Theo.

“Why not?” Fredo asked Theo.

“Because it’s wrong. The bird has done no wrong to you,” responded Theo.

“I see. Well then what would you have me shoot?” he asked Theo.

Theo moved forward and looked out onto the field in front of them.

“There, the center of the knob on that old oak tree,” Theo said pointing towards a cluster of trees.

Fredo nodded and took aim and fired.

Theo stared at the tree and then at Fredo.

“You missed,” he said.

Fredo looked down at the tree and turned to Theo.

“No, I did not. I hit it right in the center,” he responded.

Theo took the rifle from Fredo, aimed and fired without so much of a second to spare.

“You hit the wrong tree. That was the tree I meant,” Theo said.

Fredo looked down towards the cluster of trees. The tree he hit was about 400 meters away and the one Theo shot at was 550 meters away.

“You got to be kidding me,” he said.

Fredo took the rifle and took aim once again but did not fire.

“I can hardly see it,” he commented.

Nonetheless, he aimed and held his breath and fired.

Theo smiled and said,

“You missed, again.”

Fredo looked down at Theo.

“How in the world can you tell from this distance?” he asked Theo.

“You were off by at least a foot and half,” Theo replied.

“Come with me,” Theo told him.

Fredo followed Theo as he went down to examine the tree.

Theo had been right. Fredo’s shot was off by at least a foot.

Fredo looked at Theo’s shot and could not believe it. He had hit the knob dead center.

“You have remarkable eyesight,” Fredo told Theo.

“Yes, I do,” replied Theo.

Fredo looked down at this young boy and thought that he was a little too cocky for his taste. But he had to admit to himself he was good, damn good.

“Well, you win young man,” Fredo told Theo.

With that, he went in his wallet, pulled several bills, and handed it to Theo.

“Wow, the bullets don’t cost this much,” Theo said.

“Don’t worry about it. It was fun watching you shoot. I heard stories about you and wanted to meet you. You’re a local hero. Heard you shot some twelve Germans and held them until the Americans came; saved a whole village,” Fredo told Theo.

By now, Theo was used to people exaggerating what he actually did and after a while simply stopped contesting every half truth.

“I guess,” Theo responded.

“How would you like to work for me?” he asked Theo.

“Doing what?” Theo asked.

“Shooting,” Fredo, responded.

“Shooting what?” Theo asked.

“We have an annual event where the best shooters compete against each other for prizes and money,” Fredo explained.

“I don’t know. You will have to ask my Grandfather and Grandmother,” Theo replied.

“Well then let’s go and ask them,” Fredo answered.

With his grandparents permission Fredo entered Theo in several competitions. Over the next few years, Theo’s reputation grew as he continuously placed first or second in every contest he entered. By the age of thirteen, he was one of the most popular competitors. In the inner circles, he was the one to beat.

Because of his winnings, he was able to help his grandparents fix up their little shop. They put money away for him and by the time he was eighteen he had accumulated a tidy sum.

As for Mr. Fredo Nicoletta, he was making a fortune through illegal bets. Life was good until one day Theo decided he did not want to compete any longer, which angered Fredo Nicoletta.

“What do you mean you don’t want to compete anymore? You crazy or something? Look at all the money you’ve made?” he shouted at Theo.

“I don’t want to do it anymore,” Theo calmly responded.

“Well you better listen up. You will compete in the next event or I will beat the crap out of you. Do you understand me, you little shit?” Fredo asked him as he grabbed Theo by the lapels and slammed him against a nearby wall. Theo felt hurt and betrayed as he realized he was seeing the real man for the first time.

When Fredo went to wake Theo the next morning he found him gone.

After the argument with Theo, Fredo realized his winning streak was coming to an end. Believing he had scared Theo into participating in the next competition he decided to bet it all on this last contest. Now unable to find Theo he realized he was in trouble.

Theo woke up in the middle of the night and hitched a ride with a local driver who had mentioned he was going to Palermo, some sixty miles away.

By the time Fredo woke up, Theo was already sitting at his Grandparents shop. He had arrived early enough to help them open for business.

“Theo, what are you doing here? I thought you had a competition today in Trapani?” asked his Grandfather.

“I quit,” is all Theo said.

“I see. Well, then, why don’t you go upstairs and rest and you can come down later and we will give you something to eat,” he told Theo.

“OK,” Theo responded.

“Where is Mr. Nicoletta?” his grandfather asked.

“I don’t know, grandpa. Probably jumping up and down right about now,” Theo responded laughing.

“What. Oh, never mind. Go up and get some rest,” his grandfather told him.