Summary

Vincenzo does not come home from the festival with the girls and stays out all night. When Adriana wets the bed, the narrator sleeps in Vincenzo's, taking in his smells. When Vincenzo returns at lunch the following day, the father beats him for staying out. No one really reacts, but the narrator sits with Vincenzo on the floor while he recovers. She later learns from Adriana that Vincenzo often runs away from home or disappears temporarily, usually with his Gypsy friends, and the father always beats him when he returns. The first time, he came home with a silver ring that he cherishes and hides from his parents.

The narrator remembers her previous life and tells Adriana about the city where she used to live by the sea. She wonders about her mother and remembers the seafood she would cook in their house...