TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA by A.J. Cronin

                 A.J. Cronin (1896-1981) was a medical man turned writer. His best known work “The Citadel” exposes the corruption in the medical profession. His works are noted for their deep humanity. This story “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” takes its title from one of Shakespeare’s early plays. It speaks of the silent heroism of two poor boys.

                The narrator met two boys at the outskirts of Verona. They were selling wild strawberries. The driver, Luigi advised not to buy anything from them. Though the boys were shabby in appearance, their brown skin, tangled hair and dark earnest eyes attracted the narrator and his friend. They found that the two boys were brothers and their names were Nicolo and Jacopo. The narrator brought the biggest basket of fruits from them.

Later the next day morning, the narrator saw the boys doing shoe shining. From the boys the narrator found out that they do many kinds of work such as selling newspapers, fruits, shoe polishing and they even took the tourists around the city. So the narrator too asked them to take them around the city.

While the boys took the narrator around the city, he was impressed by the boys’ remarkable mannerism. Though they were childish and quite artless, their face had an air of purpose far beyond their years. The boys were of great help to the narrator even in satisfying his small needs. Their willingness to work surprised the narrator. On one particular night the narrator noticed the boys seated in a stone pavement waiting to sell their last set of newspaper. Their tired appearance moved the narrator.

He asked to the boys why they were working so hard because he noticed that they were not spending much money for their food or clothes. He asked whether they were saving their money to go to states. But the boys seemed to be very reserved in their replies regarding their savings. The narrator then said that he is leaving on Monday and asked whether he can do anything for them. Nicolo refused to take the help of the narrator but Jacopo, the younger one asked that narrator whether he can drop them in Poleta, a country 30 kilometers away from Verona. The narrator agreed to it happily.

Narrator thought that the boys would ask them to drop in some humble dwellings but he was surprised to see the boys getting down at a large villa. The narrator out of curiosity followed the boys and found that the villa was a hospital and he saw the boys seated in a room, near a bed. The narrator asked to a nurse, about the boys.

The nurse happily said about the boys. She said that the boys’ father was a great singer but he died suddenly in the war. Moreover their house too was destroyed in the war. The boys managed to build a shelter with their own hands. Since the boys hated the Germans, they joined the resistance movement secretly and carried letters in their shoes to the forces of liberation regarding the German troops. And once the war ended they returned back to their sister, Lucia and found her suffering from tuberculosis of spine.

They took her to hospital and for the past twelve months, she was in the hospital. Since things are getting worse the hospital was forced to charge a fee and the boys too make the payment every week without fail. The nurse wondered how the boys managed to get work because work was so scarce in Verona but she was sure that whatever kind of jobs it is the boys will do it well. She added that Lucia too was making a good progress. The nurse said with hope that very soon Lucia will walk and sing again.

The boys joined the narrator after their meeting with the sister. They were quite speechless. The narrator too did not say a word because he doesn’t want the boys to come to know that he know their secret. The boys’ devotion and selfless action moved the author. He is deeply struck by their fortitude, humanity and family affection.

---HAPPY LEARNING----