[TheStellarEnsemble.com] The Godfather - Mario Puzo

usinessmen’s clubs and civic committees; he had a healthy interest in local politics withoutinterfering publicly. It was a good life. Kay was happy that they were closing down their NewYork house and that Las Vegas would be truly their permanent home. She hated coming back toNew York. And so on this last trip she had arranged all the packing and shipping of goods withthe utmost efficiency and speed, and now on the final day she felt that same urgency to leave thatlongtime patients feel when it is time to be discharged from the hospital.On that final day, Kay Adams Corleone woke at dawn. She could hear the roar of thetruck motors outside on the mall. The trucks that would empty all the houses of furniture. TheCorleone Family would be flying back to Las Vegas in the afternoon, including Mama Corleone.When Kay came out of the bathroom, Michael was propped up on his pillow smoking acigarette. “Why the hell do you have to go to church every morning?” he said. “I don’t mindSundays, but why the hell during the week? You’re as bad as my mother.” He reached over inthe darkness and switched on the table light.Kay sat at the edge of the bed to pull on her stockings. “You know how convertedCatholics are,” she said. “They take it more seriously.”Michael reached over to touch her thigh, on the warm skin where the top of her nylonhose ended. “Don’t,” she said. “I’m taking Communion this morning.”He didn’t try to hold her when she got up from the bed. He said, smiling slightly, “Ifyou’re such a strict Catholic, how come you let the kids duck going to church so much?”She felt uncomfortable and she was wary. He was studying her with what she thought ofprivately as his “Don’s” eye. “They have plenty of time,” she said. “When we get back home, I’llmake them attend more.”She kissed him good-bye before she left. Outside the house the air was already gettingwarm. The summer sun rising in the east was red. Kay walked to where her car was parked nearthe gates of the mall. Mama Corleone, dressed in her widow black, was already sitting in it,waiting for her. It had become a set routine, early Mass, every morning, together.Kay kissed the old woman’s wrinkled cheek, then got behind the wheel. Mama Corleoneasked suspiciously, “You eata breakfast?”“No,” Kay said.The old woman nodded her head approvingly. Kay had once forgotten that it wasforbidden to take food from midnight on before receiving Holy Communion. That had been a388