Those barren leaves

In a sun‑baked Italian valley where two mountain torrents merge into a tranquil canal, the crumbling palace of the Cybo Malaspina watches over the quiet town of Vezza. The story opens with a weary young postman climbing the steep hill, juggling the drudgery of his job against the whims of an eccentric Englishwoman who has claimed the sprawling estate as her own. He clings to a ragged prophecy handed to him by a beggar, dreaming that a handful of lucky numbers might lift him from his modest life.

As the evening settles, the palace becomes a hub of letters, parcels, and telegrams, pulling the town’s residents into a restless rhythm of anticipation. The narrative weaves together the stark beauty of the Mediterranean landscape, the lingering weight of aristocratic history, and the everyday hopes of ordinary people. Listeners will find a lyrical portrait of a community caught between past grandeur and present mundanity, all seen through the eyes of a young man who measures his future in chance and chance alone.