Dad
Dundo is a dad who'd rather show than tell. Instead of saying 'I love you', he'll take you to the mountains and together you'll watch the sun rise. He fixes everything around the house — from the faucet to a broken heart. He makes the best barbecue in the world and teaches the kids to never give up too soon. Sometimes he struggles with words, but when he hugs you — he doesn't need a single one.
Eva and Dundo had a rare day off without the kids. Otto and Maria eagerly stepped in, babysitting the little ones while the couple decided to revisit the place they first met. As they approached the old wooden bridge over the stream, Eva reminisced about that evening, while Dundo had a special gift hidden in his pocket.
In the backyard lay a broken swing, and Dundo and Pino were getting ready to fix it. Little Vito sat on the grass, holding a box of screws, while Jole sniffed around, eagerly waiting for his chance to help. "How are we going to fix this, Dad?" Pino asked, as Eva watched and smiled from the window.
Pino and Vito jumped out of the car and ran towards Luca's farm. The tall grass glowed yellow-green under the sun, and somewhere in the distance, the bray of the donkey Berto could be heard. "Why does the donkey shout so loudly?" asked Vito, his eyes wide open. Pino chuckled as Luca waved from the barn door. "Come on, I'll show you everything!" shouted Luca. But Jole stood frozen under the old fig tree, staring at the approaching goat. "Dad, what about Jole?" Pino asked.
It was a typical afternoon in Vallumora when Maria noticed Loli was missing. "Loli!" Maria called out, but there was no response. Vito started crying, while Pino nervously paced in the kitchen. "Where's Loli?" asked a worried Pino. No one had an answer. "We have to find her!" declared Maja, already sketching a poster with Loli's picture. But as they gathered to discuss the search plan, they heard an unusual sound coming from the attic...
When Hana was cleaning the attic after her grandmother's death, she found a box full of letters. Hundreds of them, neatly arranged, each in its own envelope — but none of the envelopes were sealed. And none had an address. "Dad, did Grandma Maria write letters she never sent?" she asked Dundo, who was standing on the ladder. Dundo climbed up into the attic, took a letter, and read it. His hands trembled. He took another. A third. Each letter was addressed to the same person — but it wasn't a name Hana had ever heard. "Who is Helena?" Hana asked. Dundo was silent for a long time. Then he sat on the dusty attic floor and said, "Sit down, Hana. Your grandmother Maria kept a secret for fifty years. And I think this box is her way of finally telling you."
"Dad, why do we always take this longer path?" Pino asked, looking at the steep trail winding up the hill. Down in the valley, he saw the road—straight, paved, easy. Dundo patted him on the shoulder. "Because there's something you need to see at the top." Jole, their faithful dog, trotted alongside them, wagging his tail happily. They walked for nearly an hour. Pino was already tired, but Dundo encouraged him with stories from his childhood. When they finally reached the top of the cliff, two trees stood before them. One was enormous, sturdy, with a canopy so wide it cast a shadow over half the cliff. Its branches defied the wind that blew incessantly at this height. The other tree, barely five meters away, was dry, broken, almost dead. It creaked sadly in the wind. "Both trees were planted on the same day, from the same seed," Dundo said quietly.
