Arrived in small farm the laborers the Lucchesi endured will receive me with great said festeggiamenti and to make to illustrate the registries to me of the accounting, that it had held with great precision and it assured to me that the activity proceeded to regulate and with bonds it turns out to you. It made also a garbato reproach me because my absence had been longer of the previewed one and I in order to justify said to me: "You knew that difference is between sleeping in that straw mattress on and sleeping instead in the bed of Fagnano with mi' moglietta!... the Hour then, than aspect a son, the restar' will be also harder here..."
The days proceeded normal but with the exception of before, often they were enriched from the arrival of a beautiful letterina of the moglie that described its joy to me in order to have to me married. A day the letter was a po' heavier of the others and understood endured that photo contained one. Some month before was been born one child and hour here the photo of my moglie that support on cantonal the this treasure. How much I would have intentional to embrace those cucciolotto and to cover it of kisses but, not being able to make it, I exposed the photo in a point where they could see it my laborers and was of new great festivity.
The years succeeded to you ran fastly and without large innovationes R-with regard to the job of the Small farm that proceeded with course undulating but with it turns out to you always optimal. In the crisis years, I seeded more potatoes and in the better years I increased the production of the asparagi.
The callback to the crews in order to defend the Mother Native land.
In the first months of 1915 I received I invite to introduce itself to the Italian Consulate of Saint Francisco and, unaware of of what they could want from me, I hurried to introduce itself. I made cleaned up! One be a matter of my callback the crews and the Consul directly sent to me in Italy without to concur me not to pass from the Small farm. I prayed descrivendogli my situation insistently but not there was towards convincing it and it made me to accompany to the train from two policemen Americans. I was deprived of hope and, not knowing with who to vent, when the Consul greeted to me, I to me answered to it nearly gridandogli in face: "Goodbye pelataccio!"
During the return travel I could also have scappare, but I rejected endured this thought because I would have become renitente and I would have had to pay the freedom to beloved price that is I would have had to renounce to the Italian citizenship with the consequent all and desertion of family my interests in Italy, if not in order always at least for many years! As I approached myself intristivo Italy m' more and more and rethinking to the words of the Consul who had spoken about Mother Native land, I repeated between me: "But that Madre!... Quella is one stepmother!"
Arrived to Genoa, while I disembarked from the ship, I felt to call various names and between these also mine. We were a score and they carried us to the military District. Lì, a non-commissioned officer in uniform said us that while we were in travel, it was burst the war and therefore had to go to the forehead. "But like to the forehead, I exclaimed, if I have not never seen neanche a gun!" And he: "You six which have called pelataccio the Consul of Saint Francisco" I answered of yes and it added: "You go with those four to Castagnavizza, on the forehead between the Yugoslavia and Austria".
Bersagliere on the forehead to Castagnavizza
With these little words, sent us all to the forehead enlisting without make to us us to visit from a doctor in order to assess our physical suitability and without preoccuparsi of the fact that nobody of we had never seen a gun or a military arm.
Between the many sventure, I had I privilege to find to me enlisted in the prestigious Arm of the Bersaglieres. But to the forehead not there are privileges and the life in trench was a hell for all. We passed days and days chinati in the mud to often dig long trenches and when they finished you onslaught, to the bayonet, it was soon made to count the little survivors. Nearly always they were young to die but, in those conditions, also surviving could not is considered privileges.
The house of Augustin and the church of Fagnano.
(Paintings to oil on burlap executed from the Ing. Michele Bortoli when it was student liceale)
The licence prize.
A day a telegrapher carried to the Commander a message for me. The travel had been assigned one licence to me prize of three days more. This yes that it is I privilege, I thought, and you dictate endured to make to me in order to study the way of being able to me to remove from the point front line without being cut with a scythe from the Austrians.
Along the travel in train, I tried to drive away from the mind the ugly memories of the trench but I could not make less than to think that passing of every hour it did not make other that to approach the moment in which I would have had to re-enter in that hell.
With great effort I succeeded to concentrate my thoughts on the fact that to house I would have see again after many years my beloveds and above all I could have embraced for before the time my Diva daughter, my treasure that had already five years and that I had only seen in the photo that I received in America.
The first one I embrace to the Diva small.
I arrived to my country towards the hour of supper and I stopped in the house vicinities praying knowing to go from mine to inform them of my arrival and above all in order to ask my moglie to prepare the child for the encounter with its papà. In men' that he does not say himself were in many to run encounter to me, but I saw only a Doll sgambettante that stretched me the arms screaming: "Papà, papà!" and me I tightened to the chest in order I do not know how much time. We had supper with the full house of people that it wanted to have news of the forehead and many asked to me if I had seen its beloveds. I said they: unfortunately I do not know null of null because where I was I not there were from Tuscany and then, davanti.al the sgomento of those persons, I did not have the courage to tell my frightful experience and I prayed them not to preoccuparsi because, I said: "To the forehead the war is not made at all every day..." It was a large bale, but I did not know that what just to say...
As soon as we remained single, my moglie hurried to explain me that for the licence, my Aniceto brother had been interested which, belonging to one wraps of advanced age mine, rather than to the forehead it had been sent to work to Genoa near the Ansaldo, a factory of airplanes where it was a lot appreciated for its bravura and the Director had promised to it to assume also me. For all answer I said to my moglie." And you you would want gives to me to means that to the term of the licence I can presentà to Genoa rather than to the forehead " My moglie succeeded to reassure to me and I, old the confusion who I had in head, put myself to play with mi' the girl, being tried to take to us a little confidenza.
Arrived the hour to go to bed, the child showed me its small room and then she carried to see mine that is to me, corrected themselves, that one of mother where you can be also you. He seemed that all he corrected smooth and I complimented myself with my moglie for as had prepared it well for the encounter with the Pope. In fact he had gone all smooth and after a po' he seemed also that he had addormentata himself calmly but, after an other half scant hour, when finally single I wanted to make du' moine mi' the moglie, we felt to blink soccer and fists in the windscreen of room and the Child who screaied: "Or mother, or mother, sends it via that omaccio lì"...
Poor piccina, I thought. How much will have weighed on you the emigration! And on many other children remained single like you! And on all those mothers who as my moglie remained sun for years and years in waited for trepidante! I opened the windscreen and with the tears to the eyes the taken ones in neck saying them: "You come, treasure, you come with we, I I am not a omaccio, are your papà and I would not want to never detach itself from you".
To house I found also a long letter of the Lucchesi which it explained me that, not seeing to me to re-enter in Small farm, it was hasty to the Consulate where knew those that it had succeeded me and therefore re-entered in Small farm, had invented the laborers who I had given to it of new the delegation and that he would have been newly he to manage the Company in my absence. This news was one of the little that relief gave to me.
I withheld in single family two days after that I precipitell myself to Genoa in order to embrace my brother above all but for knowing that fate would be touched to me. I knew therefore that my Aniceto brother had given itself to make until the improbable one in order to save to me from the forehead and was successful truly to obtain from its Director a place also for me in the factory of the Ansaldo, unit S.V.A. where airplanes from war were made, constructed nearly completely in wood. I did not know of being an expert carpenter but my brother assured the Director that it I was and then it whispered me to the ear: "You are calm, I I will help you". From the moment of I embrace of mi' the brother to that one of the talk with the Director with the company of the assumption letter, it was all a dream to open eyes and us it wanted quite a lot of time in order to accustom me to the idea that all this was true and that therefore more I would not be returned in trench.
After to have found again a little serenity I recommenced to see the world and the things of the world in much various way from when I was to the forehead, that is, I recommenced to see them in normal way. I rethought first of all to the encounter with my family, my moglie and the child... Me I was not enjoyed them null because I was taken from too many worries and I had not been in a position to gioire and to appreciate that vicinity that finally I had had with they. I was braccato from the thought that of lì to little days I would be died infilzato from a bayonet Austrian and to every look of my moglie and of the other relatives, came made to me to turn to me from the opposite part in order to curse those "pelataccio" and the "stepmother native land" that was tearing me of hand that future who I had conquered myself facing a already hard life of for himself and a position who, beyond all, I had earned myself scrambling up to me alone, with nails and the teeth in easy paths not sure. Hour that I was a po' more serene, I had to write all this to my moglie and to be made excuses in order it are introduced to she in one be of prostrazione from beaten dog.
The Director of the plant was a demanding Engineer but also much bond and, informed from my brother of my situation, was comprehensive much and every a lot came to an agreement some short one allowed to me to pass in family and therefore finally tried also the joy of having an other daughter who nacque in the September of 1916.
The proclama of the Victoria
4 November of 1918, all the yards; all the factories and all the ships to the deep one in the port of Genoa, made without warning to play theirs sirene and at the same time squillarono the bells of all the churches of the city. People riversò in the roads and the public squares singing itself hymns of Victoria; the balconies of the palaces, the trees of the ships and the crane of the port, were adorned of flags and tricolour banners: the war was ended!
All drove crazy of joy and I lost the head quite. As soon as I had convinced myself that all what I lived in that moment was truth, I embraced my brother and I said to it: "You it thinks next to all here next to Genoa, it greets and ringrazia the Director and I scappo to house". My brother tried of dirmi: "But that you make, six driven crazy? You come here, reasons... " But I was myself already removed of race towards the first train for Lucca, without not to pass of room to change the dressed one to me.
I re-enter in family
I embrace with my moglie me procurò a joy as I had not never tried. Finally all it had been resolved and, thanks to my brother, I was exited from the alive war! It remained to us to resolve the last one, just the last large problem of my life and that is that one to convince my moglie to come in America in order to settle down itself here with me so as to to complete laggiù our family and to be able to us to enjoy the sons in peace, serenity a climate and, we also say also of greater comfort regarding the standard of living that could be vivevere here in Italy after one hard war therefore.
I faced this argument with my moglie to small doses: before with some I point out, then with some speech a po' longer, then with more and more concrete plans and more and more insistent until a day that just not of I could more, I said to them with firmness: You feel Baiocca (Every a lot I called it with this vezzeggiativo derived from its last name, Baiocchi), or you come with me in America, or delivery alone and I do not know those that it will happen. I believed to have scared it but it with the maximum serenity answered to me: "You, They taste it calm a po' and you will see that reasons then to you better. We have already a beautiful house here and I have I work sure. We have already two beautiful bimbine and we have all the time in order to make also some male: you say to me that you want of più?... does not trust you the Italia?... But the wars will not make them at all every day!"
I knew it that with mi' the moglie not there was from discussing to us on this argument and then I thought that the only thing to make was that one to go endured to control the situation in Small farm and to decide laggiù on from is made.
Of new to Saint Francisco
Arrived in Small farm, I found that the Lucchesi, as usual, had been behaved in encomiabile way and endured after cenone with all the laborers, for the festeggiamenti of acceptance, me it showed the book keeping registries of last the three years and said: "These are the entrances, these are the escapes and these are the profits, that they are yours". I felt myself in I must correct it for dirgli: "These are the entrances, these are the escapes and are well, but the profits are up to you because me you have saved the Company". Incredible E', but I had to bisticciare in order to convince it to accept them. Those are friends!
In the months that followed I rendered account that the standard of living to Saint Francisco had made progresses and all had become rich. Also the activity of my company was improved a lot regarding that one already good of when I had left it and I bit the fingers to the thought who I was not riusito to carry to me behind mi' the Baiocca. While I had scattered cautiously the voice that, having to re-enter in Italy, I was disposed to sell the Small farm.
The temptation
I received some offering and between the several persons who came to see it, introduced also the "Genovese", a girl been born in America from e'migre' genovesi many years before and that I very knew because had laid a trap me more times when I was young man.
She was owner of the Small farm that was found in the island near mine, a island to collinare nearly cultivated exclusively to vine. It said to me that before dealing, it would have been well that pits gone to taste its wine.
I incautious accepted but endured I became account that, newly, aimed other very and for she the fact that pits married and with sons, did not count beautiful a null one. To rethink hour to us with calm well, I must admit that the temptation was strong, nearly irresistibile, because the idea to join two important companies therefore would not have been to discard in how much me would have concurred of living in America one wealthy life...
The Love for su' the Baiocca.
... but I was too much in love of mi' the Baiocca and therefore I did not have neither doubts neither hesitations. I returned to legs rises in small farm and revealed all the Lucchesi friend to which it said me that account had become very well of that it was succeeding to me and that it remained trepidante in attended of my decisions. I reassured dicendogli that I it decision had already taken it; that I had made all that one pantomima for cercar' understanding the value of the my Company and that but I felt also the duty to only yield it to he, to an just price and I declared myself disposed to venirgli encounter for the payment, therefore as it had made with me the Carrarino in analogous circumstance.
Concluded the transaction, I greeted the laborers one by one embracing them and, arrived on the train, the Lucchesi and I continued to greet myself churning the hand until I was possible to see to us. Then I lost heart myself on the seat with the head between the arms and, once again, I began to sob.
The fable American was ended!
Ë
One of the roads
of Saint Francisco
to the times ours.
The bridge is the Bay-bridge,
constructed in the vicinities
of the point where
my father
traversava every
day the bay
with "gasolino" for
to carry the verdure
from Oakland to
market.
Km is along approximately 7.
And in Italy?
In Italy my father lived with su' the Baiocca one sure not easy life especially in the period of the second world war from 1940 to ` the 45, but always studded of beautifulst moments, great serenity and joy. He had others three sons between which the last one, the undersigned, the a lot yearned for male.
Always all helped us and were always he to preview our financial requirements also under the aspect but above all, he is he that su' the Baiocca, were and not only for we, of the great masters of life.
They had completely various characters, would be said incompatible, but theirs litigi were always amusing like the farces of the teatrini of country.
They were loved intensely and uninterruptedly and they celebrated the anniversary of their wedding until the cinquantottesimo!
In order to recall their memory, therefore like it makes yourself with the more illustrious personages, we five sons we wanted to celebrate in one festicciola intimate, the cent anniversary of their birth and for the circumstance, I wrote some storys of familiar scenes and chose the vernacolo lucchese since thought that that frame was adapted to put in evidence their personality and their style, that it was remained that one of their age, very conserved fresh and intact.
In reading those storys we made ourselves some of the solemn ones risate and bringing back here some, in the hope that who imbatte can itself be made to us equally.
Me I augur also because our parents, in their long life, always dispensed to all and only joy.
- or Or or -
I collected that "joke" in a fascicoletto that I introduced with the following reflection:
It is not easy to dream to opened eyes,
sometimes it is quite impossible!
E' easier to frugare in the memories,
and why not,
to live again them
placing side by side to the personages more beloveds
of our infancy,
even
to our relatives...
I try to live again i
"Riordi of ` asa mine"
in the centenarian of the birth of my parents.
If capitasse to read them to you, remembered:
"Omnia munda mundis":
Divo
n.b.
Every reference to persons or facts
he is pure accidental.
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