- When Nino fell in love with Giuseppina - Chissa duocu ca vistina celeste, whispered Nino to Vito, indicating with his eyes where he wanted Vito to look. Vito followed his prompt and glanced around the church until he spotted the young girl in the blue dress, kneeling in the fifth row. She stared directly ahead at the priest behind the alter holding the Eucharist high for the congregation to see. She bowed her head, made the sign of the cross before standing. E daviru bona! responded Vito, nodding his approval after carefully assessing the young girl from head to toe. Tu disse! A conosce tu? Nino asked, his face flushed with excitement as he continued to watch the young girl. Vito glanced at her again, squinting to take in all her features. Suddenly, his eyes opened as the familiarity struck him. He did recognise her. Mi pare una de fighie do riccutaru, he murmured to an excited Nino. Daviru? E unni abbita? Curiosity overwhelmed him and he was so full of questions. He knew bringing his best friend Vito was a great idea. Vito seemed to either know or was related to just about everyone in the village; his father was the village butcher and was well known to all the paesane. Nino had first clapped eyes on the brown-eyed beauty during Christmas mass. Her thick, chestnut-coloured hair sat loosely around her shoulders under a sheer veil tied beneath her delicate chin. Two weeks later, during the New Years mass, their eyes finally met. Nino had given her a cheeky wink to show his interest. Shed scowled at him and turned her head quickly, but not before hed caught her scowl change to a stifled smirk. After that, much to his mothers surprise, Nino had begun to express an interest in attending Sunday mass in the hope hed see her. Most weeks, she would appear, willing to play the wink-scowl-smirk game with Nino, but last week, shed brought a friend, and theyd sat through mass casting secret glances at him, whispering and giggling behind their gloved hands. Thats when Nino had decided to bring his best friend Vito to advise him. Mi pare che abbita nda chianata da scola, said Vito, frowning as he recalled where she lived. By the end of mass, Vito had convinced Nino that she was worth pursuing. Several days later, Nino discovered that Giuseppina had gone to campagnia with her family. After much badgering to take a day off from working at the shop, Vito had agreed to make the journey out to campagnia with Nino, but only on the premise that when salsiccia season hit, Nino come help him and his family make the yearly supply of sausage. So after climbing aboard Tresina, Ninos placid mule, the boys entertained each other with funny stories about the village idiot, scandals surrounding the local school teacher and stories about the thieving of produce that seemed to be rampant around the Florida properties. Finally, approaching the property that belonged to the Fiorelli family, or e Nasche as they were known around Floridia (on account of an ancestor whod had a huge nose), Nino and Vito jumped off Tresina. Quietly working their way through the thick wilderness of fichi dindia cacti and weeds, Nino suddenly stopped and motioned Vito into silence. Ca signiu Mamma! Staiu stennennu i robbe, called out a voice from the garden behind a huge wall. Ninos eyes bulged. Could the voice in the garden calling out to her mother about hanging out clothes belong to Giuseppina? He had to see. Once again, indicating to Vito with silent gestures, Nino used Vitos clutched hands to boost himself to the top of the wall. Sure enough, he immediately spotted Giuseppina. Psst! Bedda! he whispered loudly, hoping to catch Giuseppinas attention. Startled, Giuseppina stopped and jerked her head in the direction of the noise. Bedda! Vieni ca! Nino repeated, beckoning the beauty toward him. Chi e? called out Giuseppina, a little frightened. Nino hoisted himself higher so she could get a better look at him. Ah, tu si! Ma chi ci fai ca? she questioned curiously. Aghiu venutu a truare a tia! smirked Nino, making his interest in her very clear. Giuseppina glanced around nervously before stepping around the washing basket and closer to Nino. Se ti vidi ma patre, ci sono guai! Giuseppina warned, glancing around for her father once again. Perhaps it was the risk of this imminent danger or the unsteady hands of Vito supporting Nino from below that caused Nino to openly discuss his desires and intentions. Ti wodju! he stated with frankness. Giuseppina blushed at this sudden declaration. E se tu mi dai permissu, wodju venire cu ma matre e ma patre per discutare u matrimonio. Giuseppina was startled. Not only was Nino declaring his love for her, but he wanted to marry her. Before she had a chance to respond, a booming voice from the back door bellowed out. A tia! Disgraziato! Chi ti da permissu a parrare cu ma fighia? Giuseppina swung around quickly to face her father. Papa! Ti giuru che non u conosciu! She hoped her father believed her promise. Fighiu di butana! Scenne di duocu prima che pighiu u fucile e ta mazzu! The threat of Giuseppinas father shooting him made Nino scurry off the wall hed been perched on. In his haste, he lost his balance and his footing, narrowly missed Vito and landed straight into a patch of prickly pear. There was no time to waste. Vito dragged a screaming Nino out from the clutches of the prickles and they both ran. Half an hour later, Nino had stripped himself of every article of clothing and stood chin deep in a nearby river. His body itched and ached. Vito had suggested he stand in the river to soften the prickles so they could be rubbed off. A short time later, Nino tried to stand still as Vito carefully removed the prickles that had refused to budge off Ninos naked body. Ayayia! Mi fai male! yelled Nino. Vito tried his best to be delicate, but some of the prickles were lodged tightly, especially in his most tender areas. Vito! Amico mio! U sai che tu si come ma frade! E pe chissu che ti chiedu di farmi na cosa! said Nino, mortification replacing the pain in his face. Having known Nino all his life, Vito also saw Nino as a brother and for this reason, Vito nodded in agreement as Nino asked him the one question no man should ever have to ask another. Ma lieva sta spina che iaguiu appizzata nde palle? Preparing Nino in a position where Vito could have a good look at the offending prickle, he suddenly remembered his pocketknife. Digging it out of his pocket, Vito carefully unfolded each of the tools that were attached until he found the tweezers. Nino! Non te muovere se no chi sa sta cosa wune va finire! Vito warned. Heeding his warning, Nino kept very still. Within minutes, Vito had located and removed the prickle. Over the next few weeks, Nino continued to spy on Giuseppina in church and send secret messages to her through Vitos neighbours cousins sister who attended sewing classes with Giuseppina. When Nino felt enough time had past to let the dust settle over his indiscretion in campagnia, Nino decided to formalise his intentions with Giuseppina. Following the custom, Nino paid the Fiorellis a visit with his own parents. They were received with polite coolness. After coffee had been served, the formal discussions began. Whilst Nino and Giuseppina sat silently, casting awkward glances at each other, Mr Mezzatesta explained how his son was requesting permission to marry his daughter Giuseppina, then he proceeded to give his son a character reference. Throughout the whole discussion, Mr Fiorelli sat looking stoic, eyeballing Nino in his very intimidating way. Finally, he spoke. Ta fighiu Nino non sa po spusare ma fighia Giuseppina. Sa suori Maria e chiù ranne e ancura schietta. Se ta fighiu se wore spusare, se pigghia a Maria, se no aspettare! Disappointed, Nino glanced at Giuseppina, trying to instil a little hope in her. But he knew there really was none. Mr Fiorelli was right. According to tradition, daughters married in order of birth. Giuseppina had to wait until Maria was married before she herself could be married. The offer for Nino to take Marias hand was out of the question. Although a beauty in her own right, Ninos heart now belonged fully to Giuseppina. Week after week, Nino prayed to S.Rita, patron saint of difficult marriages and impossible causes. Each week, hed hoped to hear news that Maria had found a suitor and that Giuseppina would then be given the green light to marry, but after months had passed, his hope was beginning to fade. Then one day, the news hed been hoping for finally arrived. Giuseppina had seemed particularly excited at seeing him in church. In an action that was very unlike her, knowing that she was being watched by all the paesane, Giuseppina gave Nino a subtle indication she wanted to speak to him. Within minutes, Nino had organised through Vitos neighbours cousins sister to meet Giuseppina in the abandoned barn behind the school after mass. Giuseppina was to tell her parents that she went to confession after mass to explain why she was home late. Feeling excited and nervous, Nino tied Tresina to a bush out the back so nobody would know he was there and waited patiently in the abandoned barn. This was going to be the first time he and Giuseppina would talk, not to mention be alone together. Before he had a chance to compose himself, the barn door opened and slammed shut, a gasping Giuseppina trying to catch her breath. Unable to contain himself, Nino ran forward and gathered Giuseppina in his arms, kissing her. Aspetta Nino. Ferma! Ti wodju dire qualche cosa importante, said Giuseppina giggling as she pulled away from Nino. Showing restraint, Nino pulled away and waited for Giuseppinas important news. Taking a deep breath, Giuseppina announced, Ma suori Maria si wore fare monica! Trase ndo cummento sta simana! Nino could hardly believe his ears! If Maria was to enter a convent this week, that meant Giuseppina was free to marry. S.Rita had come through! Unable to contain his emotions any longer, Nino scooped Giuseppina into his arms and, kissing her passionately, lay her down on a mound of hay. Passion overtook the young lovers and before they knew it, they were pulling at clothing, their bodies fitting together like jigsaw pieces. With each new cry or groan emanating from the barn, Tresina, who had remained tied to a bush outside, responded with a Hee-haw! That December, Nino and Giuseppina were married in a small, immediate family-only ceremony under the close, watchful eye of Signore Fiorelli and his rifle. Their daughter Sebastiana Angela Bella Mezzatesta was welcomed into the world three months later, the day after Nino had lodged their application of migration to Australia. Unable to cope with the scandal of the pregnancy, Vito had convinced both Nino and Giuseppina that a new start to life in Australia seemed the best option. Shortly after, this new start to life became Ninos, Giuseppinas and baby Sebastianas reality.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 05:20:37 +0000