| Writing Non-Fiction posted February 10, 2022 |
  |
Granmother remembering an earthquake she endured in Italy
Earthquake 1908
by HarryT
“Nonna, Dad said you were in an earthquake. Were you really?"
“Yes, mio ragazzo, it many years ago when it happened. I young girl in Italy.”
“Please, Nonna, tell me what happened. We’re studying earthquakes in school.”
When she began to speak, her eyes glazed with a faraway look.
She said, “It Monday morning. My job wake up early make bread. Momma, Papa, little sister, Anna, sleep in bedroom. I put olive oil in flour and water, mix, walls, roof shake. Pots, dishes, pans falling off shelves. Big black frying pan hit me on head.”
Her eyes flicked as she touched a spot on the back of her head and then continued.
“I fall on floor, everything black. When I look up, I see beautiful lady standing in the corner. Lady tell me hide under table. I do what she say, crawl under big wooden table. More rumbling, shaking, roof crashing down, dust, dirt all around, big cupboard smashing against table, glass break, little pieces stick in my face, blood run down.”
Nonna’s eyes closed, and she made the sign of the cross, her voice rasied, there was a taint of chaos in her tone.
“Wood and dirt everywhere." she cried, her hands crossing on her chest. "It was hard to breathe."
There was palpable fear flowing as she spoke.
"I cover eyes, can't stop sneeze. I thankful safe under table like lady said. Finally, shaking stop. Lady gone when I peeked through falling dust. I lay back, rest for while, push big piece roof away with foot and crawl out from table. I look up, no roof only big black clouds, walls all gone. From street, I hear people screaming and crying. I call Mama, Papa. I hear nothing.”
Tears begin to pool in Nonna’s eyes, a sob came from deep in her throat, but she continues.
“I call again, loud, ‘Mama! Papa! Mama! Papa! Where are you?’ Nothing, not even hear Anna crying. I try go bedroom but can’t piles of walls and roof in way. I getting wet, I look up, black rain falling from sky. My heart know mama, papa, little Anna dead.”
Tears ran down Nonna’s cheeks, she sobbed as she dried her eyes with a lace-fringed handkerchief and made the sign of the cross again.
She said, “I stumbling over broken kitchen wall, go outside, look around. Houses all over smashed, horses running, some with wagons, no drivers, some just wild. People dirty hands and faces, ripped clothes, roaming, crying. I sit down next to broken house, cry. A neighbor lady come take hand, she point to her wrecked house. She say she saved because she in outhouse when shaking start, rest of her family dead in broken house. She take me to her sister who lived in town not far away. I stay with them tilI I go to Naples live at nuns' orphanage. After two years, I fifteen, Your grandfather in America already. He knew brother who had go to America before earthquake. He stranger, he write letter, proposed marriage. I say, yes, come Chicago. I happy you mio ragazzo.
Earthquake contest entry
“Nonna, Dad said you were in an earthquake. Were you really?"
“Yes, mio ragazzo, it many years ago when it happened. I young girl in Italy.”
“Please, Nonna, tell me what happened. We’re studying earthquakes in school.”
When she began to speak, her eyes glazed with a faraway look.
She said, “It Monday morning. My job wake up early make bread. Momma, Papa, little sister, Anna, sleep in bedroom. I put olive oil in flour and water, mix, walls, roof shake. Pots, dishes, pans falling off shelves. Big black frying pan hit me on head.”
Her eyes flicked as she touched a spot on the back of her head and then continued.
“I fall on floor, everything black. When I look up, I see beautiful lady standing in the corner. Lady tell me hide under table. I do what she say, crawl under big wooden table. More rumbling, shaking, roof crashing down, dust, dirt all around, big cupboard smashing against table, glass break, little pieces stick in my face, blood run down.”
Nonna’s eyes closed, and she made the sign of the cross, her voice rasied, there was a taint of chaos in her tone.
“Wood and dirt everywhere." she cried, her hands crossing on her chest. "It was hard to breathe."
There was palpable fear flowing as she spoke.
"I cover eyes, can't stop sneeze. I thankful safe under table like lady said. Finally, shaking stop. Lady gone when I peeked through falling dust. I lay back, rest for while, push big piece roof away with foot and crawl out from table. I look up, no roof only big black clouds, walls all gone. From street, I hear people screaming and crying. I call Mama, Papa. I hear nothing.”
Tears begin to pool in Nonna’s eyes, a sob came from deep in her throat, but she continues.
“I call again, loud, ‘Mama! Papa! Mama! Papa! Where are you?’ Nothing, not even hear Anna crying. I try go bedroom but can’t piles of walls and roof in way. I getting wet, I look up, black rain falling from sky. My heart know mama, papa, little Anna dead.”
Tears ran down Nonna’s cheeks, she sobbed as she dried her eyes with a lace-fringed handkerchief and made the sign of the cross again.
She said, “I stumbling over broken kitchen wall, go outside, look around. Houses all over smashed, horses running, some with wagons, no drivers, some just wild. People dirty hands and faces, ripped clothes, roaming, crying. I sit down next to broken house, cry. A neighbor lady come take hand, she point to her wrecked house. She say she saved because she in outhouse when shaking start, rest of her family dead in broken house. She take me to her sister who lived in town not far away. I stay with them tilI I go to Naples live at nuns' orphanage. After two years, I fifteen, Your grandfather in America already. He knew brother who had go to America before earthquake. He stranger, he write letter, proposed marriage. I say, yes, come Chicago. I happy you mio ragazzo.
“Yes, mio ragazzo, it many years ago when it happened. I young girl in Italy.”
“Please, Nonna, tell me what happened. We’re studying earthquakes in school.”
When she began to speak, her eyes glazed with a faraway look.
She said, “It Monday morning. My job wake up early make bread. Momma, Papa, little sister, Anna, sleep in bedroom. I put olive oil in flour and water, mix, walls, roof shake. Pots, dishes, pans falling off shelves. Big black frying pan hit me on head.”
Her eyes flicked as she touched a spot on the back of her head and then continued.
“I fall on floor, everything black. When I look up, I see beautiful lady standing in the corner. Lady tell me hide under table. I do what she say, crawl under big wooden table. More rumbling, shaking, roof crashing down, dust, dirt all around, big cupboard smashing against table, glass break, little pieces stick in my face, blood run down.”
Nonna’s eyes closed, and she made the sign of the cross, her voice rasied, there was a taint of chaos in her tone.
“Wood and dirt everywhere." she cried, her hands crossing on her chest. "It was hard to breathe."
There was palpable fear flowing as she spoke.
"I cover eyes, can't stop sneeze. I thankful safe under table like lady said. Finally, shaking stop. Lady gone when I peeked through falling dust. I lay back, rest for while, push big piece roof away with foot and crawl out from table. I look up, no roof only big black clouds, walls all gone. From street, I hear people screaming and crying. I call Mama, Papa. I hear nothing.”
Tears begin to pool in Nonna’s eyes, a sob came from deep in her throat, but she continues.
“I call again, loud, ‘Mama! Papa! Mama! Papa! Where are you?’ Nothing, not even hear Anna crying. I try go bedroom but can’t piles of walls and roof in way. I getting wet, I look up, black rain falling from sky. My heart know mama, papa, little Anna dead.”
Tears ran down Nonna’s cheeks, she sobbed as she dried her eyes with a lace-fringed handkerchief and made the sign of the cross again.
She said, “I stumbling over broken kitchen wall, go outside, look around. Houses all over smashed, horses running, some with wagons, no drivers, some just wild. People dirty hands and faces, ripped clothes, roaming, crying. I sit down next to broken house, cry. A neighbor lady come take hand, she point to her wrecked house. She say she saved because she in outhouse when shaking start, rest of her family dead in broken house. She take me to her sister who lived in town not far away. I stay with them tilI I go to Naples live at nuns' orphanage. After two years, I fifteen, Your grandfather in America already. He knew brother who had go to America before earthquake. He stranger, he write letter, proposed marriage. I say, yes, come Chicago. I happy you mio ragazzo.
Story is true as told to me by my grandmother years ago. I don't recall her ever using many articles such as the or a in her speech patterns. She was living with her family in Reggio Calabria at the time.
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