by J. R. Sharp
“Pietro, remember what Gino said when he was home? It isn’t safe anymore in Rome. The violence was quickly spreading up north and that we should stay on the farm.”
“Then I will bring Gregory with me, he will need supplies as well. We cannot just stay here and hope that the weather gets better as we starve. We cannot rely on Bruno or Gino. They both have bigger problems than worrying about this farm, especially Gino. If he gets caught coming up here he will be charged with desertion. He needs to stay in Rome until this war is over with or he is going to cause this family certain hardships that we don’t need.”
As Pietro stopped talking his thoughts wandered to Chester. They hadn’t heard from him in so many months that they were worried that something horrible had happened. Just as he was thinking about his eldest son airplanes flew overhead. Since last spring there was an increase in the amount of planes flying over their farmland. During the daytime, Pietro could see that most of the planes were German and Italian, but there were some he didn’t recognize. The planes had changed so much since the first war. They were much faster and louder.
The next morning Anna walked out to the barn to see what Pietro was doing so early in the morning. There he was getting the wagon and horse ready for his journey to the outside towns.
“Gregory is coming with me and we are leaving first thing in the morning. We should only be gone a couple of days at the most. Are you going to be okay while I am gone?”
“We will be fine. I will go see Marina to make sure she has everything she needs and if they want to stay here while you are gone,” replied Anna.
“They are coming over tonight after it gets dark, and so are John and Mary Mazon. Gregory and I think it is safe to start having the meetings again with the few families that we trust; we all have been through so much together. John will be checking on everyone while we are gone.”
Anna was a bit surprised about this news but trusted her husband. She would start to get things ready for the meeting that evening, but they didn’t have all the refreshments that they had in the past—nobody did.
They were down to just three families, but Pietro didn’t want to try and invite any new ones for fear of what happened with the Pelliccias. The new family working the Pelliccia farm was from Germany and everyone stayed clear of them for fear of what happened to the previous owners. Gregory and John were sitting near the horse talking with one another when Pietro walked up to them with Maria in his arms. Anna walked over to him gave him a glass of wine and took Maria away so the men could talk without any disruptions.
“So, how is everyone doing this evening?” asked Pietro. Gregory and John both smiled.
“Can you make the weather better, because I am about done with this winter, my friend,” replied John. All three men started to laugh but they all knew it was a serious situation and one that the Germans wouldn’t be too happy with when they don’t see the right results. With the exception of Pietro, both of the other farmers barely made their crop quota.
“So tomorrow we will go to Pordenone and Azzano-Decimo for some supplies, my friend?” asked Pietro.
“Do both of you know what you need? If not, get the list ready for tomorrow. John, give your list to me or Gregory and we will take care of your needs,” replied Pietro.
“Of course, you know the rule. If you see something that you or your wives would want and it is not on the list, get us some,” said John. Both Gregory and Pietro started to laugh.
Anna and the other wives stopped playing with Maria to look at their husbands laughing and drinking wine. Anna couldn’t remember the last time she saw her husband laugh that loud; it was a welcome site. Just as Anna was feeling a little relief in the air, a constant reminder of the war made its way past their farm. Everyone heard the rumble of planes, so they turned down the lanterns. They didn’t know who was in the air, but they didn’t want any bombs or sudden visitors. After a few moments, the planes roared away and the lights were turned back up. The evening came to a close with everyone going their separate way. In the darkness, Anna and Pietro cleaned up the barn as best as they could before heading to the main house for some well-deserved rest.
***
The next morning, Anna was still in bed when she reached for her beloved husband. The other side of the bed was empty, which meant that he was getting ready for his trip. She opened her eyes to see that the sun was just coming out and that the slightest bird noises could be heard. Anna was trying to get moving but knew she had some time because she hadn’t even heard the noise from the horse and carriage, both of which usually woke up the whole house. As she lay in bed, she started to stretch her aching body when she heard people talking. There were men talking and at first she thought it was Pietro and Gregory speaking to one another, but then she heard German. She grabbed her nightgown and made her way to the kitchen to see who was outside talking. As she looked out the window she could see a German car and truck had pulled up in the stone driveway. She must have been having a really good sleep to not hear them pull up in the driveway. There was a German officer talking to Pietro, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. The officer was showing Pietro some photos, but she couldn’t make out what they were talking about because they were just past the water pump. Pietro must have been getting some water for the horse when they pulled up, thought Anna.
As she looked around, something caught her eye to the right of where Pietro and the German officer were talking. It was Gregory hiding behind one of the haystacks. He must have been walking to the farm and saw the Germans talking to Pietro. Gregory saw Anna and waved at her like nothing was happening, but Anna just smiled at him because she was afraid that someone would see her. She was right because as she shifted her eyes back to Pietro the German officer was looking in her direction. Without hesitation she gently waved at him and raised a coffee cup as a giving gesture for a morning beverage. Pietro smiled at his wife giving her a hand movement to start the morning coffee for their guest.
“So is that your wife in the window, Mr. Zucchet?” asked the officer.
“Yes it is, and she is making us coffee, Lieutenant,” replied Pietro.
“Do you think she knows the whereabouts of these Jewish families on this list of photos that I have shown you?” he asked Pietro.
“Lieutenant, my wife stays home and doesn’t venture out very often. I highly doubt that she knows anybody unless they go to our church or they are a farmer within an hour of here. All the folks you showed me on this list I have never encountered or know of, with the exception of a few shop owners in Pordenone,” Pietro answered.
“Well then, we are done here. If you do encounter any Jews you will report it to the local Fascists center in Cimpello.”
Pietro nodded as the lieutenant put the photos and lists in his briefcase. The lieutenant walked to his waiting car, waving his hand at the truck driver to pull out. Anna could see Pietro wave Gregory towards him as the vehicles were out of sight. After about ten minutes, Anna noticed Gregory heading towards home while Pietro made his way back into the main house. He walked into the kitchen, making his way towards the kitchen table to sit down.
“What was all that about, Pietro?”
“They were looking for Jews. I told them that we didn’t know any Jews and we hadn’t seen any come this way. We will have to wait until tomorrow before we leave because I told them I was just out doing my morning chores and don’t want to raise any suspicions. They might think that we would warn any Jews that we knew. It’s best to stay home today.”
***
The next morning Pietro opened the door leading to the barn, and the cold hit him so fast that it took his breath away. Gregory was standing next to the barn waiting for his life-long friend.
“Gregory, aren’t you cold, my friend?” asked Pietro.
“I just got here, but yes, I am very cold, so open the door old man,” replied Gregory.
They both started to laugh because Pietro was about two months older than Gregory, which was a
lways a joke between them. Pietro quickly gave Gregory a bucket so he could get some water for the horse. Pietro started to get all the gear ready for hooking the horse up when he noticed the bikes he and Gregory could use to travel on and get to their destination faster than the horse and wagon. As Gregory walked into the barn, he saw Pietro looking at the bikes with the wagon gear hanging in between his arms.
“So which is it, Pietro, bikes or horse and wagon?” asked Gregory.
“We are going to take the wagon and one bike because we need to feed three families, so we will use both types of transportation,” replied Pietro. Gregory grabbed Bruno’s bike and loaded it onto the wagon.
The two men rolled out. Anna waved goodbye from the front porch and handed her husband a bag with food.
“See you in a couple of days,” Pietro said. He handed the bag to Gregory who placed it beside a box full of other items to be used as barter. Pietro couldn’t remember how many times the hazelnuts had come in handy, but he would keep them in case they were needed in a tight situation.
The two men rode by barren fields awaiting planting. After a couple of hours of traveling, Pietro could see that they were approaching Pordenone. He noticed that the usual hustle and bustle of a major city was missing. It was early midday, which usually meant more people walking or riding their bikes or horses around getting their daily chores done. But not today, the road leading to Pordenone was empty. It was just he and Gregory riding their wagon into town.
They were still about five minutes from the beginning of the town when Pietro noticed two freshly covered mounds of dirt on both sides of the road. As they approached, something caught his eye, so he pulled back on the reigns stopping the horse.
“What did you stop for?” asked Gregory.
“Here, hold the reigns,” replied Pietro.
Pietro jumped off the wagon and walked very slowly towards the dirt, looking around to make sure nobody was watching him. When he got close enough he quickly bent down to pick up the cloth that caught his eye. He quickly got back on the wagon, grabbing the reigns from Gregory. Just as he was reaching for the newly collected piece of cloth from his jacket pocket, he noticed vehicles coming his way at a very fast rate. Pietro quickly shifted his attention to the road, motioning the horse to come right off the road to make room for the oncoming vehicle. As they got closer, he noticed it was the same cars that visited his farm yesterday. The German lieutenant was sitting in the front looking in his direction; Pietro raised his hand and made a waving gestured towards him. Pietro noticed that the lieutenant was not looking very pleased, but he could tell that he recognized him as they rolled past.
“Wasn’t that the same group of soldiers that stopped at your place yesterday?” asked Gregory.
“Yes, it is, and don’t look back! They will think we are hiding something,” Pietro said. They both continued to look forward until they couldn’t hear the vehicles. Pietro reached down so as to look like he was checking on the brake of the wagon. He could see that they were out of sight so he grabbed the piece of the cloth from his pocket. It was a yellow, very dirty, and looked like it was crumpled up in a ball. As he held the reigns in one hand he opened the yellow cloth to reveal a yellow star with the word JUDE written in the middle. Pietro turned the cloth over and saw blood on the other side. The Germans must have been looking for Jews, Pietro thought. The yellow armband was probably from someone they captured or killed. Pietro wondered what the Jews did to be hunted like they were animals.
***
Pietro could finally see some people walking around the city, but still it was nothing compared to what he was use to hundreds of times he made this journey. They made their way to the market area, which usually drew lots of people and goods. As they rode the wagon down the roads, they both noticed that many of the usual shops were closed. Jews had owned the shops.
“I guess all the rumors about the Jews were true,” Gregory said. Pietro just nodded in agreement.
“Gregory, grab the bike and go take a look around the city for supplies while I feed and water the horse,” Pietro said. Gregory grabbed the bike off the wagon, jumped on it, and headed towards an uncertain search.
Pietro was just about finished feeding the horse when he saw the Germans coming his way. It was just a small group of soldiers. Pietro put on his smile as they stopped in front of him.
“What are you doing here in Pordenone, Farmer?” asked the German sergeant.
“Just looking for supplies, Sergeant. This has been a rough winter and my family is very hungry,” replied Pietro. He noticed that they all smelled like they came out of a bar.
“You haven’t seen some other German soldiers have you?”
“Yes, there were two vehicles leaving the town as I was coming into Pordenone.” Pietro was pointing in the direction of the road leaving town.
The sergeant tapped the driver on the shoulder and told him to go down the direction of the road leaving Pordenone. As they drove out of Pordenone, Pietro’s attention turned to the bike approaching him.
“Why is it that every time I leave you alone, the Germans stop to talk to you?” said Gregory with a grin. Pietro laughed.
“What did you find out?” asked Pietro.
“Well it is what we thought. Some of the stores owned by Jews have closed, but there are still some places opened and controlled by the Fascists. I think we need to stay clear of those stores. The market is open and just down the road, but it isn’t like it was a couple of years ago,” Gregory continued.
“I agree with you about the stores. Let’s get going before the damn Germans come back,” replied Pietro.
They were looking to barter for flour, olive oil, sausage, cheese, wine, and fabric. Pietro had coin with him but didn’t want to use it unless he needed too. He had eggs, hazelnuts, milk, and some seed to trade. As they walked the market, he could tell that this was a good idea. There weren’t too many beggars and most of the carts were still full of items to buy or barter. After about an hour, Pietro and Gregory were done and already having some wine. All of the items that they needed were bought, but everything was poor quality. This worried Pietro because he knew it was only going to get worse as this war kept going. Pietro and Gregory were just past the end of the market having some lunch with their wine.
“So, do you want to continue our trip to Azzano-Decimo?” asked Gregory. Pietro was thinking about Gregory’s question as he drank from the bottle of wine. Most of the items they needed they were able to get for all three families. Pietro had the largest family to feed and wanted to get more of everything to make sure his family was fed. If they left now, they could be home very late and wouldn’t have to spend the night anywhere.
“Part of me wants to keep going to the next town, but it is getting too dangerous to travel. We should probably just call it and head back to the farms before someone decides to make us a target,” Pietro said. Gregory nodded in agreement as they both started to load up the wagon for their trip home.
***
Catherine was sitting in the kitchen with Anna catching up on some sewing and other household chores. It was late in the evening and they both were very tired of watching kids and working. They both enjoyed the peace while working under the only electric light on the farm. As the light flickered as usual, they both heard the familiar sound of the horse and carriage pulling up.
“Stay here. I am going outside to see who is here,” said Anna. She got up and grabbed a lantern on her way out to the front of the house. As she opened the main door to the gravel road outside, she noticed the horse right away.
“Did you have any problems?” asked Anna. Pietro was already off the wagon and getting the supplies off the wagon when he smiled at his wife.
“Not really, but every time we looked around we saw Germans, so we just went to Pordenone and came back. I already dropped Gregory off and gave Johnny his supplies.”
Anna helped Pietro unload all the supplies from the wagon. Catherine came out as soon as she knew it was
her father and helped her mother hide all the supplies in the stairs, attic, and near the hazelnut trees. Pietro took the horse and carriage to the barn. He moved the horse to his resting place and put down some well-deserved hay for him to eat. As he made his way back to the main house, he looked up as the planes flew over his small farm.
“This war is just getting started,” said Pietro.
Chapter 10
TRAIN STATION
THE DOOR TO THE empty train station opened and Francisco made his way towards the track. The whole station had been cleared of all citizens to limit the exposure of what was getting ready to happen. He was actually smiling for the first time in a while because he wasn’t wearing his coat. Warmer weather had finally arrived. He walked towards the track looking for the train that was heading to Poland and would make the stop in Pordenone to pick up all the Jews and Gypsies who had been rounded up. They were told that they were going to be sent away until the war was over with and then they would return to continue their lives in Italy.
Francisco walked towards the make-shift holding area to check on his passengers. As he approached he could see one of his subordinates waiting for his arrival.
“Are we ready to the load these Jews and Gypsies on the next train?” asked Francisco.
The guard saluted. “Yes, we are, sir.”
Francisco looked around the area and made one last look at his paperwork.
“They all have a lot of luggage, sir. How are we going to fit all of it on the train?” asked the guard.
“When the train arrives, tell them to only take one suitcase per family. Then tell them that there will be another train after this one that will take the rest of their luggage and meet them at their final destination.”
Just as Francisco got done talking to the guard, he could hear the four o’clock train make its way towards the station.
***
Catherina was getting ready to leave from the silk factory and head home to her family. She wasn’t feeling the best these days and that was probably because she was due to have her second child. She hadn’t seen Gino in about three months and probably wouldn’t see him until this war was over. As she got on her bike, she made her way down the road towards the road leading out of town, which went by the train station. She had heard about the Jews and Gypsies being transported. Her father had told her that they wouldn’t be coming back, despite what the Germans told them.
