by Susan Toscan
“Tell me more about your life out there. It sounds so interesting,” Maria said as she set about making them another cup of coffee.
Elsie smiled as she remembered. “Agnes and Betty and I would go out to the Aboriginal community at least once a month. The community live near the Murrumbidgee River, and the girls loved to swim and play with the children. As you know, Maria, the river is very important to this part of the world. It was the older Aboriginal children who taught Agnes and Betty to swim and dive—they would all splash about, laughing and happy. The girls were often teased because their skin was so white, and they’d complain to me that they wanted to be tanned and beautiful like all the other children.”
Elsie paused to make sure that the other woman was following the conversation, but Maria indicated for Elsie to go on. She was obviously enjoying the story.
“They were good days. I would have to drag Agnes and Betty home after a full day of fun and adventure, and then they could not wait until their next visit. The girls have special memories of that time of their lives, and it’s good that they’ve learned to respect the culture of our Aboriginal friends.” Elsie smiled reflectively. “I have gone on a bit, I know, Maria, but it’s good to share happy memories.”
Elsie, Joe and the girls moved to Griffith at the end of the month, and their contact with the Messera family continued, especially as Agnes, Lucia and Renata were now attending the same school. Betty would start school the following year, and she could not wait. It was obvious that the girls had established a friendship in a short period of time, and their relationship certainly broke down the language barriers and helped to develop a lovely bond between Elsie and Maria. Having the girls’ interests in common was a good basis for a friendship.
Gradually the adults found a level of communication that worked for them too. With the help of the children they found that they could gain basic information from each other. Maria and Frank had been there to help Elsie and Joe settle into the house in town. From then on, they shared meals together, and Frank was teaching Joe to appreciate good vino. Joe had never been a wine drinker, but he was certainly keen to learn all he could from Frank.
Since Elsie, Joe and the girls had moved into Griffith, they had strengthened their close ties with not only their Italian friends but also with the Messeras’ extended family and their friends. It was good to talk to the Italians about life in general; they always helped put things into perspective. The lives of the migrants were a real example of hard work and perseverance to everyone in town. They had come to a new country, bringing only what they could carry with them and started from scratch. They had to build houses and then work the land and make it into rich, fertile farmland. They worked hard, and they proved that nothing was impossible. Maria used to say to Elsie, “Questa è la strada da seguire”—This is our road to follow.
The community where Maria, Frank and the girls lived became a second home for the Kingsley family. Many Sunday afternoons were spent enjoying exotic new food and the singalongs that would always follow lunch.
“Maria, how do you make this melt-in-your-mouth pasta?” Elsie asked Maria at one Sunday gathering. “You must teach me—Joe thinks it is the best food he has ever eaten!”
“I will be happy to teach you, Elsie, and I am pleased that Joe enjoys my food,” Maria responded.
After lunch, Frank, his cousin Antonio and some of the other fellows would sing beautiful Italian songs that often brought tears to the eyes of the listeners. Apparently this was something that they used to do at family gatherings in their village in Italy. It was obvious that the memories made them quite emotional, but it was always a privilege to be included in these occasions.
Agnes and Betty became close friends with Lucia and Renata. Lucia was about six months older than Agnes and seemed mature for her age. She was a serious young woman, and although she was not as outgoing as her sister, she was a kind and caring person. She was very beautiful, with striking features that made people turn to look at her, and she usually wore her long, dark hair tied up or in plaits that hung down her back. She seemed to tower over Renata, who was about the same height as Agnes. Lucia was totally oblivious to her beauty and the effect that she had on people. Renata and Agnes used to tease her and tell her that she looked like a Botticelli angel. She hated that.
All the girls were good friends, but when Agnes wanted to play, she found that she usually had more in common with Renata. Like her sister, Renata was also extremely pretty with long, dark hair, but she lacked Lucia’s sophisticated grace. She had turned five when the families met the previous year, and she was between Agnes and Betty in age. Renata and Agnes were both cheeky, spirited children who loved adventure and were always getting into mischief. Their favourite place on the Messera farm was in the shed. Frank would always tell them, “Girls, do not go there to play. There is dangerous machinery, and you could get hurt.” Although he would try to look angry, he could not help but smile when he saw the two little girls together.
Every chance they got, the girls would escape the adults—and Lucia, who would always tell on them—and hide in the shed. They would sit on the tractor and pretend that they were driving around the paddocks. Their imagination was unlimited, and they would play for hours.
The other Italian families in the area thought that Agnes was an Italian child. She had short, dark curls that would fly around her pretty, cherubic face, with its cluster of freckles over her nose. Her eyes were large in her small face and were very brown. She was small for her age, but she had long legs that were usually running wherever she was going. The clothes that her mother would so carefully dress her in, often ended up untidy and usually very dirty by the end of any given day. Elsie gave up putting dresses on her daughter and took to making her overalls or long pants so that she could run and climb without tearing her pretty dresses.
Betty was quite the opposite of her sister; she was easy-going and usually tagged along with the older girls. Like Agnes, she had a head of dark curls, but her hair was longer. Elsie would put Betty’s hair into a ponytail and marvel that at the end of the day, her hair and clothes were still tidy and clean. So unlike her sister! She was almost as tall as Agnes although there were almost two years between them. Her complexion was darker, however, and she had green eyes. She was not as well coordinated as Agnes, nor as outgoing. She was a calm little girl who liked her own space. She loved to read, and when the other girls got a bit too much for her, she would retreat into a book.
Country life provided a happy, carefree environment for all four girls to grow up in. Agnes and Betty encouraged the Messera sisters to attend family outings with them to their favourite place by the river. Lucia and Renata were not confident in the water and were not good swimmers, but Agnes set about rectifying that very quickly. She would give them the same lectures about the dangers of the river that her parents had been giving her all her life. They all enjoyed these excursions, but the Italian girls never had quite the enthusiasm for the water that the Kingsley sisters had.
Grown up and wise
The morning that Michael left to return to the shearing shed, Agnes was not coping very well. Frances was unsettled, and she seemed to be running a high temperature. She would not feed or sleep, which was very unusual for her. Elsie saw how upset her daughter was getting, and she stepped in to reassure Agnes that the baby was fine. She explained that Frances was just picking up on the fact that her mother was unhappy.
“I’ll try to settle the baby. You look like you need a bit of time to yourself, love. Do you think you could you go to the market and get some things for me, please? We need some fresh vegetables—I’ve made a shopping list.” Elsie was trying to distract her daughter.
Agnes was glad to get away from the house. Although she did not want to leave Frances, she realised that she was not helping her child with the way she was feeling. It was difficult knowing that she would not see Michael for another month. Life would be quite lonely again, especially after the lovely week that the
y had spent together. During her pregnancy and since Frances had been born, Agnes had lost touch with most of her friends. She realised now that she really did want to see them and try to fill the gap that Michael’s absence had left in her life.
The market was very busy. It had grown in size over the years, and Agnes always loved to walk along the neat rows of stalls and see the happy familiar faces of people she had known since she was a little girl.
The place thrived with people and noise. Carts moved about, delivering fresh produce from the farms, and the loud voices calling out instructions and greetings sounded so friendly; the energy of these people never failed to impress Agnes. Her father had told her, “Agnes, these people succeed because they love to work. It is part of the way they live, and when they are working together as a community, they are happy.” Agnes thought about this as she strolled along, sampling a bunch of delicious grapes. The market smelled of manure and fruit salad, a strange and exotic smell that she loved. She went to Maria and Frank’s stall. Lucia and Renata were there, helping their parents.
The Messeras hugged Agnes and made her feel very welcome. They noticed that Frances was not with her. “How is the little one; where is she today?” Maria asked. Although they were disappointed that Agnes did not have the baby, they understood that she needed to get out by herself for a while. They were very sorry that Michael had had to return to the sheep station so soon; they all liked him very much. “That husband of yours, he looks Italian—and he even enjoys a glass of wine,” Frank said. “We look forward to seeing him when he comes home again.”
In fact, Frank had tried to encourage Michael to work with them on the farm so that he would not have to be away from his family. Agnes knew that her husband would have loved a job that meant he did not have to be away for long periods of time, but she was also aware that he felt shearing was his best opportunity to make good money. And it was all he really knew.
The Italian family could see that Agnes was getting upset talking about Michael. They insisted that she have lunch with them—sharing delicious food was always a good distraction.
“Maria, you think that food is the solution to everything, and I love you for it.” Agnes laughed. “Just the smell of the pasta you have prepared makes me hungry.”
“You Australians do not know what you miss! Food is the solution to all problems. You eat good food with family around you—what more could you want?” Maria hugged Agnes and set a plate full of steaming pasta in front of her. The pasta was homemade, and it was light and fresh. The sauce was a speciality of Maria’s, made from a family recipe that had been passed down through the generations. It had that melt-in-the-mouth quality that her father admired so much, and Agnes thought that it tasted of the love it was made with.
She was fascinated by all the new and interesting flavours and wanted to learn to prepare these dishes for her own family. Whenever she visited the Messeras for a meal, she asked many questions about how the food was prepared so that she could learn to cook the delicious recipes. Maria, Lucia and Renata were patient teachers, and Agnes would write the instructions down so that she could try the recipes out and hopefully be able to surprise Michael when he was home again. Lucia and Renata often teased her about this. “Agnes, we can’t believe that you can’t cook. We were taught to cook when we were just little girls.”
“It’s not that I can’t cook; it’s just that our Australian food is pretty basic—meat and veg. Your family has introduced us to such different food, and now I want to learn to make it taste the way you do,” Agnes replied.
Winter was only a week away; the air was cold, and the days were shorter. Agnes, noticing that it was getting late, wanted to get home to Frances. Lucia and Renata walked with her some of the way, talking about their families.
Agnes knew that Renata had been seeing Michael’s Australian friend, Steven. Renata was keeping it from her parents, and this concerned Agnes. She had been trying to talk to her about it, but Renata remained stubborn about keeping her secret. “Renata, you really should talk to your parents. Steven is a great guy, and they will like him when they get to know him—you should give them a chance.”
Renata looked at Agnes and shook her pretty head. “You don’t know what they are like. My parents want Lucia and I to marry Italian boys, and they will not budge on this. The old ideas do not change even though we are living in Australia.”
Renata saw that the Australian girls seemed to have no restrictions on their lives and on whom they dated, and this frustrated her even further. She felt a little rebellious; she wanted to live her life in this new country with the same freedom. This, of course, was a cause of great concern for her parents. They wanted their daughters to live by the same strict standards that existed in the old country, and they really did not know how to adapt to the demands of the girls wanting more freedom, especially when it came to the company of boys.
Agnes found it strange that she could now see the point of view of Renata’s parents. She felt very grown up and wise now that she was a mother. How things had changed in her life in such a short time! Lucia knew of her sister’s dilemma and tried to be supportive. Steven seemed to be a really nice fellow from a respectable, solid background. Michael had told them that he was a hard worker and that his family owned a very large sheep station.
Steven had talked to Michael about his frustrations, with Renata not wanting him to meet her family.
“Gosh, mate, I’m in love with Renata, but I’m afraid that we’ll never get to be together. She’s so stubborn. Are these Italians as difficult as she tells me they are?”
Michael had been confused himself. “Look, Maria and Frank are the nicest people you will ever meet. They do seem to be set in their ways about wanting their daughters to go out with only Italian guys, but I think you just have to insist that you want to meet them. Just be yourself. You’re a great bloke—you have a good job, and your family are well established here. Come to think of it, you’re quite a catch. I’d marry you myself if I didn’t already have the best wife in the world!”
The friends laughed together, but Michael could tell that Steven was troubled. He knew that Steven had a great respect for what the Italian families had achieved since they arrived in the area. He often commented on how their farming practices had improved the quality of the fruits and vegetables in the area.
A courtship dance
Agnes and Michael had met at a local dance at the RSL hall only 12 months prior to their wedding. Michael had arrived early in the evening and was standing at the bar, speaking to his mates.
Agnes had talked Lucia and Renata into going along with her to the dance. The Italian girls were not usually allowed to attend dances, but Agnes had begged Maria and Frank to let them go with her. They had agreed, but Frank would be picking them up at the door at 10.00 pm sharp.
It was still early, so the girls went to the bar—which was really a trestle table set up on one side of the stage—for some lemonade. A three-piece band was playing dance music, and the dance floor was crowded. As the girls pushed their way through the crowd, Agnes bumped right into Michael, causing him to spill his beer.
In his concern to save his drink, Michael was about to abuse the culprit for being so careless. When he looked to see where his spilled drink had landed, however, he saw a beer-stained pair of dainty, pale blue satin shoes and quickly retrieved his handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the liquid from them. He was working his way up to slightly damp ankles when Agnes gave him a gentle, self-conscious shove. “Thank you, but I’m quite all right. I’m sorry about spilling your drink. Let me get you another.”
Michael just stood there with a stupid look on his handsome face.
“Well, do you want another drink or not?” Agnes asked to cover her embarrassment. She noted that the young man in front of her was very tall, but as she was only “five-foot-nothing” as her father used to say, she thought that he was probably about six feet tall. He had beautiful soft brown eyes, and she liked the way hi
s hair looked, quite long and a bit tousled—not slicked down like the other boys’. He did look a bit untidy, however; his tie was not straight, and he kept fiddling with his collar as if it were too tight.
“Can you speak, or will we just stand here all night?” Agnes was getting a little impatient. “My name is Agnes Kingsley, and these are my two friends, Lucia and Renata Messera. Apart from being unusually clumsy tonight, I am here to dance. What about you?”
Michael covered a smile. He liked this girl already; she was feisty and a little bossy. “I’m sorry; my name is Michael Houston, and yes, because you asked so nicely, I would like to dance.”
Lucia and Renata were observing the interaction with open mouths. They were amazed at how Agnes handled the situation and a bit embarrassed with the way she spoke to the poor fellow. When Michael and Agnes went to the dance floor, the girls felt a little lost, but after a while, they started talking to the young men Michael had been standing with. Lucia was quite shy; she was already seeing an Italian boy whom she was very keen on, and she was not really interested in socialising and dancing. Renata, however, was more like Agnes. She quickly struck up a conversation with one of the boys, who introduced himself by saying, “Hi, Renata, my name is Steven Piper—pleased to meet you.” He seemed to be very nice. The others appeared more interested in drinking.
Renata didn’t mind. Steven was extremely good looking, with the deeply suntanned complexion of someone who worked outdoors. He had kind eyes and freckles on his nose. His hair was very fair, almost blond white, and like Michael, he wore it quite long. Steven explained that he and Michael had been mates in high school and that they had maintained a close friendship in the three years since they had left school.
