La Strada Da Seguire: The Road to Follow

by Susan Toscan

Michael returned home to the full impact of the wedding, which was now only a few days away. As he stepped out of his truck, he was pleased to see that Agnes was obviously feeling better. She looked healthy, and the sparkle was back in those brown eyes that he loved so much. He could now see that little bump and accept that another baby was a reality.

  Frances ran into her father’s arms.

  “Frances, you are growing up so quickly! I can’t believe how you have changed in only a couple of weeks!” Michael looked at his daughter with pride and affection.

  Almost as soon as her father had arrived home, Frances had taken him by the hand and began showing him around the garden. Spring in this part of the world was truly glorious. Michael just loved the smell of the jasmine growing over the back fence. All of the fruit trees were flowering, and they made the whole area look like a botanical garden.

  As he walked around his very own garden, Michael enjoyed the simple pleasure of watching his daughter pick daisies for her mum. “See, Daddy, a fluffafly!” Frances pointed at a retreating butterfly with great excitement and then ran after it. Michael laughed and gently did his best to try to teach his daughter the correct word.

  Frances generally spoke very well, but often an Italian word or two would come into her vocabulary—usually in the appropriate place. It was the cause of much amusement to her family. The Messeras were thrilled and continued in their quest to teach her even more Italian words.

  Frances was a very bright and happy little girl, and Michael adored her. She always welcomed him home with such affection that he would wonder how he could ever leave her again. He knew that he was building a better life for them all, and that gave him the drive and ambition to continue, even if he had to be away from his family regularly.

  Agnes was pleased about the timing of her husband’s return. He could now help out with taking all the supplies to the church hall for the wedding; having the truck would make things much easier. Michael was soon given a list of tasks to do. He was pleased to be busy as all the fuss over dresses and hairstyles was just too much for him to comprehend; he and Agnes had got married without all this fuss, and they were perfectly happy. Michael did not understand this passionate culture that had invited the whole community to be involved in a wedding. He thought that it was great to have a party, but the rest was all a bit confusing.

  Viva gli sposi!

  When the wedding day arrived, Lucia and Flavio seemed very calm. Everything was very well organised, and the young couple were looking forward to enjoying the celebrations.

  The day started very early. Most of the food was being cooked in the large kitchen behind the church hall, and everyone was there at sunrise. The pig had been slaughtered some months ago, so the prosciutto and salami were cured and made ready for the antipasto. The pasta for the entrée had been prepared the day before, and the rich sauce was simmering in the large pot on the stove. The main dishes would be chicken and beef, both of which would be cooked slowly in the large outdoor ovens located near the church hall. As they were wood-fired, the ovens had to be watched carefully to keep the temperature constant. The meat would be served with fresh garden salads, and dessert would be a selection of giardoni—sweet dough pastry shells filled with homemade Italian custard and dipped in caramel—that had also been prepared the previous day.

  The bride and bridesmaids had gathered at Maria’s house just after lunch to start preparing for the four-o’clock service. Agnes was helping with hair and make-up, even though make-up was not a big priority. Cosmetics were generally not readily available, but the women had managed to collect enough to make all the girls look very elegant. Elsie was also there to help the girls and, of course, keep Frances and the other children in line. A friend had arrived with a camera to record the events of the day. This was a huge luxury, and Lucia felt very embarrassed at the thought of being photographed.

  Another friend had a car—another luxury—which was there to take Lucia and her dad to the church. Michael’s truck was decorated with ribbons and flowers and was ready to carry the rest of the bridal party. With the bridesmaids standing in the tray of the truck, it was a very slow trip to the church, but they arrived with 15 minutes to spare. It took a good 10 minutes to unload the bride and bridesmaids, straighten all of their beautiful dresses and make sure that their hairstyles had stayed in place.

  The bridal party stood at the door to the church. The buzz from within the building stilled as the sound of an old organ filled the air. Everyone turned to see Frances and three other little girls start the bridal procession down the long aisle. The usually outgoing and active girls were quite shy all of a sudden; faced with being watched by so many people, they stood stock still, too mesmerised to move. The wedding guests tried to persuade them to move, calling out to them and telling them how good they were. Gradually the girls gained enough confidence to start walking, but as they remained a little overwhelmed by the event, Elsie stepped into the aisle to assist with their progress.

  Next Agnes began to walk towards the altar. She looked so beautiful that Michael thought he would cry. The pale blue-silver of her dress was a perfect colour on her. Her dark, curly hair fell naturally around her shoulders, and her brown eyes shone with the excitement of the day. Renata followed Agnes, looking equally lovely, and then when the girls had taken their place at the altar, the organist began to play the beautiful hymn ‘Ave Maria’ in accompaniment to the ­resonant tenor voice of Frank’s cousin Antonio singing in Italian.

  It was a heart-stopping, breathtaking moment as Lucia started to walk down the aisle to meet Flavio. Her father walked beside her, full of pride in his daughter.

  Lucia was beaming. She had no tears today as she was so happy to be finally at her wedding. Her dress complemented her tall frame; the shimmering satin and lace creation fell softly to the floor, and the train—not too long, but long enough to accentuate the elegance of the gown—spread out behind her as she walked. The beautiful song came to an end as Lucia reached the altar, and Flavio stepped forward to take her hand. Her smile now was one of relief. She had made it without tripping on her dress or any of the other disastrous things that had occurred in her nightmares throughout the past month. Lucia struggled not to giggle, but when Flavio took her hand, she was able to focus again. He gently lifted her veil from her face when he was instructed to do so. “You look so beautiful,” he whispered to her. The atmosphere of love and joy that surrounded the young couple seemed to include everyone in the hope of a wonderful future.

  When the ceremony concluded, the wedding guests followed the bridal party out of the church. Lucia’s family members stayed for a few photos, but the others proceeded into the hall to see if there was anything left to be done. There was not, of course, as this was a very well organised day.

  When she arrived at the church hall for the reception, Maria seemed a little tense, but it was just because she wanted everything to be perfect. Seeing this, Elsie took her aside and asked, “How about a small glass of wine to settle all those nerves?”

  To her friend’s surprise, Maria started to cry. Elsie was alarmed. She decided against the wine and instead brought Maria some water and tried to get her to relax.

  “I’m all right, Elsie. I’m sorry. It has all been a bit overwhelming! My daughter is married! It has been a big day.” Elsie was relieved that nothing was wrong. “I had not realised how emotional I would get,” Maria went on. “It is hard thinking about my parents and parents-in-law missing out on this beautiful day. Lucia told me earlier that she did not want to throw her bouquet. She wanted to have it dried and send it to her grandparents in Italy. I thought that was such a beautiful idea; her Nonna and Nonno would appreciate it so much.”

  Elsie was impressed by this very thoughtful idea. She was sure the family in Italy would love to have the bouquet of beautiful Australian wildflowers with gum leaves scattered throughout the arrangement.

  Maria was a little calmer now, and Elsie went to get them both a cup of tea. When she returned, sh
e found that Maria was still a little out of sorts. Elsie put her arm around her. “Talk to me, my friend. What are you thinking about?”

  “Oh, Elsie, it is times like these that I feel so isolated from my family. I feel guilty that we went to live on the other side of the world from our parents. Frank and I were so keen to take our children away from Italy that we didn’t think about how much we would miss our family on special days like this wedding. Life was so difficult after the war; we could not see a future for us there. We certainly do not regret coming. We love our life here. It is just hard missing our family. Not a day of my life goes by that I do not think about the people we left behind.”

  Elsie was lost for words as she listened to her friend. She was so moved that it took her a few moments to reply. “Maria, you and Frank made the best decision for your family, and even though I haven’t had the same experience in my life, I have such respect for what you have achieved. Just look around you—all these people are here today because you and Frank have built a community of good friends. We are all your family, and we will always be there to support you.”

  Maria visibly gave herself a shake and then stood up and tried to look sternly at Elsie. “What are you doing sitting around when there is so much to do?” Both women laughed and got back to seeing that the reception was the success that the ceremony had been.

  When the bridal party were ready to enter the hall, the master of ceremonies made sure that all the guests were seated and then introduced the newly married couple to resounding applause. The Italians clinked their glasses with their cutlery, which was the traditional signal for the bride and groom to kiss. Then they shouted, “Viva gli sposi!”—Long live the bride and groom! This ritual was repeated at regular intervals during the reception.

  Michael found that he enjoyed the day more than he expected to. He was treated as a member of the Messeras’ large, happy family, and he liked how that felt. Having grown up without brothers and sisters, he had never experienced anything like the feeling of total inclusion that this wedding provided. Now as he looked around, he realised that it was getting late and the bride and groom were preparing to say goodnight.

  As they sat at the bridal table, Michael put his arm around Agnes and said softly, “I know that at first I reckoned it was all a bit over the top, but I think I’m getting used to this big family that we’ve found ourselves part of. I can see how much everyone loves to be involved.”

  Agnes smiled and nodded. “Family is their way of life; we can certainly learn a lot from them.” She leaned over and kissed her husband. “How about you take your family home now, my love?”

  Without a fuss

  A few days after the wedding, Elsie and Joe received a letter from Betty.

  Dearest Mum, Dad, Agnes and Michael,

  Hello from Sydney! I have some exciting news! I am writing to tell you that Sam and I decided to get married while we were away.

  We hope that you are not upset with us, but there has been so much going on in the family, and Sam and I did not want a fuss. We had a lovely ceremony in the Registry Office last Tuesday, and we are going to take an extra week off so we can have a relaxing honeymoon by the beach at Manly. Please don’t worry about us, we are very happy and we have some photographs to show you all when we return.

  We hope Lucia and Flavio’s wedding went well, we were thinking of you all. I am sure that Frances looked adorable in her pretty dress.

  We will return next week for a visit, but of course we will be living in Wagga Wagga where Sam has his job.

  Lots of love, Betty and Sam

  Elsie and Joe took the letter to show to Agnes and Michael. The news came as a bit of a surprise, but Agnes had guessed when she met Sam the previous month that he was committed to a life with her sister, and she was happy for them. Although she was sorry that she had not been present at her sister’s wedding, she respected Betty’s decision to have a private ceremony. It was just like Betty not to want a fuss; she had never liked being the centre of attention. Sam was also a very unassuming personality, so they complemented each other well. The family was pleased for them.

  Dreams of fine-wool sheep

  The weeks were rushing towards another Christmas. With all the events and activity of the past year, everyone was happy to simply have a quiet family celebration, just as they had done the previous year. Christmas day dawned hot but quite overcast. The Italian and Australian families were able to share an outdoor meal, but as the afternoon progressed, the clouds became increasingly threatening. A last-minute decision to move to one of the Messeras’ large sheds to share the leftover food for the evening meal proved timely. As the last of the tables was shuffled under cover, the heavens opened, and a very loud thunderstorm dumped much-needed rain on the whole area. It was agreed that this was a good sign. New hope for the future stirred in everyone present.

  The year 1937 held promise for good crops—and a new baby. Michael was working through his ambitions to build a future for his growing family by establishing a business that he had dreamed about for a long time.

  For her second birth, Agnes made sure the doctor gave his approval for her mother to be with her the whole time. Even her husband had been given clearance to be present. This was not common for the time, but Michael was insistent that he wanted to do it. Elsie was a bit unsure, but at least she would be there to make certain that things went according to plan—and if they did not, she knew she would be able to convince Michael to leave the room. The little family had been staying in town with Elsie and Joe just in case things moved quickly. This suited Agnes and Michael; it was very helpful having four adults to look after Frances and keep her occupied.

  Agnes went into labour late in the evening on 31 April 1937. Michael was totally overwhelmed by the process, and at one stage made a promise to himself that he would never put her through it again. He kept looking at Elsie for reassurance that Agnes would be all right. His mother-in-law was quick to give him instructions on what was best for Agnes, and once he was distracted, he felt that he coped better watching his wife bring their second daughter into the world.

  Little Patricia Anne was born early on the first of May. She was the image of Frances when she was born, with dark curly hair—but rather than brown, her eyes were bright blue.

  When the midwife handed Patricia to him, Michael stared down at her and knew that he was a lucky man. Two little girls to love—he could not be happier. “Agnes, thank you. Childbirth is probably the most harrowing thing I have ever witnessed. You were amazing. I’m in awe of you, my darling.”

  At first Agnes was a little disappointed that they did not have a boy. When they had discussed the possible sex of their child, Michael had said he did not care as long as the child was healthy. Agnes had thought he was just saying that and that he really did want a son this time, but as soon as she looked at Michael’s face when he first held Patricia, she pushed that thought aside.

  The Italian family, too, was growing quickly. Lucia and Flavio were expecting a baby, and Renata and Steven had finally announced their engagement. The Messeras were very happy about this as they had grown to love Steven. True to what Renata had believed, her parents had been a little unsure of the relationship at first, but they gave Steven the time to prove that he was worthy of their trust. Once it became obvious that he and Renata had a good relationship, Maria and Frank finally accepted that it was a new world and that it was time to change their ideas and welcome this Australian boy into their family.

  Michael and Steven’s friendship had matured and grown stronger over the years. Both men had now been welcomed as members of the Italian family; they were certainly respected within the Italian community as well as the wider community of Griffith.

  Steven had continued to work on his family’s sheep station while Michael had been giving a lot of thought to the possibility of building a stock of fine-wool merino sheep. He had recently asked Steven if he would meet him at the pub to talk about something important. Steven arrived look
ing concerned. “Is everything okay with you, mate?” he asked Michael.

  “Couldn’t be better. I wanted to discuss an idea that I’ve had for a long time. I want to build my own business, and I think that this business could be working with fine wool-producing sheep. I’ve been reading a lot about the research into it, and I reckon I could give it a go. But I wanted to talk it through with you first and get your advice because you know a bit about sheep.”

  Michael looked very serious, and Steven tried to lighten the moment. “Happy to help with the bit of knowledge that I have, mate.” He punched Michael’s arm to make evident his friendly sarcasm.

  His friend was so focused on explaining his idea, however, that he didn’t even flinch. “Steve, the inform­ation that I have so far indicates that the demand for Australian wool in Europe is growing. If I can make sure that the properties I’m responsible for will profit from this market, then it would be generally good for the wool industry in Australia. You know, mate, eventually I really want to buy my own property. Then I want to build my own stock of good quality, fine wool-growing sheep.”

  Michael could tell from the look on Steven’s face that he had his friend’s attention. “I know that it’s a bit of pipe dream, but I see this as a good chance for me to get ahead and be my own boss. I really don’t know where to start because I can’t afford to buy a property as yet—but I thought if I could agist some land from one of my employers, I might start to build my stock from there. I don’t know. It’s still just an idea at the moment. I haven’t really talked it through with Agnes yet.”

  Steven looked thoughtfully at his friend. “Wow, that’s ambitious. It’s funny that we’ve known each other for so long and yet we haven’t discussed an idea that we’ve obviously both had in the back of our minds for ages. I only talked to my dad a few weeks ago about him giving me one of the back paddocks so that I could get some stock of my own. I hadn’t thought about the fine-wool sheep, but, mate, that is a brilliant idea!”