La Strada Da Seguire: The Road to Follow

by Susan Toscan

  The Easter weekend was spent reminiscing with Louie and hearing about his plans for the future. It had been wonderful to see him and hear that soon Olga would be coming to live in Australia as well.

  The next letter that Savina wrote to her family was about the birth of her son.

  Dearest Papa, Mama Paula, Olga and Gigetta,

  This letter is to let you know that Alessandro and I have a son. He was born 2 July and we named him Antonio, for you Papa. He is a beautiful and happy baby, we are truly blessed and so grateful that he is healthy. We are pleased to be able to raise our son in Australia.

  We are feeling very settled in Griffith, even though we miss you all very much.

  Alessandro is working in the winery and on the farm with Zio Frank. He is happy. We have made many new friends and we have both learned to speak English. It is hard learning a new language, but our Australian friends help us and we get better every day. We had some lessons when we first arrived but now we just have to practise.

  Louie visited us over Easter and we really enjoyed seeing him. He looked very well. He is working hard to save his money, waiting for the time when Olga can come out here to join him. I so look forward to you coming Olga. It will be so good having you in the same country. Wollongong is still a long way from where we live, but at least we will only be a day’s travel apart instead of many weeks.

  We send our love to all of you and I will write again soon.

  Lots of love,

  Savina

  Towards the middle of July, Agnes went to visit Savina and meet the new baby.

  Agnes enjoyed meeting little Antonio. She loved babies. “I think that the birth of a baby symbolises so much promise and hope for the future,” she told Savina. “You have been through so much to have your life in Australia, and now your little boy is an Australian citizen even before his parents are. The first in a generation of new Australians. He’s a lucky little boy indeed!” She paused and looked thoughtful. “What is it that you said to me not long after we met? Something about choosing the road to follow?”

  “Yes,” said Savina softly, “Abbiamo scelto la strada da seguire.”—We choose the road to follow.

  “Well, my dear, you and Alessandro chose the road to follow, and it brought you to Australia. Now your son will have a wonderful future with all the opportunities that you have given him because of the choice that you and Alessandro made.

  “I know that we are very lucky to be in Griffith, Agnes, and so lucky to have our little boy. We love it here. It is our home now.” Savina was very touched by what Agnes had said.

  “Savina, you say that you are lucky to be in Griffith, but really, Griffith is lucky that you, Alessandro and all of the other wonderful Italian migrants chose to come here to make their homes.”

  Savina was a little embarrassed and emotional about her friend’s kind words. She decided it was time to change the subject. She knew that visits to this house always brought back strong memories for Agnes. Now could be her opportunity to find the answers to the many questions that she had about her friend’s first marriage.

  “Agnes, I have often wanted to ask about your life with Michael, but I have always been afraid that it would be too upsetting for you.”

  Savina saw the light in the other woman’s eyes switch on; the love that Agnes still had for Michael was obvious. Since she had accepted the reality of his death, Agnes was finally able to talk about him without pain. She found that the memories no longer made her sad.

  Agnes told Savina that she was now finally ready to take responsibility for her own life and stand alone—for the now anyway. She had a long way to go, but with the money that Michael had left them—and the house, which had gone to her as Brad’s next of kin—she knew that she would be all right financially. Steven was still paying her a small proportion of his business profits, and she kept that in trust for the children’s future.

  Savina was happy to hear that Agnes was so positive about her future. She was a strong woman, and she would get through this difficult time.

  After hearing Agnes’s confession, Savina confided in Agnes about her own brother’s death so that Agnes would know that she understood the depths of despair that the loss of a loved one could cause. “My little brother Giovanni died in a motorbike accident just a few months before I was married. I did not think that I would ever recover from his death. I spent a lot of time being angry and feeling guilty. Alessandro helped me understand that these were wasted emotions. I still grieve for the loss of such a promising young life, as you do for Michael, but their destiny was not in our control. It was hard to accept that, but once I did, I found that I put all the anger and guilt to rest. I know that I am a stronger person for all of the experiences I have had, especially through the years of war. Life will always be a challenge, but because of those experiences, I know that there is nothing I cannot achieve.”

  Agnes hugged her friend, she appreciated that Savina was trying to help her find her way through the confusion and the guilt that had plagued her life, but Agnes had already accepted that she would never fully understand the reasons for her husband’s disappearance.

  The Michael that Agnes knew and loved had died that night on the battlefield in Tobruk. She could now also admit to herself that she felt guilty about her decision to marry Brad. She had been so lonely and desperate that she had made a bad choice. She knew that she had not loved him the way she should have. There was further guilt that she had put her children through so much when they were still trying to understand why their Daddy had not come home to them.

  Agnes agreed with Savina. After surviving such life-changing experiences, she knew that she could handle anything life could throw at her.

  When it came time for Agnes to go, the two women laughed about the fact that they had managed to talk all afternoon—Savina in her broken English and Agnes often having to repeat her words more slowly. Somehow they had found a level of communication that allowed them to understand each other regardless of language difficulties. Each woman knew that she had started a lovely friendship, very much like the friendship that Agnes’s mother Elsie shared with Maria.

  Life was good for Agnes and her family and friends. Within the following three years, she remarried and had a fourth child. This time her marriage was good. Agnes had at last found the love to fill her loneliness and give her life the stability that she craved. She was able to move forward with joy and peace. Life was finally an adventure and no longer a struggle.

  Frances, Patricia and Neil were her pride and joy. They all grew up strong and independent.

  Brad’s daughter Maddy went to live with her mother’s family, but she always remained close to Agnes and the children.

  Elsie and Joe grew old with their family around them. They lived healthy, happy lives and always stayed involved with the community and their many friends. Joe played an active role in the farming activities in the area, and his experience was always welcomed.

  Maria and Frank stayed on their farm until they were in their late 70s. They spent their last years living with Lucia and Flavio.

  Olga joined Louie after he moved to Wollongong in 1952. She arrived in Australia one day, and they were married the next. They continued to live in that lovely city by the sea and eventually raised three daughters. They visited Griffith many times throughout their lives and enjoyed a close relationship with many of their family and friends in the area.

  Savina and Alessandro also went on to build a strong and stable future. They continued their commitment to each other and to their family and the Italian community. They had a second child, a daughter, 18 months after the birth of their son. They eventually moved into the town of Griffith after buying their own home. They never returned to Italy, but Savina’s father did come to Australia to visit them—more than once.

  Throughout her life, Savina would reminisce about the early years, when she and her husband first arrived in Australia and made their home in Griffith. She learned to love the town and came to
consider it her true home. She always said that Griffith was good to her and Alessandro, but in fact—as Agnes had once told her—they had been good for Griffith.

  The Italians who migrated to Griffith after both world wars proved that the promise of the new beginning that they sought had come to fruition. They changed their lives and met the challenges of the changing times. They worked hard to achieve their dreams, and the lives and communities that they built were testaments to their commitment to making a better future for themselves and their families. They had found their road to follow, and it had led them to a rewarding life.

  Susan Toscan counts raising three children who became amazing adults as her greatest achievement to date. Now retired after a career in human resources and as an entrepreneur, she’s a writer and researcher. Although born in Cairns, Australia, she grew up in Griffith, New South Wales, and now lives in Canberra with her husband.