by Susan Toscan
He gradually became aware that Savina was shaking him.
“Alessandro, ti stò parlando. Ti vedo molto pensieroso. Stai bene?”—Alessandro, I am talking to you. You were lost in thought. Are you all right?
Alessandro looked at his wife and realised that he had been lost for some minutes in the memories of his wartime experiences. As a rule, he tried very hard not to think about that time of his life, but occasionally the memories came to him uninvited. It was always difficult to push them aside. He reassured her with a smile. “I’m sorry, Savina. I suppose I still had a few more people to bid farewell to.”
Savina put her arms around her husband; it was her turn to be strong for him. As she held onto him, she also secretly prayed for the baby she was now sure she carried.
There were more people gathered on the dock than Alessandro and Savina had ever seen in one place. It was very loud. Instructions were being shouted, and the bang and clatter of machinery loading luggage and supplies onto the ship added to the cacophony. Someone was blowing a whistle, and somewhere back in the crowd, Savina could hear music. It seemed disorganised but festive, and it added to the excitement of the experience.
Alessandro smiled at his wife and took her hand as they moved towards the Achille Lauro. When Alessandro looked out beyond the dock and saw the ocean, he became very nervous. He was a man of the mountains, and he had never liked boats of any kind. It was taking all of his determination to walk up to this huge ship.
The two had to wait in queue for some time, but slowly they made their way onto the gangplank. Alessandro concentrated on observing the trunks and cases that were being loaded onto a pallet. He watched as a crane lifted the luggage up onto the deck of the ship. They collected their things once they were on board, and then they were shown to their respective cabins.
They were taken down long corridors with lots of doors until they reached the women’s dormitory, which was a long, cavernous room with neat bunk beds on both sides; there was also a small cupboard at the end of each set of bunks. Everything was grey, and the small round windows did not let in much light. It was all a bit airless and musty, but Savina was aware that her sense of smell seemed to be heightened. She chose a bunk that was closest to the door, and she noticed that there was a porthole just above the beds. She would make the best of it. The bathroom was down the corridor and was shared by all of the women on the ship. Savina inspected the facilities carefully; everything appeared to be clean, and there were certainly lots of shower and toilet cubicles.
She then went with Alessandro to see where he would be sleeping. There were more dormitories for the men as there were a lot more of them. The dormitories all looked the same. Alessandro picked the closest area to Savina’s dormitory and chose a bunk. He did not care about the small space. It was somewhere to sleep.
It was around midday when a loudspeaker announced that the ship was departing.
Alessandro and Savina joined the other passengers to go up onto the deck to bid farewell to their homeland, perhaps forever. Since his arrival at the dock, before he had even boarded the ship, Alessandro had felt torn—one of the few times he’d experienced such doubt since he and Savina had made the decision to migrate to Australia. Had his uncle and aunt felt this way? Feelings of uncertainty crowded in on him. He looked at his beautiful wife. She looked very happy and excited. The anticipation of what lay ahead for them had overridden her sadness. The two held each other, watching the dock recede into the distance as the Achille Lauro made its way out of Genoa harbour and steamed towards the open sea. Everyone stayed up on the deck, almost mesmerised by their last view of Italy disappearing in the wake of the ship’s departure.
The movement of the ship was constant, and Savina soon found that she was not a good sailor. The queasiness that she had been feeling turned to full-blown seasickness—or at least that is what she told Alessandro. She could not look at food, and this concerned her husband. The two spent as much time as they could up on the deck as Savina felt much worse in the crowded cabin.
Many times the couple took their pillows and blankets and slept out on the deck. It was so beautiful to be able to see the stars, and Savina certainly felt better with Alessandro beside her. They would look up at the heavens and wonder if the sky in Australia would be as clear and bright. It was still quite cold, but they managed to find a little shelter, and privacy, in a secluded section of the top deck.
They even managed to make love on a few occasions. Savina felt very wicked, but she needed to be with her husband and wanted to reassure him the best way she could. They giggled like children if anyone came near their hiding place. They were sure that other couples were doing the same thing, but it was more exciting to think that they were totally alone. After the first week and a visit to the doctor on the ship, Savina was feeling a little better.
With the closeness of the living conditions, it was easy for her to make friends with the other women. They all helped each other out and shared their precious provisions. It became the norm to share meals. She came to know one lovely lady named Flavia after the woman prepared some broth and insisted that Savina eat some to help relieve her seasickness. The broth was very watery, but it tasted very good. Flavia became a close friend of Savina’s, and she soon worked out that the young woman was not just seasick. She was a little older than Savina, and she tried to reassure her. “It’s quite normal to have this type of sickness with pregnancy, but you must try to eat little bits often. You’ll feel better very soon.”
Savina was surprised by her comment. “I thought that I was keeping my condition hidden! I don’t want to say anything about it to anyone, especially to Alessandro—at least for a while. He’ll just worry about me.”
Flavia understood, but she added firmly, “Well, you will have to let me help you a little more.”
“I appreciate that, Flavia. I have to admit that my energy is not as good as it normally is. I find it frustrating, but I know that it will pass.”
From then on, Flavia took on the role of Savina’s caretaker. The young woman was very grateful for her new friend’s kindness.
“Flavia, what made you and your husband decide to migrate to Australia?” Savina asked one day when she and her friend were walking up on the deck.
“Our son is in Australia. He was only 12 when the war started. We were so afraid that the German army would take him that we sent him to Australia with very good friends who were leaving at the time. It was an extremely difficult decision, but we didn’t have a choice. So now we are anxious to get to Australia to be with our boy.”
Savina and Flavia joined the many other women who were keen to take English lessons. One of the members of the ship’s crew, Julie, had arranged to give classes every morning, and it was wonderful to have something to do and to be learning the language of their new country. Julie had been a teacher before she and her husband had joined the shipping line to explore the world. Her husband was the ship’s navigator, and Julie managed all of the housekeeping staff. She spoke a little Italian, and she recognised that it was important for these migrants to have some knowledge of basic English to help them when they arrived in Australia.
Savina found that she really enjoyed learning English, but Alessandro did not want to go to the classes. He relied on Savina to instruct him. Some men did attend, but they were not as keen to learn as the women. Perhaps they were a little proud and did not like to think that they would not grasp the language. Within the first few weeks, the women were able to have limited conversations in English, and they were very proud of their achievements.
The men generally spent their days walking around the decks or playing cards. They would also get together at night and sing. Alessandro was in his element. He was a little shy at first, but when he realised that his voice gave so much pleasure to everyone, he was happy to oblige them by singing treasured Italian favourites. One of the men had a piano accordion, and another had a small guitar. They were a small group with a large backing choir, and they love
d it.
When the men played, some members of the audience would dance with a great amount of energy. Others would sit and talk, reminiscing about their respective homes and what they looked forward to in Australia.
One of the common song requests was ‘Santa Lucia’, and Alessandro’s rich tenor voice could be heard above the others’ voices as the men sang the beautiful words.
Savina and Alessandro were thrilled to find that quite a few other couples were also headed for Griffith. They too were going to meet family members. They all shared the small amount of knowledge they had of the area and agreed that they should keep in touch when they got to Australia. History would show that many of them would remain friends for the rest of their days. They would share their lives and watch their children grow and become friends just as their parents had done.
Savina was slowly beginning to feel stronger. They were more than halfway into the long voyage, and she was getting a little impatient with the time it was taking. She was bored with the repetition of life on the ship. To pass the time, she liked to walk on the decks and smell the sea air and look to the horizon for her first glimpse of Australia. The air was certainly warmer as they headed south, and this made her very happy. She had spent too many cold winters with little food. This was not the life her child would have; his life would be warm and secure. She could feel him growing every day, and she was anxious to feel the little kicks that her friend assured her she would experience soon.
Alessandro had mixed feelings as he watched his lovely wife. “You have been so ill, my love. I worry that we are doing the right thing; I could not bear to think about anything happening to you.”
“Alessandro, you fuss too much. I know that my energy has suffered because of the seasickness… each time I stop, I fall asleep. But it is simply because I don’t sleep well in the crowded cabin. I will be fine; we are almost there.”
Alessandro spent many hours looking towards the horizon for his first sight of Australia; he knew that it was a very large land mass. Like his wife, he was impatient with the long voyage. Alessandro was a man who had always worked hard, and he did not like sitting around all day. The ship’s crew had enlisted him and some other men to help out with small jobs that required attention. Many of the Italian men had plumbing and general carpentry skills, and they were happy to have something to do to pass the time. Most of them had come from farming backgrounds, and many had been soldiers. Like Alessandro, they were strong men and could turn their hands to most things.
The ship’s captain had finally announced that the Achille Lauro would be docking in Fremantle in two days’ time. The excitement was building as the passengers would be able to get off the ship for a few hours while it was being refuelled and resupplied. They were all looking forward to setting foot on dry land, especially Savina. Everyone crowded to the railing to watch as the ship approached the Western Australian coast. Even though the Italian migrants did not have the money to go shopping, they looked forward to walking around Fremantle and getting the feel of this country that was to be their new home. They really could not grasp the distance between Fremantle and their ultimate destination, Sydney; the distance was simply beyond their imagination.
When the ship finally docked, the passengers were keen to disembark, but they did so in an orderly fashion. Alessandro and Savina were at the back of the line queuing to get off the ship. Alessandro did not want to be caught up in a rush; he was still very concerned about his wife. Her beautiful blonde hair had lost its lustre, and her pale complexion made her look very washed out. She was unsteady on her feet as they approached the gangplank, but she held onto Alessandro and was very pleased when she finally stepped onto the dock.
Once they had cleared the customs line and started on their exploratory walk, Savina realised that she still felt like she was moving with the motion of the ship even though they were on solid ground. Slowly they made their way out into the nearby streets. They eventually came to a small park, which was very green and lush. Everything looked out of place to them. There was heat in November, the trees were in full bloom and the gardens were full of beautiful flowers. It was enchanting. Savina thought that it looked like heaven.
“What is that I can smell?” she asked.
“It could be the eucalyptus trees over there,” Alessandro replied. “I read that they have a strong scent that’s quite unique.”
“I like it; it’s earthy and fresh. I like Australia,” Savina stated.
Alessandro laughed. “Well, I’m pleased that your first impressions have been positive. I would hate to have to turn around and go back to Italy.”
Savina wanted to let her husband know how very happy she was—and in the excitement of the moment, she let slip that their child would love growing up in this beautiful place. Alessandro thought that he had not heard her correctly, so she repeated, “A Luglio aspettiamo un bamino, Credo cio, sia la ragione per cui non sono stata bene.”—We are expecting a child about July, I think. It is part of the reason that I have been so unwell.
Alessandro had to sit down; he found the nearest garden seat and collapsed onto it. He had not considered the prospect of a child in his life, especially this soon! He took Savina’s hand and held it tightly. “We will have a new beginning in a new country, and our baby will be born an Australian. We have so much to look forward to, my love.”
After a few moments, the two stood and walked on hand-in-hand. As they approached a group of shops, Savina smelt some food cooking, and all of a sudden, she realised that she was ravenous. They headed in the direction of the scent and soon found a little café. With the limited English they had learned on the ship, they asked if they could get a cup of coffee.
“Sì, due tazze di caffè vengono su.”—Yes, two cups of coffee coming up.
Alessandro and Savina were surprised to hear Italian spoken. “How long have you been in Australia?” Alessandro asked the waiter.
“My family came here before the war and set up this café. We found that the locals love our food and coffee, and this makes us happy,” replied the young waiter. “I suggest that you try my mother’s pasta. It will be a change from the food that you get on the ship—and it’s very good.”
“Fresh pasta is just what I feel like,” Savina said. “Would you like some, Alessandro?”
“Sounds good to me, thank you,” he replied.
Soon after their meal, it was time to go back. They felt so much better during their brief time off of the ship, and they knew that soon the long journey would be over. Savina was relieved that Alessandro was now aware of her pregnancy. She had made him promise not to worry about her and not to fuss over her. She knew that she would be fine; she also knew that once they arrived in Sydney, she would never go on board a ship again.
Sad and happy
at the same time
Agnes’s children were growing up very quickly. Frances was now a teenager. She was a great help to Agnes, but she was also mature beyond her years, and this worried her mother. Frances was the one to organise her sister and brother for their baths and bedtime. She was also the one who would sense when Brad arrived home in a bad mood, and she would make sure that Patricia and Neil were well away from him.
Maddy seemed to be embarrassed by her father’s behaviour. She would often try to tell him how she felt, but he would not listen. Agnes hated that the children had to be “seen but not heard”, and she was fed up and frustrated with the fact that her family was fractured.
Agnes had tried to reassure Maddy. “You are such a good girl, Maddy. Your father really loves you.”
“Then why does he act so angry all the time?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I think that taking on another family has proved to be too much for him.”
Maddy was not convinced. “I love you all as my family. I want us to be together.”
This upset Agnes; this young girl had lost one mother, and Agnes had grown to love her as her own child.
Brad still wanted Agnes’s ful
l attention when he came home, and he made no allowances whatsoever for the children. Agnes found that her life had become very narrow, and this was a point of contention between her and her husband. She tried to stand up to Brad. “Life does not have to be this hard. Why do you have to be so difficult and demanding?”
But Brad would not give an inch, and as the years wore on, Agnes became more and more estranged from him. He once told her that when they had sex, she made him feel as if he were raping her. To her detriment, she had replied that that was exactly how she felt. There was no affection between them, and making love was no longer a pleasurable experience but a duty. She had a black eye for days after that confrontation. Their relationship was cold and empty. Agnes knew that she did not want this to be her life any longer, but she was at a loss as to how to change things.
It was October 1949 when Maria visited Agnes’s house with some good news. “Frank’s nephew and his wife from Italy will arrive here early in December. Frank has been trying to get Alessandro to come since before the war. The whole family is very excited.”
“That’s wonderful news, Maria. Where will they be living? How old are they? Do they have any children?” Agnes was getting caught up in Maria’s enthusiasm.
“Alessandro and Savina were only married in September, and they are coming to make their home in Griffith. Agnes…” Maria said hesitantly, “I don’t want to upset you, but they’ll be staying in the house where you and Michael lived before he went off to the war.”
“Oh! I think that this makes me sad and happy at the same time—happy that another young couple will be living in that cosy little house but sad that I’ll never find the happiness I had when I lived there with Michael.” Agnes stated with such regret in her voice that Maria put her arms around the young woman in an effort to comfort her.