Ambiana was in Rome this past week. I had emailed her some pictures of my time in Rome when I was four years old and we were living in Bologna. Her and Wiki were in St peter’s Square and she remembered that one of the photos I sent her was taken in the square and her and wiki found the fountain and faithfully re-created the scene from 54 years previous. I can’t put into words how much her photo touched me; Ambiana channeling Mini-Moch, all I can say is that my heart melted.
I shared the picture on a text thread with my brother Chuck and sister Katie and we texted back and forth about what we remember from those long ago days. Here is some of that conversation:
MOCHI: I remember the apartment, the courtyard, the running track across the street. Wartermelon in Terracina, a man milking a cow while cats sit at a distance waiting for their squirt of milk which the man makes spot on without lifting his head. I remember the beach and playing a game with a small plastic ball on which were pictures of soccer players the object to successfully navigatie a small course we made in the sand. I remember PMT arriving home with mommy from the hospital and the pink ribbon on our apartment door. I remember TKT not understanding English and Nando and Paula and the old old buildings in the city center and the two towers. I remember seeing the moon when daddy to me to the hospital when i fell outta the top bunk. I remember the moon on tv and that the man on the moon was an american just…like….me.–
KATIE:I remember the balcony and the track and being little red riding hood for Halloween and being at a place older folks lived and not wanting to give the bread in my basket to a nice old lady who told me it was okay and to keep it for myself and the little chair over the hole in the back of the car and a dry river bed filled with stones out in the country and I was told the story of being spanked by dad in church because I would not be quiet and wearing those plastic baby pants one used to wear over diapers and it making a loud noise. Mom told me that and about being embarrassed because in Italy you gave kids candy instead of spanking. She also told me that either Michael or Chuck learned if they stopped and cried on the landings as we climbed the stairs to our apartment they would get candy from the women living on each floor. I also have a vague memory of being at school and some Italian kids telling MAT and me it was okay to throw play dough at the wall so we did and then we got in trouble
CHUCK: I remember breaking my jaw, thunder being explained as the gods Bowling. Nando pounding on the wall yelling Kathleen I love you (well maybe Mochi did) the wine press explosion in the yard. The chair over the hole in the car. A rabbit being killed for an outdoor feast at the Terracina farm. Eating pizza after the burning man on new years eve, the two leaning towers. Having wine at supper, playing doctor with Paula, going to the top of St Peter’s in Rome and seeing the bones of saints in the catacombs, experiencing a terremoto, Pops shouting at the Carabieneri when they told him to move away from Mum’s hospital window after Patti was born. Libero taking me on his scooter, watching Disney films in Italian, ..crying as the bus took us to the airport to fly back to the USA….
Meanwhile in Vermont…
Meanwhile back in Vermont the weather has turned chilly and we have had a few frosts and dustings of snow.
Sarah and Colleen have been getting together to jam out on guitar.
