European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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They called me, I went up the stairs and was up on the stage...
They called me, I went up the stairs and was up on the stage...
They finally called me. I went up the steps to the stand. -
and there stood Doctor Ganassi. This I should state because he was a family friend and I, even all of us, would bring him milk from a cow that I'd practically raised,
and there stood Doctor Ganassi. This I should state because he was a family friend and I, even all of us, would bring him milk from a cow that I'd practically raised,
Mr. Ganassi was there. Every evening I used to bring him some milk of a cow I had raised. -
since he had a young son but couldn't manage to raise him... all of his children died as infants and so we would bring him this milk.
since he had a young son but couldn't manage to raise him... all of his children died as infants and so we would bring him this milk.
Since he had a little child and he had been losing all his children when very young. -
And he said: “Oh, you don’t belong to the Piccole Italiane?” I answered: “No, my father didn’t sign me up”.
And he said: “Oh, you don’t belong to the Piccole Italiane?” I answered: “No, my father didn’t sign me up”.
Mr. Ganassi told me: “So you don’t belong to the Piccole Italiane?” I answered: “No, my father didn’t sign me up”. -
"Well, then we won't give your your award" and he sent me back.
"Well, then we won't give your your award" and he sent me back.
“So we can’t give you the award”, said Mr. Ganassi, and sent me back. -
A ten, eleven year-old girl... how can you explain to her that...
A ten, eleven year-old girl... how can you explain to her that...
How can a little girl who’s ten or eleven years old understand -
how can she understand that there is more worth to a membership card than her ability to work, to study, to be good, etcetera?
how can she understand that there is more worth to a membership card than her ability to work, to study, to be good, etcetera?
that having a membership card is worth more than her skills? -
I went home crying. My mother was feeding the pigs. Poor thing.. she found herself...
I went home crying. My mother was feeding the pigs. Poor thing.. she found herself...
I went home crying. My mother was feeding the pigs. -
I said, "This is your fault. I didn't get an award because you didn't get me the membership."
I said, "This is your fault. I didn't get an award because you didn't get me the membership."
I was telling her that it was her fault that I didn’t receive my prize. -
So she gave me a good slap and told me, "At least now you have something to cry about." Perhaps she found it difficult to respond to me in the moment
So she gave me a good slap and told me, "At least now you have something to cry about." Perhaps she found it difficult to respond to me in the moment
She slapped me and told me that at least I had something to cry about. She didn’t know how to explain me. -
since parents were really careful about talking to us kids.
since parents were really careful about talking to us kids.
Parents had to be really careful to talk with us kids. -
because children could easily let something slip, even with others... and you couldn't... i mean...
because children could easily let something slip, even with others... and you couldn't... i mean...
Children often repeat things they hear at home: -
if you said something bad about the fascists, there was the risk and the danger, if you expressed it outside of your home, that your parents would be punished.
if you said something bad about the fascists, there was the risk and the danger, if you expressed it outside of your home, that your parents would be punished.
If they said something bad about the fascists, parents could be punished. -
And because of that, even when they spoke in the stables, they would say, “Ragasol, vueter guai s’adgiv quèl”, which meant "children, be careful, you shouldn't talk about anything that you hear at home".
And because of that, even when they spoke in the stables, they would say, “Ragasol, vueter guai s’adgiv quèl”, which meant "children, be careful, you shouldn't talk about anything that you hear at home".
Even when they were talking in the cattle shed, they kept telling us not to talk about what we heard. -
Through this, ever since we were children, we knew that we had to keep quiet, that it was dangerous for us and our family to do certain things.
Through this, ever since we were children, we knew that we had to keep quiet, that it was dangerous for us and our family to do certain things.
So since we were kids we knew we had to keep quiet in order not to get ourselves and our family in trouble. -
Then I came to Reggio. Our family moved to Reggio since the boys were studying...
Then I came to Reggio. Our family moved to Reggio since the boys were studying...
Then our family moved to Reggio, because the kids were going to school. -
That is, my brother had gone to high school at a boarding school in Parma and they were starting...
That is, my brother had gone to high school at a boarding school in Parma and they were starting...
My brother had been going to high school at a boarding school in Parma. -
There was a need to move closer to the city.
There was a need to move closer to the city.
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They bought a house on Dalmazia Street
They bought a house on Dalmazia Street
They bought a house in Dalmazia street. -
and my life changed completely.
and my life changed completely.
Life changed dramatically for me.