A Gathering of Troubles

 

 

 

Location:                               A Training Camp for Troubles.

 

                                              An unknown spot in the shadow of the Gran Sasso,

                                                a high mountain in the Abruzzo region of Italy. 

 

Date:                                     11 September, 1901

 

Population of Italy:                34 million

 

Annual Per Capita Income:    ~ $1.04 (2001 dollars)

 

Agricultural Workers:            61% of the population

 

Present:                                 The Boss Trouble              (“Boss”    )

 

                                              The Novice Trouble           (“Novice” )

 

                                              Other Unnamed Troubles   (“Other”   )

 

 

BOSS:  Statezitt’ (be quiet) and pay attention.  The lesson of today involves history – truly a beautiful story.  As you should remember my little scugnizzi (street urchins), just about a year ago, 29 July 1900, Italy and all of Europe were shocked to receive notice that Umberto I, King of Italy, was killed by an anarchist who had previously been living in the United States.  Another glorious day for us.  We Troubles have been working not only in Abruzzo but all over the world.  Just five days ago, on the sixth of September, 1901, again making use of an anarchist, our relatives assassinated the President of the United States, William McKinley. 

 

OTHER:  Did you do all of this yourself, sir?

 

BOSS:  No.  There have been many others who have been of assistance.  Even some who had initially had good intentions.  The Italian government has been especially helpful.  I need only remind you of the duties on grains, on sugar, on matches, and other common products.  The recent measures to address the high cost of living, for example, backfired resulting in a poor harvest.  The cost of bread went through the roof.  We Troubles work faraway in America, in Rome, nearby in Teramo, really all over the world.  

   

OTHER:  Where do you carry out your trade? 

 

BOSS:  My specialty is Teramo and the surrounding areas.  I am proud to tell you that since the time Teramo was called “Interamnia” (between two rivers) the noble forces of Troubles have been operating here in Abruzzo.  But I have to tell you the truth: around here we have encountered a formidable adversary.  The  brave folks of Teramo are well known for their dogged spirit.  The battle has gone on, without a winner, for many centuries.  This struggle has seesawed back and forth to this very day.  It’ll never end.  We have the forces of plagues, poverty, and lack of education among others.  A formidable arsenal without limitations.  These people have their spirit, ingenuity but most of all their most powerful weapon, Faith.  For example, each year people make a pilgrimage from all over Abruzzo flock to the town of Campli.  On their knees they climb up the Sacred Steps imploring God to chase us Troubles away once and for all.  We always return - often energized and more vigorous than before.  This conflict does not change, it is the life of human mankind.    

 

OTHER:  Are we excused to go now?

 

BOSS:  Wait… give me some time and I will tell you a bit more.  Teramo was not built in a day.  I would like to present to you one of your own, a Trouble in training.  He has been working hard these past four years.               

 

NOVICE:  I am pleased to meet you.  For my training project I visited the Ulissi family.  Really a mythical name but a family that nowadays finds itself against the ropes.  Without money, almost without a roof over it head…

 

OTHER:  Without hope?

 

NOVICE:  Let me go on with my story.  We’ll start at the beginning, in Canzano, here in the province of Abruzzo.  Many members of the Taraschi family there had a good deal of money and were nobles.  Unfortunately, Luisa Taraschi belonged to another branch of the family.  She came from the humble side of the family living in Poggio San Vittorino, on the outskirts of Teramo.  In 1880, on perhaps the most beautiful day of her life, Luisa wed Massimo Ulissi, a young peasant farmer.  The couple, Massimo e Luisa, were barely able to make ends meet and shortly thereafter moved to a small village just a few miles northwest of Teramo called “Putignano.”  They were very happy and extremely proud because they had seven sons, all male and each in good health.  Massimo worked a small piece of land planting grains and such.  There he tended a few fruit trees and owned a couple of domestic animals.  He was a “mezzadro” (tenant farmer), that is, the land did not belong to Massimo, he merely lived there and divided half of each harvest with the owner.   

 

OTHER:  It would seem to be a life neither exalted nor terrible.  A style of living pretty much normal for the times.      

 

NOVICE:  Their life was hard but rather pleasing.  The family had meat on the table once a week, shoes for the seven children, even a glass of cooked wine for Massimo from time to time.  But the Odyssey had not yet begun.  And don’t forget that from the time of Penelope, through the years it has never been easy to be married to a “Ulissi.”  Anyway, we’ll soon see the world of Massimo and his family come crashing down around them.               

 

BOSS:  I get it.  

 

NOVICE:  In 1897, as I was saying, a bolt of lightening struck from the serene sky above.  Massimo became gravely ill and went to Rome seeking medical help.  He did not succeed and suffered greatly before giving his soul to the Lord.  He was buried in Rome, probably in a pauper’s grave.  All due to the work of us Troubles.     

 

BOSS:  You got that right.  Luisa was in a bad way, really on the brink of the abyss.    

 

NOVICE:  Soon thereafter, the owner of the land had a little talk with Luisa.  He told her it was impossible for Luisa and the seven children, ranging in age from two to thirteen years, to continue to keep up the small farm they occupied.   

 

OTHER:  That unscrupulous man is a genius, a real demon!  We can look up to him in admiration.  By the way, what’s our friend’s name…this executioner in training?  

 

NOVICE:  His name was… 

 

BOSS (looking at his watch):  Come on!  Cut it short.

 

NOVICE:  When Luisa heard the news she was foaming at the mouth while she felt the knife slowly turn in her back.  She had not expected to be treated this way.  She knew it would be useless to argue…she had no power.  Luisa wasn’t so much worried about herself but she was well aware that she had seven small mouths to feed back home. 

 

OTHER:  And how does it end.  Does the family remain in ruins?    

 

NOVICE:  I thought that without doubt Luisa was defeated and would give up.  She was really up a creek but what a formidable woman!  It seems I underestimated her.  

 

BOSS:  Did the family disintegrate?  Who was looking after Luisa?  

 

NOVICE:  Luisa had to look out after herself.  She did not have the time to bemoan her fate, despite having touched bottom.  We Troubles are very strong and proud, but sometimes the luck is not on our side.  The head of a family by the name of Aceti happened to hear the plight of our Luisa.  He was a generous fellow, a sensible and honest guy.  He opened his heard to Luisa… why, I’ll never know.  He had a small house in a hamlet called Frondi.  You know where I’m talking about, it’s about a mile west of Valle San Giovanni.

 

BOSS:  I’m very familiar with the Aceti family.  For centuries I’ve tried to chase them off their land.  But they are still there and will remain in that same place for many years in the future.       

 

NOVICE:  Anyway shortly thereafter, with the help of some relatives, Luisa and her family moved.  She took a job as a housekeeper for the Aceti family.  Previously she hadn’t given this type of work much thought but she did what she had to do.  But just as Ulysses found himself caught between the perils of Scylla and Carybdis…

 

BOSS:  Spare us the allusions.   

 

OTHER:  Did things go OK for the family?

 

NOVICE:  Get out of here.  It takes more than one good hearted gentleman to beat me.  Pretty soon Luisa had exhausted all of her meager reserves.  She had many sleepless nights.  Luisa was forced to get up at daybreak six days a week.  After having worked in her own home for a bit, she left her seven sons alone and went to work at the Aceti’s house.  In good weather and bad, it was a thirty minute walk to work.  The trail was narrow and steep.  Luisa worked until sundown before returning home again.    

 

BOSS:  But you must remember that things were most difficult everywhere in Italy.  People lucky enough to find a job in a factory had their hours strictly regimented, working 16 hours a day, six days a week.    

 

OTHER:  Tell us about the house of Luisa and the family.  Was it big? 

 

NOVICE:  I don’t know if I can even use the word “house.”  It consisted of a single room.  So small that two of Luisa’s children had to sleep with their feet facing the door…

 

BOSS:  Didn’t she know that this was extremely unlucky, that it signified the manner in which… in a coffin… the children would leave the room for the last time?  

 

NOVICE:  Evidently whomever was aware of this had the goodness in their heart not to confront Luisa with their opinions.                

 

OTHER:  Did the family have some good times?

 

NOVICE:  Every so often.  The kids tried their hand at raising turkeys.  From time to time Luisa was able to make scrippelle ‘mbuse (crepes in chicken broth), pastafagiol’ (bean soup), a timballo (a type of lasagna made with crepes in place of pasta), and mazzarelle ….

 

BOSS:  What?

 

NOVICE:  You know, some mazzarelle, lamb entrails rolled up in the organs of the animal, cooked on the stove with tomato sauce.  Typical food of the region of Teramo.     

 

BOSS:  You’re really making my mouth water now.  Please continue, you insightful fellow. 

 

NOVICE:  But I never lost sight of my mission.  From one year to the next, things went from bad to worse for Luisa.  The family was almost always in a condition of  need.  They just barely had enough to eat and were at times reduced to eating only one meal per day. Luisa ate almost nothing… she wanted to have more for the children.  At one point the family found itself to the point that they were able to eat only one meal per day.  I’m telling you, this darned family wouldn’t give up, ever.   

 

With this I finish my story.     

 

BOSS:  Now it’s my turn.  You’ve heard about the past.  Now I’ll tell you a bit about what the future will bring Luisa and the family.  In the coming years, as you’ll see, each of the seven boys will leave home at one point or another.  Whether by force or by choice each will leave their mother and will travel long distances to live in a faraway land.  Each alone…without family… torn from their family ties… deprived of their mother tongue… really without anything.  In the coming years we Troubles will boot out many other Italians, about 20% of the population in all.  Luisa won’t be the only mother to cry.     

 

OTHER:  Isn’t it possible that we could win once and for all?  Why is it the lot of the majestic clan of  Troubles to be the enemy of the people?      

 

BOSS:  It’s the Will of God involving a question of Faith.  The good comes with the bad.  In the past, today, and for all of our tomorrow’s… it’s man’s fate.  Everyone knows this on one level or another.  The wise accept it.  This September 11th 1901 I’m telling you the way it is.  Such things will never change.  Not in 100 years.

                                                 

                                               ulissi@hotmail.com             http://www.angelfire.com/film/ulissi