Page 14 of The Girl from Sicily

14

LUCIA, AUGUST 1943

On the first Sunday after the Allies had captured Messina, Lucia was strolling down the road to church. Booming bells called the faithful to mass, and they seemed to be ringing louder than usual, she thought. She’d linked her arm with Annita’s and they both had a spring in their step. The Sicilian campaign was over. After only thirty-eight days of fighting, the British and Americans had successfully driven German and Italian troops from the island and were now preparing to assault the Italian mainland. Surely the war in Europe would soon end.

In the church, Lucia sat in a middle pew, sandwiched between Ma and her sister, with Dinu and Pa on her other side. Feeling eyes burning a hole in the back of her neck, Lucia twisted around to find Giulianu Cardona staring at her, looking like a cat who’d got the cream.

She gave a shudder and turned back to face the altar. That man had been strutting through the village, puffed up with his own importance, ever since don Nofriu had reconfirmed his position as marshal. Rumour had it Cardona’s house overflowed with tinned food and cigarettes, thanks to the godfather.

Lucia’s stomach rolled with disgust. Don Nofriu controlled the black market in Villaurora and his illegal trade in scarce commodities was thriving. She drew in a slow, steady breath, angry that prices of goods had rocketed to figures only the Allied occupiers – flush with cash – or those who profited from the black market could afford.

The weapons of four armies – Italian, German, British and American – were now a commodity hoarded and sold to those who would pay the highest price. Lucia bristled, remembering Dinu and Francu had gone to the coast a couple of weeks ago, and had collected as many discarded munitions as they could find. Horrified, she’d come across a stash of guns hidden behind their mule’s hay bale at the back of the house. When she’d asked her brother about them, he’d told her to mind her own business.

She clasped her hands together with worry, suspicious Dinu and Francu were up to something. Lately, her brother had been shirking his duties in the campagna to go off with their cousin for long hours. Lucia vowed she would wheedle the truth out of Dinu. By hook or by crook, she’d get to the bottom of whatever he was up to. Fervently, she hoped it was nothing to do with don Nofriu.

As expected, Gero came into the periphery of her vision. Recently, he’d taken over two rooms in the town hall, next to where the godfather was actively wheeling and dealing. Fulfilling his duties as the representative of AMGOT, Gero had given don Nofriu two trucks and a tractor to help clear rubble in the area. But Lucia had found out that the capo had been using them to carry food supplies stolen from various Allied and Italian military warehouses instead. No one said anything because of the omertà code of silence.

‘ Assabbinidica , Signura Paola,’ Gero greeted Lucia’s mother as he sat beside her. ‘ Comu sta? ’ How are you?

Ma said she was fine, and would he come for dinner tomorrow and please bring some meat.

Lucia leant forward to pray. She snuck a quick peek at Gero, then looked away quickly when she realised he was also gazing at her. Her stomach tensed with uncertainty, her feelings for him so confusing. One minute she liked him a lot. The next, she found herself lamenting the fact that he appeared so na?ve and trusting. How could he have been taken in by don Nofriu? Or, God forbid, had he joined the godfather’s clan?

No, he wouldn’t do that. Gero had been nothing but kind towards her and her family. There wasn’t an evil bone in his body, she hoped. Lucia tried to concentrate on the service, but it was impossible. Giulianu Cardona’s eyes were burning a hole into the back of her head again.

Finally mass was over, and she linked arms with Annita to make her way out onto the village square, where people were milling around, passing the time of day before heading home for their Sunday lunches. Lucia spotted Pa, deep in conversation with Cardona. They must be discussing getting her father’s hunting rifles back, she concluded.

‘Come, Annita, let’s catch up with Ma,’ she said, pulling her sister along with her up the road.

* * *

After helping her mother serve pasta alla carrettiera , spaghetti seasoned with oil, garlic, chilli pepper, the last of their pecorino cheese and parsley, Lucia took her seat at the table. The entire family tucked in, and chat was sparse while they filled their bellies. She gazed at her mother, noticing a tightness in her expression. Wondering what was bothering her, Lucia was about to ask when Ma suddenly put down her fork.

‘Prices are too high for us to buy any more grain. How will I make flour?’ Ma’s voice had gone up an octave. ‘Without our daily bread and pasta, we’ll starve.’

‘Don’t worry. I have a plan to take care of things.’ Dinu leant across the space between them and patted Ma’s hand.

‘What plan?’ Lucia stared at him, her heart sinking. No good would come of it, she was sure.

‘You’ll find out soon, soru .’

‘Enough, son!’ Pa banged his glass down, his nostrils flaring. ‘Cardona told me his men have seen you and Francu acting suspiciously. He’s still waiting for you to report to him.’

‘I’ll do so when I can.’ Dinu laughed, cocking his head to the side. ‘I’ve been a bit busy of late?—’

Pa shook his head in obvious despair, and then he turned his attention to Lucia. He gave her an encouraging smile.

‘I have some news, daughter. The marshal also asked me for your hand in marriage. He doesn’t want a dowry, and he promised he’ll look after us, your family, in return.’

Lucia’s mouth dropped open. Nausea squeezed in her stomach and she felt sick. How could her father even entertain such an idea? The marshal was odious and corrupt, to boot.

‘I can’t marry that man. I don’t love him.’ She could hear the despair in her tone.

‘Love comes later,’ Ma said, smiling at Pa. ‘Your father and I barely knew each other when our families arranged for us to marry. We grew to love each other as time went by.’

‘How can you think of selling my sister to that mercenary pig?’ Dinu pushed back his chair. He narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. ‘I told you I’ll take care of things, and I will.’

‘By breaking the law?’ Pa shook his head again.

‘There is no law, Pa. Sicily has fallen into complete chaos. It’s every man for himself nowadays.’

Lucia had had enough of being discussed like some kind of product. She got to her feet and held out her hand to Annita.

‘I’m going out for a walk.’ She grasped Annita’s wrist. ‘Come with me, sis. We can chaperone each other. When we get back, I don’t want to hear any more talk about me marrying that pig, Cardona. I would rather kill myself first.’

* * *

The next morning, after a sleepless night of intense worry, Lucia rose before everyone else and went out to sit on the front step. Ma and Pa had argued long and hard with her when she’d returned from her walk. They’d accused her of being selfish, of not putting the family first. It was her duty as a loving daughter to marry whomever they chose for her. The marshal of the carabinieri was a good catch – he would provide for her and for them. She would grow to love him when they had children, they’d said. It was how things were always done.

Tears filled Lucia’s eyes. Of course, she knew that one day someone would come along who wanted to marry her. But she’d always thought she’d be able to get out of it. But now the war had changed everything. The current situation meant that her family depended on her. Her parents had made that clear last night. The money they earned from selling the fruit and vegetables grown on the campagna wasn’t nearly enough to pay for the wheat they needed. It was up to her to save them and she’d cause their starvation if she refused to do so. Lucia hiccupped on a sob and wrapped her arms around herself. She would have to marry Cardona. There was nothing else she could do.

Sudden footfalls sounded, and she glanced up. She smoothed the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hands as she caught sight of Gero approaching.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.

Clearly, she hadn’t wiped away the tears fast enough. She took a deep breath, then told him the whole depressing story.

‘If I don’t agree, my family will starve,’ she said, making direct eye contact with him.

‘Can I?’ he asked, raising his hand to her cheek.

She nodded and let him trail his finger down the tracks of her tears.

‘I’m going to have to marry Cardona,’ she said. ‘I have no choice.’

‘You’re wrong, Lucia. I believe you do have a choice. Why not marry me?’

She almost fell off the step, she was so surprised.

‘What? But why?’ Lucia couldn’t keep the shock from her voice. ‘We aren’t even courting.’

‘I feel something for you,’ he said. ‘And I think you feel something for me.’

‘Feelings are not the same as true love?—’

He reached for her hand, and she let him take it. Her fingers seemed tiny compared with his.

‘Do you feel anything for Cardona?’ he asked, his gaze on hers.

‘I hate him.’ She spat out the words.

‘They say that love and hate are similar emotions?—’

‘I swear to you that Cardona disgusts me.’

‘Do I disgust you?’ Gero took a quick breath.

‘Not at all. I quite like you,’ she said. ‘But how can we be married, you and me? Where would we live? And what if you’re sent somewhere else with the army?’

‘I came by to tell you I’ve just bought a house from don Nofriu. It’s a baglio contadino above Villaurora. We could start our wedded life there, if you agree. Then, when the war is over, I’ll take you back to New York. You once told me you wanted to return to the US. Well, what better way than as my wife?’

‘I don’t know, Gero.’ She struggled to find the right words. ‘This is so sudden?—’

‘If you’re worried about intimacy, I swear I won’t touch you until you’re ready,’ he said before lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it.

The thought of going to bed with him, of doing what married people did, made her nerves jangle. At least Gero didn’t disgust her. But her worries about his connections with don Nofriu had intensified of late because of Dinu. If she were to leave Sicily and move to America after the war, who would keep an eye on her twin brother?

‘It’s a big decision, Gero,’ she said.

‘Take the time to think about it, sweetheart.’

Lucia looked him deep in the eye, and what she saw there made her heart give a stutter. His gaze was burning with love, but how could that be? Okay, they’d met years ago, except they were children then. Now they were adults, they were different people. No, it was far too soon for love; she must have misunderstood what she’d seen.