Here I Am

I am a pebble from a mount
A splinter from a tree
A drop of water from a fount
A grain of salt from sea
No matter how small I seem to be
I know O Lord, You'd miss me

Copyright © 1951, 2001 Kathleen DeSalvo

Prolog from from the novel Carman by Kathleen DeSalvo

In 1898 Thousands of Italians came to America to make their fortune, but not Juana and Paul Duva.  They came to find their son John, who barely seventeen, had come to America and mysteriously disappeared.  Although they could not speak or understand one word of English, they set out for America knowing only that somewhere in that vast country was their son.  Nothing was going to stop then.  Unhappily something did.   

                 

   Shortly after their arrival in America, their youngest son Anthony, who had withstood all the rigors of an Atlantic crossing, came down with a mysterious fever.  It took months of care, and almost all the money they had brought with them from Italy, to make the boy well.

     Paul sent a request for money to his trusted cousin who had been left in charge of Paul’s home and vineyard in Italy.  Despite countless letters, an answer never came.  Paul could not understand why there wasn’t an answer.  He wrote to a friend in his town of  Benevento, to try and find an answer for him.  When finally he received news from home, he was devastated to find that his cousin had been using all his assets for his own gain.  

     It was time for Paul to look for work and make money, not only for his family in America, but to go home and reclaim his property.  The only jobs available to foreigners were as common laborers.  Paul’s experience was running a winery.  Sadly he was on the wrong coastline for that endeavor.  New York was where he landed and where he would stay until he made enough money to continue his search for his son and then, to go home to Italy.

     Learning English was another matter.  Although he was quick to understand the language, he had a difficult time speaking.  He was embarrassed by his Italian accent and was reluctant to hold a conversation in any language but Italian.  Through one of his new Italian friends, he was hired temporarily as an apprentice mason.  He spent long hard days working in the hot city sun learning the trade.

     From the time he was ten years old he worked in the vineyard with his father.  Hard work was not alien to him.  It felt good to feel the strength in his body return.  In a short time he became an expert at masonry, and was proud of his new profession.  In winter when the weather was too cold to use cement he was content with the spare jobs he would find.  If you were a good worker, diligent and reliable, odd jobs were not hard to find.

     Juana was happy that her little son was well again and growing like a weed.  She was also delighted to find herself pregnant again.  Paul would have gladly gone home to Italy so that the baby would be born there, but that was impossible.

Anxious about his home and vineyard, he waited patiently for any word from his cousin.  At long last a letter arrived telling of failed crops and the need to mend fences, and a leaking roof.  Paul’s plea for help was completely ignored.  He knew the letter was a sham but was powerless to act.

     The more he tried to save, the more they needed to get by.  With Juana’s help they managed to put aside enough money to move to a small house, where they could rent out a room or two.  She could not bear to have a new baby born in an apartment crawling with roaches, mice and the occasional rat.  Living in a house they could save the money they would get from their boarders.

     Two days after their move, Juana went into labor.  The birth was so quick that the midwife was never called and Paul delivered his own baby.  He was exhausted by the experience but overjoyed that he had another son.  Juana was hoping for a girl, but grateful the baby was strong and healthy.  Besides she thought to be the mother of three sons was a gift from God. 

     He was a good baby and in no time he was smiling and laughing.  He resembled both of his brothers, although darker that either one.  Little Anthony just loved him and would spend hours playing with him.  He was a beautiful baby who grew into a handsome little boy.  Everyone seemed to love him, especially the women.  He learned to speak Italian from his parents and English from his brother.  His parents sent him to catholic school where the nuns were known for their preferential treatment of Irish children.  However, for this little Italian boy they made an exception.  He charmed his way right into their Irish hearts.

The full novel Carman is available at amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Carman+++DeSalvo&x=0&y=0