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Mari Tomei
Wrters Sectic: ales
luL 31 194U
DATE:
THIS VINCENZO WHO IS MY GRAN 'FATHER
"Parlatanto?" The old man chuckled over the name. Ee
smacked his lips. *No, Parlatanto is not my real name. I
am born Pip Alberto Vittorio Frangini. Pio for the pope
we have at that time, Alberto for the king, ant Vittorio
for his son who is born the same day I am, on November 11.
Today Vittorio is king an' emperor, an' me hah, I got
me two names, too, no? I think if Mussolini was show' his
famous face at that time I would have Benito push' in my
name somewhere."
The weathered farmhouse where Parlatanto lived with
his son was one continuous piece house, woodshed, and
barn. It was early November; the countryside was white with
a thin sprinkling of snow. The old man made apologies for
the curtainless windows, the roll of rugs in the corner,
and the furniture that was crowded to one end of the room.
"'You see, next week we move to (iiincy, an' already we
begin to pack things. It will be my first time in Mass-
achusetts; I am excite' just like my gran' children. Here,
sit here, please. You know, lust so soon you call me Mister
Parlatanto I guess right off quick: hah, here is someone
come to hear my stories. It make me glad. Why else they
call me Parlatanto except that I like to talk much ant tell
my stories? That's what the name mean talk -a -lot. Even
in Thglish that is hard to speak I still like to talk.
"I get the name Parlatanto from my father, ant him he
cot it from Vincenzo who is his father, This Vincenzo is
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the first to be call' that. Ile have a great many experienee,
that ono, ant he has pass' the stories down from one to an-
other. I an here in America only six year now. When I get
here I am a little bit surprise' but very proud that the
stories have beat me across the ocean by 20 year, That is
when my son come over here. come to Barre an' I find his
children already know the stories almost good like I do.
But lust the same they say, never they call me
grant papa, pah, I do not like that/. 'Morino,' they say,
'toll us about the time Vincenzo he is scare' almost to
death --t Ant they listen to the stories like they never
hear them before.*
Old Parlatanto sat in his chair as straight as his
wiry, stooped shoulders would allow. His watery eyes narrowed
and widened expressively, and his wide mouth wrigzled, pouted,
or curled according to his mood.
am satisfy' in the olt country, but there I am alone,
so when my boy write six year ago ant ask me to come over I
say to myself: listens you olt fool Parlatanto„ here is a
chance to see a new country. You talk a lot ant nothing
have you see. Go over there, you fool, go on over ant see
something. That's what I say to myself, any so good a talker
I am even to myself that in two month I am over here across
the ocean. My son, he meet me in New York ant we come
straight to Barre where he is work' in the stone shed. The
first thing I see in Barre like my country is the bocci
game they have in batik of the house where my son live*
Just like they do in Italy, they play it. It make me feel
3*
good. The second thing is that big granite statue in the
park. For quite a few minute I think it is MUssolini, so
big he is, head ant shoulder like a bull, ant all muscle,
ant naked like Mussolini like always to be in statues. I
say to myself: Hth, theme American must believe litssolini
is the pretty great man. In Italy you can expect to see
his statue in every corner, but here across the ocean you
expect it not at all. I tell my boy that, ant he laugh
almost to die* He tell me it is al& statue of Mussolini,
it is a memorial to the young people of America.
'So soon I get in Barre I begin to study English ‘with
my grant children from the books they take home from school.
I guess I learn only a little. In the tat country I use'
to teed: school in our town, but Mussolini has decide that
young blood should do that now. All finish' us olt teachers
are. Now they get people who are train' to teach the gymnastic',
ant to drill. They got to whisper 'credo, credo' to Mussolini
before they can teach. He has got fine ideas, this Mussolini,
he want to see his country right at the top, so if he make
one, two, or three even good size mistake, we got to forget
then, no?
*I live in Barre two year ant than my bay get a better
job in the stone shed here in Northfield. Here it is a
chance to live out on a farm almost like in the olt country,
so we all move out here —him, his wife, the four children,
ant ma. Me ant the daughter-in-law, we care for the farm.
No extra money we make, but extra things to eat we get from
the garden.
4.
*Now tell you about my little town in the olt country.
Near Locana it is, high up on bad ant dangerous ground.
Above are more mountain'; Below are rock ant a narrow, crooked
river* Every spring that river she will swell an' get mad,
an run like crazy over the bank. Many, many time she has
spill' even to the grist mill where all the townpeople bring
their grain to be ground to flour. Every spring some of
that flour is spoil' by the river water* A fine church we
got in our town, the church to Santa Maria Maddalena, ant
right outside in the square is her statue. She is kneel'
with her long hair in her hand to dry the feet of God. The
people are tired to have flour spoilt every spring, so one
day they buy a fine picture of the Santa. They nail it
over the door of the grist mill ant they ask her please to
keep away the crazy water. It cost money, that picture.
Everybody is ask' to give a little money. My grant father,
Vincenzo is his name, is 16 year oll then --one day him ant
two other boys decide to fish to earn money, money for the
Santa. All day they fish, fine trout they catch in that
river I have fish there many time myself ant then they
take them to the next town to sell.
*About 75 cents each they get, then instead of take!
the money home for the Santa they go to a cantina that is
like a beer garden bore, ant they drink wine. It is dark
when they start for home. The pocket' are empty, the belliet
are full of wine, the brain! are full of fun, ant the heart'
they have no regret that they have cheat' the Santa.
*Pretty soon they are halfway between the two towns
5*
on a lonesome spot where there is no house,. All they hear
is the wind like crying in the new chestnut leaves, ant the
mad water that is roar' an' pounds hard on the rock below.
Vincenzo already he is win the name Parlatanto because his
tongue is got all the time for good or bad. VIncenp, he
begin to make joke. 'Ha, what is that noise Ant tyou
see what I see behind that tree? A big black bear. Maybe
she is smell the fish on our clothes, ant she want to make
a neal--1
"They laugh loud, ant when the rock throw back the
voice to them they laugh louder ant louder. Another boy
start,- 'Listen to that water, before long it will be over
the road. We will have to swim home. Then for sure the
fish smell will be gone from our clothes.' Ant so they joke,
ant try to scare each other.
"Now they are near the cemetery of the church of Santa
Maria Maddalena, an they hear heavy step' behind them. But
so drunk they are with wine ant joke that brave Vincenzo
point' to the gravestones ant say' na, the dead ones stamp
in their graves to get out and make company with us. They
know good peasant, those dead ones/
"But all the tirqe those footstep' aro comet closer.
At last Vincenio, he turn' around. He stop still ant he
whisper in a truly scare' voice, 'Santa Mariat That man
behind us, he is a giantlf The boys all look, an' there
is really a man, about 10 yards behind. Tall enough he is
to make four men* So tall he does not look human, the boys
think* Right away quick two boys begin to run* But yin-.
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cenzo that one has got a brain wheel that turns fast
Vincenzo, be see. that so long are the man's logs that he
can catch them easy. This Vincenzo is a good one for rel-
igion ant church, all his family is he say to his friends,
'This man is too big to be one of us, there is the devil
in him sure. If we run he will be on us in a minute.. Let
us go right here to the church of the Santa, here on °con-
secrate ground he cannot hurt us.'
*Together they run behind the statues they shiver there
on their knees, they peek around the statues an' they see
the big man stop still in the road. He make one scream
like a hundred devil's an' he step down that steep river
bank. The boys can hear the rack get loose under him an'
rolls Vincenzo says 'His bones must be all brokets he must
be dead for sures no one can get down those rook alive. Let
us get along fast now,'
"Fear has soak' up all the wine in then. 'Tow they
hurry along the road very serious ant scare'. They pass
the grist mill that has the holy picture over the doors
they come to the stone bridge at the foot of the hills an'
they are happy to know that they have only a mile to climb
before they are home. Then all together at once they see
the big man again. This time so scare' they are that their
feet are stuck to the ground an' they cannot move, for the
great man Is lay' right In front of them, across the path
they must go. His big head is rest' in a great thorn budhs
his body is across the paths an' his legs are up on the
stone wall that is three feet highs an' from his knees down
7•
his legs are dangles over the river. You can see what a
big man he meal
*At last Vincenzo can asks words with his stiff tongue,
he say, sDio„ this time we are finish for sure. What can
we do, tacit' The big man is already makes movement like
to get up. Now the boys grab each other by the arm ant they
tremble, an' just then they hear a voice come down from the
sky. *.qley look up. l'hey see nothing Just a piece of new
moon is there. But lust the same the voice is from the
sky, ant it say to them:
Presete al buons Die
Cho vedere 11 arte Mio
DI bent& e di misertaordie•
"'That voice is from heaven 1' Vincenzo cry. *The DI°
is wills to help us. Yes, yes, Ago we will take your advieels
Quick the three fall on their knees. They make so many
promises to the DI° that afterwards they do not keep them
because they cannot remember them. They cry the Ave Maria,
the Pater Nestor, the DeProfundis, ant most of all they just
beg sliberetme, Domino; libel.* mso Domino.'
*All the time they are makes prayers that man is makes
awful groans. At after they say Mibera me, Domines about
twenty times* the man begin to get up slow, slow* until he
is sit on the stone wall, then down he dive into the river.
They hear the awful crash like thunder, an' the rock ant
water where he fall is all fire like the inferno. The boys
see him no more, they get home safe. The next week they all
work hard so that they can give the Santa double the 75 oents
a.
they spend that night for win***
A twinkle danced in Old Perlatentots watery eyes*
'You know,* he said after *.long silence, *there is some.
thing in that story that make me believe maybe it is a little
true* You remember I tell you that those boys are on their
knees ant they AO to God in Latin in Latin boohoos they
are teach' to pray that way„,anl maybe they only halt know
what they say* Bah, an' there is God, smart enOuggh to speak
to them in Italian so they will be sure to understang Mimi
*Oh, this grant father has many experience that we 4
hand down one to another* I should tell you that after floss
oenso have this experience with the big man, be is tiarcir ea
religious almost he is a priest* 114 serve Mass all the time
even when he is an oll man* Be read the prayer when pimple
di., he can say any litany without the help of a prayerheetL,
Truly he is a very religious one,
*Maybe you think this Vinoenso has only the Wye*.
porton*** Let me tell you, when he is .only 15 alreaft he
is good mam-sise.big„ strong, brave, Over there In Loma*
Cirisoll, ant Montifli„ they say it is Vinconso eh° Una'
them many way to make cheese tram one pail of milk. The
story is like this one day, Vincenzo is only l year eV
then, he get mad at his people an' ha run away from bons*
H. run high up, up in the mountain, so high no one around
there never goes* Two night he sleep in trees, bemuse he
is afraid of wild animals, ant he live on grass ant berries*
By this time he woad like to go home but he is lost* Than
he see 'may up on a high peak something that look like smoke*
9,
So good a sight it is, like of home, that right away quick
his strength rush' back to him, an* be climb ant craw/ up
the rockside, At the top he see that the smoke is oomet
from a cave up 6 feet in the rock. Mere are step* that go
up to the cave, Vincenzo he clieb the step', then he get
down on his belly ant drag himself in the cave, for it is
very low. He is in a dark narrow passage, but ahead of him
be see a bigger space, where a fire is burnt, an* over it
is an iron pot that boil good ant hot, ant smell so good.
Ant then be see something move by the fire, ant it in the
smallest man Vincenzo be has ever see. Small like a Wyear
olt boy, but olio ant with a wrinkle' face an* gray hair ant
moustache, ant be has a long, fat goiter. So long it is
that it is toss' over the shoulder. Ant so little a man
be is that Vincenzo is not much scare', He ask him please
if he will give hie something to eat, so hungry be is,
*The little man answer him in words that sound little
like Italian, just enough Italian so Vinoenzo can understant.
He tell Vincenso be is the last one of eight brothers who
have always live* here in the cave, For five year' now he
has been alone. He say his brothers were small like him,
with goiters, ant his mother, too. His father, he never
remember him, They are all dead now but him,
'Some of that story is lost,' Old Parlatanto said re-
gretfully, never know if the little man is glad to see
Vincenzo or not. But anyway, be tell Vincenzo that mostly
be live on goat milk ant cheese. An* then be tell him how
to make many kind of cheese so no part of the milk will be
U.
get to Quincy, where I will find new Viands who have not
yet heard the experience of this Vincenzo who is ay gran'
father.*