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Faithful friends and fierce pirates

By Fiorino Pera, 2010-07-03

All these days since our arrival in Melioria, Rico and and had wondered what had happened to the other children of Venezia, especially the orphans and apprentices that we knew so well. Where was Lodovico? and Rosaria? and Stella? Did Santi come to Melioria? He had told me many times that he never wanted to leave Venezia. Did he get his wish?

These were my worries until this morning when I suddenly ran into Lodovico at the port. What a surprise! I had gone down there to try to see if I could go with the fishermen, and there was Lodo (that's what I call Lodovico for short) who had the same idea. But we never went fishing! We were so excited to see each other that we forgot all else.

Then, another friend showed up: Stellina! She is so funny. She chatters and then twirls like a dancer when she begins to think of a new idea. I love to be with her, because she makes me laugh so much. Both Lodo and I were glad to see that she made it safely to Porto Melioria too.

Stellina has made it safely to Porto Melioria

Just as we were talking, we saw a strangely dressed man -- or maybe I should say undressed man. He wore no shirt and had a small, silly little hat on his head. and some horrible markings on his body. I was staring at him until Lodo poked me and hissed: He is a pirate. Don't stare!. We did not ask his name, but he saw us staring, so he called us over to the pier where there were some canon balls stacked up. He told us to try and shoot a canon ball, if we dared.

Lodo looked at Stellina and me, and then went forward. He followed the instructions of the pirate and loaded the canon. The pirate told us to move away and cover our ears - and then he set off a blast.

The pirate set off a canon blast

The noise was horrific. Worse, the whole port shook. I thought that everybody from the town would come running out, but no one did. Only the pirate ran down the pier, and on to a little skiff that took him out to sea.

I never spoke to pirates in Venezia, Lodo said, as we watched the pirate row out to sea, but they were certainly there. Maybe we will get to know some pirates this summer while we are in Melioria.

Oh, that would be very sweet!, exclaimed Stellina, much to our surprise. With that, the girl giggled (as she often does) and skipped and danced away, past the docks and into the village. Lodo looked after her, and then said to me: Pirates or no pirates, I am very glad to be here, Fiorino, and I am glad to see you again.

This was good to hear, and I told him that I thought the summer holiday was becoming very wonderful and that I hoped he would join all the rest of us at breakfast every morning at the Prince's villa. Lodo nodded and said that he would. After all, it is best to meet pirates on a full stomach.

Lodovico and Fiorino look forward to many adventures in Melioria

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Confusion at the Mill

By Fiorino Pera, 2010-07-02

Yesterday, when Rico and I carried the big yellow sack into the mill, Pepe il Mulinaio began to yell at us most ferociously. What do you think you are doing? Are you trying to make off with my flour without paying for it?.

Rico and I looked at each other and remained most confused, but Rico recovered before I did and responded, By no means, Signore. We carry to you this sack that the Prince of Melioria entrusted to us. We are not taking, but consigning, Signore.

Pepe il Mulinaio became as confused as we were. Consign? Did the Prince tell you to consign to me this flour, when it is my own product? Is it gone bad? Is he unhappy? Yet before either of us could answer, the miller took the bag from us and opened it. He examined the contents, and mumbled to himself as he did so: And yet it is in perfect condition perfect.

The miller accuses the boys of stealing

The miller eyed us suspiciously: Tell me who you are, boys: I have never seen you before and you sound like you are outsiders. I told him our names and explained that we were freshly arrived from Venezia after the flood, that the Prince was providing us food and housing, and that the same Prince had given us a job this morning to somehow help with the added work of providing for many orphans.

The miller listened attentively, then told us that he would see to it that there was enough whole wheat and barley to serve the Prince's needs. He took the sack of white flour and put it to the side, then gave us two of whole wheat and three of barley, which we loaded up on the cart. He handed us a note as well that was filled with numbers and told us to give it to the Prince's cook, the Signorina Cece.

The miller listened attentively to the boys and notes their accents

Just as we were about to get on the cart, Pepe il Mulinaio handed each of us a small cake and told us we were welcome to come again.

The sun was very high in the morning sky as we began to return to Villa Vesuviana: it had been an exciting and confusing morning. Still, it felt good to do something productive, we both agreed, as we ate the cakes and chatted on the way back up the hill to the Prince's villa.

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Summer breakfast al fresco

By Fiorino Pera, 2010-07-01

The Prince of Melioria, whom I have known all my life without suspecting that he was a prince, has often told me that his cook, the Signorina Cece, is a genius. He says that she can cook cakes and all manner of sweets, and can prepare a fruit cocktail that the prince says she learned from the women of Macedonia -- a dish that is incredibly fresh and delicious! The night before last he told me all this again and said From now on you and your friends must come to Villa Vesuviana for breakfast, because Cece is going to make every good thing for you to enjoy. And since I had said nothing in reply, the prince insisted: Tomorrow when you must not fail to bring your friends to my villa and enjoy whatever Cece prepares!

Rico and Fiorino start to walk from the port to the hilltop villa

Yes, the prince had told me all this, but never had I ever tasted any of Cece's meals until yesterday morning. When the morning bells sounded from Melioria's churches, and Rico and I prayed our Aves, we remembered that the Principe had told us to come up to the garden at the side of his great villa. The morning air was still very fresh even as the sun climbed quickly into the sky, and the walk up the hill to the villa only increased my appetite. Rico said the hike made him hungry too.

Fiorino and Rico climb the hill from the port to Villa Vesuviana

Near the villa, just below the vineyard, we found a long table, set with many different fruits and cheeses, with chocolate to drink and hot milk flavored with coffee. It was all tasty, nutritious and very satisfying. Rico and I met Marina and other children from Venezia: it was so fun to eat breakfast outdoors with friends that we had not seen since leaving Venezia.

Fiorino, Marina and Rico approach the breakfast table

When the meal was over, my friend Signor Capo (who is none other than the Prince of Melioria), asked me to take some bags of flour from the kitchens of Signorina Cece to the village. He showed me a cart that the kitchen workers had loaded near the stable. He also introduced me to the sweetest donkey that he called Nella. He told me that if I sing to Nella, she would let me harness her to the cart.

What could I sing? I wondered but finally I sang a song to Venezia and to Nella at the same time.

Voga e va gondolier,

Canta el cuor

Non posso andar pi via

Perch Venezia mia

M'ha fatto inamorar

(The gondolier paddles onward and goes, and sings within his heart: 'I cannot ever go away because my Venice has made me fall in love with her).

So many times have I heard the gondoliers sing these words, but now that I was far away from Venezia, a lump came in my throat. I could not sing more. How sad I felt to be so far from Venezia, which I last saw sinking under the flood waters.

Nella the little donkey seem to sense my sorrow. She he-hawed and let me harness her even as I wept. She rubbed her head against my arms as I attached the harness, as if to say: Sing to me some more, Fiorino .

Nella lets Fiorino and friends bring the supplies to the Village of Melioria

So, I sang and found my courage again. I kept singing as I mounted the cart and brought the flour to the village. Rico and Pierluigi came with me and joined in the song. By the time we reached the village, my heart was light again. This reminded me of the prince's own words: This is how kingdoms last: they are not brittle. They let the waves carry them forward." I guess by 'waves' we can also mean little donkeys like Nella.

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Port Melioria filled with cargo

By Fiorino Pera, 2010-06-30

Early this morning Rico and I went to the docks again. I was hoping that more ships were coming from Venezia with our friends, but that did not happen. Instead, many ships came in with cargo: barrels and crates were lined up on the decking of the wharf in no time.

As soon as the ships put into port, about 20 dock workers seemed to appear out of nowhere. They shouted directions to the sailors, and guided the unloading of the cargo. Some boxes were lowered in giant nets; others were brought down on carts by the men. Everywhere that Rico and I looked, there was activity.

Fiorino and Rico watch the dockworkers unload the ship's cargo

There was a lot of work to do, and Rico and I got as close as we could to the action, looking to see what could be in those shipments. It was exciting, even if we had to duck sometimes, and jump at other times so that we would not get in the way of the workers. Rico said we would be smarter if we sat down out of the way, and so this is what we did.

As we watched the men unload and mark the cargo containers, Rico told me about his hopes to continue his apprenticeship as soon as we can return to Venezia. I told him we should enjoy the holidays, but he said that we need to work hard so we can learn our trades. I suppose he is correct but I have not yet found a master with whom I can apprentice. That's when I realized how serious my friend Rico really is about the important things in life.

Fiorino listens to Rico explain his career plans

At noon the Angelus bells rang in the many church towers, and the workers all crossed themselves and stopped working. They stood there and said the prayers, and then they gathered their tools and left the docks, saying their greetings to one another and going off in different directions. I am guessing that they each went home for dinner.

Rico and Fiorino inspect the crates from the cargo ship

Rico and I moved among the barrels for a while, and looked at the crates Signor Capo had told us to come to his villa for dinner and that his cook the Signorina Cece would have something ready for us but that would be a little later, so Rico and I sat and chatted a little more, waiting and hoping to see a ship arrive with our friends.

Funny. All that work got us hungry - even though we did nothing but watch. So, we decided not to wait for the ship and go to try the Signorina Cece's dinner instead. I can tell you, it was very wonderful!

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Arrival in Port Melioria

By Fiorino Pera, 2010-06-29

As we pulled into the port of the isle of Melioria, Rico and I thought we would be the first to get off the ship. We were so ready! But what a surprise when everyone rushed, and we lost each other in the crowd. I waited on the dock and kept calling out Rico's name.

It was exciting to be in the new port and to see everyone so eager to find their new homes. It was also exciting to see the sailors at work, and the dock workers who hauled in the cargo that we had brought with us. I did not realize that we had brought so many containers, and was amazed to see the great pile of barrels and crates that the workers put on the dock. Meanwhile, I kept calling out Rico's name and looking here and there, hoping to catch sight of him.

Finally Rico came up to me - we gave each other a hug as if we had not seen each other for so long a time, even though we were separated for less than 20 minutes I suppose. By now everyone else had left the dock to find their quarters in the village of Melioria. We took a moment on the dock to look out at the great expanse of blue sea and to wonder where the rest of our friends were.

"Do not worry, Fiorino," Rico said to me. "They will come soon. We will all be together again."

Rico is someone that I trust and so I can only hope that my friend Rico is right.

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Leaving Venezia

By Fiorino Pera, 2010-06-28

Somebody told me that the English say that men do not cry. Well, I am not yet a man and I am not at all English. I am Venetian. In Venezia I see that men express emotion. So I admit that for four days my tears flood my heart and soul more than the Adriatic floods our city of Venezia.

To see the destruction of the city brings fear and anguish. I do not think it possible that even an Englishman could hold back from crying, for all of Venezia is flooding and the water does not seem to want to go away.

The boy Fiorino Pera walks through the flooded piazza

Then il Signor Principe di Melioria made the announcement that he would open his island for the Venetians. I did not think he meant the citizens and the workers, much less the orphans. But then my lord the Patriarch said that the Principe was making room for everyone who had not any other place to go. Before I could know what to think, I was on the ship and sailing to the island of Melioria.

On the ship I saw my dear friend, Signor Capo. Many times in Venezia I see him fixing houses early in the morning. I also meet his sons who are very funny. They are on the ship too, and they make me laugh so much that I forget that I am so sad. But then comes the big surprise: my friend Signor Capo is really a prince! He is the Principe di Melioria! When I find this out I feel so bad, for I have never given him bows that are deep enough for a Prince. But on the ship he tells me that he does not need deep bows: that we are friends and that he wants me to help make the other young people enjoy their time in the country, away from the danger. Signor Capo er I mean, Sua Altezza tells me that he will himself teach me to drive the horses that take the wagons around the island.

It is exciting, but as the sun comes down over the sea and we go slowly toward the island, I am again filled with very deep sadness. With the setting sun, which is the hour of the singing to the Madonna, I ask the Star of the Sea to bring us safely to port, and to ease the pain in our hearts.

Fiorino Pera (L) and his friend Rico Millefiori (R) talk quietly during the sea passage

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