Entry 8: Rosa
- Basilia Staltari
- Feb 5
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 16
Location: Calabria, Italy
Date: 1945
In 1945, the world was engulfed in turmoil and devastation, with countless families suffering unbearable losses because of the war. Fear, despair, sorrow and uncertainty were the dominant forces invading and occupying all countries regardless of borders. Having survived World War One, Peppe and Angela were already familiar with these unwelcome global forces. However, this time, sadly, their miseries deepened further after suffering a personal tragedy - on Friday, 8 June, their daughter Rosa passed away.
Rosa had resided in the coastal town of Locri with her husband, Pietro Siciliano, and their three young daughters: Marietta (born 1935), Angelina (born1939) and Teresa (born 1944). The girls were aged 10 years, 5 years and 11 months respectively when they lost their mother after a brief illness. Her cause of death was unknown. As a single parent, Pietro’s main priority became his children. Marietta helped her dad as best she could by caring for her little sisters, but this was an enormous undertaking for someone so young. It was a difficult time for all of them. The family was overcome with grief, overwhelmed with daily life and overall struggling to cope without Rosa. Pietro realised he needed to do something to rescue his family from these tragic circumstances - so he made the decision to remarry. He approached his in-laws, Peppe and Angela, and respectfully informed them of his intention to find another wife; he had tried to raise his daughters on his own, but they needed a mother to take better care of them.
Anna Schirripa became the heroine who embraced the roles of wife and stepmother in the Siciliano household. Previously unmarried, she wholeheartedly committed to her instant family of five - doing everything that was needed to secure a joyful home through kindness and warmth. No one other than Anna herself is able to best express her feelings towards Marietta, Angelina and Teresa - using her own words, spoken in the local Calabrese dialect:
"Non sapiti quantu bene si voggiu e mei figghi. Ma duranti u iornu no mi dimostru, pa nommu si pigghianu i cumpidenza. Ma i basu di notti quando illi dormino."
English translation:
“You have no idea how much I love my daughters. During the day I don’t show this too much, so they don’t become overly confident with me. But at night while they sleep, I go and give each of them a kiss."
A few simple truths shared by Anna in a conversation a long time ago, left a lasting impression that was never forgotten. Her voice continues to be heard today because of the enduring, infinite power of her love.
With this as a foundation, her young family thrived.
As for Peppe and Angela, how do you recover from the death of a daughter? Like an embedded piece of shrapnel, the wound was something they had to live with for the rest of their lives.
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