The Winter Sea by Di Morrissey Read Free Book Online

everyone was on the move. Even when they were seated at tables they seemed to be busy, engaged in energetic conversations, so different from home where the men idled away the day, quietly chatting and smoking as they mended nets or contemplated the fishing conditions. Here in the city there was urgency in the air and music everywhere.
    Tears came to Giuseppe’s eyes as he listened to a man with a fine tenor voice on the other side of the square sing with all his heart, as passers-by dropped coins into the hat at his feet. But before the tenor had finished the song, a group of youths, wearing black shirts and shouting slogans, stormed around a corner, knocked him over and took his money.
    Seeing Giuseppe frown, the waiter leaned across to Giuseppe and said, ‘These are the thugs of Mussolini who are against the socialists and communists. The authorities let them get away with too much, even murder! These fascists assault anyone opposed to their own views. I do not think this is what we fought for.’
    Giuseppe nodded, although he was hazy about politics.
    ‘It is a disease, all this political unrest,’ added the waiter. ‘And we Italians will suffer because of it.’
    ‘I am leaving Italy,’ blurted out Giuseppe. ‘I am sailing to Australia.’
    The waiter wiped Giuseppe’s table with a wet rag. ‘Who do you know in Australia?’ he asked.
    ‘I don’t know anyone there. I was on my way to America and I missed the boat. My train was late.’
    The waiter shrugged. ‘Maybe it is fate that you will now go to Australia. Good luck, eh? Ciao.’
    ‘I hope so,’ muttered Giuseppe as he left the table and hurried across the square, avoiding the chanting youths who were shaking their fists outside a small shop. The shopkeeper had fled, leaving them to help themselves to his fruit.
    Giuseppe returned to the wharf that evening to sleep for the night while he waited for the Ricconigi to dock. As he walked across the pier, he saw another young man. He asked him if he was going to Australia, too.
    ‘Yes, I am. I am here early because I know that if you’re travelling on a cargo ship you want to board quickly to grab the best bunk. Six and more to a cabin gets pretty cosy.’
    ‘You’ve travelled before?’ asked Giuseppe.
    The other man shook his head. ‘My brother went out to Australia last year on a cargo ship and he warned me. He also told me to get to the meals early, too.’ He winked. ‘Stick with me, I know my way around a ship and I’ve never even been to sea!’ He laughed and stuck out his hand. ‘Antonio.’
    ‘Giuseppe. Giuseppe d’Aquino.’
    ‘You from Sicily?’ asked Antonio, recognising Giuseppe’s accent. ‘Where are you headed?’
    ‘I was planning to go to America but I missed the boat. Now I have decided to go to Australia. I don’t know what I’ll do when I arrive. I’m a fisherman.’
    ‘I’m headed to Queensland to join my brother in the sugar cane fields. But I don’t plan on staying there,’ said Antonio. ‘I’ve heard there are plenty of other opportunities. Even looking for gold!’
    ‘I only know about fishing.’
    Antonio shrugged. ‘Well, you’re on your own there.’ He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. ‘You want to eat a pizza? I know a cheap place,’ he added.
    Giuseppe was hungry and it seemed Antonio knew his way around Naples. ‘Okay. But I don’t have much to spend. Have you been in Naples long?’
    ‘A few weeks. I stayed with a friend from my town. He showed me around.’ He looked seriously at Giuseppe. ‘Where I am taking you, you won’t need much money, but be careful with what you’ve got. The pickpockets are good here.’
    Giuseppe was about to say that he kept his money in his shoe, but felt a little foolish, so he patted his jacket and said, ‘My grandmother sewed a special flap in the pocket for me.’
    ‘Yeah. Men like us get marked as country boys and easy targets. Where’s home?’
    As they walked back along the harbour front, Giuseppe