Ciao! We’re In Africa

Four Suitcases and Two Children

When we left Zimbabwe in 2000, our two girls were ten and seven-years old. I still recall our youngest, with her short, red hair, cut tomboy-style complaining about her backpack being too heavy; and, that she was hot under the two jackets she was wearing. She toppled over at one stage— during our trip across continents—backwards onto her derrière! That image is still fresh in my mind, 19 years later; as is the resultant semi-hysterical laughter. I’m certain it was symbolic of stress; all our belongings were in four suitcases with extra clothes bundled into our backpacks or onto the bodies of two adults and two trusting innocents. Then, it was scary. Now, I think of us as pioneers. This quartet has gone on to do amazing things. I think back to my mum and dad when they left Italy to go and live in Africa in 1955. She couldn’t even speak a word of English; and she was leaving her mamma and her nonna behind. In the end, my mum didn’t regret her decision yet, it was hard won as her only relatives were both dead by the following year. Her biggest regret was not returning for Nonna’s funeral.