This is the recounting and the diary of my life - Marino Mattei

4.

I was in need of work and I didn't have a penny in my pocket. Unfortunately, there was no work to be had. My grandfather continued to give me 5 lire or so every once in a while but I was already a young man and although the 5 lire helped, I had very little as far as clothes or shoes and I needed work.

As I said, there was no work and I did not know how to resolve this problem. There was a man named Paladini from Calavorno who was buying alder wood ["legno di ontano" - perhaps used for carvings and furniture] and I, with another friend of mine, began to work on these alders. This work was fairly dangerous because we cut them and brought them down at night and we would remove the bark during the day. We worked day and night on this for a month and we had to satisfy ourselves with a payment of 20 lire - less than 1 lira a day. Because of these paltry wages we had to stop and, in this way, the work of the alder wood was finished.

During this time the forestry service was looking for workers to plant trees in the higher alpé [the Apennine Mountains] and, as a result, some friends of mine from Gromignana and I applied for these jobs and were hired. We worked at the Ospidaletto which was fairly distant from Gromignana and we slept up there in the fields of the shepherds. We would come back home on Saturday. This life was very difficult partly because of how we slept at night. We slept, as I said, in the pastures where sheep grazed. The smell at night was almost suffocating and aside from this it was also very cold. We worked all summer without being paid. With the end of summer came the bad season. Many of my friends quit working but a few others and myself continued our work there. However, because it rained nearly every night we walked back home in the evening. We walked four hours in the morning and four hours at night to return home. We continue this life for a while and when the winter came we were forced to stop.

Time passed and by now I was 20 years old and I was called for my physical by the military in June of 1934. For the examination I went to Borgo A Mozzano [a village 10 or so miles from Gromignana]. I passed the physical but I had brought with me a doctor's certificate stating the treatment I had received for the long illness I had suffered. I presented this after I had been examined. Resultantly, they sent me for a secondary visit to Livorno [a large port city on Italy's western coast]. Essentially, I had never left my home before this. I had gone a few times to Lucca [the closest comparatively larger town in the area - perhaps 20 miles away] but never alone. Having to go to Livorno made me frightened and confused. I wanted to go back home before having to make the trip but they made me leave immediately on the first train. I don't know how but I had enough money in my pockets - perhaps my grandmother had given it to me. There was a representative from Coreglia's municipal office named Pasqualino - father of Peppe and Titta - at this first visit and when he heard that I had to go to Livorno he walked over and asked me if I had enough money and that he could could give me some if I needed it. He knew of my family situation and he wanted to help me. As I said, I did have enough money so I thanked him for being so kind and I have never forgotten him for this.

I left the Borgo immediately on the first train and I arrived in Livorno that night. I went directly to where I had to present myself but when I arrived at the door I found a group of soldiers who were on leave and they advised me not to go in. They took me away with them for a ride around Livorno and although I was a bit confused I had a very good time. At 9 in the evening we returned and I presented my documents. They gave me a bed and I tried to sleep but I couldn't - in part because of the mosquitos and in part because of the day to come and the worries I had about how I'd be able to return home. It was a long and ugly night. As God wanted it, morning finally came. At 10 o'clock I had my examination. I was examined by a lieutenant, a captain, and a major of the medical personnel. They all visited with me and after consulting with each other, told me to come back the following year for another visit. By around 1 p.m. I was ready to go and on the first train I very happily returned home.

Ever since I was very young, I had always had a passion for music. I loved to sing. What I enjoyed playing the most was the harmonica. But unfortunately, a harmonica cost 400 lire. I tried to get work and save as much as possible but even if I had made every conceivable sacrifice I would never have reached that sum of money. Seeing that I could not buy the harmonica (I had only been able to save 75 lire) I decided instead to buy a mandolin. In Coreglia I went to see Bruno Notini because I knew he worked in Florence [approximately 70 to 80 miles from Gromignana] to see if he could find a mandolin which, in fact, he did. I was very happy but I had no idea how I could learn to play it. In Coreglia there was Luigi Bosi and also Bruno Notini who would have taught me but, as usual, I lacked the money to pay them. Aside from this, I didn't have the time to walk to Coreglia for lessons. For these reasons, with great effort, I attempted to learn the instrument myself. I studied day and night and, in fact, after a few months I had taught myself to play a few songs and I kept learning more. In this way I passed my time. I was very happy with myself and I continued to study with great effort.

At this same time my brother Guido had purchased a guitar. Also, Ledo bought a mandolin and Peppino a banjo. Peppino took lessons from Luigi Bosi in Coreglia and he went for a long time but he did not do very well. Ledo also did not advance very far with his instrument. Guido, on the other hand, had more success. I began to play with Parisse [a friend from Gromignana] who played guitar. After a little while they began to call us to play in Monté [an area close by Gromignana] at small dances that they would have and I very much enjoyed playing and singing at these events.

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© 2009 by Maurice Mattei
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