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

6.

Regrettably, good times usually go by quickly and around September 20, 1937 I was discharged [from military duty]. I was happy to return home but I thought that as soon as I arrived the problems with work and other things would exist as they had before leaving for the military. In fact, when I got home I found that my mother had given all my clothes and possessions to my brothers and I was left with nothing. Due to this, I had to start all over again.

Employment was not easy to come by but the war with Ethiopia had just ended so some work could be found. After a little while my brother Guido and I found jobs as laborers constructing offices at the Minetti Company of the Metallurgical Society of Italy. This was very hard work. We started on a Monday and on the evening of this first day we were exhausted beyond toleration. We worked ten hours a day and additionally, we had to walk two hours in the morning and two hours at night to get to work. Although we were completely exhausted, with God's help, we completed our first week. With one day of rest we regained some of our energy and although the job was very hard, after this first week, we had adapted and were employed there until the work on the offices was completed. When this work ended the Minetti Company laid us off but we were immediately hired by another company. This company also did work for the Metallurgical Society and as time went by we began to work there steadily. Unfortunately however, although we were working we still had little money because our father would take nearly all our wages.

During this period I continued to play the mandolin and sing with my brother Guido, and Aldo, Romola's son. In 1938 Germany had gone to war and since Italy was Germany's ally I was, along with many others, once again called into military service. My military activation letter arrived and instructed me to report immediately. I was to present myself at the depot of mobilization in Castigliole di Saluzzo where I had been stationed the year before. I, and others from the nearby villages, departed and on the following day we were in Castigliole. They gave us uniforms upon our arrival. Along with me there was Damiani from Lucignana [a friend from a nearby village]. As soon as we were dressed they formed us into battalions and my company was transfered to Lagnasco - a small village in Piemonte [Northern Italian region; see part 5] - but we were not given weapons. Mussolini did not want war and he had gone to Germany to advise Hitler to maintain the peace and it was for this reason that they did not arm us immediately. Our commanders were convinced that war was highly unlikely. Even we were confident that undoubtedly this had been a false alarm. We were at ease because we believed that war was not imminent and that in a few days we would be returning home.

During the day they took us on maneuvers and at night we were free to go out and almost everyone had dinner at restaurants in the area. Everyone was in good spirits awaiting orders to that would send us back home. It was after about a week when one night we went to bed as usual and at around midnight the alarm sounded and we were told to assemble in the courtyard. All the officers were there along with a mountain of rifles. In very little time they had given us our weapons. As soon as we were armed they sent us back to our bunks but between the scare we had just received and the worry that we were now at war no one slept the entire night. There was great confusion and discussion as well as dread as to what might soon occur. The dream of returning home had disappeared and no one knew what our fate would be or what we would have to encounter. As God wanted it, the morning finally arrived but it was a very gloomy day and every minute we anticipated receiving our orders to depart. However, by the grace of God even this had been a false alarm. After approximately 15 days we were discharged and everyone returned home.

In this time I had begun seeing Marta. She was still very young and her mother did not want us to be together. I should have let her go but I liked her and I would have been very upset to part from her. She too did not want me to leave her and because of this we continued to see each other in secret for three years. In 1939 Germany went to war in which Italy, being allied with Germany, would also soon participate. They began to recall their soldiers into service. On June 10, 1940 Italy join Germany in the war and due to this a general mobilization of the military was nearly declared. Myself and only a few others remained at home. Every day someone would be called into active duty but I was not. I couldn't understand the reason for this and I was beginning to think that I was among il dispersi [The literal translation of this is "the desperate" or "the wretched"; there may also be a dialectal meaning.].

I continued to see Marta in secret. Her mother became increasingly angered. It wasn't her alone that did not want us to see each other but also Priest Zanotti, and Santina and Zelanda; Ida's [Marta's mother's] two sisters. They all hated me. Ida was somewhat justified in that my father, as I've said from the beginning, maltreated everyone and she too had been very much victimized by him. But I had nothing to do with my father's behavior. Marta would be marrying me, not my father. However, this was not the sole reason for their disapproval of our being together. They had intentions of Marta marrying someone who was in a better position [social, i.e., economic] than myself.

By now we had arrived at September of 1940. One night, as usual, I was waiting for Marta who was bringing milk to the Colle [an area in Gromignana] in order to exchange it with Lassunta [This "exchange" may have been a system of trade - either monetary or in the form of goods - between families in the village.]. Darkness had already fallen and I was unable to distinguish precisely who it was that was approaching. As it turned out, instead of Marta it was Libia [Marta's sister]. We had a long discussion. She was very kind and she advised me to go home and that she would try to help. Although it had been a very embarrassing moment this incident gave me courage and, in fact, with the help of Libia the problem [of Marta's family being opposed to his seeing her] was resolved.

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