Marianna, why aren’t you here to come for walks, and have fun, and enjoy yourself with us? Why can’t I hug you and say to you at every moment: Isn’t this beautiful? Isn’t that fun?… and let you see how happy I am – my goodness, as happy as anyone could ever wish to be. So imagine if you were here!
Yesterday as the sun was going down, we went for a lovely walk in the chestnut grove with the Valentini. How beautiful the grove is! If only you could have seen it, Marianna: a delicious shade, a few dying rays of sunlight filtering through the leaves, a perpetual, low-pitched sighing of the topmost branches, birds singing, and now and again a deep and solemn silence. You might almost feel afraid, beneath that huge vault of branches, among those endlessly crisscrossing paths, if even your fear weren’t so pleasant. The dry leaves scrunched under our footsteps. Occasionally, some startled bird would take flight, shaking the few leaves that were hiding it and causing a sudden rustle. Our fine dog, Vigilante, ran blithely on ahead, barking after frightened blackbirds. Annetta, Gigi and Giuditta walked arm in arm, singing to themselves. Signor Nino followed them, with his rifle slung across his shoulder. The rest of the group were left far behind, and they kept shouting to us not to go so fast, because it was a tiring climb. Signor Nino also has a fine dog, a splendid gun-dog, with long ears and black spots all over. It’s called Ali, and has already struck up a close friendship with Vigilante. At every step, Giuditta and Annetta in their long dresses would get caught in the undergrowth. Not me, though, I assure you! I run and skip, and never falter, and nor do the hedgerows leave any mark on my tunic. Signor Nino came up to me and told me to take care not to fall, he was afraid for me, poor fellow! If I hadn’t been so embarrassed, I’d almost have challenged that young man to a race! Giuditta continually complained of feeling tired. What’s wrong with these women, Marianna? They can’t walk ten paces without the need of a man’s arm, and without catching their clothes on every bramble! Thank goodness for my tunic! Signor Nino repeatedly offered me his arm – as if I had any need of it, indeed! I’m sure he was just trying to annoy me, otherwise why didn’t he offer his arm to my sister, who was complaining about the climb – she was the one that needed it.
What a magnificent sight when we reached the top of the mountain! The chestnut grove doesn’t extend all the way up, and from the summit you get an unimpeded view of the horizon. The sun was setting on one side, and the moon rising on the other, two different kinds of twilight at either extremity, with the snows of Etna seemingly ablaze, and a few gossamer cloudlets floating through the blueness of the firmament like snowflakes, with the smell of all that flourishing mountain vegetation, amid a solemn silence; you could see the sea in the distance, turning silver in the first glimmer of moonlight, and Catania, like a pale patch upon the shore, and the vast plain behind bound by chains of azure mountains, with the bright, winding course of the Simeto snaking across it. And then gradually, rising towards us, were all those gardens and vineyards, those villages sending us the distant sound of the angelus, and Etna’s proud peak reaching towards the sky, its valleys already quite black, its snows gleaming in the last rays of sunshine, its woods rustling and murmuring and quivering. Marianna, there are times when I feel like weeping, and clasping hands with everyone around me, when I’d be incapable of uttering a single word, and my mind is crowded with thoughts … Honestly, I don’t know how I didn’t clasp hands with Signor Nino, who was standing next to me! What a crazy fool I am!
I think everyone must have felt what I was feeling, because no one spoke. Even Signor Nino, who’s always cheerful, as you know, also remained silent …
Then we went running down the hill again, shouting and laughing, frightening the birds (who then did the same to us, by taking flight with a sudden flurry among the leaves), and playing hide-and-seek among the trees, even though our parents shouted themselves hoarse, telling us not to run. Ali and Vigilante joined in the fun, jumping and barking with joy. Here and there, amid those dark shadows, a moonbeam filtered through the branches, shedding its silvery light on the treetrunks, and casting weird shadows on the dead leaves that carpeted the ground. Signor Nino, too, no more nor less than the rest of us, ran like a child, like a madman. Two or three times, I overtook him, which left me feeling very proud. Can you imagine, beating a man! And since it was dark among the trees and he couldn’t see me blush, I didn’t feel embarrassed. And when I’d left all the others behind … including him … I stood there, panting, unable to catch my breath, but totally elated, and I wasn’t scared of being alone in the dark, because I could hear their voices and the sound of the dogs barking … and, after all, Signor Nino had that splendid shot-gun slung across his shoulder.
And what a pleasure it was, too, as we came out of the woods, to be greeted by the lights of our cottage. Do you have any idea what a gladdening sight it is, in the silence and the darkness of the countryside, to see in the distance those illuminated windows, that welcoming light, which guides you, leads you, and makes you think of home, and of all the quiet joys of family life?
You can’t imagine how friendly we’ve become with the Valentini over the past week. They’re such nice people! It’s as though we’ve been friends for decades. Annetta is a kind-hearted girl and doesn’t laugh at my tunic and my strange convent ways. We’re in one another’s company from morning till night, going for walks, chatting, playing cards, having lunch together, and sometimes dinner as well. Would you believe that I’ve learned to play cards, too? For heaven’s sake, don’t tell anyone! Though I’m not very good yet, and I nearly always lose, Signor Nino is always ready to help me, to offer his advice and guidance, and he doesn’t mind not playing himself. When I go back to the convent, I promise you, I’ll forget all about card games.
My God, the convent! That’s the only cloud darkening these bright horizons. But let’s not think about that right now, Marianna, let’s be cheerful and happy, and let God’s will be done!
And while we’re here, enjoying ourselves, safe and untroubled, and out of harm’s way, think of all those poor people grieving and suffering! all that misery! all those tears! all those victims! The news that reaches us here, every four or five days, is very sad. May God have mercy on the many who are afflicted!
There are such fears and apprehensions! The peasants here believe in poisoners, in poisonous rays, and heaven knows what else … Poor wretches! They’re like me, when I’m afraid, I see ghosts! That’s why every night, in the valleys, on the mountains, all around, you see flares and torches, and you hear the continual sound of gunfire, as though they were trying to scare off cunning wolves, or human savages! It’s sad, but at night, in the darkness and the silence, amid this general tumult, it’s also terrifying.
Now I’m sad too, aren’t I? And only a moment ago I was happy, telling you how we’ve been enjoying ourselves. You say that you’re having fun too, and that you’re in good company. I believe you, but I bet it’s not as good as ours. You also say that you won’t be returning to the convent – lucky you! But that means I’ll have to go back without you! Right now, I want to be happy. God will take care of the future! Carino is better – he’s grown much bigger, and even a little naughty. He’s lively, chirpy and bright, and he has such a loud voice! If I let him, I think he’d be fearless enough to stand up to the cat. Poor Vigilante was given such a nasty beating by the steward that he came yelping to tell me his troubles. I petted him, and I’ve always some tasty titbit to give him, and now he remains at the door of my room.
I don’t think there’s anything I’ve forgotten to tell you. Write me a long letter soon. Tell me that you love me, and send your love as well to my friend Annetta, who sends you hers.
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.