ONCE UPON A TIME

I had just received my diploma, a girl of 18 years old, when my father said to me with decision and authority: “Now you have your diploma you must get stuck in and find a job as a teacher and you will go wherever they send you!!! You know what hard work I had to do to send you to school, now I have to do the same for the others.” He wanted to say without any qualms “You had the benefits, your the eldest of 4 children, therefore you have to colaborate with me in sending the other 3 children to school”. Poor father, he received a small monthly salary, our mother did what she could to feed us every day because it was war-time and food, including bread was rationed, and he was a proud man and wanted us all to get a good education and guess what he succeeded! After the last diploma was acquired he breathed a sigh of relief. Ah finally I can die in peace!. Thank you Dad, with your sacrifice I had in this life wonderful experiences (to be continued in the next issue as it is my intention to go deeper into this arguement and explain what happened to me when I obeyed my father by going to “wherever they send you”). Mimma (translate by Diliana)

COMPASSION

One evening , during the stay in hospital of my gravely sick mother, after a long day of assisting and caring for her, I went home tired and exhausted. I had stayed a little longer with my mother that evening and I had just managed to catch the last bus at 11pm. I was alone on the bus, but after a few stops two young men got on: they came upto me and asked for my purse. With courtesy I refused to give it to them. So then they insulted me and threatened to hit me if I screamed for help. In my mind I called out for the help of my Custodian Angel and very calmly told them of the pain I was suffering because my mother was about to leave me and this life and asked them if they had a mother... They didn’t answer but very slowly they went away; they had participated with passion in my suffering and became good. Mimma (translate by Diliana)