Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Random acts of violence

People might think it’s strange that I have so much love and admiration for a person who has spent a considerable part of the last 26 years hitting me across the back of the head. However these random acts of violence were just my Nonna’s strange way of saying “I love you”. Or more specifically, ”I love you- now do what I say.”


Nonna’s reasons for delivering this swift justice varied. Sometimes I would be mid conversation with an uncle or auntie and suddenly... thud. Her heavily bejewelled hand would strike the back of my head and I’d involuntarily lunge forward in an all too familiar motion. And what was my crime? I had spoken to other relatives before saying hello to her. On other occasions a whack might be prompted by the decision to wear a pair of ripped jeans or waking in to family dinner with newly bleached hair. Regardless of the motivation for the swipe one thing was always the same, the brutal force. This unassuming five foot nothing Sicilian signorina was a powerful lady, and that is precisely why I loved her.


Nonna passed away a few days ago and I already miss her.


Her feisty personality began to fade towards the end of her life but I will always remember a strong willed woman who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to make it happen. She valued family above all else, raising eight children and revelling in her position as the matriarch of a big Italian family.


A lot of my favourite memories of time spent with Nonna took place at Footscray Market and Forges of Footscray, two of her favourite stomping grounds. She was practically a celebrity at

Forges and I remember countless lunch times spent at the cafeteria with my brother and sister where Nonna point out random people in the store and tell us that they were undercover policeman who would take us away if we misbehaved. We believed her. And I can proudly say that my siblings and I have never been arrested. I choose to believe these are not unrelated facts.


At one stage or another I’m sure each of her eight children, 18 grandchildren and, 22 great grandchildren have been on the receiving end of a disapproving look or some angry words from Nonna, she certainly wasn’t reserved in her opinions, another reason I admire her. And truth be told we probably deserved it more often than not.


I will miss her secretive handshakes- not because of the five dollars she would covertly hand me, but because of the cheeky grin and sly wink she would deliver with the crumpled note.


Thanks for making me feel so loved Nonna.


Francesca Caminiti
27th February 1922 – 28th February 2010

1 comment:

Ryan said...

Oh, Michael... I'm so sorry to hear.

A hug to you and a whack across the back of the head.