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Stories from Around the World
3 nanniet /3 grandmothers
May 10, 2019
They're in mourning clothes.
They're on the Bus stop.
They're going to Church
They're on the pavement leaning on the door.
They're in a Country House
They're looking at something.
What are they looking at ?
The rain
Or the procession - Good Friday
or Carnival.
They are 3 old grandmothers
They're from Marsa or Isla
Or from Valletta near the Main Gate.
There are no such doors in Valletta
They have 2 doors to close - in the Main Street
They're on the Church parvis.
They could be neighbours, friends or sisters.
They are over 80 years old.
They teach Religion doctrine.
Those women used to have a collar.
They used to wear the 'Ghonella' before the War - they wore it after war too
The lads used to make fun of them.
But when it rained, they used to ask them ' Cover me, shelter me until I get home' - there weren't a lot of people who had an umbrella.
They used to fold to close the 'Ghonella' before entering Church.
One of them is wearing a mini-skirt!
They're called Maria, Karmena or Paolina, or Sunta
or Karmena like my mother, my sisters Anna and Theresa.
It was a Sunday - its dark
It was raining
Maybe there's a feast, maybe its Our Lady of Sorrows - everyone goes out to watch it.
Or the Christmas Procession with Baby Jesus.
They're fingering a rosary beads.
They will open the door when the Statue goes by and will go inside.
They will go home and split up.
They will change inside, eat and sleep since they do not have a t.v. set.
They will say the Rosary before ...in half an hour you're done saying it.
----
In Maltese
Qeghdin fuq l-istage tal-Linja.
Jew ser jidhlu l-knisja
Qeghdin fuq il-Bankina mal-bieb.
Qeghdin go Remissa
Qeghdin jaraw xi haga.
X'qeghdin jaraw?
Ix-xita nizla
Jew il-Purcizzjoni - L-gimgha L-Kbira
Jew il-Karnival.
Dawk 3 nanniet, anzjani - mill Marsa jew L-Isla
Jew qeghdin go Rahal, jew dar tal-Anzjani
Jew il-Belt fejn Putirjal.
Mhemmx bieb ta' dak it-tip il-Belt.
B'zewg bibien jaghlqu - dawk ta'Strade Rjali.
Fuq Iz-zuntier tal-Knisja.
Forsi girien, hbieb jew ahwa.
Ghandhom fuq it-80 sena.
Jaghlmu l-Muzew
Tatl-Muzew bic-cinta m'ghonqhom.
Kellhom l-Ghonella qabel il-Gwerra - tal Muzew baqaw juzawha.
il-Guvintur kienu jitmejlu bihom.
Pero fix-xita kienu jghidulhom 'Ghattini, wassalni sad-dar' - ma tantx kien hemm nies li kellhom umbrella.
Kienu jalquha l-Ghonella qabel ma jidhlu l-Knisja.
Wahda minnhom liebsa l-miniskirt !
Jisimhom Maria, Karmena u Paolina, jew Sunta
jew Karmena ghal ommi, u huti Anna u Teresa.
Kien il-Hadd - imdallam
Kienet ix-xitwa.
Forsi l-Festa, forsi D-Duluri - kulhadd imur jaraha hirga.
Jew il-Purcizzjoni tal bambin il-Milied.
Qed izebgu l-kuruna,
Ser jifthu l-Bieb meta tghaddi l-Vara u jidhlu gewwa.
Imorru d-dar u jinfirdu.
Imorru gewwa jbiddlu, jieklu u jorqdu ghax ma jkollhomx Television.
Jghidu R-Ruzarju qabel..... .f'nofs sigha tghidu.
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Image Credits: Creative Commons 2.0: Attribution. Credit: Pierre Stafrace
