The other women had come to respect Nonna’s counsel. She was wise, listened to the radio daily, and was more politically aware than most. They already harboured many concerns and Nonna raised more issues than they cared to think about. Despite their many reservations, it seemed they were locked into a process, and when they were told to be ready for transfer to Germany, they packed their few belongings.
‘Change can’t be bad,’ Ettore said to Contessa. ‘The thought of staying here another year … well … it’s not worth thinking about!’
So they packed their few remaining possessions and then, one drizzly afternoon in September 1946, they left.
Lisa and Cappi had sent a letter to Lena in Fiume, informing her of their transfer to Germany, but they did not know if they could trust the postal sy
