Goodbye

The alarm was set for 6:20am. We were going to drive to Paola to get the super fast freccia argento train. It would only take 3 and a half hours to reach the centre of Rome. At about 5.30 we heard bel marito's mothers heavy footsteps running down the stairs. She tapped on our door and whispered "it's snowing!" What!! It can't be snowing, it wasn't snowing when we went to bed and snow equals possibly being trapped in the village unable to get out. Snowing on the morning you are set to depart is not good. We pushed open the windows and even though it was still pitch black outside the soft glow of the street light illuminated the swirling, fast falling snow. Pretty to be sure but not this morning of all mornings.

No one ever imagines their departure will be so rushed, let alone a departure so significant. We were on our way, migrating with 2 children to literally the other side of the world. We jumped out of bed, called friends who were also driving with us to the station, got dressed, woke up the sleeping bambini and hastily said goodbye to bel marito's parents. We just couldn't afford delay since when it snows here it really snows and maybe it was best for bel marito as long, drawn out good-byes can be hard. So we left Malito in flurry of snow and haste.

We got to Rome in the end with bel marito's brother and his wife in tow. They were going to help us carry our 3 massive and 2 small suitcases since I, still on crutches, am no help at all. Rushed goodbyes however followed us to the Rome airport the next day. I was given wheelchair assistance since the airport is quite large and it would take me too long to hobble on crutches from A to B. My wheelchair pushing man was in a rush when I asked if we could pause for a moment to wait for my brother and sister in law. They were flying back to Calabria but were a few minutes behind us with the security check. No, my wheelchair pushing man could not wait he had to get me through passport control as soon as possible. What to do, what to do? I told bel marito that he could wait with bel bambino and say goodbye and that I, with bella bambina strapped to me in her baby bjorn would go and wait for them in the lounge. I was sorry to not say goodbye but it was best that they lag behind since my impatient wheelchair pushing man was practically pushing me off mid way through conversation. My plan would have been a good plan had it not been for the small fact that I had forgotten about bella bambina's passport mistake. Do you remember my post where I explained that my name had stupidly been left off her passport and that I legally am not permitted to fly alone with her? Hope you remember the post cause I sure as hell didn't.

So here I was, sitting in my wheelchair looking anxiously over my shoulder when a passport controller comes out of his office to talk to me. He was agitated, rightly so as he presumed he had a disabled woman trying to kidnap a baby in front of him. "We have a problem with the passports," he told me. "Ahh, yes of course! My daughter's passport has a mistake. I know that there is no mention of me on her passport but they made a mistake." I kept glancing over my shoulder and must have looked like an insane, mentally unstable kidnapper. "Are you travelling alone?" "No, my husband and son are with me." "I can't see them." "they're over there." I point over to security but there were so many people walking around it was difficult to make them out. "See that man with the blue jacket and the little boy in the pram? That's them." Good on them for wearing plain, don't stand at all out in a crowd clothes. "I don't see them. I cannot let you pass." "Well I didn't want to pass but this man (indicating the wheelchair pushing man) said that I could not wait to say goodbye to my sister and brother in law." I really wasn't making any sense. "So they are going with you?" "Yes." "Not your husband." "No, yes, what?" I was terribly confused. "So you are going alone." "No, I am just alone now. I just want to go and wait in the lounge alone. Look I know that I cannot pass without my husband but he is over there. He wants to say goodbye to his brother because we are migrating to Australia with our 2 children." I was making no sense as I started rattling off my life story. The passport controller was starting to sweat and the wheelchair pushing man was getting impatient. I started waving which made me seem even more crazy than before. I had to get bel marito's attention. Thankfully, through the crowds of people we made eye contact and I frantically tried to yell out to him. Just as his brother and wife joined his side I started making strange hand gestures trying to explain long distance my predicament. Thanks to the wheelchair pushing man and his unexplainable hurry,  my husband had to hastily say goodbye to his brother and his wife, had to come and convince the passport controller that I was not a crazy kidnapper but that I was his wife and we were travelling as a party of 4, not 2. All I could do was wave to my sister and brother in law. I didn't even get to say goodbye.

So in a mad rush we left Italy. That ladies and gentlemen is it. This blog started with a single 27 year old girl arriving in Italy to live her dream. 6.5 years later a (just turned) 34 year old girl leaves Italy behind with her Italian husband and 2 Italian born children by her side. The dream over time changed, the original dream had been brought to life and now it's time for our new dream to begin. So is it goodbye or hello? Will you hear from me again or not. Only time will tell.