Page 44 - A Life - my Live - my path

The journey - coal miner’s community

It wasn't like going on an adventure, but the destination
was rather unusual for a man of the sun who was going to
work 1,000 metres underground.
It was never an easy choice. My father really did it for his
family.

After a fortnight, we received our first parcel in a shoebox
containing some money, chocolate and coffee. What a joy!
After that, we regularly received a parcel and my mother
money.
In July 1956, my father was granted leave to return to the
village. He took an axe and a few tools with him, as he had
no intention of going back to Belgium.
After calculating and assessing the situation, my mother

44
invited one of her cousins , also on holiday, who had been
living in Belgium for almost ten years. During the meal, he
made my father understand that Belgium - despite working
in a coal mine, with all its negative aspects - was a path to
salvation for his wife and above all for his two children. For
him, there were no favourable prospects in San Giovanni
Lipioni,
Even today, this region of Italy is a great place to live, but
the lack of economic activity doesn't make it easy to find a
job.
That conversation changed the course of my
parents', my sister's and my own lives.

44 His name was Claudino.
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