Sophia Loren

Author: Vittorio G. Harris (USA)
Translator: Yang Rongxin
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2000-01-01
Features:
Fragment: Ricardo's appearance was forced upon Luigia Villani by the birth of her child. Upon learning of her pregnancy, she bombarded him with threats, claiming she would take legal action and seek intervention from the church. Finding Siciliano was not difficult; he lived with his parents in the old Roman district, not far from Piazza Venezia. Even as an adult, he still lived with his parents, a tradition in Italy. It was not unusual for even married couples to live with their parents and children in their ancestral home. Luigia failed to convince Ricardo to marry her daughter, but she at least made him feel a bit ashamed and willing to take some responsibility. He admitted to being the father of the 19th girl and signed documents allowing the child to inherit his surname. The father's surname combined with the mother's first name gave the child her name—"Sophia Siciliano." Romilda felt overwhelmed with happiness. If the father's name was left blank on the birth certificate, the child would become a social outcast, even losing the right to attend state-funded church schools. Ricardo's actions also gave Romilda a glimmer of hope that one day she would become Mrs. Siciliano. He told her he planned to take her and the child home to live with his mother and four unmarried brothers. But the old woman refused outright, forbidding him from bringing a "whore" and a "mudblood" into the house. With no other option, Ricardo and Romilda returned to the love nest they had built together—a small apartment on Piazza di Spagna.
Many beautiful women were not pretty as children, and Sophia Siciliano was no exception. She was a beauty in the making, raw material yet to be refined. Her eyes, proportioned to her head, seemed too large. She appeared to inherit her father's large nose and thick lips. In her current state, it was hard to see that she had a glamorous mother like Garbo. When he saw Romilda was pregnant, Siciliano fled, though he felt some guilt about his actions. Perhaps for this reason, he did not immediately abandon the mother and daughter. But he did not want a wife or a family. He merely wanted a sexual partner, while Romilda refused to comply. She was determined to raise the child well and regain her strength as quickly as possible. The two spent their days in endless arguments. Romilda never gave up on the idea of marriage and constantly complained about Ricardo's meager salary, which barely covered their living expenses. The publishing company where Ricardo worked specialized in publishing fascist propaganda, so these pamphlets had no readers, meaning Ricardo earned almost no commission. The Mussolini government failed to protect Italy from the global economic depression, leading to widespread discontent. Struggling to make ends meet, Romilda constantly complained, and Ricardo finally reached his breaking point. "She's utterly unbearable. She insults me with the most vicious words, calling me a rat in the sewer. If I really married her, I'd be lucky not to be killed by her. I'm even more convinced that marriage is a mistake—it will ruin our lives." What made matters worse was that little Sophia weaned off the breast milk. Romilda suffered from constipation, so Ricardo gave her a laxative his mother had made. The Siciliano hated Romilda and little Sophia so much that she could not rule out the possibility of having deliberately poisoned them. In any case, after taking the medicine, Romilda's milk gradually decreased until it completely dried up. The six-week-old Sophia became emaciated. Ricardo could no longer stay. He secretly left without Romilda, going to Milan, 350 miles away, to work at the Milan office of the publishing company. He ran away again. Romilda had no choice but to decide to return to Pozzuoli. She hoped her hometown would still accept her.