In a secluded spot she had discovered for herself on deck, Giovanna watched as from below overcrowded, airless holds this human flotsam emerged each day as though released from some undeserved captivity, blinking in the sudden brightness of daylight, faces lifted gratefully to the open sky. From her vantage point above, Giovanna marveled at the resilience of these hordes of desperate people willing to endure whatever they must to achieve a dream. She did not equate her condition with theirs. She knew the difference between her security and their precarious, possibly doomed, search for it. A roof, food, and protection were guaranteed her therefore her quest for a new life could not be compared with theirs and so felt the privilege of her status as Giovanni’s wife. Once he too had been one of them, endured, struggled to make a place for himself—a stranger in a foreign land—had succeeded, not only found work but his pride within it! Now, she, as wife to this courageous man, was reaping the rewards and, for the first time since her irrational request, Giovanna considered the man not only what he represented, her means of escape, from what she still could not identify only knew her need of it. For a long time she watched the people below her, thankful she was not one of them, wondering what lives awaited them—what waited for her.
Entering the Gulf Stream, the sea became strangely calm, its mirrorlike surface reflecting a chalk gray sky. Putting away her learning things, Giovanna went in search of her husband. He who had crossed this vast ocean twice before would be able to tell her, know if it was preparing a tumultuous storm or just lying still without any malevolent intentions. When she couldn’t find him anywhere, she went up on deck to her private spot to take a good look at the sea and try to figure it out for herself. Leaning on the railing, a faint breeze making her skirt ripple against her ankles, she studied the endless horizon. The sudden thought that Columbus must have seen what she was seeing made her smile. Now that she knew being seasick was not a fatal condition, she liked the sea. Its unpredictability, even its frightening power, an intriguing challenge. If I were a man, I’d be an explorer, live my whole life on a ship, circle the world! The low sound of a man’s voice disturbed Giovanna’s musings. It came again, clearer, more emphatic this time and she recognized it was Giovanni speaking to someone directly below from where she stood. What was he doing down there? In Third Class? Second Class passengers weren’t allowed there—so who was he talking to? Crouching down straining to hear, Giovanna listened.
“All of you who understand Italian, listen to me carefully. I have knowledge that is important for you to hear. I will come here every morning at this time to speak to you of the things that you must know before you are taken to be processed on Ellis Island.” A low murmur greeted the name. “Yes, I know, some of you have heard it called The Island of Tears and that is one of the reasons I have come. I know it—I have been there, I was able to pass through to America and found work, good work and so will you. But there are some tricks that can help get you through and I know them. Those of you who speak other languages can translate my words to the other groups—or ask around. Try the Russian Jews, they are usually good linguists. Tomorrow we meet. I must go. Take heart, from now on, the sea will remain calm, so they may allow you to sleep up on deck.”
The next day at the appointed time, Giovanna was crouched by her listening post, ear pressed to the bottom railing as Giovanni began speaking to his attentive flock that now comprised representative Poles, Romanians, Bohemians, Germans, Hungarians, and Hollanders amongst the Italian men.
“Once we have arrived, you will be unloaded onto smaller boats and ferried to Ellis Island. Once there, you will be told to leave all of your belongings to be reclaimed when you are through. I cannot tell you that this will be so—for such things are often stolen, disappear—even the Promised Land has its thieves, so take what is most precious to you, put it with your papers and your money on your person for safety. Next, you will be herded into the Great Hall. It is called so because it truly is—greater than you have ever seen before, with many aisles marked off by iron pipes to contain the thousands of people being moved towards the stairs that lead up to the inner balcony that circles the hall. Remember ours will not be the only ship to arrive, the harbor will be full of ships from many ports, all filled with people like you. Tell your women they must hold onto the children, never let go of their hands or they will lose them in the crush of people. Yes, it is frightening, even for men. But you must not allow fear to take control of you or be seen, for then bad mistakes can happen. The guards will move you towards the steps where men who look like the police …” Alarmed voices interrupted him. “No, no—they are not real policemen. They are doctors in special uniforms and they are there to watch you. Watch how you climb the stairs. If you stumble, have a difficulty and they think there may be something wrong with you, with their piece of chalk, they will mark you with a C—which means Cripple, so the other doctors upstairs will know ‘here is one who has to be examined more thoroughly.’ If you seem out of breath, they move you up at a fast pace for that reason, you could get an H on your back for Heart. So, remember, watch out how you climb, place your foot firmly one after the other … tell those of your women whose skirts are very long, to shorten them before we arrive. It is safer and remember, when you climb the stairs, to calm yourself, so your breathing comes easy. Anyone here with children who are deaf mutes? Come closer.” There was a shuffling of feet as some pressed forward. “Now, while you still have the time, teach them that when they see you talking to them, they must nod their heads as though they can understand. They must also be taught to keep their eyes open and their heads up to look alert. This is true for everyone, all of you—no downcast eyes, even from your women. If you don’t look straight at them, the doctors and the officers think maybe you are trying to hide something and then they will single you out. Don’t ever give anyone a reason to be suspicious of you. Don’t shuffle—don’t look down, don’t mumble, don’t hesitate. Never appear confused even when you are. Look as though you understand, even when you don’t. Those who can’t read or write, find those who can and stay close to them for help. Try to make everyone understand this—how very important all this is. The worst chalk mark that you can receive, the one that can mean great tragedy for your whole family, is an X, for it means Mental Deficient and the special doctors for that will put you through tests that even those who have nothing wrong with them often fail—then America will be lost to you, you will not be allowed to enter. They will send you back where you came from—separated forever from those of your family who are healthy and allowed to stay. I must go. Tomorrow I will talk about the purchase of railway tickets and money matters in general.” The men crowded around him, questioning, eager to hear more, finally let him go when they realized, young as he was, here was a man who could not be cajoled into changing his mind. Murmuring their gratitude, the men dispersed.
For a long while Giovanna remained where she was, thinking through all she had heard, trying to understand the enormity of what lay behind Giovanni’s words, the need that had prompted them. His amazing generosity beguiled her. She found she liked him, was enormously proud of him. Love was so foreign to Giovanna, she wasn’t aware she was taking the first step towards it.
During the evening meal, first making sure no one near them understood Italian, keeping her voice low, Giovanna confessed, surprised that her husband was not angry at her eavesdropping as she had expected, she dared to ask, “But aren’t you frightening them?”
“They are already frightened. It is always better to know than to imagine.”