Chapter Nineteen

‘Nonna qual è il problema? [Grandmother, what is the matter?]

Without even realising she had done so she spoke in the soft loving tones of her Mother language and the elderly lady put her arms around her and held her tightly.

Mi dispiace mio caro bambino ma tuo nonno è morto‘ [I'm sorry my dear child but your Grandfather has passed away]

She told her automatically replying to her in Sicilian and crying quietly, frightened and confused by her grandmother's obvious distress she did not understand what ‘passed away’ meant. She did her best to comfort her Grandmother but it was some time before she discovered that it meant her Grandfather had died peacefully in his sleep that night. He had been a few weeks short of his 82nd birthday and his weak heart had just stopped working while he slept there was nothing anyone could have done.

Alcina did not leave her grandmother's side for the next couple of days, it seemed to give the old lady comfort having the child with her so for the time being