Antonia Michele Leonardo

The departure from Naples, Italy, was rather pleasant including the stop in Sicily, but after Gibraltar, it was like a bad dream coming on. It was about midnight when we touched the waters of the Atlantic and then just like a stomping, snorting, wild savage Bronco, the 29,000 ton ship started to toss, dip, heave, wobble from side to side and fore and aft, it was like the waves were doing a bad circus juggling act and using its passengers as objects to shuffle. my 4 year brother and I were excited but my mother was terrified, as well as the the rest of the adult passengers in the economy class, which was at very bottom of the boat. The crossing of the Atlantic in that winter month was rough which made the sailers work constantly on mopping up the food that didn't want to stay in the stomach. Upon entering the Halifax Harbor we were met by dark grey skies, howling wind storm, and buckets of rain. My Mother said: "My God, what forsaken place has your father brought us to?" You see, my Father was waiting for us in Toronto, he had preceded us by 2 years to make enough money to call us over, my Mother, my brother and I. 58 years have gone by since that eventful day in Halifax, my Father is gone, so is my Mother and also my Brother, and if they will allow me to speak for them, they would say, " Canada is not Italy, but we are very very glad we came, lived, worked, prospered and enjoyed our stay very, very much, thank-you Canada." And of course that goes double for me as well. Hey, I'm still around!