Nanna Carmen Vella

Born in Rabat

“I was the third of seven, born in the rains of November.”

Mother said it rained for three days.

The lemon tree behind the house

“Every spring it filled the courtyard with a smell I have never found again.”

First books I owned

“My uncle gave me a worn book of poetry. I read it under the stairs.”

She still has the book.

We had ftira for our wedding

“My mother baked it herself. We sang in the courtyard until the lamps went out.”

When Maria was born

“She came on a quiet Sunday. The world felt new.”

The little school we kept together

“We had no chairs at first. The children sat on cushions.”

My mother's tomato sauce, exactly

“I was finally able to make it the way she did. I cried into the pot.”

What I would tell my grandchildren

“Be slow. Be kind. The rest is mostly noise.”