When the factory closed for three months
And we went back to work after San Candido
The women lost their touch
So in the first few days you would see the women
Walking around with a handful of matches in their hands
To regain their touch.
The manager said to me
‘O Pia, you need to produce more
Could you manage to make 10 boxes?
But I said to him,
‘Could you manage to make three in a row with your wife?
No
Then neither can I!
Who told you that? Capaccini?
No, not Capaccini. He was handsome.
Tall, distinguished, with a moustache.
Handsome.
Did you wear anything on your head? For the sulphur or to protect your hair?
No, not at all. Only the ones who made ice cream scoops wore caps.
I was there too. The manager said to me:
Put on your cap
No cap
You put it on!
He put it on during a trip to Venice
At the Doge’s Palace
All the scoop makers from Saffa di Fucecchio with their caps
The laughter!
The Burigliolo
But what is a burigliolo?
It was a tray
No, a box
A thing, a container that was filled with boxes
And then emptied to make another one
My hands were bleeding
When I was packing boxes
I had to wrap them in tape otherwise they would bleed