“Where do you come from in Africa?”

Well my baby, I come from a place called Ghana.

“Why do you come here to Italia, so far away from your homeland?”

Why do you think I come here?

“I think you come here to make money, well that’s what my Daddy says. But you know I love you, my entire family loves you, and I hope you will be my housekeeper and nanny when I grow up.”

That’s so nice of you my baby; I love you and your family too. Don’t you worry about not seeing me in the future; and when you grow up, if my body isn’t too old feeling, I’d be happy to work for you.”

“No, I don’t want you to work for me, I just want you to live with me and my own family, and keep the house nice, and tell my children stories of your homeland, and I will give you all that I have.”

You’re so sweet my baby, how about you just come over here and give me a great big hug my little boobala.

It is true when I tell you I’ve been blessed. I’ve been coming over here to Italia now for 15 years. Yes, this will be my 15th year working for the Cavalli’s. And little Guglielmo, isn’t he a precious doll baby. You know I’ve taken care of him since the day he was born. He’s almost six now.

I was even in the delivery room with Mrs. Cavalli; yes I most certainly was. I was in the delivery room for the births of all our babies except Gianna. She was born in July, and in July I am in Ghana with my family, my people. Gianna’s actually the oldest of the bunch, she’s fourteen now. Yes, there is Guglielmo who is five years old, Evelina who is eight, Riccardo who is twelve, and Gianna whose fourteen—Lord have mercy how quickly the years go. When I first started coming over here to Italia I was a young lady, yes I was.

I am truly blessed I tell you; I work for a wonderful family. I actually work for Mr. Cavalli five days a week, here at his home, and on Saturday he drops me off, or I drive first to his mother’s house, then his sister’s house—and I tidy up a bit at their places, do a little food shopping—whatever’s required of me for that specific day. And Sunday, Sunday is my day of rest, but I usually spend it playing with my babies, or reading to them, or doing their hair, or telling them stories about my villages—really whatever my babies want.

I am glad I only have to work for his mother a few hours, one day a week though; I’m not going to lie, she’s really not a kind or tactful lady. I always feel her weight; feel her eyes burning into me, even if she isn’t in the same room. But I don’t hold it against her; she has a closed mind and it isn’t her fault.

Once, I overheard her talking to her son, telling him how he shouldn’t let a ‘nigger’ get so close to his children and corrupt their minds. Mr. Cavalli assured his mother he had the situation under control, and said that his family was just that, his family. I remember him clearly saying, “Mama, I am free to hire and bring into my house whomever I want. If you have a problem with her, or a legitimate concern with the job she does at your house, I’ll get someone else for you; but as far as I’m concerned that ‘nigger’ has been a wonderful asset and extension to my family, and hiring her was the best decision I ever made. She is free to stay in my house, and work for me as long as she desires, and there is nothing you can do about that.” Boy oh’ boy, I wish I could have seen the expression on his Mama’s face, because I didn’t hear another peep out of her mouth. The next thing that happened was he came and found me, and told me we were leaving, and I was done for the day.

I don’t blame his mother for not liking me, it’s quite obvious that her own grandchildren prefer my company more than hers, but I don’t like that. Your blood is your blood, and I drop them off at her house kicking and screaming sometimes because they should spend time with their grandmother, after all she does love them, and in entitled to some quality time. Who knows why she is the way she is?

“What’s that coin you wear around your neck all of the time.”

Well Evelina, my baby, this coin is currency of my nation, my seven tribes.

“Can I touch it, and have a look at the back.”

Sure you can, but you are actually looking at the back. I wear the front of it against my chest.

“Wow, it sure is beautiful. There are lots of little pretty symbols. And who is this picture of, this lady who looks a little like you?”

Well, she is the Queen of my nation. She is actually the ruler of seven tribes in Ghana—a very revered, and highly respected lady because she brought peace and prosperity to the seven tribes.

“What do you mean by peace and prosperity?”

She stopped everyone from fighting and hurting each other, and she created a sense of order, and created jobs for everyone. She is the most famous and most loved person among all the tribes.

“How did she bring peace and prosperity?”

Well with money my baby. She brought money from Europe, and with that money, she created this currency, which is a source of national pride, and is accepted as payment for all debts. People are happy to have currency that is their very own, and shows pictures and symbols of their tribes and homeland. And with this currency, and with the money she collected from Europe, she was able to create jobs, and get medicine, and get food, create a police station, and firehouse, and do many many other wonderful things for all her people. You see, my baby, my nation, it’s a matriarchal society where the women have always ruled, and the women have the power of tradition, but no queen before her ever left the nation to try to make it better—most queens turned a blind eye to all of the horrible things going on, and believed there was nothing they could do to change things, and make things better.

“Wow, do you think Italia will ever be like that? Do you think we will have queens?”

I know in your homeland’s past, you had a number of queens. And I think Italia is already like that. Just think, who is the boss of your house? Who is really in charge?

“My mama.”

Exactly correct my baby; your mama is the boss—your mama is the queen of your house.

“So when I grow up, will I be the boss? Will I be the Queen?”

You most certainly will, you are a very strong young lady, and you mustn’t ever let anyone make you do something you think is wrong or don’t want to do. Never let a man boss you around. Will you promise me that?

“Yes, I promise. Do you know the Queen? Do you think I can meet her? Do you think I can be a real Queen in your country one day?”

My baby, you’re asking me an awful lot of questions today, and I must clean all the bathrooms, scrub the floors, the showers, and toilets still. Later we can talk some more. Later I will tell you anything you want to know about the Queen of my nation.

“Can I help you clean so you can finish quickly? I’ll start with the bathrooms on the third floor, and then you will be able to tell me another story.”

Oh, aren’t you a precious doll baby. You want to help me; you want to make me happy? Come over here and give me a hug, then go run along and have some fun. Enjoy this beautiful day, and tonight before you go to bed I promise to tell you a wonderful story.

Really, I don’t mind cleaning the bathrooms. Do they need so many, I think not, but it gives me time to sing, and to think about whatever I want. Quiet time is important, and usually when I clean the bathrooms, I get a lot of it. I wonder how my daughters are doing back in Ghana. Perhaps tonight after I put my babies to sleep, I will write them each a letter. I’m so proud of them. I have three beautiful babies back home, and some day they are going to make some men very lucky—but not to soon I hope. My youngest is nine, and my oldest is seventeen. One day I’m going to bring them all over here to Italia, so they can have a look around at all the wonderful things there are to see in Roma.

“Hey what are you singing?”

Gianna, my baby, you scared me white. Please don’t do that again, you know I’m starting to get old.

“You’re not getting old. I saw you kicking around the soccer ball with Riccardo just the other day.”

Well, I must do something other than cooking and cleaning to keep the blood flowing, and you know when I was a little girl, I was the very best soccer player in all my villages. I could beat all of the boys. Why do you think you’re brother is so good? Who do you think taught him how to control the ball so well? And how to kick it so it hooks into the goal?

“I want to go out tonight, and I was wondering if you could help me braid my hair. You know make some of those little tight braids you do so well.”

Those are called corn-rows, and sure my baby, you just let me finish up a few more things, and when I come back from the grocery store, that’s the first thing I’m going to do, so be ready.

“I will, O.K. see-you later.”

Wait, wait, wait, where do you think you’re going?

“I’m going shopping with my mother. Oh, I’m sorry, I know, you need a big hug.”

Of course I do, I always need a hug from all my babies. Thank you. I’ll see you later sugar.

It’s kind of strange, she’s the only child I didn’t see delivered, and yet we have an unbreakable bond. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been a part of her life for so long and been brushing her hair ever since she was a little girl. Boy how she has grown up! She wants to come with me to Ghana, and I told her I would take her when she is woman and she is finished with her studies. She can hardly wait. What a precious one she is. She’s actually counting down the days to her 18th birthday because Mr. Cavalli told her when she’s 18 she can return to Ghana with me and spend the summer. She’s going to love it, and she’s so much like my thirteen year old.

You know they are pen pals and write back and forth to each other. My baby back home in Ghana is very close with Gianna, and they are looking forward to meeting each other. They send photographs back and forth, they make drawings for each other—my baby back home actually makes beautiful jewelry and sends Gianna her newest creations. It’s really something beautiful; I’m truly blessed that all my babies get along and see no color.
Boy, I sure am going to miss my family here in Italia like I always do when I go to Ghana for four months. And, it’s almost about that time, I will be returning home in May. For May, June, July, and August I go back to make sure everything is running smoothly and going as planned. It is also very important for me to spend time with my daughters; after all there is still so much they have to learn from their mother you know.

“Do you think I can talk to you for a few minutes?”

Of course you can Riccardo; what happened to your face my baby, and where have you been all day?! Tell me while I clean you up a bit.

“Do you promise you won’t get mad at me?”

Have I ever gotten mad at you my baby? Don’t be silly. Just tell me what happened, and what’s on your mind, and everything will be O.K. I promise.

“Well, I’ve been playing soccer with some of my friends, then something happened, then something else happened, and then I had to walk around for a while because I don’t know what to think.”

What’s wrong my baby? What’s troubling you?

“Today when I was playing soccer, a black boy wanted to play with us. I could see that he was just hanging around, walking back and forth, so I invited him to play. And when he started to play with us, some of my friends left because they ‘had to go home;’ but we were only playing for 15. It bothered me a little that some of them left, but we still had enough people to have a game, so I just forgot about it.

Then, Lorenzo, you know that really big kid who looks like he’s 18; well, Michael, the black boy, beat him fair and square, out maneuvered him, and scored a goal. It was quite an amazing move; I must admit he is much better than me, and all my friends. When Michael started to run towards me to celebrate, because we are on the same team, Lorenzo tackled him for no reason, flipped him over, and started punching him in the face.

Lorenzo is much bigger than me, much bigger than all of us, and even though I was telling him to stop, to stop, and even though I tried to push him off Michael, I was able to do nothing at all. I couldn’t help this poor boy whose only problem was wanting to play with my stupid friends.”

Baby, you did help him. The first thing you did was invited him to play with you, when no one else would ask, and you allowed him to play on your team. It’s not your fault you couldn’t stop Lorenzo from punching him in the face—the important thing is you tried. You tried didn’t you? All you can do in life is try to do what’s right my baby. So what happened to Michael?

“Well, I asked Michael where he lived, and I offered to walk home with him. Lorenzo told me if I didn’t continue to play soccer, and if I walked the ‘nigger’ home, to never show my face again because I wouldn’t be welcome.”

And what did you do?

“I took off my shirt and gave it to Michael to wipe the blood off of his face, then I walked home with him of course. I did what I thought was right. And, I also told him the truth. The truth is, is that deep down inside I know I could have tried harder to stop the fight, but I was very afraid. I was so afraid of Lorenzo, I was so afraid he would hurt me next, hurt me even worse than he hurt Michael. I could hardly move.

Michael told me that if I am ever afraid like that again, I should put myself in a different place. I should imagine myself as someone in a movie, someone who is capable of doing anything, and think around my fear. He told me to go to a different place in my mind—that’s what his grandma said to him once.”

I would say that’s very wise advice. But you still haven’t explained to me what happened to your eye and your face?

“Well, when we arrived to Michael’s house, and when his father had seen what happened to him, and saw Michael with me, before we could say anything his father pushed me away, jerked Michael into the house by his arm, and slammed the door. I could see his dad through the window beating on him, hitting him more and more, harder and harder—I saw and heard Michael crying out in pain. His father was hitting him much harder than Lorenzo, and I thought maybe he would even kill Michael.”

My God, that’s awful. So what did you do?

“I pretended to be Bud Spencer, and I picked up the biggest rock I could find. I ran inside, and hit his father in the face with all my might. Then his father punched me in the face, and I smacked into the wall face first. I guess that’s how I hurt myself. When I fell to the ground, and saw that his father was going to come after me with a bottle in his hand, I made eye contact with Michael and pushed the rock over to him without even thinking. Michael hit him in the temple, and he fell to the ground and stopped moving.”

Where is Michael now?

“Michael and I decided it would be best for him to go to his grandmother’s because he did not want to be around when his father got up. So we walked and walked, and when we got to his grandma’s house, she hugged him, hugged both of us, and she listened to our story. She promised Michael that he could live with her, and that his father could never hurt him again. She was very proud of both of us, and even invited me to have something to eat with them, but I explained to her it would be best for me to get on home because my family would worry.”

Come here and give me a hug my baby. You had a very difficult day.

“Are you mad at me for hitting that man?”

Well, why did you hit him?

“I hit him with the rock to protect my friend; Michael didn’t deserve to get beaten up more.”

I’m not mad at you my precious; I am the exact opposite. I’m so proud of you for so many reasons. You are growing up so quickly, and one day you will be a great man. You hit Michael’s father not because you wanted to hurt him, that would be very bad; you hit Michael’s father because you saw he was beating your friend, he was hurting someone much much smaller than him for no reason—and that takes guts. You were willing to sacrifice your own safety and well being, for a boy you just met.

Sometimes my baby, the only way to fight evil, to fight violence, unfortunately is with more violence. In my county, within my seven tribes, before we could have peace and prosperity, although it is very sad, the Queen had to make the decision to declare war. She didn’t want to, and she cried every night because she saw her fellow brothers and sisters die, regular people die, but it was necessary—there was no other way around it. She had to. If she didn’t declare war, the bad people would continue to kill, to rape, to steal, and the nations could never be productive without any kind of justice, law, and order. Just remember my baby that violence should only be used as a last resort. If you can get out of a situation without lifting a finger, then do so. Even if someone hurts you, and you are capable of running away, it doesn’t mean you are a coward—it means you are wise enough to use your mind with the help of your legs. But, don’t let someone hurt you repeatedly, and if you cannot resolve the situation on your own, then get help. Ask people you love and trust for help, ask the police. Never be too strong of a person to admit you need help. And that’s exactly what you did today; you went to Michael’s grandmother’s house and got help.

“What do you think I should tell my parents?”

You know the answer to that my baby. Go run along, and talk to them, but I know they will be very proud of you, and say the same things. They are very wise. I’ll see you after dinner, now give me a hug, and run along. I still have much to do before I start to prepare supper.

You know, I don’t mind physical work. I don’t mind cooking, cleaning, working outside with my hands in the earth—I think physical work has a certain value, and everyone should know what it’s like to get their hands dirty, and get some sweat on their backs. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t love scrubbing toilets, or picking up outside after the dogs, but I know these things must get done, and I’m not above these kinds of tasks.
I just cannot believe people! Events that are so traumatic, they really make the young ones grow up a lot quicker than they should. They rob the children of their youth. I can’t even count all of the horrid events that have happened in the past ten years globally.

“Can you please go into the kitchen right now, and drop whatever you are doing?”

Sure thing Mr. Cavalli, is anything wrong?

“Just get into the kitchen please.”

“SURPRISE!!!!”

Oh my God, what’s all of this my babies?

“All this. All of this it is nothing compared to what you’ve done for us these past 15 years.”

Oh my, I’m truly blessed, I am truly blessed.

“We’ve all decided that for your last few days here before you go back to Ghana, we are going to cook, and clean, and serve you. It is 15 years today that you have been a part of our family, and you will always be a part of our family. Besides, you already cleaned all the bathrooms.”

What’s all of that?

“All of that? Those are all gifts for you. Fifteen gifts for the fifteen beautiful years you’ve been with us. Gianna and my wife did the last of the shopping today.”

Oh, my babies, how did you keep such a secret from me? Gianna, you sneaky devil you; you got all dressed up, and made me do your hair so you could look beautiful for me tonight. I can’t believe it. Everything is so wonderful. Thank you so much. All my babies—come over here and give me a great big hug.

That night was one of the best nights of my life. I had such a wonderful time with my Italian family, with all my sugar pies. And the next few days went quickly, probably because everyone waited on me hand and foot. It was quite nice, and quite special. The entire family took me to the airport, and now I’m on a plane to Ghana. I’m so happy because shortly I’ll see my family, my people, but I’ll surely miss the Cavalli’s.
When I arrived to my nation, I was greeted as always by thousands of people throwing flower pedals chanting:

“HIP HIP HORARY! HIP HIP HORARY! THE QUEEN IS HOME! THE QUEEN IS HOME! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN, THE QUEEN IS HOME!”

It’s so nice to be back home and see all my babies, my nation in Ghana and my seven tribes doing well. Perhaps one day I will tell both my families about my double life, because I’m certainly not ashamed to be both a Queen for a family in Italia, and a Queen of Seven Tribes in Ghana.