FIG CHRONICLES:  Domenico Celeste

Funny story.  So my parents came to Canada in 1949 from Italy, their families were from Gagliano Aterno in Abruzzo.  Unlike some people, they did not return often. I think my father, 3 times in total.

The last time they went was in 1984 and they went to visit my mom’s sister who was living in Rome. They had a huge fig tree and you could reach them from the third floor balcony using a stick with a hook on the end.

So when my father was on the balcony in Rome eating figs, that he said were the size of oranges, my mom comes out and says, “Ok, get ready, get changed, we’re going out.”

My father says, “Where?”

My mom says, “The colosseum and the Vatican.”

 My father says, “I’m not going.”

My mom says, “Why, what's the matter?”

My dad says, “I saw them both during the war. They haven't changed in centuries, so there’s nothing new for me to see. Figs like this I will never see again, so I'm staying here, eating as many figs as I can while I can....say hello to the Pope for me”.