I remember Fogo Island by Mary Vigasin I Remember writing prompt entry |
I remember Nana telling me of her homeland, Fogo Island, Newfoundland.
Fogo at the time of Nana's childhood relied heavily on cod fishing and was lined with small villages named, Joe Batt's Arm. Tilting, Seldom and Little Seldom. From Nana's tales, you could hear how much she loved her island. She would tell me a story about how her grandfather, Patrick, injured his hand severely while seal hunting. So, the story goes, his wife made him promise to convert to Catholicism, if his hand, blessed by a priest healed completely. Patrick's hand healed completely, and his wife was able to tell him. "I told you so" for the next 50 years. I remember her telling me of a family tragedy where her 3 nephews' boat was lost at sea, and only one body was recovered. I thought she was talking about when she was a child. The sinking is still in family Newfoundland history, and I was surprised to learn that the sinking occurred only 15 years earlier. The stories now I remember Nana telling me: �???�??�?�¢? Her father was the first passenger to fly off Fogo Island to the Mainland for medical treatment. �???�??�?�¢?�??? Her much loved brother Patrick started the first ferry service from Fogo Island to St. Johns. �???�??�?�¢?�?? She remembers the first distress signals from the Titanic being received in Newfoundland. �???�??�?�¢?�?? Looking for work, she went to St. John's Newfoundland and met her future husband. �???�??�?�¢? Back in the 1960's Nana visited Fogo Island. In order get there, she flew from Boston to Montreal, then from Montreal to St. John's Newfoundland then to Gander Newfoundland. She then had to wait two days for the next ferry to get to land on Fogo Island. She had to time her departure home based on the departure of the ferry. At the time, I barely paid attention to Nana's tales of Newfoundland. I wish I had her now so with an adult interest, I could hear her stories again, and tell me more of the Icebergs, whales, seals and fishing off her old Fogo Island.
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Mary Vigasin
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