Michael Peter Larobina (Part 2 of story)

Story

Part 2

That night I found it extremely difficult to sleep. While trying to outstare the gloomy darkness of the cabin I heard my mother give a few sobs which were soon smothered by the pillow.’ If our new home is going to be as pleasant as Mum says it is & if Dad is as wonderful as she leads me to believe then why is she crying?’ These were questions I asked myself in childhood but have only answered in early manhood. I was awakened by the shuffling of feet & the blaring words of the public address system in the early hours of the next day. Looking outside I could see people rushing to & fro with stewards trying to assist by answering questions & by acting as traffic policemen.

Later that morning after things had quietened down somewhat most of the passengers were on deck looking into the hazy horizon but, as yet, no Sydney. The sight of seagulls made everybody look harder for land. It wasn\’t long before the coast was sighted. As we approached the harbour more & more boats could be seen. Somehow it seemed to me that our ship was slowing down. It was, finally coming to a halt. I later found out that the men who boarded the ship were officials from the Department of Immigration who had come aboard to inspect all documents before the ship was to berth at Walsh Bay, Sydney. There was also talk among my elders who was to ‘pilot the ship to its berthing place.’

After what appeared to be an eternity a tug boat came alongside & started to pull the ship deeper into the heart of Sydney Bay. Looking around me I saw a maze of large buildings, much larger than any I had seen before. Ships of all sizes were around us. On the horizon I saw for the first time the hazy appearance of the ‘coat hanger’, that is, the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

All the passengers around me were doing the same as I was, looking at the new sights in awe. Our wonder increased as we approached ‘The Bridge’. For once during the trip I felt that everyone was happy. Comments were heard about Sydney: ‘Ma guarda quanto palazzi’ ; ‘Caspita come � grande questo ponte’— ‘Wow! Look at all the buildings’ & ‘See how large the bridge is’. Anxiety was quickly expelled from the hearts of all the migrants. No longer would we look at a large blue expanse of ocean day after day, without once sighting land. The large steel structure of the bridge came closer & closer. I began to worry unduly. ‘Passa oh non passa?’ Would she pass under or wouldn\’t she? I was very frightened that the top of the mast would hit the bottom of the bridge. But, much to my relief the ship glided underneath with ease. Looking up I wondered what was on the top half of the structure.

On nearing Walsh Bay, our destined port, the number of people on deck increased & the waving & cheering intensified. After the ship slipped into its berthing place the people were given some instructions which, at the time, were unintelligible to me. While the passengers were disembarking an officer was making a list of them. The wharf was completely empty. To me it seemed that the further away from my native land we travelled the less people there were. As I looked around I saw that there were people but they were behind a fence. Looking at the fence it appeared that the ship was greeted by a mirage of faces.

Although each person was calling out & waving for someone in particular, it was impossible to distinguish any one outstanding voice in the m�lŽe.

It appeared that passengers were not allowed through the gates until they & their luggage were cleared by Customs officials. While waiting for this task to be completed I wandered over to the fence & gazed at the barricade of faces. While parading up & down the wharf I was beckoned closer to the wire fence by a stranger. No sooner did I reach him than I was urged to go to the gate at the other end of the fence where we were to meet for the second time. The gate was occasionally opened so as to let passengers through after they had gone through Customs. It was during one of these openings that I was pulled out by the ‘stranger’. This action brought on an argument between one of the gate officials & my new, unknown, persuasive friend.

The argument quickly fizzled out & I was picked up & taken by the stranger to the place where he had first set eyes on me. Mum was nowhere to be seen; in any case she was now over the other side of the wire barrier. Here I was, alone, & surrounded by enquiring strangers.

See Part 3

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