Rupert Grech's Blog

Prologue

PROLOGUE I would bet my house that all children of immigrants can remember their parents telling them stories set in the “old country”. Stories told and retold by mama and papa, or other foreign language equivalents of “mum and dad”, to children as they grew up. Little vignettes about a mysterious time before the children […]

Extract from the story, HOBZ U INBID (Bread and Wine)

“Ġesù Kristu!”[1] Karmenu and Harry invoked the name of the Lord in unison as the old farmer, cart and mule gradually came into view through the soft light of dusk. There was no way both parties could pass abreast in this narrow street. Harry slammed both feet hard on the brakes, nearly pushing the pedal […]

Extract from the story, IL-ANGLU TĦNAGA (Our Angel)

Every week or two Chupa would travel to the Bugeja’s home in Maitland Street, Ħamrun, riding in a small wooden cart pulled by a miniature pony. He would pick up his favourite, Pupa, and one or more of her siblings and take them back to his farm in Naxxar for the day. At times he […]

Introduction from the story “The Bully of Hamrun”

Everyone who lived or worked in the vicinity of Ħamrun, Malta, around the time of the Second World War feared and avoided the man nicknamed “Iszus”,including the local police. Most people were terrified of him. Many people detested him. Some secretly fêted him. But all knew of his infamy. Ħamrun at that time was a poor, tough, working class town. […]

Extract From the Story “Empire Day”

Little ten-year-old Pupa could hardly contain her excitement as she rushed up the stairs to the apartment, flung open the door and blurted out loudly for everyone to hear: “They picked me, they picked me from everyone else. I was the fastest! I’m going to race on Empire Day!” British Empire Day was a huge […]

Introduction to the story, L-KEFFIENA (Preparer of Corpses)

Dreadful screams echoed all the way along Maitland Street, Ħamrun, in the late afternoon of a cool, windy and overcast day in May. Like almost everyone else in the street, Lucia hurriedly stepped outside of her home and walked out onto the narrow footpath outside to see what had happened. By the time Lucia had […]

Extract from the story “Ghawdex” (Gozo)

After persuading the boy to tell her what had happened, Carmen scooped up the pre-schooler and rushed him over to the doctor’s house which thankfully, was nearby. Unfortunately, the doctor was not at home so Carmen explained what had happened to the well-spoken and always immaculately dressed doctor’s wife. She took pity on young Lewis […]

Extract from the story “Ghawdex” (Gozo)

Carmen, the four boys and their sister packed their meagre belongings into small cardboard cartons and rode with them in an Austin 16 that Carmelo had hired for the journey. The family was very proud of their policeman-father and they bragged to neighbours and friends about the fact that he was one of only a […]

Introduction to the ​story, ID-DAR BLA KERA(The House Without Rent)

Malta in 1942 was the most heavily bombed place on earth. Between March 20th and April 28th of that year, the Luftwaffe flew 11,819 sorties and dropped over 7,000 tons of bombs on Malta[1]. Between June 1940 and April 1944 there were 1,581 civilian deaths in Malta from a population of only 270,000. That meant that one […]

Introduction to the story L-GĦARUSA* (The Fiancée)

Lucia was a little surprised at the newfound enthusiasm her 18-year-old daughter, Amalia, showed to hang out the washing to dry on their small balcony. It seemed that she was in such a hurry to take down one load of clothes and hang up the next lot that occasionally, the clothes from the preceding load […]