Women's Portraits

Annita Melis

Her daily bread : you must go ahead in spite of everything

Annita is 74 years old. She has been living in Macomer for about 30 years. A hard life, widow, she lives alone in a house with several floors where two of her children live too. One of  them is married and father of two girls. She remembers her birthplace with regret, as there she had a quiet life, a lot of friends and acquaintances.

Her youth

She was born in a small village in central-southern Sardinia and grew up serenely in a family of five people: parents and three children. She attends until the end of Primary School. Closely linked to her family and her own environment, she helps her parents who have a bakery since she is a child.
Annita got married in 1963 at the age of 26. After her marriage, she keeps on living in the small village with her husband, who works as a baker too.

Annita is serene and quite satisfied with her life, although, after her first child’s birth and six months of sufferings, she has to undergo a delicate surgical operation to solve a serious health problem.

Her maturity

In 1975, an unexpected mourning throws her into a deep despair: her mother, who she is very bound, died suddenly.

In 1982 she leaves her birthplace and moves to Macomer with her family. Annita takes over a bakery with her husband and together they set up a business of their own, in which, also their two children begin to collaborate after attending the Compulsory Education.

She is 51 years old when her husband suddenly dies, because of a heart attack. Two months later she would have celebrated the first 25 years of marriage with him: the preparations were already underway. It is really a hard blow. Much to her regret, Annita must roll up her sleeves, keep her family and the bakery. But as if her hopeless husband’s loss was not enough, the same year another hard blow comes: a serious illness strikes one of her children. It is still a source of great concern for her.

Her most difficult moments

After her mother’s death, she lives as a real physical suffering, even her husband’s sudden death finds her unprepared. It is a hard blow for the whole family and it is difficult for her to accept that event and to go on. But the work cannot stop at the bakery. The knowledge that her future and that of her children depend on her job, prompts her to not surrender to the pain and depression. In such a difficult period, it is a great help and comfort her future daughter-in-law, thanks to her thoughtfulness and affectionate closeness. Annita regards her as a real daughter.
Today her child’s health problems are taking away her serenity. His illness makes Annita anxious, because she feels incapable and powerless in front of it. She does not know what she can do but offers her closeness and trust in faith.

Her present

In spite of her life’s troubles, Annita is grateful to life for what she has been able to achieve. Although most activities are now passed into her children and daughter’s in law hands, she keeps on giving her valuable contribution.

Generally, her alarm clock goes off at six o'clock in the morning and one of her tasks is to place the various sizes and types of freshly baked bread in the baskets intended for distribution. She also helps to bag a part of it in small amounts. Annita also deals with everything concerning contacts with the accountant and suppliers. Daily, she deals to keep all the cards in order, in case of any inspection. This bureaucratic activity that she carries out in collaboration with one of her children, is time-consuming and she usually devotes herself after dinner. Obviously, she must accomplish daily various domestic chores too: do the cleaning, shopping and various errands, preparing meals.

She just cannot twiddle her thumbs: she also looks after her sister in law of 87 years with serious health problems and no longer self-sufficient. Her day ends late at night. She devotes her short free time above all to reading, both for pleasure, and to keep herself informed.

Sara Deiola