Flash

Don’t Cry For Me Agrigento

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Friday Fictioneers where we are asked
to get creative in 100 words or less using the
photo below for inspiration. Here is my story.

Photo © Mr. Binks

It was 1965, a big year – my sister’s graduation, the Beatles concert and our trip to Sicily.

We spent a day at Mom’s cousin Concetta’s farmhouse outside Agrigento. Goats, sheep and a donkey grazed in the field among the olive trees. Chickens scurried around the barnyard like drunken spinning tops. They were extremely entertaining – our favorite.

We hung out with the animals all morning. In the afternoon we drove to Agrigento to explore the shops.

Upon returning to Concetta’s, we sat down for dinner. Pasta to start, of course. When she brought out the roast chickens, we burst into tears.

NAR©2024
100 Words

16 August 2024

Here are three ridiculously talented Sicilian guys from Palermo playing a tune called “The Chicken”. They are Matteo Mancuso (guitar), Riccardo Oliva (bass) and Salvatore Lima (drums). Enjoy this one.

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

76 thoughts on “Don’t Cry For Me Agrigento”

  4. Dear Nancy,

    My husband loves to tell the story of the summer he and his siblings spent on their uncle’s farm. His sister became attached to calf she named (or somebody named) Barney. At the end of the summer she burst into tear and refused to eat Barney burgers.

    I love your memory story. ❤ Thank you for sharing it.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Reading through my comments, I see this same thing has happened to more people than I realized. No doubt my story churned up some deeply buried childhood memories.

      Thanks so much for your thoughts, Rochelle, and for sharing the story of Barney with us.

      Shalom

      🕊️

      Like

      Reply

  9. Oh, so sad. But that’s reality, isn’t it? Hard for kids. Great title and the story just flows perfectly through gentle nostalgia to that touch of bitterness at the end. Great music too.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. It’s impossible to deny a childhood trauma such as this … yes, even one about chickens … which has lingered in my subconscious for 60 years. The details of that day have been carved in my mind.
      But you are right; that’s reality and at some point I started eating chicken again! 😊
      Thank you for your ever-generous and complimentary comments, Margaret. They are always appreciated. I’m so glad you enjoyed the music … and the title which was a bit of divine inspiration!

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  10. wow they are really awesome!!! Where did you find them? By the way I spent a summer in the province of Agrigento, on the coast, the best beach ever. Nobody was there but me and my Sicilian friend. Heaven!
    oh and your title is hilarious!!!!!

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    Reply

    1. Aren’t they?! I love seeing young people like these guys with a fabulous talent and a love for making real music. I found them in the usual way … pure luck! Haha! I put a few key words in YouTube and their video was among the ones that turned up.

      The beaches in Agrigento are incredible! My parents were from the area and I’ve written a few stories based in Agrigento. How lucky you were to have the whole beach with only your friend to keep you company!

      Ah! The name! I was reading the story and when I got to the part about me and my sister crying, the name just popped into my head. It’s so close to the original, I couldn’t resist going with it. I got a real kick out of it! Thanks for commenting on that!

      So glad you enjoyed the story, Marina, and the music. Thanks for your fantastic comments! Ciao ciao!

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      Reply

  11. aaaw…reminds me of my daughter…same 😬
    she refused to speak to the mil who cooked it …for weeks🥴
    lol, I want to say nicely done and wonderful… but then I picture my daughters face 🤭
    🤍💫

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  12. I understand why they were crying. So sorry they bonded with living creatures and then were expected to eat them.

    The music is kickass and reminds me of Spyro Gyra. Glad young people are still making new jazz fusion music.

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  18. We kept chickens for eggs when I was growing up, and I always knew when mom butchered one of ours (the feathers outside were the first clue), the meat vastly different from the market chickens. Couldn’t eat a bite, and I would spend the next day trying to figure out which one was missing.

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  20. Same thing happened to my sisters, only with rabbits. They named them, baptised them and ate them for supper! (Well, not by choice, of course!)

    Love your story, Nancy. It’s a way of life, owning a farm to feed your family. Not so easy to understand when you didn’t grow up with it.

    These musicians are amazing!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  21. Oh, no! not one of lyour fave… It’s just not fair.
    I enjoyed your story.
    Also, YT video. Wow, Truly gorgeous talent. I wish this guys continued success. Wow. So wonderful. All three. Thanks for sharing.

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    Reply

  22. My cousin is a vegetarian for this very reason, my uncle kept chickens and she fell in love, until he served them for dinner!

    My husband often talks about if he win the lottery he’d like to keep pigs, I won’t allow it because I know I’d fall head over heels and he’d be fattening them up for Christmas!

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