Nell
April 16th, 2012, 07:06 AM
She is like no other girl of her age anywhere else in the world.
While most 16-year-olds are worrying about homework or whether that first boyfriend will ever ring, Maria Tizziano has more mundane, more domestic things on her mind.
Such as how to feed and clothe her three children.
Maria was just 11 - still at junior school - when she gave birth to her first son Piero. The next year, Salvatore came along and she was still only 14 when Giuseppe was born.
Until now Maria's amazing story was kept quiet in the close-knit community of Adrano , Sicily , where the Mafia code of silence is strictly observed.
Yet even more unbelievable is the fact that Maria's mother, also called Maria, was only 29 when her daughter's first child was born.
It made Maria senior the second youngest grandmother in the world. Second, because in the same town there is a 25-year-old woman whose 12- year-old daughter has just given birth to a little boy.
Again, family ranks have closed, and inquiries as to their identities are met with Latin shrugs of the shoulders and a wall of silence.
Maria junior met the father of her three sons, Vincenzo Castro - who, at least, is standing by her - when she was just 10 years old and he was 17. In rural Sicily such age differences between boyfriends and girlfriends, even as young as this, are not uncommon.
"I might have been only 10 but I fell for Vincenzo instantly," said Maria last night. We would go for long walks together and he would tell me how much he loved me.
"At first we kept it a secret. I would make excuses to my mother about where I was going so I could meet Vincenzo.
"No one knew anything at all about our relationship. I was so happy with him and I could tell he was happy with me.
"Eventually we decided to tell our families about us. At first we were worried they would be angry but there were no problems and we carried on seeing each other.""
But a year after they met, Maria discovered she was pregnant and fearing their families' anger they decided to run away together.
They slipped away at night and spent the next week sleeping rough in the open fields under the shadow of Mount Etna. All the time they were on the run, their distraught parents kept a 24-hour vigil by the telephone waiting for news.
"We just didn't know what to do when I found out I was pregnant," said Maria. "Both of us were so scared about what our parents would say.
"We came home in the end because we were cold and hungry and we didn't want anyone to worry about us any more.
"My parents were furious but eventually they calmed down and things got back to normal."
Maria's mother added: "At first I could not believe she had gone through the same experience as I had. I do not regret what happened to me - but Maria was even younger when she had her first son.
"But when baby Piero was finally born we both cried with joy. I felt so happy for her. He was so small and tiny you just couldn't have any other feeling than love towards him.""
"As soon as Piero was born, Maria's schooldays were over. And Maria and Vincenzo didn't stop with one son...with Salvatore and Giuseppe coming along soon afterwards . Maria, Vincenzo and their three sons now all live with her mother in a cramped, two-room flat.
"Vincenzo is unemployed but he works as a labourer whenever he can to bring us food and little presents," added Maria junior.
"One day I would like us to be married so we can have a house and live together. But I think that is a long way in the future.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Mother+of+three+at+just+14%3B+RELATIONSHIPS.-a061122066
While most 16-year-olds are worrying about homework or whether that first boyfriend will ever ring, Maria Tizziano has more mundane, more domestic things on her mind.
Such as how to feed and clothe her three children.
Maria was just 11 - still at junior school - when she gave birth to her first son Piero. The next year, Salvatore came along and she was still only 14 when Giuseppe was born.
Until now Maria's amazing story was kept quiet in the close-knit community of Adrano , Sicily , where the Mafia code of silence is strictly observed.
Yet even more unbelievable is the fact that Maria's mother, also called Maria, was only 29 when her daughter's first child was born.
It made Maria senior the second youngest grandmother in the world. Second, because in the same town there is a 25-year-old woman whose 12- year-old daughter has just given birth to a little boy.
Again, family ranks have closed, and inquiries as to their identities are met with Latin shrugs of the shoulders and a wall of silence.
Maria junior met the father of her three sons, Vincenzo Castro - who, at least, is standing by her - when she was just 10 years old and he was 17. In rural Sicily such age differences between boyfriends and girlfriends, even as young as this, are not uncommon.
"I might have been only 10 but I fell for Vincenzo instantly," said Maria last night. We would go for long walks together and he would tell me how much he loved me.
"At first we kept it a secret. I would make excuses to my mother about where I was going so I could meet Vincenzo.
"No one knew anything at all about our relationship. I was so happy with him and I could tell he was happy with me.
"Eventually we decided to tell our families about us. At first we were worried they would be angry but there were no problems and we carried on seeing each other.""
But a year after they met, Maria discovered she was pregnant and fearing their families' anger they decided to run away together.
They slipped away at night and spent the next week sleeping rough in the open fields under the shadow of Mount Etna. All the time they were on the run, their distraught parents kept a 24-hour vigil by the telephone waiting for news.
"We just didn't know what to do when I found out I was pregnant," said Maria. "Both of us were so scared about what our parents would say.
"We came home in the end because we were cold and hungry and we didn't want anyone to worry about us any more.
"My parents were furious but eventually they calmed down and things got back to normal."
Maria's mother added: "At first I could not believe she had gone through the same experience as I had. I do not regret what happened to me - but Maria was even younger when she had her first son.
"But when baby Piero was finally born we both cried with joy. I felt so happy for her. He was so small and tiny you just couldn't have any other feeling than love towards him.""
"As soon as Piero was born, Maria's schooldays were over. And Maria and Vincenzo didn't stop with one son...with Salvatore and Giuseppe coming along soon afterwards . Maria, Vincenzo and their three sons now all live with her mother in a cramped, two-room flat.
"Vincenzo is unemployed but he works as a labourer whenever he can to bring us food and little presents," added Maria junior.
"One day I would like us to be married so we can have a house and live together. But I think that is a long way in the future.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Mother+of+three+at+just+14%3B+RELATIONSHIPS.-a061122066