jimmy grima

Lulju fl-Arkivju: luminata bis-silġ

Sħana.

Din id-darba bdejt infittex hekk: hot, heat, sun, sunstroke, drought, dust, ice cream, lemonade, fireworks.

Sunstroke ma tani xejn. Drought tani waħda jisimha Drought1.

Imma mbagħad tfaċċat il-luminata.

1920: Iced lemonade to lepers.

Waqaft hemm.

Luminata bis-silġ lil-lebbrużi. Ir-rakkomandazzjoni kienet biex matul ix-xhur tas-sajf, tingħatalhom tazza luminata bis-silġ darba fil-ġimgħa.2 Tazza. Darba fil-ġimgħa. Ma nafx ingħatatx. Lanqas naf min kien jagħmilha, minn fejn kien jiġi s-silġ, kemm kien idum silġ sakemm jasal hemm, jew kemm kienet kiesħa meta fl-aħħar tasal f’idejn xi ħadd. Il-file ma jgħidilniex. Jgħid biss li xi ħadd irrakkomanda li t-talba tintlaqa’. Imma għal xi raġuni din it-tazza luminata spiċċat ġo file.

Sena wara, fl-1921, il-luminata terġa’ titfaċċa. Din id-darba mhux f’istituzzjoni, iżda fit-triq. Permission to erect a wooden stall for the sale of iced lemonade in Piazza San Paolo, Hamrun.3 Gabbana tal-injam. Pjazza San Pawl. Il-Ħamrun. Luminata bis-silġ. Minn hemm mort infittex ice cream.

Il-ġelat.

Fl-1939 P. Bonaci u l-Wembley Ice Cream Factory talbu u ngħataw permess ibigħu l-ġelat fil-ġonna pubbliċi.4 Niftakar il-Wembley, il-fabbrika il-Gżira u id-dar tal-Wembley fejn il-knisja tal-Madonna ta’ Fatima, Gwardamangia. U hawn waqaft nerġa’. Sena wara: Request by the ex-employees of the Wembley Ice Cream Factory for the suspension of the order prohibiting the manufacture of ice-cream.5 Spiċċa l-ġelat. Jew suppost għax jien niftakar il-ġelat tal-Wembly fin-90s. Għax fl-20 ta’ Awwissu 1940 l-ex-ħaddiema tal-Wembley talbu biex tiġi sospiża l-ordni li kienet tipprojbixxi l-manifattura tiegħu. U fl-1942 il-Wembley Ice Cream Factory terġa’ tidħol fl-arkivju. Imma issa l-gwerra qiegħda fl-isfond u l-fabbrika tidher f’kuntest ieħor: Repairs to Wembley Ice Cream Factory, Gżira, which is being used by the Communal Feeding Department.6 Minn ġelat għal communal feeding. F’sentejn.

Bdejt infittex ix-xemx. U minflok sibt lill-pulizija.

Fl-1944 Dr Henry Sacco ressaq il-kwistjoni tal-protezzjoni mix-xemx għall-pulizija li kienu jagħmlu point duty.7 Sena wara: Supply of sun helmets held by H.M. Dockyard.8 Erġajna lura għall-elmu. Ix-xahar li għadda kont sibt l-elmu abjad tas-sajf. Issa l-elmu reġa’ ġie jfittixni. Pulizija wieqaf f’nofs triq. Xemx fuqu. U xi ħadd f’uffiċċju jrid jiddeċiedi x’jista’ jitqiegħed bejn rasu u s-sema. Is-sunshades jitfaċċaw ukoll fuq il-bajja. Fis-27 ta’ Ġunju 1939 ġie rreġistrat roster għall-mod kif kellhom jitqiegħdu s-sun-shades qalb il-ħwienet tal-Armier.9 Anki d-dell kellu postu, organiżżat u imqassam.

It-trab u l-Ilma

Imbagħad dust.

Hawn ħareġ ħafna żibel. Il-kelma dust tidħol f’kollox. Imma fl-1915 hemm file dwar it-triq magħluqa barra s-sala twila tal-Isptar tal-Belt. Xi ħadd staqsa jekk setgħetx tissaqqa kuljum, u jekk id-dust cart setgħetx tidħol biex tiġbor dak li kien jinkines mit-triq.10 Triq tissaqqa.

Issaqqi it-trab u l-ilma jiġi bit-trakk.

Fl-24 ta’ Marzu saret talba dwar il-water mains minn Tas-Sliema għal Pembroke. Ix-xogħol biex jiżdied id-daqs tagħhom kellu, jekk possibbli, jibda qabel ma jibda’ il-hot weather.11

Is-Sħana ħaditni fin-nirien u l-isplużżjonijiet tan-nar.

Fittixt fireworks.

Hawn l-affarijiet splodew. Kontroll assolut. Permessi biex jinħadmu. Permessi biex jinbiegħu. Permessi biex jinħarqu. Petards. Ilmenti. Pulizija. Kappillani. Każini. Fl-1916 il-kappillan tal-Mellieħa talab permess biex jinħarqu logħob tan-nar u petards fis-7 u t-8 ta’ Settembru, għall-festa tal-Madonna.12 Fl-istess sena ġiet diskussa proposta biex jiġu rrifjutati l-liċenzji għall-manifattura tal-logħob tan-nar.13 Fl-1919 il-kwistjoni reġgħet infetħet: setgħu issa jerġgħu jitħallew dawn il-liċenzji?14 Dik is-sena wkoll, il-kappillan taż-Żebbuġ, Għawdex, ilmenta dwar tariffa addizzjonali mitluba mill-pulizija biex jinħarqu l-petards waqt il-festi reliġjużi.15 Fl-1936 insibu l-Control of the Manufacture of Bombs and Petards.16 U ħdejh: Firing of Bombs and Petards close to inhabited areas — Complains of.17 Fl-1944 il-Każin San Filep taż-Żebbuġ talab permess biex jimmanifattura logħob tan-nar marbut mal-preżentazzjoni tas-Sword of Honour lill-Gvernatur.18 Fl-1945: Permission to sell fireworks — Guido Abela.19 U mbagħad: Permission to make fireworks for the feast of St Philip, Żebbuġ.20 Il-murtali dejjem jitfaċċaw u qisu iż-Żebbuġ għandu rabta partikolari magħhom. F’⁠Splużjonijiet #1: Il-Kwiet u l-Lejl kont mort infittex il-bombi u spiċċajt Filfla. Din id-darba mort infittex is-sħana u reġgħu tfaċċaw l-isplużjonijiet. Qisu ma nistax neħles minnhom.

Luminata bis-silġ. Ġelat. Sunshade. Elmu. Ilma fit-triq. Water mains. Murtali. Affarijiet biex inkessħu. Affarijiet biex ninħbew mix-xemx. Affarijiet biex insibu l-ilma. U mbagħad, proprju f’nofs is-sajf, nieħdu porvli, karti, spag u nar u nibagħtuhom fis-sema.

BOOM.

U għal ftit sekondi kulħadd jerfa’ rasu. Imbgħad jaqa’ l-kwiet u tibqa’ biss dik-riħa ta’ porvli fl-arja.

Referenzi

  1. NAM MIG (Passport Office) 1947–1961, “Entry from U.K. — Mrs Eevi Annikki Drought,” 1947. Il-catalogue summary jgħid: “To accompany husband.” ↩︎
  2. NAM-CSG-01-4334/1920, “C.C.I.: Iced lemonade to lepers; Recommends grant of request for glass of, once a week during summer months,” 1920. ↩︎
  3. PWD 1921–1970-000236, “Permission to erect a wooden stall for the sale of iced lemonade in Piazza San Paolo, Hamrun; Applies for,” 1921. ↩︎
  4. NAM-CSG-01-1577/1939, “Grant of permission to Messrs. P. Bonaci and Wembley’s Ice Cream Factory Ltd. to sell ice creams in Public Gardens,” 26 April 1939. ↩︎
  5. NAM-CSG-01-3440/1940, “Request by the ex-employees of the Wembley Ice Cream Factory for the suspension of the order prohibiting the manufacture of ice-cream,” 20 August 1940. ↩︎
  6. NAM-CSG-01-5223/1942, “Repairs to Wembley Ice Cream Factory, Gżira, which is being used by the Communal Feeding Dept. — D.P.W.,” 15 October 1942. ↩︎
  7. NAM-CSG-01-2932/1944, “Protection against the sun for Police Officers on point duty — The Hon. Dr. Henry Sacco,” 10 May 1944. ↩︎
  8. NAM-CSG-01-2490/1945, “Supply of sun helmets held by H.M. Dockyard,” 25 April 1945. ↩︎
  9. POL-HQ-CRF 2014-024, “Roster for the placing of sun-shades on the beach at Armier among the shops thereat,” 27 June 1939. ⁠ ↩︎
  10. NAM-CSG-01-3324/1915, “Road enclosed outside the long ward of Valletta Hospital; Enquires whether it may be watered daily and whether the dust cart may proceed to the road to collect the road sweepings,” 1915. ⁠ ↩︎
  11. CSG-01-Vol.51, 7426/1900, “Water mains from Sliema to Pembroke; Asks whether work of increasing size of, can be put in hand before hot weather sets in,” 24 March 1900. ⁠ ↩︎
  12. NAM-CSG-01-20611/1916, “Discharge of fireworks and petards at Mellieħa on the 7th and 8th September (Festivity of the Blessed Virgin),” 25 August 1916. ↩︎
  13. NAM-CSG-01-21496/1916, “Licenses for the manufacture of fireworks; States that he proposes to refuse, and enquires whether it is desirable to make any remarks on the proposal,” 14 October 1916. ↩︎
  14. NAM-CSG-01-35461/1919, “Licenses for the manufacture of Fireworks; Enquires whether they may now be allowed,” 1919. ↩︎
  15. NAM-CSG-01-39200/1919, “Additional Fee charged by the Police at Gozo to the Parish Priest of Zebbug for firing petards on the occasion of religious festivities,” 1919. ↩︎
  16. NAM-CSG-01-59034, “Control of the Manufacture of Bombs and Petards,” c. 1936. ⁠ ↩︎
  17. NAM-CSG-01-59093, “Firing of Bombs and Petards close to inhabited areas — Complains of. Consolato Mifsud,” c. 1936. ↩︎
  18. NAM-CSG-01-96520/1944, “Permission to manufacture fireworks at the Żebbuġ Fireworks Factory i.c.w. the presentation of the Sword of Honour to H.E. — St. Philip Band Club,” 25 February 1944. ↩︎
  19. NAM-CSG-01-104613/1945, “Permission to sell fireworks — Guido Abela,” 18 April 1945. ⁠ ↩︎
  20. NAM-CSG-01-104966/1945, “Permission to make fireworks for the feast of St. Philip, Żebbuġ,” 8 May 1945. ⁠
    ↩︎

English Summary

This archival note begins with a search for summer heat: sun, dust, drought, ice cream, lemonade and fireworks. The search leads through a series of small administrative records: iced lemonade recommended for leprosy patients, a wooden lemonade stall in Ħamrun, permission to sell ice cream in public gardens, wartime restrictions on its manufacture, police sun helmets, regulated beach sunshades, watered roads, enlarged water mains and tightly controlled fireworks.

Together, these fragments reveal summer indirectly. The archive rarely records heat itself; instead, it records the things people and institutions did because of it: cooling bodies, creating shade, managing dust, securing water and regulating explosions. The piece ends with the contrast at the centre of the Maltese summer: efforts to cool and shelter the body, followed by the deliberate act of sending fire into the sky.