The Great "Zappa" War of 1869
Either just before, or immediately after Pasquale's brief military stint, he was irrigating a portion of his father's planted fields. In this piedmont-like area, water for irrigation was collected in large stone/cement holding tanks from run off called cibie, the plural for cibia. ("ci" in Calabese dialect has an English "ch" sound)
To irrigate, one would release the trapped waters by unstopping the opening on the low side of the cibia, and then with a hoe, (called a zappa) guide the flow of water to the specific and existing channel in the dirt that led to one's properties where a series of channels directed the water to it's destination.
In March of 1869, when Pasquale was already irrigating, a neighbor by the name of Raffaelo Santoro arrived to perform the same task for his lands. As was the custom, he who arrived first, irrigated first. But apparently, Raffaelo Santoro was in a hurry, and could not wait.
Santoro was 25 years old. He strode directly to the cibia, and with his zappa redirected the waters into the channel that led to his potato patch. He was completely unimpressed that his adversary, though just 18, had but a few weeks ago completed 40 intensive days of military training in the big city of Cosenza.
At this point, Pasquale approached the man with his zappa, and as each tried to take command of the cibia and it's water with their zappas a kind duel materialized. The bigger and older Raffaelo Santoro stared into the face of Pasquale D'Elia with disdain and succeeded in flipping Pasquale's zappa high into the air and down the slope about 50 meters. This humiliating "flip of the zappa" was repeated two more times, and each time the determined Pasquale retrieved his tool at the bottom of the hill, and climbed back up to challenge his tormentor.
Pasquale warned Raffaelo, saying something like, "If you flip my zappa again, and re-direct the water, you will regret it." But Raffaelo was not discouraged by the threat, and again he flipped Pasquale's zappa. This was the last flip.
When Pasquale went to retrieve his zappa, he succumbed to his emotions which could only have been anger and frustration. He picked up a rock, which was about the size of a baseball, and in the style of a Calabrese Nolan Ryan, hurled a fast-ball, or fast-rock if you will at Raffaelo to sort of "brush him back" and not actually hit him. Oops!
The rock hit Raffaelo at the knee, and he fell to the ground screaming in pain, the bones in his leg shattered.
Pasquale's first instinct was to run, (a kind of "hit and run") and he did run to the nearest area of habitation to get help. He told the first persons he saw at Cotugni, which is where he lived, that Raffaelo Santoro was hurt and needed help. In a state of panic over what he had done, what the consequences for him might be, and the fear of his father's wrath, he ran some more and then basically disappeared for a couple of days. He probably "holed up" at his uncle Gennaro's place on the outskirts of Paola.
One can only guess at the dismay, disorder, and disbelief that the little community of Cotugni was put into over this incident. Gennaro D'Elia went to see is brother, Giambattista, and convinced him that Pasquale had been in the right. He confirmed how Raffaelo had bullied and tormented Pasquale. Thanks to his uncle Gennaro, Pasquale could go home.
Several months later, Pasquale and the still healing Raffaelo ran into one another on the Cotugni road. Raffaelo expressed his anger and said something like, "When I am healed, you had better not ever cross my path 'cause I'll take that zappa of yours and stick it where the sun . . ." Just then Pasquale noticed that his uncle Gennaro was approaching behind Raffaelo, and while Raffaelo had scared him some, he now felt emboldened by the arrival of his uncle who was a much larger man than Raffaelo. So full of courage was Pasquale, that he picked up a rock and as if to throw it at Raffaelo told him that if he didn't get off of his case he would break his other leg.
When Gennaro arrived, he understood what was going on, and warned Raffaelo to stay away from Pasquale or he'd "break his mouth." Gennaro was Pasquale's favorite uncle.
Raffaelo and Pasquale, though neighbors, never spoke for twenty years but eventually buried the zappa and ironically became best of friends in later years.
