The Rediscovery of Eden (chapter 4)
This is the fourth chapter of "The Rediscovery of Eden". To read the first chapter, please click here.
During the time Paloma spent in Rio de Janeiro researching the lives of her aunt and uncle, her mother continued the work of separating Grandma Bruna's objects that were worth keeping from those that would be discarded, work that Paloma had been doing before leaving for Rio. During this sorting process, she found a letter from Ana Clara to her mother and sister Bruna:
"Bruna and Mom, I'm sending you with this letter some money and the plane tickets so that you two can come to Rio without depending on Dad's help. I don't live in that house in Sta. Tereza anymore, it's empty. I live in the apartment that Uncle Tonico left me as an inheritance. Those first few years after the two of you returned to the farm were very difficult: after Arthur's murder in a bar fight, Uncle Tonico went into depression and started drinking a lot. He missed you very much and always blamed himself for not being able to stop our father from dragging you two back to live on the farm. Josefa and I have sorted everything out around here, the house is clean and smelling nice and you'll finally be able to meet Nanico again.
P.S.1: Aurora, the friend I live with, is looking forward to meeting you.
P.S.2: Josefa is overjoyed!
P.S.3: Nanico has grown a lot since you last held him in your arms. Don't bring him any clothes as a gift!"
- Mom, why didn't you tell me this family story before I left for Rio? Why was there always so much mystery in the family about Ana Clara, Arthur and Uncle Tonico? I never knew we had relatives living in Rio!
- My daughter, I only found out about this story because I discovered this letter all crumpled up and even half torn among my mother's things last week. I always thought that my two uncles had died when they were children. My mother never mentioned them. But didn't you have a letter to give me? The one you found on the table at St. Tereza's, next to the photo of Ana Clara using a polishing machine to make the table shine.
- It's this one. I get scared when I think about what we might find in this letter!
"I went to the airport to wait for you at the flight's scheduled arrival time. I saw all the passengers come out of the arrivals gate and meet their families, friends and loved ones. They exchanged the kisses and hugs I've been dreaming of since the day you left. I stayed at the airport for a long time, believing that a miracle could happen. But you didn't arrive.
I hope you're well and have managed to reschedule your tickets for tomorrow at the same time. I'll wait for you every day next week if necessary. I don't want you to arrive without someone you know at the airport to greet you, because Rio can be frightening for someone who lives confined to a farm. I'm leaving this note on the table so that you can find it in case there's another mismatch between us. A big kiss. Ana Clara."
- What's the date of this letter, Mom?
- It's dated January 15, 1964. My God, I hadn't noticed that date before! That was the year my grandmother died. Wait a minute and I'll look for her death certificate. Hummm ... I found it! It says that she died of traumatic brain injury as a result of a domestic accident on January 13, 1964.
- That's strange! Let me do an internet search and see what I can find in the Death Notices of the Tupanciretã newspaper. Wait a minute... I found it! It says she died from a fall in the bathroom at home. There's even a funeral elegy written by her husband to honor her: "Most loving mother and zealous wife, you will be forever in the memory of your daughter and husband."
- A fall in the bathroom? Two days before the trip? And I wonder why the letter they received from Ana Clara has a torn corner. Look this stain in the corner... it looks like a bloodstain! Well, apparently, Grandma Bruna's mother died and her daughter couldn't travel. But why didn't anyone tell Ana Clara what had happened? All she had to do was call... Did you find any other diaries lying around the house?
- No, I haven't.
- Then I guess we'll have to talk to Ms. Marli, Grandma Bruna's best friend, to see if we can find out anything else
Two days later:
- Ah, my dear, what a sad story you're telling me! Your grandmother and her mother were forbidden by her father from communicating with the siblings who stayed in Rio. They couldn't even if they wanted to, because the only telephone in the house was in the locked office. What's more, they hardly ever left the house. Since your grandmother never spoke to her sister again after she moved back to the farm, she didn't know that Ana Clara hadn't been told about her mother's death.
- Grandma Bruna never spoke to you about her mother's death, Ms. Marli?
- Your grandmother didn't like to talk about these things, but from the look on her face I always thought there was a story that everyone was trying to hide.
Nobody in Tupaciretã really believed that story about the fall in the bathroom, because Bruna's father was known for being an aggressive and unruly man. She once told me that when she heard about her mother's death, she had a nervous breakdown and the doctor put her to sleep for a week under the effect of sedatives. A kind of sleep therapy. She thought that the doctor had done this to calm things down at home, because she and her father had argued. Based on the stories she told me, I think your great-grandfather became more unbalanced as time went on. It seems that he and your grandmother had a bad fight after her mother's death.
- But why didn't she call her sister after her father died? He died only five years after his wife's death.
- Your great-grandfather may have been violent towards his wife and older children, but he was crazy about his youngest daughter. Bruna was the only one he was affectionate with and liked to talk to. However, he always spoke very badly of Ana Clara. He said that she had chosen to distance herself from the family, that she didn't care about the happiness and well-being of her mother and sister, and that she behaved scandalously in Rio...I think the sisters' estrangement was the result of Bruna's loyalty to her father's feelings.
- If there was more dialog in this family, I'd have more relatives. But at least there's still time for us to get closer to Nanico. After Carnival I'm going back to Rio with my mother so we can get to know him better.
- Yes, my child, you really must get to know him. Take advantage of this second chance that fate is giving you. You never know when fate might change its mind...
(For Nanico's story, please read the short story "King Momo's Dream" )