contributed. Jaume was overworked. Since the spring Elvira had been in service at the Pujalts’ house in Montsent. She was learning how to run a big house and to cook fine food. Every afternoon they gave her two hours to go and learn how to sew. On the one hand, Tia wanted it that way, but on the other she regretted it, even though Angeletahelped her a lot. Angeleta was hard-working and docile but she didn’t have as much drive as Elvira, and you had to supervise her more. It’s true to say though that sometimes she had enough to do just looking after Mateu. Wash him, dress him, give him breakfast, watch him in the plaza. Now, go and feed the rabbits, go to the vegetable garden to get a handful of chard. Later we’ll go to the fields. We’ll count the poplars. We’ll gather flowers – soapwort, St John’s Wort, Cupid’s Dart, roses – watch out for the ants! No, you can’t hold the sickle yet. We have to wait until you are bigger, tall like a bell tower, strong like a bull.
Now Angeleta’s going to go on her own to let the cows out and Tia will bring us a snack around twelve o’clock. Soup, a bit of ham and some salad. You can’t drink wine yet. A little water. We’ll see if the walnuts have grown, and the hazelnuts, and then I’ll make you a bed under the big walnut tree so you can sleep while Mother finishes her work. Father is coming later, I think.
Shame that the Augusts have given him work right now, in the middle of the summer… but he couldn’t say no. Least of all to families like that, who think they are doing you a favour. I go there myself every year to help out when they slaughter the pigs, and then it’s Conxa here, Conxa there, they don’t know what to do with me. And as soon as the work is done, they act like they don’t know you.
Suddenly we see Delina coming towards us, flapping her arms like a bird. Mateu laughs at her. She arrives, hot, as red as a tomato. She speaks. I came to tell you that at the market I met old man Sastre from Torve. He asked me to tell you that they have settled on your Elvira for their son. And she adds, They’re a very good family, don’t think about it too long.
I am astonished. But she’s not even sixteen yet… and here’s Delina advising me, Delina who didn’t want to get married and will soon end up being a housekeeper for her brother.
I listen as she continues. If it sounds good to you, you could meet at the market next Monday to arrange for them to visit each other. Try to convince your husband. Now I must hurry, we have a cow that wants to calve…
She’s gone before I have a chance to speak and leaves me feeling as if I’d been run over. I watch her racing towards her house. I think of Elvira. Maybe time is passing too quickly. Just then what I dreamt comes back to me and I feel a chill down my spine.
Barcelona, 20th July 1936
Mrs Encarnación Martí
Dearest cousin and all the family,
I hope that on receiving these lines you find yourself enjoying good health as we are here, thanks be to God.
We just received your letter concerning our arrival up there. We have decided that, for the moment, we are going to say that we are not coming. The news about the uprising is rather worrying, and we think that because of the insecurity it would be better to wait until things have calmed down before we go away anywhere.
Please do not think that it was an easy decision to make; Ventureta was really looking forward to it and she does nothing but cry and say she wants to go up north. Thanks be to God she is much better, so it was not necessary that we came for her health; but please believe that we are all sorry and will truly miss this longed-for holiday and the days out and the fine food up there. We are sorry that dear Conxa has already made up the rooms, but we must resign ourselves. It must be God’s will.
We are sending you some fabric we had bought to make a dress for the girls. Well, I say girls, but Elvira must be a woman
Now Angeleta’s going to go on her own to let the cows out and Tia will bring us a snack around twelve o’clock. Soup, a bit of ham and some salad. You can’t drink wine yet. A little water. We’ll see if the walnuts have grown, and the hazelnuts, and then I’ll make you a bed under the big walnut tree so you can sleep while Mother finishes her work. Father is coming later, I think.
Shame that the Augusts have given him work right now, in the middle of the summer… but he couldn’t say no. Least of all to families like that, who think they are doing you a favour. I go there myself every year to help out when they slaughter the pigs, and then it’s Conxa here, Conxa there, they don’t know what to do with me. And as soon as the work is done, they act like they don’t know you.
Suddenly we see Delina coming towards us, flapping her arms like a bird. Mateu laughs at her. She arrives, hot, as red as a tomato. She speaks. I came to tell you that at the market I met old man Sastre from Torve. He asked me to tell you that they have settled on your Elvira for their son. And she adds, They’re a very good family, don’t think about it too long.
I am astonished. But she’s not even sixteen yet… and here’s Delina advising me, Delina who didn’t want to get married and will soon end up being a housekeeper for her brother.
I listen as she continues. If it sounds good to you, you could meet at the market next Monday to arrange for them to visit each other. Try to convince your husband. Now I must hurry, we have a cow that wants to calve…
She’s gone before I have a chance to speak and leaves me feeling as if I’d been run over. I watch her racing towards her house. I think of Elvira. Maybe time is passing too quickly. Just then what I dreamt comes back to me and I feel a chill down my spine.
Barcelona, 20th July 1936
Mrs Encarnación Martí
Dearest cousin and all the family,
I hope that on receiving these lines you find yourself enjoying good health as we are here, thanks be to God.
We just received your letter concerning our arrival up there. We have decided that, for the moment, we are going to say that we are not coming. The news about the uprising is rather worrying, and we think that because of the insecurity it would be better to wait until things have calmed down before we go away anywhere.
Please do not think that it was an easy decision to make; Ventureta was really looking forward to it and she does nothing but cry and say she wants to go up north. Thanks be to God she is much better, so it was not necessary that we came for her health; but please believe that we are all sorry and will truly miss this longed-for holiday and the days out and the fine food up there. We are sorry that dear Conxa has already made up the rooms, but we must resign ourselves. It must be God’s will.
We are sending you some fabric we had bought to make a dress for the girls. Well, I say girls, but Elvira must be a woman
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