CHAPTER 31– BRAZIL

I think about another journey to Brazil. I want to see my son, my wife and my plantation. I think that I can move to Brazil. But I don’t know if my wife wants to live with me.

After some longer thinking, I decide to go to Brazil but only for a visit. I want to see if it’s OK to live there again. I write to my wife. I ask her if it’s OK to visit them for some days. With the letter, I send nice presents to her and her father’s family.

Then I get a letter from my wife. She writes that I’m welcome to visit them. Her invitation makes me happy. I start to plan another journey by sea. I buy nice presents for them. Two weeks later I’m ready to go.

When we arrive to Brazil, I meet with my wife and my son. My wife is different now. But she is still very beautiful. My son is a big man. He is very strong. He is also very intelligent. He has his own family too. He has also big responsibility. He manages plantations of all the family. He is responsible for a big land.

My son speaks only Portuguese and a little Spanish. My Portuguese isn’t very good after so many years. I don’t remember many words. I remember only some basic words. But with practice I start to remember words fast.

In two weeks, I can have a basic conversation on many topics. And one month later, I’m able to speak very well.

I’m very happy that I can speak with my wife and my son. We have so many things for a conversation.

Brazil is also very different. People have different clothes. They build new types of houses. Plantations are much bigger. Many people work on them.

I’m with my family for three months. I know that I’m not very far from my island. I think about visiting the island again. I want to see the island for some days. Friday also wants to see the island again.

My son also wants to go. I think that it isn’t a good idea. I know how dangerous the sea can be. But he wants to see the place which he knows only from my stories.

We plan our journey. Two weeks later, we leave Brazil. We go on a ship which goes to Havana. We have an agreement with the captain. He promises to stop at my island on the way there.

When I arrive at my island, we meet with Friday’s people. They now live on the island.

I ask them, “Where are the prisoners?”

They tell me that the prisoners are not on the island. They don’t know where they are. Maybe they are all dead.

Friday’s people tell me that they don’t eat Europeans. They eat only their enemies from other islands. I’m happy when I hear that.

I want to stay on the island and my son too. I ask the captain if he can take us back to Brazil on the way back. He agrees.

I see many children who run around. It’s interesting to see many people on my island.

I see that the people on the island are very happy. Friday is happy there too. He meets a woman. He likes her very much.

Friday asks me if it’s OK that he stays on the island with his woman. He knows that he lives thanks to me. He doesn’t want to leave me without my permission.

I agree. He doesn’t have to stay with me all his life. It’s time for Friday to start his own family. I’m happy that he has a good woman. I’m happy when I see that they love each other. I respect Friday’s decision to stay on the island.

I walk around the island a lot. I want to visit all the places which I know from my life on the island. I have some favourite places, for example the fruit valley. I spend a lot of time there. I like this place very much. My son likes the island too. He often walks around the island with me. I tell him many other stories about my life here.

We stay on the island for twenty days. Then the ship from Havana comes. It’s time to leave. We say goodbye to Friday and his people.

When we leave the island, I have a strange feeling. I feel tears in my eyes. I like this place very much. My heart is connected with this island forever.

WORDS FROM CHAPTER 31