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domingo, 2 de julho de 2006

Homenagem II

Dá-me a tua mão de conivência, vamos viver o tempo que nos resta, tão curta a vida!, na medida de nosso desejo, no ritmo de nosso gosto simples, longe das galas, em liberdade e alegria, não somos pavões de opulência nem gênios de ocasião, feitos nas coxas das apologias, somos apenas tu e eu. Sento-me contigo no banco de azulejos à sombra da mangueira, esperando a noite para cobrir de estrelas teus cabelos, Zélia de Euá envolta em lua: dá-me tua mão, sorri teu sorriso, me rejubilo no teu beijo, laurel e recompensa. Aqui, neste recanto do jardim, quero repousar em paz quando chegar a hora, eis meu testamento.

Jorge Amado, Navegação de Cabotagem.
foto: da contracapa de A Casa do Rio Vermelho de Zélia Gattai

Zélia Gattai, mulher e companheira de vida de Jorge Amado, completa hoje 90 anos.

12 comentários:

  1. Olá Sofia!
    Um beijo grande de parabéns ao Miguel, aos papás e avós babados.
    Bem-vinda ao blogue e um beijo ao Flórido e Maria Jorge :)

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  2. Oh, Papalagui, vou ter de escrever em inglês, pois mesmo depois de uma leitura em português, as minhas emocões continuam à funcionar primariamente na lingua materna.
    Powerful; delicate; powerfully delicate; delicately powerful. 2 July, a minha sogra hoje faz anos tambem - 86. If only here beloved husband was still here, not to see the sad, tragic extent to which she has declined, increasingly robbed of dignity and humanity by a double curse of cancer and Alztheimer's, but to live as they always did until he suddenly passed away at Xmas 1990. Lived exactly as Amado describes here. It is without logic, this brutality made worse by a Portuguese state medical service that lacks infrastructure, and worse, humanity to aliviate or to accompany her merciless final days and that heaps abuse upon insult on her daughter who struggles to give her comfort and answer her needs, while carrying the immense emotional burden along with her own real physical frailty, due to a massive heart attack nearly 4 years ago from which she could never anywhere near recover. Your post also further electrified my constant memories of my own departed parents, who have left behind an altered landscape, which at times contains a void which screams like crows, as black as crows. Bitterness? Ah no, never! To know that there can be some idosos, however few, whatever their circumstances, sharing deep, unbreakable love till their 360º reaches full circle is gratifying and inspirational. Otherwise, what is the point?
    Thanks for that and sorry for such a long reply. But that's what your post evoked. If not, what is the point?

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  3. Swiss Tony, it took me a while to decide which excerpt either by Jorge Amado or Zélia I´d post here. I immediately fell in love with this one, it describes that unique kind of love, the one which also led my parents´ life until my dear father died from lung cancer, exactly ten months ago. I feel the same void, like you I never see it as bitterness. I miss my father so much it hurts, but every single day I try to keep the good memories alive and in a concealed way I worship their beautiful deep love.
    Today I was reading an article in "Expresso", probably at the same time you were posting here, about how the elderly people are mistreated and abandoned by their own children. I ask myself what kind of country is this one, where parents kill their own children and the elderly are left alone to die without any care, love, dignity, so I quite understand what you mean about the state medical service in this country.
    Thank you from the heart for your visit and your reply.

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  4. Li várias vezes o 'Anarquistas Graças a Deus'. Foi um livro que me marcou muito.

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  5. Esse nunca li. Em casa dos meus pais há Um Chapéu para a Viagem e eu tenho A Casa do Rio Vermelho. Bjs

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  6. Mas tens de ler! é o seu primeiro livro e absolutamente obrigatório! Deixa-me emprestar-te!

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  7. ainda bem que o swiss tony nao esta viver em Inglsterra, senao ia ver o que e um servico nacinal de saude que trata mal os idosos e lhes rouba toda a dignidade.

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  8. Dear P, we understand each other. I can only wish you strength, as 10 months is only a short time and you are fully entitled to feel as you do, as there is no rule book that any of us can follow, or have to, to come to terms with our own unique feelings & circumstances. The pain of loss is, I believe, a measure of the quality of your relationships, but that in turn is a reflection of your own qualities and virtues as a human being. Let's face it, it isn't a one-way thing!
    Dear J, far too simple a knee-jerk reaction, I'm afraid. I know the Brit HS much better than I know the Port. HS. I've seen it in action - too much, sadly - all my life. I'm not going to compare, I don't doubt that what you say happens, because Brit society is confused and full of clear sicknesses. But I know what I know and both I AND my wife know where we would rather a minha sogra was right now...now that it's too late to change it. Your generalisation (which seems a little tabloid-influenced, if not I apologise) is not justified. Lastly, I have to tell you that I am honoured to have as a deep personal friend here one of your recent Ministers of Health. if all politicians were like this one, how different the world would be. This person, whose own father is currently being subject to the same dehumanising, degrading treatment with the same consequences of broken morale & depression as tens of 1000s of other idosos (no favours for the ex-Minister)has spent hours telling me horrorific stories of the realities of this HS, things that never get in the media. Joana, if they aren't out already & if there is still time, you would do everything you could to get your parents away & near access to somewhere with just a little better approach, such as the UK. Sorry for the length taken to answer, but you see, it hurt personally. No offence though!

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  9. No offence taken ST, I over reacted to your post and do apologize. I'm kind of touchy because I had a terrible experience with the NHS recently-something that I'm afraid will let me emotionally scarred for the rest of my life.I've been living in the Uk for allmost 3 years now, and I avoid reading tabloids, but unfortunately a number of friends and friend's relatives had bad experiences with the NHS, old folks included.
    If I sounded aggressive I do apologize

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  10. sorry for the speling and grammar mistakes

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  11. This has to be the last of a side-dialogue hosted by Papalagui! Soory, P! Just to say it's OK, Joana, honest and I again have got a reinforcement of something I already knew, namely, that we should always taken into account the possibility that anyone we transact with, on any level however superficial, can be carrying a horribly heavy burden inside them, where we can't see it. It's so easy to trample all over them, take them for granted and just cause more hurt. Your experience must have been pretty bad to have had such a lasting effect & I fully sympathise. This could use a private dialogue, though and if you have ana's e-mail address, perhaps you could get mine from her. mail me an address & I'll reply, OK? That's it, malta, over & out!

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Comments are welcome :-)