“My name is Morgana Dias dos Santos Bantam. Call me Morgana. It’s shorter. Brazilian names can be a bit long. Boca de Ouro, Golden Lips, is my mentor.” “I am Golden Lips. Morgana is my most talented pupil. Oh yes, yes. I often tell her that her real name must be Morgan or Muirgen, King…
The little bird looked at the sea. It looked so small. As if a single gust of wind could make it tumble into the water. It was perching on the longest branch of a tree, by the seashore. The end of the branch reached a few above the water. From the window the little bird…
Bouche Dorée was very convincing. I could never resist “Golden lips”. She claims she knew my mother, “la niña de Gibraltar”. The girl of Gibraltar. A Gipsy. The most beautiful woman of her time, says Golden lips. In her own words: “She swept your father away, a sailor from Cornwall”. Golden lips also says she…
Well, well. You have been patient. I am Bouche dorée, Boca de Ouro. Mouth of gold. Golden Lips. I am still waiting for my mysterious guest. On the porch of my house on the beach of Itapuã, north of Salvador da Bahia. Oh yes, yes. When Levy Colombia wrote me a letter from Paramaribo about…
Where were we? Oh yes, yes. We were in Salvador, in Bahia. I was telling you about Candomblé. About my house in Itapuã. The trip from Salvador was a bit longer than expected. A few “bandits” on the way. Cangaceiros from the Northeast. Some call them bandits, I don’t. I know some of them. We…
Meu nome é Rosa. Rosa “Boca de ouro”. Rose Golden lips or Golden mouth as you please. I was born in Salvador in Brazil. The full name given to the city – not even a mere settlement then – by the Portuguese explorers was São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos… Oh, yes, yes.…
“I remember the day he came. It was a Sat’day. The day it began to rain. I didn’t see him myself that day. Freddy told me.” “Freddy Henderson?” “Yes. Freddy was… he was… comin’ back from the lake. He’d gone… fishin’. Yep. Fishin’!” “At night? Freddy must’ve been poaching. Never mind. I’ll talk to him…
I haven’t slept in three years. Tomorrow will be the exact third anniversary. I can’t believe time went by so quickly. Three years! A little more than a thousand nights! A thousand white nights. Not even insomnia. I just gradually stopped sleeping. In the course of three months. Started on a Monday. I woke up…
Two men were lying facedown on the ground. Both covered their head with their hands in a futile attempt at protection against the bullets and rockets that flew above. They were about twenty yards away from each other. Separated by an imaginary line. Border or combat line. Who knows? Who cares? Were they civilians? Soldiers?…
He lived in a small flat, in a small town, in a small rainy country, a country so small it did not even reach the sea. He had a small job, in a small insurance office. Every day, at precisely eight in the morning, he arrived at the office. He always carried an umbrella: it…
Equinoxio 