I believe old lovers are special to each other, in different ways, as there will always be a bond between two people who have loved each other very much and dreamed of a future together. The bond that remains very much depends on how the relationship has ended; if it has ended in bitterness, regret, treason and mutual accusations, these lovers may not want to see each other again, or keep any sort of ties between them. Many …
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My friend Nora says I’m living in the past. I know she’s right. The past is my refuge, a safe haven from a disappointing present, where each day seems equal to the previous one, with no good surprises, no joy, no enthusiasm, no exciting happenings… just this terrible solitude. And this past is a mix of the more distant years, decades ago, when I was young and reckless and life was a source of excitement – it …
I miss him terribly, my son who went away two months ago to work in Amsterdam. Hopefully, only for a year, but no one knows. These two months have felt like two centuries. When dusk falls, and I’m alone in our huge apartment, when I pass by his empty bedroom and fail to hear his key in the front door lock coming from work, I feel an immense sadness invade me. A sadness that fell over me the …
Every time she looks at the pink lipstick, stuck in a drawer together with the others, she remembers how special it is, because of its story. It was given to her by her husband, in the final weeks of their marriage. They had come to a point when the uneasiness between them was something tangible, palpable. They were coming to the end of their journey together, she knew it. All it took was the courage to take a …
I was offered a book of short stories from a Portuguese author for Christmas. I had never read any of her books, and wasn’t particularly interested, but I have to say it was a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed the stories, stories about women and their loves, struggles and achievements. The story in the book One story reminded me of you. Actually, there were two stories, or rather two sides to the same story: that of a mother …
There’s an old saying about not going back to a place where you have been happy, and, although sometimes I succumb to the temptation, I must admit there’s much wisdom in that sentence. There are many places where I have lived very happy, intense moments, be it in Lisbon, Madeira, or cities I have travelled to. While I pass by some of those places in Lisbon quite often – never without a smile on my lips or a …
When dusk falls it’s the hardest part. The darkness, the silence, the lack of people. It used to be a full house. When I came home from work, it might be dark outside, but all the lights would be on; Mimi busying herself in the kitchen, preparing dinner, and the boys in their rooms, studying or getting ready for their rugby training. Occasionally they would be in the living room watching something on TV, or with friends who …
Once upon a time, in another life, there was a little girl who loved books. At four she read the newspapers headlines, as if she were in a hurry to learn how to read, so that she could learn all the stories in all the books in the world. On Sundays, when her father was home, he would sit her on his lap and she would show him her progress, and he would unfailingly kiss the top of …
I drive and I listen to my Spotify list, and I hear the first sounds of “Airport”, a song by The Motors I heard back in my teens, and I think how appropriate it is for these days of my life. Although it’s not a ballad, “Airport” is a sad song, about parting, about putting distance between two people, about saying goodbye. Yesterday I just left my elder son Afonso at Lisbon’s airport – he was flying …
Many years ago, in my teens, “New Kid in Town” was one of our favourite ballads, and the fact that it immediately followed “Hotel California” on the vinyl record meant we had about ten solid minutes of slow songs to dance without interruption, which might be good, if you had the right partner, or disastrous, if not… Still, it was a song that we warmed to, and I still have it among other precious oldies on my Spotify list. …
