zondag 19 februari 2017

Helena Morley -- 18 februari 1893

• Helena Morley (pseudoniem van Alice Dayrell Caldeira Brant, 1880-1970) woonde als jong meisje in Brazilië en hield gedurende haar middelbareschooljaren een dagboek bij.

Saturday, Febhruary 18th
It's three days today since I star'ted going to School. I've bought my books and I'm going to begin a new life. The Portuguese teacher advised all the girls to form the habit of writing something every day, a letter or whatever happens to them.
I went to see my English aunts and there I met Marianna. She was my school's most famous pupil and I've always heard my aunt speak about her with admiration. She encouraged me and she said that the secret of being a good pupil is to pay attention and take notes on everything.
[...]

Sunday, February 19th
Sia Ritinha, the chicken thief from Cavalhada, spent the whole evening here in the house, telling stories about people who got sick from eating cucumbers, and she finished by saying, "Dona Carolina, you mark my words. The cucumber is so poisonous that if it so much as touches the hem of your skin, it's dangerous."
During the whole conversation I kept expecting mama to tell her that I won't eat porridge but that I eat two cucumbers with salt every morning. Mama said to me: "Do you hear what she's saying? Are you listening?" I wanted to ask Dona Ritinha, "And isn't it dangerous to steal your neighbor's chickens?"

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