September 10, 2012
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Aninha and Joelson
I woke up this morning in Joelson and Aninha’s spare room. It is so weird to think of them having a spare room. Of being married. Of having a house. It made me miss Dona Angela like the dickens. Aninha’s mother. I remember waking up, not being able to roll over because there were 3 in the bed and not wanting to squish anyone. The morning light streaming in so purely.
I love that house—so many memories. Before Junior fixed it up. With the peacocks strutting and making their funny call, the roosters in the morning, the ducks adding their two cents. And the turkey. That turkey scared me. Sitting on the concrete while someone fried up some eggs and we laughed and giggled and wondered about so many things.
Dona Angela died in 2008. Junior was the pastor and did her service. And then it seemed like everyone was lost for awhile. At first we all pulled together. Everyone came over to the house and we’d sit together on the bed, recounting stories. Stories that made me want to quit everything to write a book and make them all famous, because they are my heroes. But so many stories that will never be written.
Then Aninha went into herself. Cacao and Patricia had problems with their job. Everyone was disillusioned with God and religion. Everyone reacted their own way. Now Junior is living with his partner in the house. And I miss him as he was. Aninha went back and forth and finally settled down and married Joelson. And they built a house just down the street. And got married.
And I woke up in their spare room and asked Joelson what he had learned from being married: “I’ve learned about patience and tolerance.” To which Aninha stormed in and said “what? You’d think I was hard to live with or something! I am the one who’s had to have tolerance and patience!” and it made me laugh because I think…that is a very accurate picture of marriage…
And then he said “Rachel, it is one thing to live life having your own goals and reaching them. But when you open your life to someone else, have a goal with them, and then manage to reach it and see how it affects not only you, but also them…well, that is joy exponential. And that is marriage.” Even Aninha was satisfied with that answer.
