José Mauro de Vasconcelos

Until not long before that, no one had ever hit me. But then they heard things and started saying I was the devil, a demon, a sandy-haired sprite.

Father’s out of a job, isn’t he? It’s been six months since he had the fight with Mr Scottfield and they kicked him out. Did you know Lalá’s working at the factory now? And Mother’s going to work in the city, at the English Mill? Well there you go, silly.

Uncle Edmundo was separated from his wife and had five children. But he lived all on his own and walked so slowly … Maybe he walked slowly because he missed his children? And his children never came to visit him

if I wasn’t in the mood, I’d say, ‘You’re out of your mind, Luís. Just look at the storm coming!’