We stay on the island one night.
In the morning, I ask Friday if he knows what to do. He tells me that he wants to go with me to Europe. He prepares everything for the journey. We are ready to go. We start our journey.
Two months later, after a safe journey across the ocean, we arrive to London. For me it’s after thirty-five years.
It looks like the whole world is different after those years. Some parts of London are new.
There are some new houses, streets, roads, shops, parks and big bridge across the river. But it isn’t al. People are also different. They have different clothes. Women have different hair style.
Men have different hats and new types of guns.
People use new tools which I don’t know. They have new names for these tools. It’s al very interesting. The style of music in the pubs is also different. I hear new songs. I like this new style. I want to sing these new songs.
From London I return to my town, York. My parents are both dead. I find some relatives. My sister, my uncle and my aunt are still alive. They are happy when they see me. But they think that I’m long dead. So I have no rights to family’s money or land. But I can stay and live in their house.
England is a big shock to Friday. Everything is so new for him. It’s al very interesting for him.
He likes this new experience.
What he doesn’t like is the cold weather in winter. It’s February. Snow and ice aren’t good for him. It isn’t logical for him why we live in such conditions. I tell him that in summer the weather is much better.
I send a letter to Brazil. I still remember the address very well. I want to contact people in Brazil.
I want to know if my wife is still alive. I want to know if my plantation still exists. But I don’t know what to expect after so many years.
In May, I get a letter and some packets from my wife. She writes nice words to me. She writes about times when she waits for me. But 10 years after my departure, she doesn’t believe that I’m alive. She marries again and she has a new family. But her new husband is il and he dies. It’s already two years. Now, she lives without a husband.
I also get a letter from my wife’s father. He is very old but stil alive. In his letter, he writes expenses and profit from my plantation during all these years.
They both send me many nice presents. They send me some nice skins and a little box full of gold. They also send me some boxes of sugar to sell.
My wife has also a big surprise for me. She writes that I have a son. It’s great news. He is born eight months after my departure. He is now a big man and he wants to meet me.
So many things happen in a short time. I can’t believe that it’s al true. I want to cry. Then I want to laugh. All the emotions are too much for me. I’m not able to be calm. I stand up. I sit down. I stand up again. I walk around the room. I laugh. Then I cry again.
When I’m a little calm, I think about what to do.
CHAPTER 31– BRAZIL
I think about another journey to Brazil. I want to see my son, my wife and my plantation. I think that I can move to Brazil. But I don’t know if my wife wants to live with me.
After some longer thinking, I decide to go to Brazil but only for a visit. I want to see if it’s OK to live there again. I write to my wife. I ask her if it’s OK to visit them for some days. With the letter, I send nice presents to her and her father’s family.
Then I get a letter from my wife. She writes that I’m welcome to visit them.
Her invitation makes me happy. I start to plan another journey by sea. I buy nice presents for them. Two weeks later I’m ready to go.
When we arrive to Brazil, I meet with my wife and my son. My wife is different now. But she is still very beautiful. My son is a big man. He is very strong. He is also very intelligent. He has his own family too. He has also big responsibility. He manages plantations of all the family. He is responsible for a big land.
My son speaks only Portuguese and a little Spanish. My Portuguese isn’t very good after so many years. I don’t remember many words. I remember only some basic words. But with practice I start to remember words fast.
In two weeks, I can have a basic conversation on many topics. And one month later, I’m able to speak very well.
I’m very happy that I can speak with my wife and my son. We have so many things for a conversation.
Brazil is also very different. People have different clothes. They build new types of houses.
Plantations are much bigger. Many people work on them.
I’m with my family for three months. I know that I’m not very far from my island. I think about visiting the island again. I want to see the island for some days. Friday also wants to see the island again.
My son also wants to go. I think that it isn’t a good idea. I know how dangerous the sea can be.
But he wants to see the place which he knows only from my stories.
We plan our journey. Two weeks later, we leave Brazil. We go on a ship which goes to Havana.
We have an agreement with the captain. He promises to stop at my island on the way there.
When I arrive at my island, we meet with Friday’s people. They now live on the island.
I ask them, “Where are the prisoners?”
They tel me that the prisoners are not on the island. They don’t know where they are. Maybe they are all dead.
Friday’s people tel me that they don’t eat Europeans. They eat only their enemies from other islands. I’m happy when I hear that.
I want to stay on the island and my son too. I ask the captain if he can take us back to Brazil on the way back. He agrees.
