Survivors

Older daughter’s birthday today and a Skype call confirmed that she’s looking sensational. Father-in-law has arranged a photo shoot for his whole family, so in true Brazilian style, Chiara has been splashing out on hair, nails, clothes etc. – and so have her sisters-in-law. They all looked very excited and happy.
 
As for us, up to the hills again, stopping at the bottom of the Serra for a shot of the sun gilding the clouds round the mountains. However,  when we discovered, on arrival at the club, that the lovely young girl behind the bar was our much-loved barman Valério’s younger daughter, the shot of the two of them has to trump any view.
 
We haven’t met this young lady before, but feel as if we know her, from Valério’s account of her reaction to the trauma of the floods and loss of life four years ago. Valério and his wife are separated, and she and her sister had been living with their mother. Both parents lost their houses in the floods and the girls and Valério feared they had lost each other. Luckily, they all survived, unlike many of their neighbours, and the girls went to live with Valério for several months. The younger one would only sleep cuddled up to her father and holding his elbow. Once she was fast asleep, he would gently try to release his elbow so he could turn over, but she always started awake, and in terror. Between that and the trauma, it was months and months before he had a decent night’s sleep.
 
Back home and I settled down to trying to help younger daughter with research for her dissertation (that’s not cheating, is it? Is it…)? Kayla was, as usual, delighted to see us but must have missed the attention from two adoring boys.