Not everything was tragic. I do have a few happy and funny memories, spent mostly in the company of my siblings. I used to eat figs sitting at the top of the fig tree. One time, Lídia and I were sitting on the same branch and José, on another. AL. was standing on the ground collecting the less sweet figs and putting them into the fold of her skirt.

- Why won’t AL. climb up here with us? – I asked, with my mouth full of figs.

- It’s so that you don’t look up at her knickers – Lídia answered, about to put a whole fig in her mouth.

I let out a loud “Ah!”
- Well, if you didn’t know, you do now – José threw in.
Lídia’s bowels were rumbling – we could all hear them. Figs tend

to have that effect on a person! Not all things that taste good, do you good! My sister shuffled on the branch and then pulled her skirt up. She was having an attack of diarrhoea and our presence wasn’t going to stop her from relieving herself: it hit AL. right on the head! The three of us let out uncontrollable shrieks of laughter!