Dear Aitite

Two Letters All at Once

Old Martin receives two letters from the Basque Country at his new home in Boise, Idaho and his grandson Jimmy asks why he gets too many letters from Europe, but he is unable to share enough. He always wanted to come to America but hadn't planned to settle here for the rest of his life so he didn't learn to speak English well, and now he cannot share his stories and most importantly how he immigrated to America, to his grandson in the language. Now an 80-year-old man, Martin has nothing much to do: spends time tending his lorategi (garden), always has arguments with his Irish daughter-in-law, gets his hands on chocolate pudding and likes to think like shepherds do, as he calls it. The two letters brought back the news of death of his two closest friends back home and as he dwells on the contents of those letters, many of his lost old memories find their way back in and now he wants to put them down so as not forget them again.

As Martin narrates, three loggers Beltza, Iharra and himself enjoyed each other's company though they were completely different in characters: haughty and swaggering Beltza would conquest girls while Iharra would shy away from having to listen to his romances; Martin was quite a dancer; and all three would drink at the bar, sing or even engage in a ruffle with the young men from other town. Martin enjoyed both the bleakness of the landscape and he thought the richness of the festivals and celebrations at home was all that is in the world. But this untouched harmony was intruded when an old man appeared in the town with a cylindrical stone for lifting contest. Beltza gave it a try and when Iharra too wanted to lift the stone Beltza made fun of him among his surrounding girls; a crack opened in the friendship between them. Martin tried to be fair with both of his friends: first tried to stop them from fighting against each other but then tried to be neutral when the unstoppable competition thing – created and flared by the old man – progressed because then nobody knew what plan the old man had up his sleeves. What follows is the Martin's thirst for spying and eavesdropping at his friends' training places and he comes across the treacherous swindle woven by the old man using his two best friends as baits who will be forever mad at each other because of this, nevertheless Old Martin couldn't do anything to stop it, rather he used the competition, amid fear and sadness, in his favor to win himself the sum to buy ticket for America.

Strong-willed Old Martin's frank and jolly narration makes us laugh and feel sad at times. Old Martin's monologue is easily identifiable and original to the nuances of old age and also of the immigrated people having difficulty absorbing the new way of life or culture shock. He tries to draw out a clearer picture of himself at this age, reflecting upon episodes, what he did and what he does and trying to be true to himself, though he is easily distracted by the present as he tries to concentrate on his past, feeling slightly melancholic. Two Letters All at Once evokes humor and sadness as the Old Martin recounts his vigorous and dreamy past, his unlikely fate and little gloomy but a complete life as an immigrant with few complains. This is a story born out of a life traversing two nations and identities. Basque words and the illustrations give both the story and Old Martin a unique and refreshing character – simple and memorable.

When a Snake Stares at a Bird

When a Snake Stares at a Bird starts with a snake hypnotizing a bird with its stare, and the spell is broken when Grandpa Martin – atop a donkey and who is to show him around the town – tells his grandson Sebastian to hurl a rock toward the bird. Sebastian had heard from his father that Grandpa was not right in his mind and he is awestruck when he witnesses Grandpa conversing with a robin, free from being bewitched and then after reprimanding the snake. And of course Grandpa is suffering from forgetfulness, and asks his grandson who he is, even before a longtime passes. A little later, Sebastian follows his grandfather yet to be surprised again, when the chained town dogs stop barking and wag their tail when his scrawny Grandpa passes by on his donkey. Grandpa takes Sebastian to a bar and gets him drunk when in fact he wants to take away the sadness of his grandson, while at home Sebastian's aunt and uncle take this chance to rebuke Grandpa Martin for his foolishness. Grandpa responds with his usual intention of going to Terranova once and for all meanwhile Sebastian in his drunken stupor wants everybody to know that his grandfather can talk to animals.

Soon Sebastian loses the company of his grandfather, and starts hanging out in the plaza on his own, and there falls in love with a girl.  He shares the secret about his grandfather's ability to discourse with animals with his girlfriend. Sebastian realizes that everybody in the town seems to know his grandfather has obsession with going to Terranova. While Sebastian is busy with his love affair Grandpa Martin plans something. Sebastian decides to follow his grandfather at night in his secret voyages, wanting to know more about his Grandpa's ability, wherever he goes, only to discover that Grandfather has finally made up his mind.  We are left with parting texts drawn by a flock of geese.

Like in the other novella of the Two Basque Stories, Atxaga with his exuberant narrative style is able to create a character of an old man with some unique inner life hidden away from the rest and the balance of subtleness and sharpness of the characters makes the story memorable. Part coming-of-age and part magic realism, When a Snake Stares at a Bird is one such story of a neglected old man who harbors a private dream and possesses an unearthly power. The story draws us into a giant world every individual has inside him and directs us to relate with primordial connections we feel toward each other at the same time rejoicing love and freedom with a mystic touch.

Author: Bernardo Atxaga

Translator: Nere Lete
Illustrator: Antton Olariaga

Publisher: Centre for Basque Studies, University of Nevada

Page Count: 120pp

Price: $19.95

Author Photo Credit: https://www.atxaga.eus/bernardo-atxaga/bernardo-atxagas-literary-universe

Review Copy Courtesy: Centre for Basque Studies, University of Navada