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The curtains were almost invisible. The first time I met her she was fighting with them. Tender curtains wanted to run away from her through the stony window but she caught it like a bride does, not letting anyone see her face - Please, come in! - Thank you, senora. She was not pretty, but so magnetic. At the beginning, I didn’t understand what attracted me so much to that woman. - I have four rooms for guests – Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Choose anyone. What are on the walls? – Pictures of Ponta Delgada. Please, feel at home and enjoy yourself. Next time we met in the morning. - Laura, your house is great! I like your style – black wooden furniture and snowy textiles. - My grandfather made all the wooden staff. - Wow! Thus, three generations of your family have lived here? - Only two. My grandfather built this house in 1924. He was young and just married an American singer. - I understand why she decided to settle there – the place is gorgeous. Laura smiled. - Once in the night my granny took my mom and turn back to the USA. - Why? Did your grandfather find her? - My grandfather knew nothing, he had never left the Azores. He tried to find her and then decided to let her go. - Do you know why she left him? - This island was too small for her. In the USA she became a star. - Did she regret leaving him? I was afraid she wouldn’t answer, my questions were too personal. - My mom said, yes. Granny even wanted to find him, but he refused to communicate. - And you? - And I decided to try. You know, when I first landed at the Azores, I felt that everything would be ok, I’m at home. Thank God he was alive. And now it is my home. * From my window I saw her walking to the ocean. Can you imagine – some people are the perfect match for the landscapes. They fill nature. And she did more – felt it: if the air is so wet, that even lingerie doesn’t dry, what can you do? You can irritate or adjust to your circumstances. She chose the second. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry has a story ‘Planet of people’. There you can read about two girls, wild in some way: understood animals’ language, provoked parents’ guests to frankness and were curious about everything. The writer worried about them: once the girl would meet the stupid boy, fell in love and became blind. And that stupid boy takes her away promising the life in endless magic wood but settles her in the cut garden. His story touched me: how can the ‘wild’ girl find her way? When I met Laura, I asked myself again – can the woman stay herself? I looked at her and calmed down. The woman can be single or married, it is not important. Such as her profession, talents, and money. The one thing that matters – she must grow herself, day after day. When she is concentrated on somebody or something, it is as she builds walls around wind: her life circumstances can change and everything will be destroyed. But if she takes care of herself, discovers her own abilities and talents, she became independent. Her actions will nourish her and people she wants to support. * Finally, I understood the thing which I adore about Laura. She had a big garden – pink, yellow, red bushes. Azores' climate is mild and wet enough to raise giant flowers, such as camellias. Best of all she liked camellias sinensis, the one people make tea of. - Look, the leaves in your cup are from that bush! Taking care of the garden made her happy. Her home inspired Laura to renew the family’s story. She appreciated the beauty of the landscape – and it made her bloom as her favorite camellias. To let away the past. To try new. To learn the way to help yourself. To train emotions and not to ruin the body and mind with pessimism or criticism. To save time for raising the garden.