Snakes alive!

January 22, 2013

I long for a creative artistic talent like Odilsa’s painting, you all know her as Dono. A spattering of her work adorns the walls throughout the house. Black and white heartbreaking nude native absentmindedly drapes her infant across her body, head dropped in timid resignation. A child with wide expectant eyes precociously takes in the audience and vividly contrasts his mother’s acquiescent expression. The dates on her varied works range in the late ‘90’s just prior to my meeting her in 1999. The final work is a headless heavily swathed figure with ill-shaped bare feet exposed, peaking out from the hem that stands alone on a simple wooden platform. She was a relatively famous pianist and artist in Sao Paulo. Today she departs on her long excursion to Calgary. Joao appropriately phones her to say goodbye yet refrains from explaining that we are having our coveted afternoon coffee which she never missed! Dono tearfully told him she’s sp incredibly homesick already!

Making thick sweet jam from papaya, maracuja, cherry juice from a jar in the frig, a bit of this and that is gurgling on the stove. A huge sticky, delicious mess in progress! Bees and flies are hovering ‘round the stovetop. Down to the wire in the pantry and freezer so we are getting willy nilly creative with our meals. Frowned at the corn but tossed it in the pasta salad at any rate, boldly sharing with Joao about the horrific GMO’s and such. He doesn’t take it personally that there are dreaded food stuffs stored in the cupboards so I feel obsessively compelled to rant and rave about the food industry in our country.

Taelor has decided to embark on another excursion to Thailand this summer, chaperoning a group of High Schoolers from her Alma mater Port Townsend HS in Washington state. She is thrilled with the prospect of joining another close friend and strategizes with me, while chatting on Skype last night, about fundraising and working her little fingers to the bone until she coughs up the funds. She also has to pay for the airfare to Seattle. I am considering joining her and heading to the West Coast to see my friends! Wouldn’t that be a scream?

My right knee was significantly better this morning but certainly not bendable enough to hike up the metal steps on the public bus to head home after the clinic. I plan on hitching a ride with Joao in the next few days when I can maneuver the transit system comfortably. I hesitate to confuse the issue if I show up with a large bandage on one knee when my real challenge is having surgery on my left foot! My Portuguese is probably not sufficient to provide the details and work my way around the story with humor and grace. So forget it!

Joao awoke with half of his face swollen and pain in his upper arms and chest. I finally wrangled his diagnosis out of him. He has Angioedema. It is swelling in deep layers of the skin usually around the face, lips and cheeks, upper chest, arms and the fluids come on suddenly.

A massive crash and Joao hollering, breathing rapidly, plopping himself heavily on the sofa in the doorway…jararaca, he cries! Of course I have to climb the wobbly metal rusted ladder to see for myself. It is a small black snake with diamond pattern that is now curled up in the corner of the wood frame of the car port. I suspect she has eggs or would have fled the area at the sound of alarm so close to her head. She is extremely poisonous (the same type that lunged at Tatiani, the empregada and she was subsequently helicoptered from her home to the ER for immediate treatment.) Checked Google for snake removal since Joao insists he has to get rid of the maid killer or Denise will insist on moving from the house when the rumor gets out. The choices are to trap it (can conveniently purchase a box on the attached link) or leave it be (and move) or fling it with a long tool that has a hook at the end and bag it to relocate the snake. I suggest calling the authorities, Joao is on the phone asking the city official what he can do. Of course, with his hyper-sensitive system, it is best he stay far away from the culprit. The recruit is on his way. Stay tuned!