See you soon
Versão Portuguesa: https://medium.com/@pmarquesalmeida/see-you-soon-30a92d83ff19
Dear Rita, these are the words I would like to tell you at your funeral, but I do not have the strength to pronounce them out loud…
My oldest memory is the day you were born. I remember going to buy you a toy (a Swiss rubber dog) and to visit you at the hospital. I was not happy. I wanted the toy just for me!
After this moment, I have many memories of our childhood but I’m not sure if memories are real or are from our movies which I saw many times. I remember playing with you and Ana — we made tends with pillows, skateboarding inside of our house, recorded videos pretending we were a TV station, jumped from bed to bed on Christmas Eve … these were the best moments of my life! I revise these moments now with my kids…
The divorce of our parents was also an important moment in our relationship. I had an obligation to take care of you. I remember protecting you at school, while skiing and when you were scared on the plane coming from Hong Kong grabbed my hand (despite my jokes, I am sure I liked more this moment than you).
You were my first child!
During adolescence and early 20s you were also my best friend. I remember several moments: learning to appreciate Coldplay (I’m listening as I write this text), going with you to Nizlopi’s concert, our long conversations … I loved to hear you and talk to you.
I also remember when I started dating Rita, my wife now, you were the first person I introduced Rita to. I knew you’d be as happy as I was.
Then came a new phase of our lives. The 2 of us spent more and more time outside of Portugal. I lived in Dublin, traveled with Rita, worked abroad , MBA … and you were in Buenos Aires or Berlin. I never expressed how much I missed you because I knew you were doing what you liked!
Now, I was very happy with idea to finally live in the same city as you after your trip to India. I was waiting for you … you would be my daughter’s godmother!
But this was not our destination, after all …
Instead, you wanted me to go to Nepal with you, to participate in this adventure! You wanted me to meet your future husband and spend hours talking, just as we did. You wanted me to take care of him, just like I did with you.
You are no longer among us, and at your funeral today I know you wanted us to be happy. Happy as you were during these months of travel. Happy for you, for having lived your life at the fullest and used every minute, until oxygen did not flow inside you.
You went to heaven calm because you know that I will take care of Adrian as I have taken care of you and that I will take care of mom, dad and Ana as you did. It is a difficult task, but one you trusted me with.
It’s time to say goodbye! I’m going to miss you so much.
See you soon,
Pedro
