Epilogue
Sonia leads the life of an active 90-year old full of life, who like her Father was sharp as a razor and curious; continues to study and enrich her world and cares for her flexible figure with gym lessons, and climbing the stairs to the first floor.
She dedicates the hours of the morning to work, sometimes she returns to it after her afternoon nap. Prof. Ovadiah comes to work once a week, and they work together for several hours. She tries to meet her sister Ana once a week and they go together to a Café. Last week she enjoyed chatting with Silvia and they watched a film on the TV together. She closes her day with a nightly conversation with Ana and some reading. On Friday evenings (Erev Shabbath) Rafi and family come for dinner; sometimes Susy and Zvika join; or Nitza and Dani.
Sonia visits Nathan three times a week, “and it becomes more difficult every time, because the illness has advanced and he hardly talks and does not recognize anyone. Before Nathan fell ill, Gila and Isaac would sometimes come on Saturday afternoons to our home, and it was good to see the two brothers chatting and laughing when they remembered the stories of their past. When Nathan fell ill, it became difficult for Isaac to see his brother, and now, it’s difficult for me to see Isaac, who is now ill. I am not inclined to think about the past, nor about the far-off future. I progress in life thinking about today and tomorrow. I am happy that I chose as I did – to come to Israel and I’m very happy that all my children stayed in Israel, and wish that each does and will continue to do what he loves to do.
“When I see couples walking hand in hand, my heart shrinks with the thought that if Nathan, whom I loved all my life, were not ill, we would also walk hand in hand, as in the old days. But I have to be thankful for all the wonderful years we had.”
Unhappily, Nathan passed away on the 14th of May.
His funeral took place on Friday the 15th at the Kyriat Shaul cemetery.
The “shloshim” was on the 12th of June, which is also Dani’s birthday and anniversary.
The tombstone was placed and looks very well, in grey marble (from Turkey) and the letters are inserted in black.
The Portuguese words we also inserted, are from a sonnet of Camões, which Nathan loved and quoted frequently:
“Alma minha gentil, que te partiste, Tão cedo desta vida…”