An Illuminating Morning

The images of the burnt trees don’t leave my mind.

I sit down outside the next morning at the outdoor table with my journal. It’s still a little bit wet from yesterday’s rain and I put a towel underneath my notebook to keep it dry.

After a while my neighbour E. joins me with a smoothie blender and two cups.

‘Do you want a milkshake?’ he asks while his two kittens excitedly jump around us.

‘That looks delicious, what is it?’ I ask curiously.

‘It’s a lot of things, try!’

He pours the thick, soft yellow liquid into my cup and I curiously take a sip.

‘Wow, cinnamon, banana, maybe cinnamon? And some things I can’t name.’

He cheerfully lists all the healthy, nutritious ingredients and we continue chatting about what brought us here, the rising house prices, and how gorgeous this island is.

At some point, I ask him about the fire.

‘Did it burn again this year? I saw the burned trees around the corner when I took a walk yesterday and I just had to cry.’

‘Two years ago, there has been big fire. Yes, it’s devastating and they have cut many trees from the area since. I was also in tears when I saw it.’

‘I have been here two years ago.’

I can’t believe that the aftermath is really still so visible.

We discuss the causes of the fire. I’ve heard many rumours back then, and they sound exactly like the stories I’ve heard from fires on mainland Portugal.

‘Well, it’s not a secret to say that after the fire, trees are removed and the land is cleared. And that after a while, houses are built where there once was forest.’, E admits.

Before we later part ways, he recommends some trails around the area. I decide to go for a short walk, still thinking about our conversation.

When I came back home, I looked through old footages from 2023.