Chapter 48: DOES MY GRANDMOTHER HAVE A LOST SISTER?

— "Aunt Mary was passing by here, and I came to greet you and tell you that my Mariana came in fourth place in the exams that were taken at school, it is one of the best places, don't you think?" — She is always used to going to brag about her daughter's grades to belittle Amaranta, this day would not be the meaning.

— "Also, I heard that you had a rich nephew who is staying here, why didn't you ever tell me that you had living siblings?" Aunt Carmen said.

— Over the years, Aunt Carmen looked down on Grandma Mary because of Amaranta's grades. Grandma had always said that it didn't matter that Amaranta's grades were poor, as long as she was healthy, fair, and kind, she would be happy to have her as her granddaughter. However, deep inside her heart, she still hoped that Amaranta would improve and be one of the best students at her school.

—"Didn't Mariana always get first place in all of her previous exams?

— Aunt Carmen thought: 'What if Mariana is fourth? Amaranta then could not even reach 10th place! 'Could Amaranta do that?

"Aunt, do you know how your Amaranta did in her exams?" Aunt Carme asked in an insidious way.

—"My dear granddaughter Amaranta did well in her exams," answered the grandmother calmly and proudly. "She was the first in school! I was very shocked. That girl managed to get such high scores without any fuss at all." ".

First at school?

How was that possible?

— Aunt Carmen slapped her thighs and started laughing. Aunt." Aunt, Amaranta could be playing a joke on you. I agree, she is the first… From… From Below!" Aunt Carmen burst out laughing, her jaw pounding.

The grandmother waited with complete calm and tranquillity for her niece Carmen de she to finish laughing before saying: "You must be disappointed. Our Amaranta came first in the exams. Her total score is 738!"

— "And as for whether I have brothers, well, I had two, one died very young and the other is older than me, but we were separated during the famine." She said. "Grandma Mary said this without much interest.

Aunt Carmen completely forgot about the eggs she had placed next to her. She stood up so quickly and accidentally kicked the basket containing the eggs. The eggs broke and made a mess on the floor.

—"That's impossible! Amaranta has always been at the bottom of the school rankings. How could she come first in the exams?" — Aunt Carmen didn't believe that, of course.

— "You can go and ask your daughter Mariana if you don't believe me," her grandmother told her. "All." All scores are posted on the bulletin board. "I don't consider it being posted there for everyone to see if it's not true."

Aunt Carmen didn't care about anything else. She picked up the basket from her and hurriedly left.

*-"Grandma, are you happy that she did well in my exams?" — Amaranta and Philip entered the house then.

"I am." — Grandma was happy, of course.

— "So I should surpass the province in the university entrance exams?" Amaranta asked.

— "Yes, yes, yes, that's the best you can do." — The grandmother smiled happily…

— "Oh, right, Grandma! Do you really have an older sister?" Philip Thompson asked curiously. He had overheard the conversation between Grandma and Aunt Carmen, while they were at the entrance of the house.

— Grandma nodded…" That's right. I have an older sister. During the famine, my father fled with my older sister, my younger brother and I. When we arrived at someone's house, my younger brother fell ill. To the goodness of their hearts After that, my younger brother died of illness, and my parents brought me home. My parents died shortly after we returned home. They gave me to the Cid family before they died, and I became a bride. Girl from the Cid family, adopting her surname at that time. So many years have passed, and I don't know if my older sister is still alive…"

This was the first time Amaranta heard her grandmother's story.

"Grandma, how about we put an ad in the papers? Maybe we can still find Great Aunt! Do you and your Great Aunt have any shared memories? Or maybe, does Great Aunt have birthmarks?"

Grandma thought for a moment before answering: "My older sister has six fingers on her hand, she is five years older than me, and she raised me when I was a child. She used to sing me a popular song back then." .

Grandma began to hum the popular song.

Philip Thompson felt that the song was strangely familiar when he heard it. She seemed to have heard someone singing the song a long time ago…

— "Grandma, do you have more information about when you two separated?" — Philip asked.

— The grandmother began to relate. "Back then, when my parents left my older sister with that family, they gave my being.

Create a small silver comb of this size (indicating with your hands an approximate measurement of 10 centimetres). I have always remembered how my sister had cried while she ran after the horse cart that day. "— commented Grandma Mary, with a tired face not only because of the years but because of the sad memories that distressed her at that very moment.

— "Grandma, what was your great-aunt's name?" — Little Amaranta asked with a tender and sweet voice.

— The grandmother smiled softly and said: "Her name is Heloise. Our parents called her Isa. That was because my older sister was born when the roses were in bloom."

"Heloise?" Amaranta repeated.

— Philip thought the name sounded terribly old-fashioned.

— A touch of sadness appeared on the grandmother's face as she recounted those days with her family. Tears filled her eyes.

So many years have passed and she had never heard from her sister.

On the other hand, many people had died during the famine and civil war. She didn't even know if her older sister and her sister's adoptive parents were still alive.

She hoped that her older sister Heloise was still alive and that her daughter Monica was living well.

"That's right. My older sister was called Heloise, and my name was Estella. But after that…"

Amaranta held her grandmother's hand and comforted her. "Grandma, Grandma, let's put an ad in the newspapers, looking for great-aunt. What if we can find her? Even if there is only a one in a million chance, we won't give up."

The grandmother thought about it and realized that she could die without regrets if she and her older sister got together and watched Amaranta get married.

— "This way. Grandma, maybe your older sister misses you too."

Philip saved the recording he had made on his phone. He had felt that the melody that Grandma had hummed earlier was very familiar. I reflect that she might remember something if she listened to it a few more times.

—"Amaranta, I have finished packing and will be leaving in the afternoon," Philip Thompson felt that if she continued living in this small town, she might find it too comfortable and become someone who would take things too easily.

— "Okay. Have your drivers take turns driving. Don't try to drive. Be careful on the road. I have to go to school, so I don't have time to say goodbye to you." Amaranta said and gave him a hug.

— Philip Thompson responded warmly: "All the best, Amaranta! I'll be waiting for you in the capital." I left the city of Deifont at two in the afternoon.

How many surprises await these three people from now on…