Oops, saw Amazon but I can' t purvhsd in rupees? I want printed version. eugene
On Thu, Aug 9, 2018, 11:01 AM Eugene Correia <[email protected]> wrote: > is the novel available in bookstores in Goa or on Amazon? > > eugene > > On Thu, Aug 9, 2018, 9:57 AM Goanet Reader <[email protected]> wrote: > >> LOVE LOST? CLAUDIA, A NOVEL SET IN GOA IN THE 1960s >> >> Sophia Lorena Benjamin ([email protected]) recently wrote her >> debut novel 'Claudia'. It is set in Goa during the 1960s. The >> news of the intensified resistance by the Indian Government >> to liberate Goa from Portuguese rule has caused sudden >> distress, turmoil and conflict in Claudia's life. When she >> had her first encounter with Damiano, the attractive son of >> her Portuguese master, she never imagined their meetings >> would grow so intimate. Claudia is a young Goan village girl. >> Clever. Charming. Ambitious. With two older sisters, >> unmarried because their reputation is spoiled by insensible >> premarital affairs, Claudia is the family's only hope whose >> arranged marriage could restore honour and lost respect >> within their conservative community. Amidst advancing armed >> forces, blasting bridges, a bombarded Dabolim airport, >> departing Portuguese families, and chaos, Claudia needs to >> consider the offer made by her Portuguese lover, Damiano to >> escape to Portugal as a servant girl where their covert >> affair can continue. Much relies on Claudia's choice: the >> call is urgent and decisive. Will Claudia abandon her >> family's honour and choose forbidden love? Will she proceed >> with an arranged marriage to Ferrao, the rich sailor from her >> local community and end the social stigma her family has >> endured? Claudia, set in a Portuguese-ruled Goa, is an >> uplifting story of a woman's struggles and the triumph of finding >> hope will unravel the answers. >> >> Claudia has a secret affair going on with Damiano >> her Portuguese master's son. >> >> Meanwhile, Claudia's grandmother has brought a >> marriage proposal from a local businessman. The >> rich man has shown interest to marry Claudia >> despite knowing Claudia is not from a well to do >> family and cannot afford any dowry, which is >> customary in their community. >> >> Under these circumstances, Claudia decides to end >> her affair with her Portuguese lover before anyone >> finds out. As the dominating thoughts of the >> freedom to romance and everything that she is going >> to miss after marriage flood her mind, there is a >> turn of events that take place when Damiano takes >> her to a deserted corner of the house to tell her >> that the Portuguese are expected to leave Goa for >> good and that they may never see each other again. >> >> The secret meeting in the darkroom is supposedly >> an intimate farewell. >> >> A few yards from the family house was a row of huts for the >> cattle: cows, ox, buffaloes and two giant fighter bulls. Pigs >> and fowls had separate fenced yards. Workers belonging to a >> local Kunbi tribe worked all around the property; they were >> the live-in servants of the Ferrao family. >> >> Fresh dung cakes, salt fish and new hay lay drying in the >> sun. The backyard was full of pig slop, cattle fodder, cows >> in the huts, pigs in the sty, chickens shitting on the >> ground; all of it spread a peculiar, pungent odour. It was >> indeed the smell of abundance and prestige; that's how it was >> measured in the suburban areas, the village folk called it >> prosperity. The girl selected to settle in this family would >> be privileged, thought Claudia in her mind, the lavish >> abundance of the Ferraos overwhelming her greatly. This was >> what Father had dreamt for the three girls; Jakin, Bula and >> Claudia. The dream had failed him while he was alive; if ever >> there was an opportunity it could be revived it was now, >> Claudia was having this conversation in her mind. >> >> On the way home, Gormai told Claudia that the Ferraos said >> they liked her, that they were willing to go ahead with the >> match even without dowry; they told Gormai that the priests >> and elders of Oroshim had given a good reference about >> Claudia. The news brought a strange thrill to her heart. >> >> Later that evening; sitting in front of the fire, while >> heating up water to bathe, Claudia was lost in thought of all >> the happenings of the day with the Ferraos. She understood >> well that this was a precious opportunity, and that she was >> one among the most fortunate girls around the suburbs. It >> would be the first time in many years that something good was >> about to happen for Claudia's family. >> >> Gormai told her that the Ferraos needed a little >> more time to decide if it was going to be a new >> year wedding or a summer wedding. Claudia gazed at >> the fields and hills above. She would miss Oroshim >> so much. If it was going to be a New Year wedding; >> she would miss celebrating carnival in her village; >> the humour filled intruz skit, and also the >> villagers painting each other's faces and watching >> little boys throwing cocotes. And then, she would >> have loved to watch Damiano taking part in the >> village carnival for the first time ever; she >> smiled at the thought of it, just imagining his >> white skinned face coated with black coal. >> >> Claudia also thought of the fun that went around with the >> village women. Seaman Mingu visiting Oroshim every year >> during carnival, when the village women looked forward to the >> carnival fun with Mingu. They ran around squeaking and >> laughing in the backyards, dodging around bushes, when Mingu >> chased them all, one by one, and coated black coal over their >> cheeks, caressing their faces with his blackened, rough >> hands. >> >> What else would Claudia miss in the village? Maybe the summer >> blossoming of the cashew trees, kokum trees and the blackcurrants >> on the hills. Also, the sea bathers that flocked >> Oroshim each year during the summer for their yearly health bath; >> men and women, taking shelter by the Oroshim beach for three >> days, cooking and sleeping under the open sky. The beachside >> dwelling summer visitors were friendly, humble and thankful; >> they narrated the stories of how their bodies developed >> immunity by immersing in seawater every year. Claudia liked >> spending time listening to the stories of these strangers, as >> she offered to bring them well water, local salt and some >> wood for their fire to cook food. >> >> Through all the wisdom as well as the silliness >> that existed, she loved Oroshim, very much. >> Although it had stringent rules, yet if one >> followed those rules, the village elders as well as >> other folk eagerly came forward to bestow their >> love. They contributed generously during weddings. >> They took time to assist a sick neighbour. They >> were always happy when anything good happened to >> someone within the community. They had a way of >> altering names, more out of love, than convenience. >> Someone extremely tall was fondly called Lamttu. >> Francis was called Forsu. Lourenco was called >> Lorshu. >> >> Philomen became Philu. Caetano Caitu. Magdalena was called >> Magdu, and Martalian, Martu. Their neighbour Anton was called >> Bullock Cart Anton because he owned a bullock cart. Araujo's >> family was referred to as Pershiakar because their >> grandfather once worked in the Persian Gulf. Vincent was >> called Motorkar since his father had once owned a motor car. >> Uncle Jose's family was called Lotterikar because their >> ancestors once won a lottery. D'Silva was called Kalsaonkar >> because he wore kalsao, trousers, when most others wore a >> loincloth. >> >> As the thoughts flooded her mind, Claudia sighed at the thought >> of the possibility of leaving Oroshim. The fields, the hills >> and the mud paths of Oroshim had witnessed her maturing from >> a child to a young woman. All of her learning had come from >> Oroshim, mostly from accompanying Gormai -- hillocks, wedding >> homes, child deliveries, vespers at church, crib visiting >> during Christmas, working at fields -- Claudia was always >> there with Gormai. In the fields, among the labouring women, >> >> Claudia learnt many life's lessons; weeding the grass, adult >> gossip and jokes, songs with double meaning, taking rain >> checks, sowing, reaping, hand-crafting palm raincoats, the >> art of killing water snakes that crawled into the fields. >> Lessons she would never forget, ever. >> >> It was early December. When Claudia and her Mother reached >> the mansion, she felt it was an unusual day at Paklin Bai's >> house. It didn't take much time to sense that the guests in >> her sitting room were not gathered for the normal partying >> like they did on previous weekends. It was strange also >> because the usual excitement on Paklin Bai's face was >> missing. Her loud, free laughter after a few glasses of wine >> was missing too. Mother was asked to attend to the guests. >> Arrange glasses for their drinks. Serve them croquettes. Pour >> tea to those who didn't want to drink hard liquor. Clean up >> the used cups, saucers and glasses. >> >> Mother was occupied, so Claudia began with the kitchen >> chores; drawing well water, she filled the kitchen pots and >> moved to fill up the bath area. She didn't expect to bump >> into Damiano. All the while she had been thinking he was in >> Daman. Both stood startled at each other's sudden unexpected >> appearance by the bathroom door, staring into each other's >> eyes, face to face. >> >> She still had the water pot balanced on her left hip. He was >> wrapped in his towel, just finished his bath. Claudia shifted >> her eyes from him, overwhelmed with a sudden shyness to find >> him without his clothes, just the bath towel wrapped around >> his waist. He appeared a bit stunned too with her sudden >> appearance right inside the mansion. For a few moments, she >> just stood there nervously then moved as he signalled her to >> follow him. She gently lowered the water pot from her hip and >> looked around cautiously, making sure nobody saw her. She >> quietly followed him to climb the wooden staircase, unused >> for long, the stairs opening into a dimly ventilated passage >> that led into a narrow, windowless room. They called it the >> dark room. >> >> Damiano shut the wooden doors behind them, noiselessly. >> >> 'Minha querida!' He called out to her softly and reached out >> his hand to hold her. >> >> 'Bab.' >> >> 'We won't be here too long. You must have heard those people >> in the hall talk about the evacuation; the vessel has already >> come to take the people,' he said in a hurriedly hushed tone. >> >> 'Where are they sending us, Bab?' >> >> 'Not you dear. They are planning to send the Portuguese back.' >> >> 'Then what will happen to the people who remain here in Goa?' >> >> 'If the Indian Government succeeds at this, you will remain >> here as an Indian.' >> >> His words echoed faintly in the dark high-walled room. >> He clasped her hands and released them from his, circling >> them instead of around her waist, his touch sending a shiver all >> over her body. She had missed it for days; that soothing >> touch from him. His announcement was hard on her. And then he >> drew her into his arms, gasping, a bit breathless as he >> threaded his arms beneath her shoulders and hair. >> >> 'We may never meet again, minha querida,' he whispered, >> nuzzling her cheek as she hugged him viciously, wanting to >> cry. Her nostrils flared nervously at the sudden >> announcement. She drew closer to him and clung on tightly to >> his chest as though he was about to be pulled away from her >> any moment. >> >> -- >> Send your comments to [email protected] and the author >> (address above). Available online at http://bit.ly/ClaudiaTheNovel >> >
