The Priestess (The Way in marked cards #1) (8 page)

“
If you need anything call me!”

“
Surely I'll call!”

They hugged and Isadora was soon in the direction of Alessandra.

“
Thank you for everything!”

“
Thank you too! I'm going to miss ...”

“
Me too. See you soon!”

Isadora took a taxi and went to the train station in Malaga, boarded and accommodated into the cabin. The train began to leave the station, and slowly the charming dry landscape and Andalusian ran from her eyes how following the speed of the train. The setting sun and the stars touched the night, while she close her eyes, and soon fell asleep.

Hours later the stopped the train started getting more constant and the voices of the passengers were more present. Isadora awoke and looked out the train window. The sun was rising and noticed a drastic change in vegetation, temperature was greener and wetter.

A voice announced the proximity of the station of Bilbao. She looked out and saw some red flags and old houses that belonged to the train route. Isadora didn´t understood the symbolism of those red flags, but certainly will find out. Got off the train and sought a taxi. Arrived at the apartment and pressed the bell. A lady opened the door.

Was Miss Helena, a serious woman but very polite and accompanied Isadora until the bedroom, when she turned on the light. It was a small room and dirty. Isadora didn´t like, but was so tired that she didn´t mind, just putting clean sheets on the bed and sleep and awakened the next morning. She didn´t know exactly where was, but one would think better after one good coffee. Came into the kitchen and Miss Helena invited her to eat, talk and so, could know each other better.

Miss Helena was a widow with two grown children, and her daughter was the wife of Javier. Although she had a close family, liked to live alone and rent rooms to foreigners.

The conversation was Isadora feeling safer, but needed work. It was the coffee shoop. When arrive, look at the environment does not like too much ... a middle-aged man received her, and led to the office of the local manager. She waited for an hour when finally he comes.

His name was John, a man about 40 years, very friendly and receptive.

“
Do you came from Malaga, is not it ?” - John said as he looked carefully at her documents.

“
Yes, I was working there.”

“
Javier told me that you're a great employee. I hope you enjoy here.”

“
I also hope !”

“
Good luck !”

Isadora and John filled the papers and he showed and presented to the cafeteria staff. She arranged quick and attend one table where some customers had just arrived. Despite being insecure Isadora did well, knew that had to struggle to do all right.

In the first moment she realized that the people voice was higher, smoked more, but tried not to hold these details. She served the tables, receiving your fee, washed the dishes and made sure that the requests were served the best possible way.

The days went by and one night when she got home, saw Madam Helena up watching television.

“
Good evening, Helena, what doing agreed by this time?”

“
Watching a movie. Sit right here girl, come keep me company!”

Isadora seat, even when tired. It would be nice to talk to someone at the end of the day.

“
Do you like it here?” - asked Madam Helena.

“
Yes, but I don´t want stay more than the appointed time, I want to absorb the most of this experience and learn everything you can.”

“
Do you already know the city?”

“
Not yet, I want to do this on my day off.

It is an interesting city. It has its problems, but worth knowing.”

“
I found curious the red flags as the train approached the station. What is it ?” -

Isadora asked curiously.

“
You know the story of the Vasque country?”

“
No...”

“
Do you like history?”

“
Yes, I do !”

“
So, get ready because it is a long history...” - said Madam Helena, settling on the couch.

“
I'm ready, you can start.” - Isadora said, more excited.

“
Bilbao exists thanks to King Ferdinand IV of Castille and granted the same title for the village. The Port already existed before the city. The first settlers of this area was older than 2000 years near Mount Malmasin. When had the Civil War in Spain, the city and the province is positioned on the side of democracy against the dictatorship.

“
I've noticed that there is a political force in the city. Looks like I'm outside of Spain ...”

“
And metaphorically is... Bilbao is part of the Vasque Country or Euskadi, is one of Spain's 17 autonomous communities, located near the Pyrenees. Vasque nationalists consider this territory, "the Vasque Country South " as part of the Vasque nation, next to the Community of Navarre. - she continued. - There are other areas of the Vasque country, three parts of the French department of Pyrenees-Atlantiques, in particular, Sola, Zuberoa Lapurdi and Lower Navarre, Nafarroa be here, forming the "Vasque Country Northern" or the " Vasque Country French .”

“
I left the Costa del Sol and now I'm in a region consumed by a political belief and with so many different ideologies ... that's interesting!”

“
And that's just the beginning. In fact the Vasques people occupied the Iberian Peninsula around the year 2000a.c resisted the constant invasions suffered by the region over the centuries. Despite the Roman domination, the Vasques have maintained their language, customs and traditions, a process of constant resistance.”

“
Here has a own language ?”

“
Yes, but the Vasque language has no relationship to the Indo-European languages, although it is the most spoken language in Europe today. The only vasconço was constituted as a written language in the sixteenth century and reinforced the sense of unity of the people. Between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the south was submitted to the Spanish State, which had been started with the marriage of the Catholic Kings Ferdinand and Isabella.” - she continued -

“
There in the Vasque Country, among other movements, one federalist moviment with Spain and some desire this separation. Although we do not know the proportion of this amount, all legal parties as well as most of the population of the region condemning the action of the terrorist group ETA.”

“
I'm in an area where have terrorists ?” - Isadora said scared.

“
Yes !”

“
Tell me everything ... what's the ETA ?”

“
ETA stands for Euzkadi Ta Askatana which means, in the vasque language, Vasque Homeland and Freedom. It is a terrorist group that holds more than 30 years, a war against Spain for independence of the Vasque Country.”

“
But ... what they want exactly?”

“
They want the independence of the Spanish autonomous region of the Vasque Country, Navarra and the French Vasque country in southwestern neighbor.”

“
But I don´t remember hearing anything about this organization in Brazil. They have committed many attacks?”

“
The actions of ETA have killed more than 800 people, civilians and military since 1968, but it all started after the death of a dictator named Francisco Franco. Political issues drives this organization.”

“
How it all began?”

“
This organization started in 1959 by students nationalists against Francoism immobility in the face of the Vasque Nationalist Party, Christian Democrats, in power since 1980 in the Vasque Country. But this nationalist movement began in the late 19th century on the basis of ethnic ideology, ultra-Catholic and anti-Spanish founder for Sabino Arana, who had membership of the founders of Marxism-devilishgames ETA.”

“
So it's not just about politics, is about one metaphor ... but ... they attack people on the street?” - said Isadora with afraid.

“
Like I said ... they do not attack people directly, the preferred targets of ETA are the police and army, whose methods include especially car bombs, urban violence and the killing of people selected.”

“
I felt that I must be very careful.”

“
Yes girl, all care is necessary. Do you remember the attack at the train station in Madrid? Imagine that you being in one train station and... explodes? Always stay very alert, our country still experiences moments of great tension.”

“
Thanks for alerting me Helena ... I will take more care now!”

Was nearly two hours of the morning. Isadora was tired and needed sleep.

The next morning received a message saying that Claudia would arrive within two days. She was happy because will have company to walk around the city. She arrived at the coffee shop to start your day's work when one man called her to take your order.

“
Kafe huts, mesedez!”

“
What ?”

“
Kafe huts, mesedez!”

“
Wait a minute!” - Isadora look at her colleague, and said he did not understand that language. She went to answer and take your order. When he returned , whispered.

“
What language was this?” - Isadora asked.

“
Vasque, is the native language of the Vasque country.” - said the girl.

“
Madam Helena said something about yesterday. But I've never heard anyone speak. How is different !” - Isadora said, surprised.

“
Each region has a language here in Spain.”

“
In Malaga, although they speak too fast, I just listened to the Spanish language ... but this ... I never heard what he said?”

“
Coffee, please!”

“
I need to learn ...” - Isadora said, smiling.

The man paid the bill and left the coffee shoop, saying goodbye with his hands, and tired smile. At the end of the day Isadora went home, when saw Madam Helena asked, puzzled.

“
Do you speak vasque?”

“
Sure!”

“
Yesterday you said something about it, but would like to know a little about the origin of language. Would you have the time to explain myself?”

“
Sure girl, sit there while we take a coffee!”

“
It all starts with the origin of the Vasque ancestors, which are still unknown even for us, as well as the origins of their language. Some consider the "Vasque" a isolated language. According to history, the Latin inscriptions on the "Aquitaine" preserve several words with cognate proto-Basque.” - she continued. - “ This proposed language is called "Aquitanian" and say that existed before the Romans take the Latin into the west of the Pyrenees. The Roman neglect these distant lands allowed Vasque Aquitanian survive while the Iberian languages and tartessiana disappeared.”

“
I have a lot things to learn ...” - Isadora said, listening intently to the explanations of Madam Helena.

“
In addition, based on evidence to conclude that the Vasques are the only survivors of a large family scattered over Europe and would have left their mark on the current Indo-European languages.”