Tears... (F.Y.I Oma means grandmother in German, and Omi is like grandma)

          Up until now, I was doing ok about staying sort of detached from the things I was reading.  I figured that was the only way to get through it.  Today, at around 2, I called my grandmother’s best friend, my Omi Hanne.  I tried yesterday and she wasn’t home, so today when a woman picked up the phone I said, “is Omi Hanne there?”  The woman didn’t hear me so I repeated and said, “Is Hanne there?”  Turns out that it was Hanne, and after I said it was Martina, all she said was “Oh how wonderful!!!!!!!! But since when do you call me Hanne?  it was always Omi Hanne to you.”  That did me in… The tears started going, and I had to move the letters out of the way so I wouldn’t get them wet.  I guess it’s because I haven’t really had any contact with my Oma’s world since she died in August of 2008. With her house now gone and the fact that we live so far away, it is easier for me to deal with the fact that she’s not here anymore by avoiding this world.  It’s weird for me to think that the person that basically raised me for 11 years while my parents worked, the person I would give anything to spend time with, and the person who always made sure she knew everything going on with me in the U.S., is now gone.  So I stay detached, but being here, it is easier to stay detached from the papers, than to stay away from the memories that come rushing in with places, voices, and smells.  Anyhow, that’s what happened today when I heard Omi Hanne’s voice, I couldn’t hold it in. (Probably also because I was here alone and no one was here watching me) She started telling me that she’d help me with the letters, and telling me stories of the people I’m reading about.  I was at awe about how much she knew.   After she gets back from a trip on June 27^th, she said she’s ready to spend every afternoon with me.   I couldn’t be more happy, but I will say that after today, I don’t know how I’m going to make it through talks, questions, and her reading the letters without just bursting into tears… I guess I have a while to figure it out. 

Aside from that, we mostly kept doing what we did yesterday. 



Maia working hard in Pablo's room



 I also started translating the stories that she sent me in Spanish and going through the ones she had sent my dad.  These tie up a lot of loose ends, but I hope Omi Hanne will tie up even more end!! 

 

I am currently trying to find Oma’s letters to her friend Hannele that she found again in Berlin in 2004.  I haven’t found the last letters between then, but I do not doubt that Oma saved them all! I am now collecting the letters that are impossible to read and saving them for Omi Hanne…  So as we move through the typed letters, some are starting to turn up in Spanish, which saves some steps!!!!

Since I know some of you liked getting bits of letters, here are some:

From a letter my grandmother wrote to a friend (Ursula) on July 6 1939:

“Wernillein dear! Although I recognize that this letter will remain unanswered, I will at least show that I've not forgotten you and I won’t let you even think it.”

 From a letter sent to my grandmother’s aunt Erna (who brought my Oma’s family to Uruguay) from a Willy in Berlin in 1937:

“I would like love to be connected with you and get all the information about Montevideo.  As you must have head, I have nothing else left, after 27 years of working in this factory I have been fired, and I have no other option but to familiarize myself with emigration. “

(this is it for today, because I still have a lot of work to do today!!!)

Today will be the last day this week that I dedicate fully to this project, because tomorrow Maia and I will head to Atlantida for my cousin Rodrigo’s birthday.  Maia and I are going to go pick him up after school, and we’ll get to hang out the rest of the day! We will spend the night at my Aunt Marianne’s new house.  On Saturday we will go to his birthday party at noon, then take the 1hr bus back to Montevideo, and head straight to my other cousin’s house.  There we will spend some time with Catalina, and spend the night.  On Sunday, I will be back at it again at Elena’s house, working through these boxes one letter at a time.   

Fun facts of life:  Maia has a new hair color… Hm… We are going to watch Penarol play tonight (soccer) at La Pasiva (yummy food place)…. That’s about it for today… just letters.

For those that might want to give it a try,  here is a letter which is legible! Have fun with a translator!