Autumn in Catalonia Read Online Free PDF Page A

spoke in Catalan again, so Josep could understand it. ‘We are very happy that you will come to live with us. Merci.’
    And to Josep’s surprise (and perhaps to Joana’s too) she gave a little curtsy, as Uncle Luis broke into applause, magicking from his pocket a little bedraggled passion flower, which he tucked behind Joana’s ear like he always used to, as he pulled her into his embrace.
     
    The memory was surprisingly strong, and bitter-sweet, because they’d never seen Luis again after that visit. Just a few months later Franco and the other generals had declared war on the Republic, and Spain had descended into Civil War. Catalonia became a militarised zone, and Luis’s French wife must have felt it was too dangerous to come and live. They’d had the odd letter from Luis, sayinghe was raising money for the Republican army in France, and would come soon, but he didn’t come, and Josep soon forgot him. Life was Sant Galdric, and he was content. And Joana was the prettiest girl in the village, with all the boys after her, and he’d thought she was content too.

C HAPTER T HREE
    Carla came out of the university the following Thursday floating on air. Her most recent essay had received high praise from her tutor, the only tutor she truly respected among the government-appointed, antiquated clerics who dominated the history faculty. In front of the full tutorial group he’d told her that she had written something researched, intelligent and thought-provoking, and that if she continued in this vein she would finish top of the year on graduation day next summer. It was heady stuff, and it was hard to refrain from gloating as she received the congratulations of her fellow students after class.
    She wanted to tell Luc. He was consistently top of his year in accounting, and it was the first time she’d been able to equal him. Somehow girls didn’t seem to get the same marks as male students, even though their work was often visibly better. They were accused too often by theexclusively male tutors of being irrational in thought. Well not this time! One up for me, Luc, she thought, with a grin. She’d buy them both a drink this evening to celebrate.
    She walked through the town towards her hostel, buttoning her jacket as she went. The sunshine of last weekend had gone now, and there was an edge to the autumn air. She would make coffee when she got home, and eat that cake she hadn’t been able to finish at lunchtime. She was frugal despite her allowance – she was saving her money, and had tucked the half-eaten cake into her bag for later.
    As she neared the hostel she was surprised to see her mother’s Mercedes parked in the street outside. She saw Toni at the wheel, and walked even faster towards him, as curiosity tinged with unease nipped at her senses. As she neared he got out of the car, and she walked right up and gave him a hug, as befitted a childhood playmate.
    ‘Well?’ she queried, as she saw the slight frown on his forehead. ‘What have they sent you here for, Toni? Is there anything wrong at home?’
    He shook his head. ‘He wants to see you, Carla. Don’t ask me why but he’s hopping mad about something. He told me to come here and wait outside the hostel until you appeared, and to bring you to Girona straight away.’
    Carla was surprised. The last time she’d seen Papa was in July, and relations had been strained as usual, but merely because her presence chafed at him, and she forgot to be always deferential. He’d been pleased with last year’s grades, in as far as they interested him, and had been happy to see her disappear back to summer school in Barcelona,so that she didn’t have to go up to the hill house with them for the summer holiday.
    ‘What on earth does he want?’ she exclaimed.
    Toni considered for a moment, and then asked, ‘Have you been doing something political? I thought I heard him mutter something about Bolsheviks. Would that be right?’
    Carla froze. Oh help, had