Image description: The image is a colorful illustration featuring three groups of people arranged horizontally, from left to right. On the far left, we see two women and a boy smiling and interacting. The woman on the left has long, wavy hair and is wearing a light green top and black pants. The boy is sitting on her lap, with a friendly smile. To her right, another woman with long, white hair is sitting on the floor, also smiling. She is wearing a dark green top and black pants. In the center, two women are standing, both smiling and looking to the right. One of them has long, wavy hair and is wearing a light green dress, while the other has long, white hair and is also wearing a light green dress. On the right, a group of people stands in front of an open refrigerator, looking excited and happy. The refrigerator is white with green details. All the figures have long, colorful hair and are wearing various pastel-toned clothes.Listen to an excerpt from the letter narrated by its author Anna Freitas
Rio de Janeiro, December 15, 1904.
Dear Mother,
Você não sabe o quão feliz estou de finalmente conseguir lhe escrever. Wait, I need to translate, not restate in Portuguese. Let me provide the English translation: You don't know how happy I am to finally manage to write to you. You know that since I can't control my time travels, sometimes I end up falling into a not-so-peaceful era, like the last time I ended up in Europe in the middle of World War I or when I was present at the famous revolutions that occurred over the years and that in the future we study in school. This time was no different: I'm in Brazil, in the year 1904, and on top of that, in our city.
I believe that, from the date and location, you must already know which period I witnessed. Yes, that's right, what you're thinking: the Vaccine Revolt. So, I know that ever since I started these trips of mine in 2010 I haven't gone back to our time, and I have no idea what might have happened in the last eleven years (I hope Brazil already has its hexa). However, I believe nothing like what I just had the displeasure of seeing has happened. You have no idea how the city ended up after being attacked by its own inhabitants, or what it's like to see civilians and even politicians against a vaccine that prevents a disease that has already killed so, so many people here. Whoever heard of someone refusing to take something meant to keep a person from becoming infected with a deadly disease? For six days it was terror, until the government finally put down the movement and, in the end, the law that made the vaccine mandatory was changed.
With this I'll end this letter, don't worry, even with all these historic events I ended up caught up in, I'm safe. In a week I'll set off on another trip (hopefully to Paris or Rome) and I'll have a new adventure. As always, I'll be very eager to write to you again.
Take care of yourselves, I love you very much, ma'am, and my siblings too.
Kisses,
A.L. Freitas
