For Isabel
Illustration by Ansellia Kulikku. Source images: "A Popular Treatise on Comets" (1861) by James C. Watson; and Plate 67 from Ernst Haeckel’s "Kunstformen der Natur, (Art Forms of Nature)," 1904. H/t: The Public Domain Review. The garden lane was deserted. The old Chinese gatekeeper wore a cap with The Grotto of Camões written on the plastic brim.
We’re closing, the gatekeeper said, I’m about to close the gates. I don’t need much time, I tried with a smile, just a quick trip to the Grotto of Camões. He answered, reasonably: Why go at this late hour? Come back tomorrow morning, sir, the garden will be cool, the cave will be cool, tomorrow morning you can enjoy the cool air, now all you’ll find are sleeping bats. Yes, I understand, I said, but it just so happens that I really do need to visit the cave tonight: I’ve had an inspiration. The gatekeeper removed his cap and scratched his head. I don’t understand, he said. What’s your name? I asked. He gave me a timid smile. In the registry office, my name is Manuel, he answered, because in the registry office here, we have Portuguese names, but my real name, my Chinese name, is something else. He uttered a Chinese name and smiled again. And what does your name mean in Chinese? I asked. It means Light Shining Upon Water, he
