MIGUEL ÁNGEL ARANJUEZ
1000 words from
Amaris
translated from the Portuguese by Katherine Cowley
Chapter 1
Amaris lives immersed in a world of memories and emotions. Because these memories are composed of facts, visions, and the imagination, she made the decision not to share the nature of her world with anyone, for she herself is not sure what is reality and what is fantasy.
Destiny, with her particular form of irony, bestowed upon her a magnificent memory that permits her to remember, in detail, both lived events and her occasional visions.
For Amaris, it’s not difficult to write and to read on papyrus and tablets. She learned alone, without teachers, furtively observing men’s efforts to learn. In secret, she read and meditated on much of the knowledge and science of her people. In her culture, it is not seen as desirable for women to do more than have children, cook, sew, and care for the house, her parents, and her younger siblings. Her personal treasure is composed of various papyrus in which she has recorded many of the visions that she has had since childhood.
She is seventeen years old. She has always seen divine justice as partial, for in her community, men and women are treated in a very different manner. As a Hebrew woman, at times she contemplates the idea of marriage and it doesn’t entirely disagree with her, though the majority of her suitors have been boorish and lacking in intelligence. Her romantic mind leads her to imagine long conversations with her husband about life, religion, and love, although she has never seen her parents have these conversations. On the contrary, her parents only speak when they must consult about something. Her mother speaks little with her children and only truly converses with Sariah, the wife of the prophet Lehi. He often speaks of his visions, without his family reprimanding him, despite them being quite similar to the ones Amaris has herself.
Her mother has taught her that love for your spouse materializes after marriage. Amaris is not completely convinced of this or many other things. She never dares to share these thoughts with anyone, not even with Mayán, the oldest of her sisters, who, more than just a sister, is like a mother and a friend, a counselor and an accomplice, the voice of reason and the voice of forgiveness.
It was I who was designated to protect Amaris since her birth. In plain terms, I am her guardian angel. Amaris, what a precious name! It is so difficult to watch her suffer! Although I have become used to witnessing her mishaps. For Amaris, immersed as she is in the world of emotions, it is difficult for her to coordinate with the physical world. For instance, I’ve often noticed that while talking, she will perform some manual task, and then she turns around without looking first and breaks vases, cups, and patience. Perhaps it’s not that she isn’t looking, but that she is focusing her attention on something beyond her eyes or beyond the physical realm.
When she was three months old, she was learning to move her little hands, without yet having synchronized her eyes to look. She was on her mother’s lap and she saw me. I am sure of it, because she kept looking to the side of mother’s head, where I was, and she smiled for the first time. Her first smile was for me. Do you understand? How could I not love this creature? In my world, this has an incalculable value.
Since then, we have learned to live with each other. She sees me between clouds and shadows, and confides in me with things that I would never reveal to anyone. As if I didn’t know them! At times she presents me with questions which are important to her, and I respond with visions, for I cannot respond directly. The most crucial visions do not come from me, but from the Lord himself, although she does not know it yet.
I remember when she was born, here in Jerusalem. Ayelet’s pregnancy was blessed by the Lord, she was able to carry out all her tasks, which were many, and she arrived calmly at the birth. It was a happy day, with little suffering and much joy. It was night and the Full Moon, orange and immense, reigned over the horizon, and was witness to that magical first cry. For that reason, Ishmael and Ayelet decided to name her Amaris, which means “Daughter of the Moon,” although it also means “Eternal Promise” and “Commitment that endures through all time.”
All the meanings of her name are applicable to Amaris. She has a noble, pure, and loyal heart. You will be fortunate if she blesses you with her friendship as it will be unconditional and eternal. From that first Full Moon of her life, you realize that she is special. For me, she is a sister, an angel that took form; she does not fit into the world of humans, and this is because she suffers excessively, even in the face of the most insignificant betrayal, real or imaginary, as jealousy sometimes overcomes her. She cannot conceive of any form of love without total surrender, and when she receives betrayal or contempt, even if minimal and insignificant, it causes her great suffering, transforming into a wound that does not heal. Each of these open wounds accumulate into a grave wound; these she conceals with a smile and silence.
Her suffering has no human witnesses, though at times Mayán discovers her crying and after much insistence, learns about some of her pain. Amaris’ heart suffers for the great sins of the people, when she sees the rest of mortals wielding the sword of violence, of injustice, of pride, of selfishness, or of hypocrisy. And it is because God gave her such an immense heart to love, in the manner of a mother, all of humanity.
Her early years passed in solitude, marked by a majestic imagination, as this vast inner world developed. She knew I was there and invited me to drink tea from an imaginary cup, and I would sit on the grass with her, grateful that I could savor that hot, tasty tea. It was not easy to protect her, as she often ventured into dangerous places, pursuing flying entities that hid from her, laughing. Some of these entities even appeared to have their own light.
On one occasion, she spoke to her sisters about her inner world, and they mocked and laughed at her; they pushed her and asked her why her imaginary friend didn’t defend her. But I was already protecting her, and I made gestures that she should not speak more. She understood that she could not share this world, because others would not understand her.
Since then, she always smiles, doing everything she is asked with a smile. She quickly learns all that others teach her. Since she doesn’t talk about her inner world, everyone thinks she is a very intelligent young woman. However, she is more than this, is much more than just intelligence.
It is with pleasure that we present to you our historical novel entitled Amaris, based on the beginning of the Book of Mormon.
This work tells the story of a seventeen-year-old girl, whose family is convinced to flee from Jerusalem, abandoning their belongings, heading into the desert, and following the directions given in visions and dreams to the prophet Lehi, the friend of her father Ishmael. This young woman is a dreamer, and she is sensitive; she hides her grand inner life behind her smile.
Her life was preordained to intertwine with that of Nephi, the youngest son of the prophet Lehi. Amaris is a work that invites us to explore the strength of love, the power that a woman can have, and her transformation in the context of the Book of Mormon.
The drama unfolds through an amalgamation of flashbacks and flashforwards, revealing the threads that unite Amaris and Nephi from the beginning. The connection between them is palpable, an energy that transcends words and guides their steps in their odyssey to the promised land.
Amaris’s path to motherhood is a test of patience and hope. Her desire (as for all Hebrew women) is to be a mother, and this accompanies her on all stages of her journey, punctuating the plot with a deep exploration of life and death, loss and resilience.
More than a companion, Amaris becomes Nephi’s trusted counselor in his moments of leadership. But it is in the dark embrace of the sea, when the lives of Nephi and his family hang in the balance, that Amaris is revealed as a true savior, a woman with whom Jehovah speaks in dreams and visions. Her fearless bravery and her bond with the divine prevail in that overwhelming moment, proving that in adversity we can test our true identities.
After crossing the sea and establishing themselves in the new world, they must separate from their brothers Laman, Lemuel, and their families, taking with them a group of courageous souls. With them, they carry sacred treasures that will serve as a guide and a comfort: the brass plates that contain their genealogy and the writings of the prophets, and the mysterious Liahona.
Their journey culminates in an as-yet unexplored valley, a place Amaris glimpsed in visions. This corner of the earth will be renamed the Land of Nephi, a sanctuary where the divine promise is fulfilled and where love, faith, and families are reunited in a celebration of life and worship of God, safe in the one who guides and has given them a plan of happiness.
We hope that Amaris will add to the literary legacy of stories based on the Book of Mormon and we hope to touch the hearts of those seeking a rich and moving literary experience. 🕮