Dona Maria drew near, thud-thud-thud, she drew near herfolding fan that did not stir a breeze but that filled one´s hand with large leaved trees, yellow, golden, sweet, they filled Dona Maria´s hand who was drawing nearAntonio Duran Street ef e, at Montcarrà... She was drawing nearer with her bowed legs pacing rhythmically and a folding fan thud-thud-thud, on Dona Maria´s chest, trrrrrrrsssssst it folded with a snapping sound characteristic of a good folding fan, of that of a lady, fine, finesse, large, largesse, transparent so worn smooth, so light, not like mine that I used for the purpose of going to mass in summers, petit, petite, wooden and unvarnished, which I tried to handle just like Dona Maria (who had bowed legs and a fine lady-like step, and who came out of mass with her fine veil, of that of a lady, over her white hair, combed with an everyday hairdressing style and the folding fan with the embroidered autumn leaves made a thud-thud-thud-trrrrrrrssssst) it made a thump-thump-thump sound on my flat chest and, waving it back and forth, my hands trying to imitate those of Dona Maria (who folded hers with an imperceptible gesture), got stuck half way through and the ribs and guards making a creaking sound... it wasn´t the finest, lightest trrrrrrrisssssst-thud-thud-thud-trrrrrrrrsssst of Dona Maria, who came from the capital to Montcarrà, to the manor house of ca l´Hereu just across that of my grandfather Pere of can Mariano at Antonio Duran Street ef e, from the street in the Centre?, no, from Antonio Duran Street ef e, is the same street, hence... they changed all the names... ah! Bon Jesús Street is now José López Street ef e... ah!

Figues d´un alter paner (Another kettle of fish), 1985

Translated by Núria Cohen.

(Manacor, 1946). Maria Antònia Oliver Cabré is a writer and translator. She was part of what was known as the literary generation of the seventies. While in Barcelona she met other writers and moved in the literary circles of the day. In 2016 she was awarded the Honour Prize for the Catalan Letters and has published novels, stories, plays, scripts, reports and has collaborated with the print press. Her first novel was Cròniques d´un migestiu (1970). Other publications followed including Cròniques de la molt anomenada ciutat de Montcarrà (1972), El vaixell d´Iràs i no Tornaràs (1976), Amor de cans (1995) or Tallats de lluna (2010).