Wanderlino
Arruda
Suddenly
and unexpectedly comes the desire to write about
things and happenings that we remember, even
though distant in time and not having anything
to do with expressing our own personal views,
they keep coming back to us. They are ideas
and memories that float on the limit of our
consciences…and remain there, like clay,
molding and molded by our force of will, apparently
arranging the date for its birth, natural and
definite. Many personalities live this way and
live among us, companions of the day and night,
principally in hours of meditation, or when
relaxed, we lose the measure of what is real
and pragmatic. They are the dreams, the elaboration
of thinking, the readiness to transfer what
happens inside us to paper. Perhaps it is the
only manner we know of, to share with you, dear
reader, what we have in our intimate selves.
In
this way, the literary necessity to write about
the Brazilian pioneer Amyr Klink came to me.
That young man from São Paulo, who crossed
the Atlantic ocean, leaving the African continent
from South Africa and coming by boat to Bahia,
in South America…alone. I will never forget
the one hundred and one days of solitude borne
by a man so young, so courageous; to the point
of realizing one of the most exciting, difficult
and dangerous adventures of our century. To
tell the truth, it seems that I, never having
been solitary, I never could stop from offering
my solidarity to someone who is capable of isolating
themselves so far from their fellows and connect
themselves so close to nature and its dangers
for so long a time. Amyr Klink, author of “
One Hundred Days Between the Sky and the Sea”
is a modern Brazilian folk hero.
They
say that there is no sadness greater than that
of solitude. I don’t really know if this
is true, because, sometimes a little distance
can be very important to all of us. Sometimes
there is nothing better for us than a short
period of personal isolation, when we can let
our thoughts vague ethereally, hovering over
nothing in particular, resting without ties
or any other obligation. But the sadness of
solitude for Amyr Klink was quite different.
There was the sadness of the day, of the immensity
of the sky, of the clarity of winds splashed
with salt water, and there was the solitude
of the nights, the fleeting companionship of
stars, the black of the darkness or brightness
of the rays of the silvery moon playing upon
the waves of the cold, indifferent sea. The
solitude of Amyr Klink was not a silent solitude,
not at all. Radio operators worldwide sent out
words of encouragement and solidarity, wrapped
in the magnetism and friendship of many different
languages.
Amyr
was in love with his precious boat, the Paraty,
especially constructed for the trip, which,
of course, naturally followed the ocean currents.
Passing by South Africa, they would unfailingly
bring our sailor to the coasts of dear old Bahia…But
Amyr’s solitude wasn’t quite that
lonely. Even though dolphins, seagulls and whales
don’t talk, they liked keeping company
with him. Exhibitionist dolphins, curious seagulls
and magical phosphorescent whales also traveled
with him, exchanging tales upon the salty waves,
each at its own pace, in an inedited crossing
of seven thousand nautical kilometers, from
the deserted coasts of Namibia to the dancing
beaches of Salvador, the land of all
saints. There was also a solitary ship, which,
with crew cordially waving offerings of help
to the adventurous sailor and was dismissed.
Of
course, there were a good number of storms,
lots of water coming from the sky, much lightning
and thunder, gale winds and waves much, much
bigger than the Paraty. But none of this could
deter our intrepid adventurer, the most solitary
of all Brazilians and the most fearless of all
our sailors. And the voyage, the voyage was
a wealth of teachings, so comforting to the
soul that, now with him so close to his native
soil, Amyr interrupted his charted course, rested,
and demonstrated that he hadn’t the least
idea of going on shore. Of course, he was living
in his world, the world of waves and sky!
A great hero is Amyr Klink, now author of “100
Days Between the Sky and the Sea”.
