My Romantic Aunt

"My Romantic Aunt. I do not know if it was one of the men who passed through her life, or one of her close friends, who gave her that nickname, or if it was she herself, as she wrote on a paper she would leave for me in an old box originally belonging to my grandmother. Regardless of what would later be associated with her name throughout her life—kindness, beauty, and... madness—these attributes came later, after years. But before them, there was only the attribute 'romantic,' which became public on a day I no longer remember and I lack the ability to date. All I know is that since someone uttered it, that trait has been exclusively linked to her. I don’t recall ever hearing about her without her romantic trait being mentioned in the conversation; a trait that became almost like a distinctive brand for her. I sometimes think; perhaps it was my grandmother who gave her that nickname, surely my grandmother heard that word from one of the characters in the movies or TV series she was addicted to watching those days, especially during the war (which war?).

Author : Najem Wali