Mel's Chocolate Trees

Photo Credit: Glen Johnson

Mel had dreamt about the legendary chocolate trees her entire life. She felt like she already knew them from her grandpa’s tales.

“Bahia is the only place in the world that has chocolate forests,” vô Honório used to say, remembering his youth at his parent’s cacao farm, before putting her to bed. “The fruits hang from the trees by the thousands, shinning like gold. It’s the finest cacao this planet has ever known!”

On the day vô Honório departed, he left nothing but saudade* and glittery golden dreams. Mel jumped onto the midnight bus, borrowed an old canoe and followed his memories up São Francisco River.

When Mel arrrived in Espiritu Santo, they were all there to greet her: the Atlantic Forest, vô Honório’s stories and her beloved chocolate trees.

vô: Portuguese for grandpa.
*saudade: a feeling of longing, melancholy, or nostalgia that is supposedly characteristic of the Portuguese or Brazilian temperament.

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Wednesday Muse!

Here's a list of all the amazing wordsmiths in our cyberspatial society (you'll most definitely want to check them out!):

• Vanessa Barger
• Mary Crockett
• Stuart Glennie
• Nicole Conway