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There were no more annotations about other people.
Different years.
The same pattern.
The first one left me paralyzed.
But my name appeared more often than anyone else’s.
“Never forget Nora with both babies.”
“Necesitamos encontrar a Nora con las niñas.”
“I hope that Nora and her children are safe.”
I couldn’t talk.
Carter finally said, “Arthur saved this notebook for over 30 years. I didn’t keep the money bill; I kept the people’s account, the important moments.”
Bajé la mirada a las páginas.
My name appeared more often.
“Arthur wasn’t always on the street,” Carter continued. “I had a small machining workshop. When he failed, he lost everything. He had no family to lean on. He wandered aimlessly for a long time after that.”
This explained something I hadn’t been able to identify before.
The look in the eyes of that homeless man that night when he gave my name.
“Arthur told me that meeting you changed him. He said it was the first time in years that someone had treated him like he mattered.
«Lo perdió todo».
Carter explicó que Arthur no había reconstruido su vida de la noche a la mañana.
Empezó poco a poco.
Trabajos de mantenimiento, limpieza, cualquier cosa estable.
Vivía con sencillez y ahorraba lo que podía. Finalmente, consiguió una vivienda, y luego un pequeño apartamento.
He never married or had children. But he stood firm.
Cada año, en la misma fecha, escribía la misma frase.
«Sigo buscando a Nora».
Lo confirmé en el cuaderno.
Se me hizo un nudo en la garganta.
Se mantuvo firme.
—¿Pero cómo me encontró? —pregunté.
—Hace dos años, publicó un anuncio en un tablón de anuncios de la comunidad.
My heart has accelerated.
The collection of funds.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get much. Just a few dollars.
Carter nodded. But Arthur saw it. He recognized his name and that of his daughters in the photo he shared. She wanted to help, but her health was already delicate.
Me quedé paralizada.
“How did you find me?”
“So he did what he could,” the lawyer continued. He made a will.
Carter pointed to the box.
“Look inside again.