Carla’s Maternal Grief

Carla’s love for David persists through migration, estrangement, and fear, even as she mourns the child she believes she has lost.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Light of Her Life

The Light of Her Life A cherished beginning Carla remembers David as her sun, a joyful child who loved outdoor play. The scale of later grief Her language establishes how much she believes she loses when he returns changed.

The Panic at the Stream

The Panic at the Stream Retrospective guilt Carla recalls being focused on the horse while David handled water near the dead bird. A mother’s self-accusation She imagines that a different moment of attention might have spared her son’s suffering.

Consent to Migration

Consent to Migration A terrible choice Carla agrees to the healer’s proposal because ordinary medicine cannot save David in time. Love as sacrifice Her consent is an act of desperate care, although she cannot control what the procedure will make of him.

A Son She Cannot Hold

A Son She Cannot Hold Recognition fails Carla sees the boy’s strange movements and dirty hands but cannot bring herself to embrace him. Grief becomes distance Her hesitation creates a wound between mother and child before either can understand the new relationship.

The Wish for Nina

The Wish for Nina An imagined alternative Carla tells Amanda she sometimes wishes she could begin again with a daughter like Nina. Care redirected Her affection for Nina reveals a longing to nurture a child who might allow her to feel like a mother again.

Before David becomes ill

The day David drinks from the stream

At the Green House during David’s fever

Immediately after David returns from the procedure

During the visit to Omar’s stables