The letters that the father wrote to his son for more than five decades to maintain their connection despite the distance between Santarém and Belém are now embodied in a book. The publication titled 'Cartas de meu pai' (Letters of my father), created by engineer and historian Christovam Sena, will take place this Friday (2) at 7:30 PM at the House of Friendship in Santarém, western Pará.
The book collects correspondence that the tailor Boanerges Sena sent to his son Christovam between 1969 and 1974. During this time, the young man left his hometown to study and work in the state capital of Pará. In an era without the internet or easily accessible telephony, communication in the Amazon was a daily challenge overcome through persistence.
For news of the family, they relied on letters delivered by travelers on boats, messages transmitted via radio programs, or parcels delivered by acquaintances. It is in this context of isolation that Boanerges' letters gain both historical and deep emotional value.
The messages contain not only accounts of daily life in Santarém; they also include health advice, reminders about studies, financial planning, and expressions of affection. The letters record the father's pride in important moments in his son's life in Belém, such as his football contract with the Paysandu team and successfully passing university entrance exams.
The father advised: 'Take care of your knee.' In another letter, he urged the young man to look to the future: 'Take care of your finances and make a life plan.'
Boanerges Sena was a well-known tailor in Santarém, famous for making shoes and suits, and a person who was very passionate about books, football, and the church. He died in 1974.
Years later, to honor his father's memory and preserve local history, Christovam created the Boanerges Sena Institute of Culture (ICBS). This organization supports the public library and is involved in publishing works of cultural and social interest in the region.
The book covers are signed by journalist and chronicler from Santarém, Roselieu da Costa Silva. According to him, this correspondence goes beyond intimate family relations and serves as an important historical document about daily life and lifestyle in the Amazon in the 1970s.
The event includes the presentation of Christovam Sena's book 'Cartas de meu pai'. It will take place on Friday, October 2nd, at 7:30 PM at the House of Friendship (Borges Leal Avenue, No. 1965, between Moraes Sarmiento and Setu de Setembro). Admission is free.