Inevitably, there are moments in all our lives when important events occur.
We could probably place these into two categories. The first ones are internal. I love the phrase ‘You create your own reality’. Have you ever said, “What was I thinking!” I’ve said this, usually about an ex-partner. The second ones are those outside of our control, external events.
Perhaps the way we deal with these events can be even more meaningful because, sometimes, our reaction can then shape our lives. I’m sure events like these have happened to you, but how did you handle them, and how did your response affect your life?
It was time to say goodbye. My old friend, Jonathan, packed his belongings into his camper van and headed back to Spain. My brother, Tony, left with his son, James, who had flown in to accompany him on the return journey to the UK. Tony had taken the time to be with me from my old life to my new one. He had shown that he cared, not just through words but also through his actions, as he always had done for everyone he knew.
That evening, I found myself alone. Being in Portugal, with everything about my life turned upside down, was a significant internal event. I poured a glass of wine and took in the beautiful view of the green valley before me, the quietness, and the stillness of everything. In my wildest dreams, I could have never imagined that one day, this would be my home. I was truly grateful, especially to my family.
At the same time, I was aware of the inevitable challenges that lay ahead. So, I promised myself that I would make this change of life a success, and nothing would stop that from happening. Because you see, in that moment, I had finally found happiness.
Then, an external event occurred when a fire started north of Monchique, escalating into one of the worst wildfires in the history of the Algarve. The wildfire destroyed 27,000 hectares of land. For over a week, forests, houses and animals were consumed by flames. It became the worst wildfire in Europe of 2018, making headline news across the world.
I had been in Portugal for six weeks. I felt numb. With nowhere to go, I stayed, and the ritual began. You compare the changing density of smoke, you monitor the direction of wind, and you listen out for sirens. You count the number of helicopters crossing overhead, you watch the aeroplanes dropping huge amounts of water, and you don’t sleep.
On the sixth day of the wildfire, Beagle Ben frantically kept running away from the house. Smoke had been lingering in the valley all week, but this time it was different. So I went to higher ground, and it was then that, in the distance, I saw flames had entered the valley.
Panic set in as I rushed back to the house to alert my English neighbour Andy, who lived across the valley, as well as my Dutch neighbours, Wim and Betty. My next priority was to contact my friend Caroline, who lived alone. Thankfully, she had left her house on the advice of her Portuguese friends, Carlos and Isabel.
I grabbed Beagle Ben, drove off, and didn’t look back. The previous day, an old Portuguese man had said that the only way this fire was going to end was when it reached the sea, so that’s where I headed.
After reaching safety, I pulled over and called Andy. He had left his house and was watching the raging fire from a safe distance, before travelling to the village of Marmelete for refuge. While describing the harrowing scene, his voice softened, and he suddenly paused before whispering that the wildfire had reached our homes. At that moment, our call was abruptly cut off as the flames had engulfed the local telecommunications tower. I stood quietly, stunned, and just stared into space.
I needed somewhere to sleep, so I went online and found a room in Vilamoura for the first night, and for the second night, a room in Albufeira. Watching the tourists party on ‘The Strip’ made me feel like I was living in a parallel universe.
The next day, I returned and, as I entered the valley, I gasped. All I could see was a desert of ash and charred trees. It was a traumatising sight to take in the fact that the once beautiful green valley was now gone. As I approached the blackened farmhouse, where everything outside had melted, I found the internal structure had miraculously survived. Concrete doesn’t burn.
That evening, I found myself alone again, but this time dealing with a significant external event. So, I poured a glass of wine, took in the black-and-white landscape of the ash-covered valley before me, and felt the eeriness of everything. There were no sounds, as there were no birds. In my wildest nightmares, I could never have imagined that one day, this was something that I would have to live through.
In the farmhouse, there was no water, electricity or communications. I couldn’t turn on a light, heat bottled water, or cook food, and worst of all, I couldn’t contact my family. But I had a roof over my head. I’m not going to lie to you. I thought about leaving. Then I remembered the promise that I had made to myself: ‘I would make this change of life a success, and nothing would stop that from happening.’
I went to my bedroom and lit a candle, with Beagle Ben by my side. More than ever before in my life, I had to find the resilience to deal with the situation before me. But I thought all that could wait until tomorrow. So, I fell into the deepest sleep. You see, I didn’t need to fear fires that night, because there was nothing left to burn.
By Derek Hughes OBE
|| features@portugalresident.com
Derek is a former UK Senior Civil Servant. The late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded him an OBE for Customer Service and Inclusion. The latter was for championing disability equality. He now lives in Monchique, with his partner Marcelino, and teaches at Aljezur International School.
