Pentium

September 05, 2015

Pentium

An English translation of a letter written by Erika Dubravicka in Slovak language :

"The saga of women of our family.

My grandmother, Katarina Reisigner, committed suicide due to the pressure of her husband’s continuous affairs and lack of interest in her, and their one and half years old daughter – my mother. My grandfather then re-married two more times.

My Mother’s aunt brought my mother from Vienna and raised her as her own. Not long after that my grandfather got a stroke and became paralysed.

I was about five years old when I over heard my mother and my step grandmother’s conversation about strange difficulties that started after my grandmother passed away, and that five-generation of women from our family had been cursed. Once they realised I was listening, they change from speaking German language to Hungarian that I could not understand.

My mother Terezia Luckova-Reisigner married her childhood friend. The marriage came to its end in 1952 through divorce. Father was an incorrigible unfaithful and irresponsible person. Fortunately, my mother was a very talented tailoress, so we always had food to eat and both, my sister and I received a good education. I became a surveyor and my sister is a qualified dentist. My father did not contribute in anyway to help my mother with raising my sister and me.

Myself – the storyteller – Erika Dubravicka-Luckova, got married to the love of my life. However, this love did not last long. The husband was not only unfaithful, but also irresponsible and later on became alcoholic. Everything was left on my shoulders but I’m happy, as I have managed to raise my children well. My husband died of heart attack at the age of fifty-seven.

My daughter Alena Blanarova-Dubravicka got married when she was nineteen years old. She gave birth to two baby girls Barborka and Veronika. The marriage did not even last for ten years. They got divorced when the children were only seven and four years old. I have a very strong determined daughter who managed to gain a certificate in German language while working full time and raising her daughters. I greatly adore her, I know it was never easy for her, I tried to help her the best I could.

My grandchildren are very talented and bright, I am very proud of all three of them. At least god is kind, when people are not. I wish all the luck and happiness in love as well as their career through the life of my children and grandchildren. I hope the curse has lost its power and that god will punish those, responsible for all this bad luck."

(Bratislava, 2013)