En primavera, el renacer de la vida no solo era palpable en las praderas de Stampton Hills. El teniente coronel Hopkins había tomado posesión como jefe de Okehampton Camp y, nada más llegar, se ocuparía de buscar plaza como recluta a su protegido Gorka. El período de instrucción solía comenzar entre abril y junio, por lo que el joven se incorporó inmediatamente a la vida militar.
Andrew ya se estaba
preparando para su ingreso en el City of London College, por lo que solo quedaban su hermana Claire,
de trece años, Iker, de diecinueve, y Ane, de veintiuno, para decidir sobre su futuro. Los mellizos
Padmore ya tenían 16 años y también estaban en edad de plantearse su vida
adulta.
Claire cada vez se
inclinaba más por la música. Había aprendido mucho de su tía Charlotte y a sus
trece años parecía tener claro querer dedicarse a ello. Iker seguía enamorado
del campo y de las ovejas. De niño decía querer emigrar a Argentina, donde
tenía unos tíos que no se preocupaban demasiado de él a juzgar por la escasa
correspondencia que había recibido en los nueve años que llevaba en casa de los
Hopkins, pero ahora ya se sentía totalmente arraigado en Devon y participaba
como uno más en el cuidado de las ovejas de Stampton Hills. Ane seguía
enamorada de la costura y devoraba cada revista de moda que llegaba de Londres.
Ya tenía veintiún años, por lo que podía solicitar la nacionalidad británica.
Ella tampoco tenía interés en regresar al caserío guipuzcoano de donde procedía
la escasa familia que le quedaba.
A principios de
verano hubo una reunión familiar en el salón principal de Stampton Hills
a la que John llamó “la asamblea general de los Hopkins”, a imitación de la que
se había celebrado en enero en Londres como germen de las Naciones Unidas.
Además de los cinco
chicos de la casa, participaron los cuatro adultos, John, Margot, la abuela
Claire y la tía Charlotte.
In spring, the rebirth of life was not only palpable in the meadows of Stampton Hills. Lieutenant Colonel Hopkins had taken up his post as commander of Okehampton Camp and, upon his arrival, he set about finding a place for his protégé Gorka as a recruit. The training period usually began between April and June, so the young man immediately joined military life.
Andrew was already preparing for his admission to the City of London College, so only his sister Claire, aged 13, Iker, 19, and Ane, 21, remained to decide on their future. The Padmore twins were already 16 and were also at an age when they needed to consider their adult lives.
Claire was becoming increasingly inclined towards music. She had learnt a great deal from her aunt Charlotte and, at thirteen, she seemed quite certain she wanted to devote herself to it. Iker remained in love with the countryside and the sheep. As a child, he used to say he wanted to emigrate to Argentina, where he had some uncles who, judging by the scant correspondence received in the nine years he had spent in the Hopkins household, did not appear to care much about him. But now he felt completely rooted in Devon and took part, like any other, in tending the sheep of Stampton Hills. Ane was still in love with dressmaking and devoured every fashion magazine that arrived from London. At twenty-one, she was already eligible to apply for British nationality. She too had no interest in returning to the Basque farmhouse from which the few family members she had left hailed.
At the beginning of summer, there was a family gathering in the main hall of Stampton Hills, which John called “the Hopkins General Assembly”, in imitation of the one held in London that January as the seed of the United Nations.
In addition to the five children of the house, the four adults also took part: John, Margot, grandmother Claire, and aunt Charlotte.
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