Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 27 °C, warm, sunny, and slightly overcast.

I have just slept my first night in Flamengo in the same flat with my fifteen-year-old daughter and my ex-wife.

I got up early at about 5 p.m. and exercised at the local park. I also stopped in at the local Portuguese baker’s for a coffee and bread to take back. Yasmin and Nalva got up at about 10 a.m., and until 6 p.m., all of us worked hard to get rid of as much stuff and clutter as possible to put the flat in order.

It is a one-bedroom flat with a small living room and kitchen; everything is small.

Besides the reduced size of the flat, Nalva is a potential future hoarder, as there is a lot of everything: tiny, insignificant things. My ex-wife is from humble beginnings, where she is one of fifteen siblings; she is exceptionally proud and never admits she is wrong, not even slightly, so it could be difficult.

My reason for moving in with them is that I will eventually have to go to England to visit my mother and tie up some things there. I do not know precisely how long I will be staying in England, as there is also a question mark concerning my mother’s health.

I may have to stay longer, or indefinitely, if she is not doing well. So, renting a new flat now is not logical, and staying with Yasmin and her mother will allow me to save money and resolve some issues before I go.

Things such as my teeth, which I had begun treatment for but not yet finished; a second copy of my Brazilian ID, as the original was stolen; and some other minor issues that are not so important but need to be done.

Nalva is well-intentioned but complicated in some ways, as we all are, including myself. I also feel that she is 90% emotional and 10 % rational, which, in reality, makes her a walking time bomb. I like and respect her, and I want her well, as she is the mother of my second daughter.

The main reason I am here is to help her and, consequently, give my daughter Yasmin a better quality of life. This means improving the current flat they are living in and seeking a better place for them before going to England.

So, Sunday was for throwing as many things away as possible. As I said, my ex-wife is a potential hoarder, and it has become evident that it is difficult for her to get rid of anything. However, I have to give credit where credit is due; we got to throw sacks and sacks of things, stuff and clutter away.

And when I say “to throw away”, it can either mean to throw away physically or to give away to somebody else, but it has to go; it has to leave the flat’s front door and never return.

If you let it, getting rid of stuff and clutter is a highly liberating experience. Besides having more room and living space, which is a form of luxury, less clutter in your home makes your life more fluid, manageable and lighter.

At 6 pm, everything was more or less in order during the first phase, so we went for dinner at a nearby simple restaurant to celebrate. It was enjoyable, and it is good to feel that we have done something positive to improve our lives. A new stage in my life is beginning, and another chance to do something good.

I am 57; time is like sand falling through an open hand. We have to do things now; there is no future to delay!