Mario, still fascinated by the way the Professor had described the spirit world, asked another question.
“"Professor, what was family life like back then? Did people live together like they do now?"”
Mahlemba smiled, resting his hands on the book. “The family, Mário, was the first country. Education, justice, and a sense of belonging were born within it. It wasn’t just father, mother, and children—it was a broad circle that included uncles, grandparents, cousins, and neighbors. Each one had a role, and no one grew up alone.”
He paused and continued: “Respect for elders was law. They were the voice of experience and history. A grandfather's word was worth more than any hasty decision. Marriage, in turn, was not a contract between two people, but an alliance between families. It linked lineages, lands, and responsibilities. Love was expressed with the heart, but also with the commitment to preserve collective harmony.”
Mario thought for a moment and asked, "And the children, professor? Did they have school?"“
“Yes, they did,” Mahlemba replied with a slight smile. “It was called coexistence. You learned to respect, to work, to speak, to dance, to hunt. Each task was a lesson, and each mistake, a teaching. Education wasn’t a building, it was life itself.”
Mahlemba concluded: “What kept us united was not blood, but care. The family was the first government, the first school, and the first temple.”
Final message: Before institutions, there was the home. And there, one learned what no law could impose: the art of caring for one another.
