The writer Sebastià Portell (according to his teacher, Aina Roig): “He was the center of a heavenly court of wonderful dolls”

PalmHe has the ability to make those around him feel important; he will never judge another's feelings, he has no prejudices. He is a great conversationalist and, above all, he listens admirably: "When I was his teacher, from fourth to sixth grade, I could already see that he was a special child. He looked at things differently from the others; he looked and listened in a unique way. His eyes always wanted more, he waited for you to tell him something more." The writer Sebastià Portell (Ses Salines, 1992) still has a spark in his eyes, because walking, or talking, or listening with such a bright gaze is almost a way of life. His former teacher, Aina Roig, tells us a few things about him.

Anyone who has read the essay will know. The girls who were reading in the bathroom (ARA Llibres, 2021), but just in case, Roig confirms it: "Wherever we went, Anásimo carried a book; and he read whenever he could." Reading, "a habit encouraged by his godfather, who was a teacher and greatly encouraged him to read," says Aina, gave him certain precocious abilities that surprised the teacher every now and then: "I remember one activity perfectly: they had to write a text using only idioms. I gave them a text and they had to write it. It was very coherent," she recounts, still somewhat astonished; and she also mentions a very interesting work that Portell did on the Ibizan poet Marià Villangómez.

Although Sebastià was a sweet and calm child, he was anything but discreet. Aina Roig remembers it as if it were yesterday: "Inside the classroom, he was queen. There were only two children, and he was the center of a celestial court of wonderful dolls. They were perfect," says the teacher, unable to suppress a laugh; not even when she recalls that he was a boy who did everything possible to avoid Physical Education, that he had little interest in Mathematics, and that he knew more about Literature than she did.

Sebastià fell in love with the Beatles early on, and could recite the film's script from memory. Matildawhich fascinated him. This way of intensely appreciating things (songs, films, books, people) is also a unique trait of the bright-eyed boy: "He did everything, and still does, with passion," says Roig. And with passion, he learned the discography of La Oreja de Van Gogh, following the trail of Marian, a great-great ... A torrent that was the sea (2013), when I had never acted before. It's one of the best and greatest gifts I've ever received. I can't thank him enough for giving me that experience," she says, her voice filled with emotion. Their friendship grew strong during long walks through Barcelona's Gothic Quarter: "He's the best conversationalist. Not only that: when I hear him speak, I think it's incredible that a former student of mine knows so much and has such a capacity to convey it. He's someone who makes you feel good; it's a pleasure to be with him."

Aina has even more high praise for Sebastià, who grew up in Ses Salines with his father, mother, and younger brother: "I think he's changed the town: its way of life and its view of the world have changed."