70 days after...

—Let's start at the corners...—I grabbed a corner and showed it to him—It is said that this way it is easier.

—Who says it?—he began to search among the two thousand pieces for the other corners of the puzzle.

—He... Mr. Beltram said so...

—What are we putting together?—He spoke before I could get discouraged.

I hope your life, Crestita.

—I don't know, I threw the box—I fit two pieces along the left edge. he look at myself but kept my eyes between the pieces—It is more interesting.

He said nothing and kept fitting piece after piece.

I don't think about what happened that day because it's complicated and I'm sure I'll never be able to understand it. The only thing I think about, what occupies a space in my mind, is Rais, he and I, we are on the same planet, on the same continent, in the same state, in the same city, in the same house and in the same room. Sitting in front of me he is like any other person, although in reality he is more than that, he is the only living person that I know, although I do not really know him at all. Even thinking about Rais is complicated, and I know that I will never understand him, of course in these months I was able to understand some things about him, I know when I am bothering him or when it is not one of his best days... I can say that I even feel proud to be able to recognize when he is happy... or at least not so angry... I'm sure it will be easier for me to figure out what happened to "the end of the world" than to figure out Rais.

—let's see what you have there...—I moved my part of the puzzle to his and stood next to him to see all of what we had already done—I thought it would be more fun—I removed some pieces and placed them in the Rais part, getting them to fit better.

—Are you not having fun?

—I was expecting another sensation, I guess...—i looked at it—Are you having fun?.

—I wouldn't mind doing something else...—he continued fitting the pieces—But let's finish it... I don't like to leave things unfinished.

I don't know, an hour? or two? I don't know exactly how long it took before I got fed up, the worst thing was that most of the puzzle was still missing, of course we were silent, I suppose that was what made the process. I watched his hands assemble the pieces for a long time, "too big for such small pieces", I thought, I was looking at his hands, although in reality I was looking at his left hand, his little finger, rather what was missing in it, Rais did not have the distal phalanx and had a scar from having had it before. I was surprised to take her hand inadvertently to look at the healed wound.

—You have many wounds.

—And you?—he recovered his hand by taking it out of my sight. Again trying to hide his past etched on his skin.

—No, none... my mother would have died of a heart attack if i had done me enough damage to cause a wound.

—Did you live locked up here?—He continued placing pieces and this time I did the same.

—No, I did a lot of things actually... Do you like sports?

—I was not passionate.

—Oh, my parents were fascinated, not really, they only liked the ones I participated in... my mother had rules and one was to practice sports and experiment in many, MMA, soccer, tennis, swimming, basketball...—I looked at him and his eyes were on me. It made me nervous.

What does that mean, Crestita? Do you want me to keep talking or shut up?

Normally when he raved in conversations practically with me and the wall, he did not look for his gaze, he did not even check if he had his attention, in fact, he assumed that he had it, although it was not like that, not since he told me, and of course now, check it... made me want to hide.

—You want me to shut up?.

—Because you said so?.

—"A look is worth a thousand words".

—And what does mine tell you?.

—"I want you to shut your mouth once"?.

And smiled. He let out a resigned sigh and got up from the table dragging the chair causing a breeze in his movements that made the flames of the candles waver.

—To say many things ... you don't understand a single one.

—Hey...—I got up immediately when I anticipated his action, I held him by the arm and although his gaze was direct to my contact I remained firm—We are doing this together, don't go.

And he looked at me again. And I knew that what I thought I knew about him was nothing.

—I go to the bathroom, yes? Or do you want us to go "together" too?.

I released it.

I think her expression when saying that, I think I will not be able to forget about her, I made sure that I would not, ever, because between her successful attempt to embarrass me of my words, he lied to me.

I waited for it.

It was not too much, but I waited, I knew he would not return, maybe he did not know anything about his past, but he did know something and that is why I got up picking up the pieces of the puzzle to throw them in the trash. I blew out the candles to go up to my room. He was not even in the house, I thought about the possibility that he ran away from me through the bathroom window, I laughed at that idea but did not last too long in the air.

I remembered the picture of the puzzle box, "Paradise Sunset" and I also remembered Rais's little finger, is there a paradise for gangsters?