An ordinary day's work in the field

Romão

Today was too good, the herd was less agitated as usual, the harvest of grain and fruit was abundant. Only the vegetables and the vegetables that weren't very good, all because of those damned rabbits that always ate in my field. Ah, but I still cook stew, the rabbit meat is very good.

I didn't return home until late afternoon, walked around the house to the outdoor shower. Mom asked Dad to build a bathroom outside because she didn't like it when I walked in all muddy. So every day, when my chores on the farm were done, I took a shower. Mom always left a towel on the clothesline for me to use, she was afraid that I would enter the house and cause a heart attack in Marta, the house cook, by walking around naked. Well, it tried to go unnoticed, but it didn't really work.

I grabbed the towel from the clothesline and hung it on the cabin door that gave access to the shower. It was not enough to be a bathroom, because the bathroom was completely closed from top to bottom. The hut Dad built is five feet tall, shin to chest, I can see over the top of the hut who was passing outside.

I took a homemade soap that my mother made with lard, honey and some other things I don't know what it was, which gave a very good smell to the soap and put it in the hut. I took off my clothes, hung it in the cabin and turned on the shower, which after a good day like today, was just as good. After wetting my body, I spent the soap rubbing every part of it, because I know Mom will check it out and if I have any dirty parts, she'll make me take a shower again. I wiped the mud off my legs and washed it between my fingers.

I saw under the cabin, two feet of size thirty-five. They were Cidinha's feet. What was she doing here? I thought she was studying in town.

"Can I join you? It looks like this water is delicious."

I stretched my body and looked at her over the top of the cabin.

"I'm out of clothes!"

"Looks like I've never seen you without clothes before."

"We were kids!" I said rubbing soap on my face and then rinsing.

"After great too!"

"That was before I caught you rubbing yourself in that preppy." She looked at me disappointed.

As much as the mother “annoyed” my ears saying that I should date Cidinha, I obeyed. Even seeing Cidinha as a sister.

One day I decided to pick her up by cart at the college, which was downtown. When she saw me, she was ashamed of me, got into a preppy car and before they left, they kissed. Now she was behind me wanting to go back. But like in the beginning, I see her as a sister.

"Wow, Romao! I made a mistake and I apologized, it's past. I've always loved you."

"Strange way of showing it."

I turned off the shower and finished my shower, grabbed the towel and dried off.

"You will never forget, will you?"

"Look, Cidinha, I love you a lot, but I've never seen you in any other way, except as a sister. I only dated you, because mom insisted a lot and I'm grateful for doing that, because I was going to end up with you anyway way.” She looked at me with wide eyes in surprise.

"Did you think of me as a sister when we were in bed?" I wrapped the towel around my waist, remembering the hot times we had.

Maria Aparecida, Cidinha if you prefer. Twenty-one, blonde with curly hair, now straight under the influence of big city girls.

Tall, six feet tall, honey-colored eyes painted with a powder they called makeup. I preferred the way it was, the natural, without all those bandages on my face. But since she started college, because she got a scholarship, we lost our humble Cidinha, who served to be a good wife. Now she was the hot Cidinha, who dreamed of living in the city and who no longer valued the simple things of the countryside.

"Hey! You're a beautiful woman and I'm not made of iron.

“I can be to you, like a sister, but I know how I feel and I won't give up on you.” She stomped off to the floor, always doing that when she was upset.

I left the cabin and went to the service area, taking off my dirty clothes, to put them in curls and not have to give Marta so much trouble, scrubbing the dirty clothes. I put the clothes in a bucket, added the washing powder and poured the water inside, until it was submerged.

"What did Cidinha want?" I looked at Mom and saw her in a bad mood.

Dona Meire, was a lady of forty-two, well preserved and pretty. (To be my mom, you have to be pretty.) Light brown hair, almost blond, slightly gray. I can say that old age has not yet arrived for her. Bright blue eyes Dad was so in love with. They say that the eyes are the mirror of the soul, I think that's why Dad fell in love with Mom, a soul as beautiful and generous as hers, he had never seen her until today.

"Now! The usual, right? Apologize, come back with me, take a shower..."

"I know what she did to you, but I still think she's a good woman for you to marry."

"Dona Meire, I'm not looking for a woman to marry and if I were, there isn't only Cidinha in the world."

"But Cidinha knows you, she knows what you like and she'll know how to make you happy."

"Cidinha only wants to know about the big city, she doesn't care about the animals or the harvest."

I grabbed a brush and scrubbed my boots.

"Maybe it's not a bad idea to move to the big city, learn to do other things."

"You're talking to Dad a lot, he still insists I go work with him?"

"You're smart in finance, your dad is having a rough time at the supermarket, you could help him."

I finished cleaning my boots and placed them on the wall in the laundry area.

“I don't know anything about Dad's work, let alone how to run a business. I'll just be a burden to him. My business is the land, the animals, I get along with them and not a bunch of nosy people. "

"Well, you know, I want what's best for you and I don't think you'll get a chance to grow up in a life trapped in an end of the world like this."

"I'm right here with you, I don't need money, I don't need to be rich to be happy."

She shrugged.

"Your dad is in the office, he wants to talk to you."

I gave the second kiss of the day to this woman who threw me out screaming. The midwife said that she almost died in childbirth, that they had to rush her to the hospital. The doctor said she couldn't get pregnant anymore because of a birth complication and they had to remove the uterus, so I'm their only child.

Dad met Mom when I was a year old and Dad took care of me like I was his son. He wanted a house full of peppers, but Mom only had me. Mom knew about Dad's desire to want a full house and told him he couldn't have kids anymore. Still, Dad married Mom because he loved her so much.

Mom never mentioned my real father and I never asked either, I know it was painful for her, and also, he never missed me, because Mr. Ismael knew how to fulfill this role of father very well.

I went through the kitchen, down the hall, until I got to Dad's office, I heard him talking on his cell phone very "upset". I walked in without knocking and sat on the couch in the corner of the office while he ended the call. Dad was in front of the window, his back to me, “yelling” into his cell phone.

"I'm sure Geraldo is cheating on me..." "Robson, that bastard owes me a lot of money, I'm going to break the partnership with him..." I don't care, I want you to find him and tell me, yes, it's the that I pay you."

I kept looking around, looking for something to distract me, I didn't like listening to Dad's conversations. "Is he there? Put him on the line..." "Listen to your son of a bitch here. You can't put my farm in escrow, it's your debt..." "I won't sell my farm to pay your debt, turn, you got it..." "The farm belonged to my grandfather, it belonged to my father, which I want to pass on to my son and one day to my grandson...." It seemed that things were very bad for the dad. "Isn't that your problem? You son of a..." "You hung up on me? Aaaahhhhhh!!!!!!" He threw the cell phone against the wall with force, 'splintering' everything.

"Problems in Quitanda?" I said cautiously so he wouldn't be upset with me.

"These bastards..." He turned to me and was surprised. "JESUS! Are you naked!?"

"What an exaggeration! I'm just in a towel. I just got back from the field, showered and came here. Mom said you wanted to talk to me, didn't want to bother you because you were talking on your cell phone."

"And you didn't have time to change clothes while I was on a phone call?" Well thinking, I should have done it.

"I didn't want to waste time" Lie! That idea didn't cross my mind.

"Well, since you're here, I need to talk to you."

"I'm available." He gave a weak smile and leaned against the table.

Dad was ten years older than Mom, straight gray hair, brown eyes, and a hole in his chin. He was a very “affectionate” man, Mom is in love with him. If in my old age I'm half the man Dad was, I can say I'll be strong as a breeding bull, still giving the chorus.

“I know you like the land, the harvest and the cattle. I like it too, believe me, but I need you with me in the big city."

"This conversation again, Mr. Ishmael? I got up from the couch upset.

"Son! I need you, those bastards are robbing me, you're the only one who's good at finance and the only one I can trust. Look at this farm, you can turn this place, you learn fast, you're the best guy smart that I know and I need your help."

"And the farm? Who will manage?" I spoke worried about those naughty rabbits, who irritate me by eating my vegetables.

“We've hired someone you trust, but I need you with me.” I snorted.

"Okay, what do I have to do?"

Dad smiled from ear to ear, I've never seen him give that smile before except to my mom every morning.

"I'll have to travel, I want to break the partnership, because Geraldo wants to get a loan from the bank and wants to put the farm as collateral, I don't agree with that. When I get back, we'll talk."

"When are you going to travel?"

"Tomorrow!"

"Don't you want me to go with you, to get the spirit of the thing?"

"No need, I have to do this alone. Stay here and send someone to take care of the farm, when I get back we'll start work."

"Are you taking Mom?" Dad always took Mom on trips, they almost never parted.

“No, this is going to be a quick trip and I don't want to disturb you.” Dad is always concerned about Mom's welfare.

One day, I wanted to meet a woman who could turn me inside out, like Mom used to do with Dad. And fall madly in love, like Mom and Dad were in love with each other. Dad always says that he was in charge of the house, but it was Mom who was in charge of the house.