Chapter Twenty One: A Different Walk

The day dawns and Marina and her sisters wake up very early in the morning. Looking at the clock, she realizes that it is still six in the morning.

Marina is too lazy to get up, saying she is tired from the trip and her sisters decide to wake her up faster in a way: They pretend to let her sleep a little longer and while Ester is in the bathroom doing her hygiene, Aline goes to the kitchen.

Minutes later she comes back with a bucket of water and says:

-If you don't get up I'm going to have to wake you up in a not very nice way-says Aline trying to make a serious face-and I tell you, this water is very cold.

-All right, I'll get up.

Marina gets out of bed, puts her cell phone on the dresser and when she was on her way to the bathroom, her sister throws water on her, getting her all wet.

The twins start laughing and the girl starts running after them.

Marina decides to make a revenge and takes a glass of water in the bathroom and when she was going to hit Aline she ducked and at that moment Thiago was passing by and was soon hit.

Everyone started laughing and he said:

-If you wanted to bathe in the hallway just go to the balcony.

-Sorry, little brother.

-Relax, I'm not a quarrelsome brother. Now get ready for coffee and go.

-That's good-The three reply in unison.

He gives them only 30 minutes which becomes a dispute, because 3 girls for a single bathroom is complicated.

So they decide that each one will stay a maximum of ten minutes in the bathroom, so they will all be ready in the proposed time.

After they all take their respective baths and get ready, they go down to the kitchen, but not without each carrying a small bag with their personal things and sunscreen.

After having a hearty breakfast and having checked that everything was in its proper place, the four of them left for the car towards the waterfall.

During the journey, Marina receives a message that says:

Good morning Mari. Are we going out today?

The girl smiles and says:

Depends on the time.

Why, can't it be in the morning? -he asks.

Unfortunately not. My brothers and I are going to Cachoeira. Moment of brothers and fulfilling our childhood promise.

What do you mean childhood promise? -he looks even more confused.

She thinks for a few minutes and types with the greatest smoothness in the world:

When I was younger, my siblings and I made a sort of promise that whenever we were on vacation, we would go to the waterfall and spend time just the four of us to reflect on life, play catch-up, that sort of thing.

When she sent the message, her brother told her that they had already arrived.

Everyone got out of the car and while Thiago parked the car somewhere, Marina and the girls walked down the clay road that led to the waterfall.

When everyone got there, they both chose a corner to sit on the grass and Marina's thoughts automatically went to her friend that she loves so much.

At that moment she received a message from him that for a moment she thought he was a fortune teller or something:

Are you thinking about me? Are you in the place we were talking when we first saw each other?

Yes to both questions-she said smiling-how do you know?

Look back.

It was only when she looked that she found him standing among the trees admiring her.

She smiled and ran towards him giving him a big hug.

-Good morning Mari.

-Good morning-she smiles so much that it looks like the sun-what brings you here?

-I came to see you. When you said you were coming to the waterfall I couldn't resist.

-My brother is here and it's not that he's a bad person, he's just jealous sometimes.

-You can rest assured. It's good that I know my future father-in-law.

They laugh and she takes him to meet his brothers. They are all in the water, but when they see her next to a boy her brother quickly gets out of the water and says:

-Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend Marina?

-That's my friend Jurandir. Jura, this is my brother Thiago. He's Dayane's cousin.

-"Nice to meet you," said Thiago, smiling at the boy, "you can stay here with us if you want, but," he said quietly so that only the boy could hear, "take care of my sister, okay?

-Of course. My duty is to take care of her and make her happy, if she ever lets me.

-Why don't you two date? -Thiago asks, thinking it's obvious.

-Because I just got out of a relationship- Marina says, shooting her friend with her eyes.

-Just a moment: You were dating and you didn't even tell me?

-Can we have this conversation another time? I don't want to talk about it.

-That's fine, but we'll talk about it later. As proof that I'm not mad, I'll let you spend the day together, but bring her home before eight in the evening.

-You can.

Her brother leaves and she walks in the opposite direction of the waterfall upset.

Her friend chases her, pulls her by the arm and says:

-What's wrong?

-Do you still ask? He didn't know anything and now he's going to interrogate me and all because you didn't shut your mouth and...".

He pulls her in and gives her a kiss, leaving her speechless. She thinks about leaving his arms, but the longing for his kisses speaks louder and she corresponds in the same passionate intensity and totally lost in time and can only concentrate on his green eyes and his arms that are around her waist.