...4...  philosophising  part  four...  (  4  out  of  18  )...
Autor: luis antonio freire | Publicado: 2011-07-08T16:33:00-07:00

dear &nbsp;son &nbsp;taue…
dear &nbsp;son &nbsp;peter…

we &nbsp;were &nbsp;in &nbsp;rio-de-janeiro &nbsp;at &nbsp;age &nbsp;eight…
going &nbsp;to &nbsp;school &nbsp;by &nbsp;trolley-bus…
together &nbsp;with &nbsp;my &nbsp;sister &nbsp;clarice &nbsp;who &nbsp;was &nbsp;four-years-old…
and… &nbsp;on &nbsp;the &nbsp;way &nbsp;back… &nbsp;I &nbsp;preferred &nbsp;to &nbsp;walk &nbsp;home…
since &nbsp;the &nbsp;money &nbsp;of &nbsp;the &nbsp;trolley-bus-ticket…
was &nbsp;spent &nbsp;on &nbsp;the &nbsp;pop-corn-little-bag…

my &nbsp;life &nbsp;together &nbsp;with &nbsp;the &nbsp;group &nbsp;of &nbsp;kids &nbsp;on &nbsp;the &nbsp;street…
was &nbsp;pretty &nbsp;good…

we &nbsp;used &nbsp;to &nbsp;live &nbsp;near &nbsp;the &nbsp;“jockey &nbsp;club &nbsp;do &nbsp;brasil”…
where &nbsp;the &nbsp;people &nbsp;who &nbsp;had &nbsp;money… &nbsp;used &nbsp;to &nbsp;go &nbsp;there &nbsp;and &nbsp;have &nbsp;fun…
gambling &nbsp;on &nbsp;the &nbsp;horse-races…
one &nbsp;day… &nbsp;one &nbsp;of &nbsp;the &nbsp;kids &nbsp;of &nbsp;our &nbsp;group… &nbsp;had &nbsp;an &nbsp;idea…
he &nbsp;proposed &nbsp;that &nbsp;we &nbsp;could &nbsp;spend &nbsp;the &nbsp;whole &nbsp;sunday…
of &nbsp;the &nbsp;“grande &nbsp;premio &nbsp;brasil”…
each &nbsp;one &nbsp;of &nbsp;us… &nbsp;with &nbsp;a &nbsp;flannel &nbsp;duster…
taking &nbsp;care &nbsp;of &nbsp;the &nbsp;cars... &nbsp;of &nbsp;the &nbsp;people &nbsp;who &nbsp;went &nbsp;there &nbsp;to &nbsp;gamble…

that &nbsp;was &nbsp;the &nbsp;first &nbsp;time &nbsp;I &nbsp;worked &nbsp;in &nbsp;my &nbsp;life…
although &nbsp;I’m &nbsp;not &nbsp;sure &nbsp;if &nbsp;we &nbsp;can &nbsp;call &nbsp;this… &nbsp;work…
the &nbsp;cars &nbsp;were &nbsp;coming &nbsp;around &nbsp;noon &nbsp;time…
they &nbsp;parked &nbsp;on &nbsp;the &nbsp;streets &nbsp;of &nbsp;the &nbsp;neighborhood…
we &nbsp;helped &nbsp;the &nbsp;drivers &nbsp;to &nbsp;maneuver &nbsp;their &nbsp;cars &nbsp;into &nbsp;the…
narrow &nbsp;slots &nbsp;parallel &nbsp;to &nbsp;the &nbsp;side-walk…

at &nbsp;the &nbsp;very &nbsp;end &nbsp;of &nbsp;the &nbsp;gambling &nbsp;section &nbsp;of &nbsp;the &nbsp;“grande &nbsp;premio &nbsp;brasil”…
that &nbsp;was &nbsp;the &nbsp;time &nbsp;of &nbsp;our &nbsp;real &nbsp;activity…
we &nbsp;had &nbsp;to &nbsp;go &nbsp;from &nbsp;one &nbsp;car &nbsp;to &nbsp;another…
trying &nbsp; to &nbsp;get &nbsp;the &nbsp;tips…
they &nbsp;were &nbsp;so &nbsp;many… &nbsp;at &nbsp;the &nbsp;same &nbsp;time…
that… &nbsp;many &nbsp;of &nbsp;them… &nbsp;just &nbsp;went &nbsp;away…
it &nbsp;was &nbsp;like &nbsp;the &nbsp;end &nbsp;of &nbsp;a &nbsp;movie-section…
at &nbsp;a &nbsp;certain &nbsp;instant &nbsp;“X”…
everybody &nbsp;leaves &nbsp;at &nbsp;the &nbsp;same &nbsp;time…

well… &nbsp;after &nbsp;that…
we &nbsp;counted &nbsp;all &nbsp;the &nbsp;money &nbsp;collected…
and… &nbsp;we &nbsp;purchased &nbsp;a &nbsp;leather-soccer-ball &nbsp; “G-18”…
I &nbsp;still &nbsp;remember &nbsp;the &nbsp;model &nbsp;of &nbsp;the &nbsp;ball: &nbsp; “G-18”…

--- &nbsp; --- &nbsp; ---

at &nbsp;age &nbsp;ten…
my &nbsp;family &nbsp;moves &nbsp;back &nbsp;to &nbsp;recife…

this &nbsp;time… &nbsp;we &nbsp;were &nbsp;living &nbsp;in &nbsp;the &nbsp;house &nbsp;of &nbsp;my &nbsp;grandfather…
the &nbsp;father &nbsp;of &nbsp;my &nbsp;father…

he &nbsp;had &nbsp;just &nbsp;passed &nbsp;away…
and… &nbsp;that &nbsp;was &nbsp;the &nbsp;first &nbsp;(and &nbsp;only) &nbsp;time &nbsp;that &nbsp;I &nbsp;saw &nbsp;my &nbsp;father &nbsp;crying…
he &nbsp;was &nbsp;crying &nbsp;out &nbsp;loud…
saying…
“this &nbsp;is &nbsp;terrible…”
“this &nbsp;is &nbsp;terrible…”
and… &nbsp;my &nbsp;mother &nbsp;was &nbsp;at &nbsp;his &nbsp;side... &nbsp;comforting &nbsp;him…

a &nbsp;scene &nbsp;of &nbsp;tenderness…
of &nbsp;love &nbsp;between &nbsp;my &nbsp;father… &nbsp;and &nbsp;my &nbsp;mother…
something &nbsp;rare…
because… &nbsp;usually… &nbsp;they &nbsp;were &nbsp;fighting… &nbsp;almost &nbsp;all &nbsp;the &nbsp;time…
for &nbsp;some &nbsp;silly &nbsp;reason &nbsp;like…
“you &nbsp;left &nbsp;the &nbsp;window &nbsp;open…”
( my &nbsp;father &nbsp;complaining &nbsp;to &nbsp;my &nbsp;mother…
&nbsp; when &nbsp;he &nbsp;was &nbsp;coming &nbsp;home &nbsp;from &nbsp;work…
&nbsp; usually… &nbsp;tired &nbsp;and &nbsp;bad-tempered…)
“you &nbsp;were &nbsp;probably &nbsp;reading &nbsp;the &nbsp;"Time-magazine”…”
( he… &nbsp;complaining &nbsp;of &nbsp;the &nbsp;fact &nbsp;that &nbsp;she… &nbsp;(according &nbsp;to &nbsp;him…)…
&nbsp; &nbsp;used &nbsp;to &nbsp;spend &nbsp;all &nbsp;day &nbsp;reading &nbsp;the &nbsp;“Time-magazine”…)…

--- &nbsp; --- &nbsp; ---

my &nbsp;grandfather &nbsp;had &nbsp;passed &nbsp;away &nbsp;recently…
and… &nbsp;soon &nbsp;after… &nbsp;my &nbsp;grandmother… &nbsp;also…

they &nbsp;used &nbsp;to &nbsp;live &nbsp;in &nbsp;recife…
in &nbsp;a &nbsp;big &nbsp;house…
with &nbsp;an &nbsp;enormous &nbsp;yard…
full &nbsp;of &nbsp;trees…
in &nbsp;a &nbsp; street &nbsp;called &nbsp;amelia…

since &nbsp;my &nbsp;grandparents &nbsp;had &nbsp;passed &nbsp;away…
the &nbsp;house &nbsp;became &nbsp;kind &nbsp;of &nbsp;empty…
and... &nbsp;a &nbsp;cousin &nbsp;of &nbsp;mine &nbsp;called &nbsp;mariana…
was &nbsp;living &nbsp;there &nbsp;together &nbsp;with &nbsp;one &nbsp;of &nbsp;my &nbsp;grandmother’s &nbsp;sisters…
whose &nbsp;name &nbsp;was &nbsp;tia lurdes…

so… &nbsp;my &nbsp;parents &nbsp;decided &nbsp;to &nbsp;move &nbsp;from &nbsp;rio-de-janeiro &nbsp;back &nbsp;to &nbsp;recife…
because… &nbsp;since &nbsp;the &nbsp;house &nbsp;of &nbsp;my &nbsp;grandparents &nbsp;was… &nbsp;almost &nbsp;empty…
we &nbsp;could &nbsp;live &nbsp;there…

at &nbsp;this &nbsp;point… &nbsp;something &nbsp;interesting &nbsp;happened…
I… &nbsp;had &nbsp;to &nbsp;go &nbsp;to &nbsp;recife… &nbsp; earlier &nbsp;than &nbsp;my &nbsp;family…
because &nbsp;I &nbsp;had &nbsp;an &nbsp;entrance &nbsp;exam &nbsp;( in &nbsp;order &nbsp;to &nbsp;be &nbsp;able &nbsp;to &nbsp;enroll &nbsp;myself &nbsp;at &nbsp;school )…
on &nbsp;a &nbsp;certain &nbsp;day… &nbsp;which &nbsp;was &nbsp;about &nbsp;two &nbsp;months &nbsp;earlier…
than &nbsp;the &nbsp;time &nbsp;my &nbsp;family &nbsp;was &nbsp;supposed &nbsp;to &nbsp;move…

and &nbsp;that &nbsp;was &nbsp;when… &nbsp;for &nbsp;the &nbsp; first &nbsp;time &nbsp;in &nbsp;my &nbsp;life… &nbsp;I &nbsp;travelled &nbsp;by &nbsp;plane…
and... &nbsp;all &nbsp;by &nbsp;myself… &nbsp;with &nbsp;age &nbsp;ten… &nbsp;going &nbsp;from &nbsp;rio &nbsp;to &nbsp;recife…
( but &nbsp;my &nbsp;father &nbsp;knew &nbsp;a &nbsp;friend &nbsp;of &nbsp;him… 
&nbsp; &nbsp;who &nbsp;was &nbsp;travelling &nbsp;on &nbsp;the &nbsp;same &nbsp;flight…
&nbsp; &nbsp;and &nbsp;so... &nbsp;my &nbsp;father &nbsp;asked &nbsp;him &nbsp;to &nbsp;accompany &nbsp;me &nbsp;during &nbsp;the &nbsp;trip…)

arriving &nbsp;at &nbsp;the &nbsp;airport &nbsp;in &nbsp;recife…
I &nbsp;found... &nbsp;waiting &nbsp;for &nbsp;me:
my &nbsp;uncle &nbsp;marcos &nbsp;( my &nbsp;father’s &nbsp;brother… &nbsp;who &nbsp;later &nbsp;became &nbsp;a &nbsp;politician…
and… &nbsp;even &nbsp;later… &nbsp;a &nbsp;senator…)… &nbsp;and &nbsp;his &nbsp;wife &nbsp;carolina…

from &nbsp;that &nbsp;point &nbsp;on… &nbsp;a &nbsp;very &nbsp;new &nbsp;phase &nbsp;in &nbsp;my &nbsp;live &nbsp;just &nbsp;started…
me… &nbsp;at &nbsp;amelia &nbsp;street… &nbsp;in &nbsp;company &nbsp;of &nbsp;my &nbsp;cousin &nbsp;mariana…
and &nbsp;of &nbsp;tia lurdes…

they &nbsp;used &nbsp;to &nbsp;watch &nbsp;soap-opera &nbsp;in &nbsp;the &nbsp;evening…
and... &nbsp;for &nbsp;the &nbsp;first &nbsp;time &nbsp;in &nbsp;my &nbsp;life…
I &nbsp;“dove” &nbsp;into &nbsp;the &nbsp;world &nbsp;of &nbsp;“soap-operas”…
fictitious &nbsp;stories… &nbsp; virtual &nbsp;stories…
but &nbsp;they &nbsp;were &nbsp;able &nbsp;to &nbsp;put &nbsp;myself &nbsp;in &nbsp;contact &nbsp;with &nbsp;a &nbsp;certain &nbsp;“reality” &nbsp;of &nbsp;life…
which &nbsp;I &nbsp;wasn't &nbsp;used &nbsp;to...

later &nbsp;on &nbsp;I &nbsp;could &nbsp;realize &nbsp;that…
many &nbsp;of &nbsp;these &nbsp;dramas &nbsp;from &nbsp;the &nbsp;soap-operas…
can &nbsp;indeed &nbsp;happen… &nbsp;in &nbsp;the &nbsp;real &nbsp;world…

should &nbsp;we &nbsp;stop &nbsp;here…?
we &nbsp;should &nbsp;stop &nbsp;here…

see &nbsp;you &nbsp;soon…
with &nbsp;tenderness…
your &nbsp;father…
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;…luis antonio…