Carmen is again at Melissa's house, but this time it is not to reveal the 'truth' about Pamela's pregnancy.
"And where does Josias live, is around here?" She asks, pretending to be casual.
"Yes, do you know Teodoro's building on Hope Street? It's there. It's one of the little rooms, suitable for single men."
"Have you seen what his room looks like?" Carmen asks without disguising the intention.
Melissa shakes her head frantically. "I never was and I will never go! I will only be alone with Josias in our master bedroom, after the honeymoon!"
Carmen smiles ironically. She thinks, 'While you protect yourself from him, he is already impregnating your friends.' And she says, "Well, I better get going, it's late. Next week Pamela will be back."
"I'm praying for her, girl..."
From here William is walking down the corridor to the living room and ends up listening to Melissa's final words.
"... Even more after learning that she suffered
Melissa hugs Josias, touched by the news. William can barely contain himself in anger.With the screams, Simeon and Dora appear from the kitchen."What happened, people?" Simeon asks."Daddy," Melissa breaks the hug and turns to him, "you are looking at the new construction supervisor! Josias will no longer be the bricklayer assistant that so many despise!"William feels personally struck by Melissa's speech.Simeon and Dora vibrate together with Melissa. The owner of the house addresses the future son-in-law."Congratulations, future son-in-law!" The two men embrace."I hope I have enough money to pay for the wedding party." Josias jokes."The father here has to contribute as well." Simeon scratches his head, "But, are you already thinking about marriage? Isn't it too soon?""Yeah, I agree too!" William protests."Son, get a clue." Dora scolds him, "Soon you will also have your little girlfriend and you will want
Josias says goodbye to Melissa, Simeon, and Dora and leaves for his house. Even though he was used to the atmosphere of Happiness Slum, he never wanted to be late at night on the streets.He barely imagines that upon arriving at Seu Teodoro's building, Josias will find another problem to solve.Teodoro is annoyed by Jeremiah's attempt to discredit Carmen concerning Josias."Don't be so mean, Jeremiah. Are you forgetting the day that Josias saved your skin?" He counters.Jeremiah breaks the smile. Damn, Josias told him! If the word gets out, everyone will think he's a coward, that a kid saved his skin."We talked about it, but he didn't want to raise the peace flag." Jeremiah shrugs and says that lame excuse.Carmen shakes her head. "Josias is not a good boy; but, much less you, huh? I already understand the type of residents of this building.""Oh, miss, don't you dare!" Teodoro turns to Carmen, his index finger raised, his brow furro
Now two men are lying in bed, thinking about Pamela's short pregnancy.William, lying in his underwear, cannot sleep. He has already listened to the AC/DC tape three times. Yes, when he was with Pamela, she 'Shook him all night long'. He thought she was an attractive girl and realized that she had the same opinion.However, losing his virginity with her was not the thing described in the soap operas that his mother watches. After the pleasure, guilt and shame came. And now, the depression in knowing that he had managed to get Pamela pregnant, only for her to lose the child that had barely begun to form in her womb.William shifts his position, trying to sleep. He takes the blanket and covers himself up to his neck; today the weather is cool and pleasant. He closes his eyes, but in his mind, he can see Pamela avoiding the accident, but after a few weeks, vomiting and fainting, being questioned by the family and Melissa, getting fat, having wishes, the womb becomi
Josias has a malicious, somewhat devilish smile. "Hello, Carmen! Will you let me in? It seems that yesterday we were not clear and specific with the conversation.""But, of course, you can't get in!" Carmen looks back, nervous, apprehensive."What's wrong, is your father still there?" Josias gets even closer, "He can't know that you were yesterday in the building where I live, making scandal and baseless accusations, right?""Get out, because he is actually about to leave to work!" Carmen speaks in a whisper, afraid someone will hear her."Yeah, someone has to keep this big house. If you were an operator or a secretary, you could help with household expenses." Josias scoffs at her and is having a lot of fun with it, "But since you have free time to go around making slanderous accusations, you also have time to listen to the other side and his defense."Carmen smiles slightly, showing disdain. "Defense on the other side? What defense do you have?"
Carmen is upset at having to go to the cafeteria chosen by Josias. Crossing the avenue near the school reminds her of the accident and her dear sister lying on a hospital bed with a cast on her leg. For a moment Carmen thought she was not going to survive! She could be forever paralyzed! But, worst of all, she had lost a baby that was barely past the embryonic stage! Did it affect her uterus? Will Pamela return to having children?She hopes Pamela finds out much later, with her husband, and not with Josias!The cafeteria was commonly frequented by the school's students, which makes Carmen more melancholy. Was Josias purposely torturing her?Upon entering, she finds Josias already seated at one of the wooden tables. As it was January, the cafeteria was almost empty. Only a few tables were occupied.Carmen did not pay attention to a man in his forties not far from them, all suspicious and stealthy, barely disguising that he was not trying to pay attention t
Josias begins to realize that Carmen was not being unpleasant on her initiative, but because she was being deceived. Once again, someone slandered about him and someone else believed him. And everything indicates that it was Pamela.The first time with Simeon, he was unable to prove it. But now with Carmen, it is as clear as water. Who else could have told Carmen that Josias was the father of Pamela's baby but Pamela herself?However, Josias decided neither to accuse Pamela in front of his older sister nor to tell her that he intended to visit her today. He just adds, "I understand that you are going through a difficult situation, Carmen. So you need to relax and enjoy that Mr. Bento is taking care of everything.""I don't know, sometimes I'm apprehensive about Mr. Bento." Carmen takes a sip of guarana, "Someone in our midst with so much money, he mustn't have gotten it legally."Josias didn't even want to think about that hypothesis. Working in a company
Romualdo's warning was right. Carmen, as soon as she left the cafeteria, went to the nearest bus stop, and when the first bus arrives, she signals desperately for him to stop. After she arriving Downtown, she bursts into the hospital practically passing over everyone."Miss, it's not visiting time yet!" A receptionist tries to contain her.Carmen runs like American comedy movies, dodging doctors and nurses. Upon entering Pamela's room, she slams the door shut."Who got you pregnant, Pam?"Pamela bounces on the hospital bed, even hurting her plastered leg."Careful, Carmen, I'm recovering!"Carmen approaches with hatred in her eyes. "I want to know at once who it was that got you pregnant! I paid the greatest shame accusing Josias and he told me categorically that it wasn't him!"Pamela returns the machine-gun look to Carmen. Damn it! Why did Carmen go to where it was not her business?Pamela intended to wait to return home, rec
Melissa narrows her eyes even more. Carmen had asked for secrecy on the subject of pregnancy, but now Josias is repeating the story. How did he find out about that?"Was that the story she was telling me before I showed up?" Josias asks, also with a cold face."My love, Carmen had asked me to keep the secret. How did you find out?" Melissa asks instead of answering directly."She showed up just yesterday, making the biggest scandal and slapping me twice. She insinuated that I was the father." Josias shakes hands to Melissa, "But, that is a lie, dear! I love you, I would not suffer as much to have you as a girlfriend as I suffered for right after cheating on you, and even more so with your best friend!""No, of course not," Melissa has a strange expression, "if you were to betray me, it would be with a completely unknown person; so that I won't find out so easily."Josias is startled. That was not what he meant."You are distorting what I sai