Rhodia River - In the stream of love

Chapter 19 Neighbours demand their rights (1)

Miriam bounces on the chair and says in a tone of complaint, "Oh, Seu Aurélio, what a fright! Did you hear anything?"

"Was I supposed to hear or not hear something? I am very discreet."

Sandra orders in an authoritative tone, "Bring cheese and ham pastries, two! Today I'm hungry."

Monica gets into the snack bar, worried.

Aurélio goes to her, "Can I wish you ‘good morning’?"

"Oh, Seu Aurélio, I let you. I need it."

"Chicken patty always goes well in those hours. I imagine you want to talk about your friend Annie."

Monica gets surprised, "Has she told you yet?"

"Daughter, don't worry. A long-term friendship just doesn't end easily."

"She said she solves it with her boyfriend, but I felt that it was him who solved it."

Aurelio acts like a big daddy, "Well, Annie is also a girl, she needs to learn to defend herself and impose herself. Come, the pie awaits you."

Monica smiles yellowy and goes with him to the counter.

Miriam disdains Monica, "She doesn't have a boyfriend and disrupts the dating of others... The best friend!"

"I had another vision of Monica..." Sandra laments.

"You see how things are. We better change the subject before she hears us."

But, Monica is eating her patty without even noticing Sandra and Miriam.

CASCAIS BAKERY

Annie enters. Jonas in three steps goes to her and gives her a bear hug, "Annie! By god, forgive me!"

"Jon, what happened?"

Jonas is being pathetic, "I can't lose you to him, Annie! I love you!"

Annie disengages from the hug, "Who is ‘he’? There is no Big Richard on my back."

"I'm talking about Aurélio Malthus."

Annie speaks gently, "Oh, Jon, his shop is very good, but your bakery has advantages."

Jonas IS NOT talking about the snack bar. He smiles, "Let's fix yesterday's mistake! Sit down, miss!"

He pulls out a chair and Annie sits down, happy, thrilled.

Jonas wilts, "Oh, my father is here today..."

Annie puts her purse on the table, opens it, looks for it, and finds something. It's a credit card.

Annie is smiling, "I called daddy yesterday, and he allowed it to be used. Everything is for both of us, Jonas."

Jonas takes the credit card, leans over to Annie, and fills her cheek with kisses; a romantic moment between them.

PRAÇA DA GRANJA

Ed is in school uniform and backpack, crossing the square to go to school. Cássio approaches him on the way.

"We need to talk, partner!"

Ed exclaims disguisedly, "Cássio, how long ago!"

"Cut the bullshit, the chat here will be serious! Did you hear what Sandra and I said at the Malthus Snack Bar on Tuesday? Yesterday an outbreak Miriam appeared in the house, fearing that she has been the last in the contest."

Ed is evasive, "Well, I think I heard one or another thing because I was sitting with my back to you, but at first I didn't even notice. I just wanted my cheese pastry."

"You must be the only person from Royal Hill who eats cheese pastries."

"Now, I didn't do it as a cover to spy on you. It happened."

"Okay, but what about Miriam?"

"I like her and thought she deserved to know, but I didn't count on explicitly accusing Carina."

"Of course, because Carina is slow."

Ed is being a jerk, "I'll tell her that, huh!"

"Stop being boring and stop being involved in adult intrigues."

"No way, if this is being an adult I rather stay forever a child."

"If you remain a child forever, you will have to go to school forever."

Cássio walks away, laughing at him. Ed reacts confused and doesn't know what he prefers anymore.

RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Tito dumps more posters into Célio’s arms, "There, champion, more posters."

"Seu Tito, some people are saying that it’s not a meeting that is said, but an Extraordinary General Assembly."

Tito gets confused, "I'll try to find out. Meanwhile, you are spreading the seed."

"I thought they were posters."

Tito chuckles, "Way of saying, son."

Sandra erupts in the Association. First, she notices everything from top to bottom, thinking of herself as a lady, then going to the mayor.

"Seu Tito, we need to talk. I voted for you and demand action from you as a resident."

Célio asks, "Do you know if Cássio is coming, Sandra?"

Sandra answers Célio, "He said he's coming." She turns to Tito, "I was informed by the officer that the police station is neither prepared nor equipped to stop criminal gangs that are emerging in the neighborhood."

"No alarmism, miss! Gangs are not emerging just because Monica was mugged."

"An agreement is needed with police stations in other neighborhoods, such as Debora Park and Aurora Village! And the residents here need to contribute; after all, we are in Royal Hill and not in Serra!"

"It turns out, miss, we still don't have enough residents to help..."

"And those who can, how do they help?"

Total silence. Célio is still standing, listening...