CARLOS’S LIVING ROOM - DAYFriday. Carlos is already in uniform, getting ready to work. There is a knock on the door. Carlos is going to open it with the car keys in his hand. Miriam is waiting on the other side.“Ah, good morning, Miriam. Come in.”Miriam enters, normally, friendly, without hesitation this time.“Carlos, I came here to inform you that Monday the lawyer of Fábia Peres’s family wants to talk to you. Here is his phone.”Miriam hands Carlos the Ferreira’s business card. When Carlos goes to pick it up, the fingers of the two of them touch. Very cliché, but that’s what happened.Carlos stares at the business card and Miriam gets a little shiver. It has been a long time since she has been touched by Carlos.“Thank you very much, Miriam. What about your situation?”Miriam crosses her arms and purses her lips, “On Monday I will see Mr. Ferreira, for what they call a conciliatory hearing. So, maybe we can resolve the matter without actually taking the case to court.”“Miriam,
MIRIAM’S ROOM - DAYMiriam is talking to Fábia Peres. The two got on well again after Sandra’s advice. Cleverly, Miriam leads the conversation to the topic of lawsuits.“Oh, Fábia, you don’t know the worst: I talked to Carlos and he said that he won’t insist on objecting to his fate at the trial. That he will acknowledge that he was wrong and accept the punishment.”Fábia Peres is gaping. Then the officer who always behaved like a warrior, dropping the towel so easily?“What does the officer have in mind, Miriam?”“He said he doesn’t mind losing the case, as long as he can get Ricardo behind bars. He’s gathering proofs and evidence.”“And is Carina going to marry this guy?”“Hopefully, she’ll fall flat on her face when she finds out the whole truth on her honeymoon, with the police invading their suite, ha, ha!”The two girls giggle maliciously.“Girl, on the subject of the trial, I’ve been thinking about something. If the officer is not offended, I can ask my father to pay the compen
PENHA’S HOUSE - DAYPenha opens the door for Rubens, who hurries in and looks worried. She closes the door and signals him to sit down.“I was going to offer you coffee, but you need chamomile tea.”“This is no time for jokes, Penha! The situation is getting more complicated.”Penha purses her lips in indifference; everyday things are complicated. She sits in the other armchair, “Every day you live in confusion. You guys don’t seem to want to live in peace. And if I guess, it has to do with Monica and her friends.”Rubens doesn’t like the tone of Penha’s voice and replies harshly, “It has to do with that bastard Wellington who didn’t come to the bar neither Wednesday nor yesterday! What is he thinking?”Penha, on the outside, remains calm and indifferent; but inside, she is overflowing with relief. It was what she wanted most, for Wellington to get out of that snake’s nest, “You’ll see, he found a better job and couldn’t even tell you.”“We paid above the minimum!”Penha is irritated
RHODIA AVENUE - AFTERNOONMore people gather to see Célio’s rescue, which hung in the window of Wellington’s kitchenette. Even Aurélio and his clients left the snack bar to see.“Guys, these windows... Who was the idiot who bought these big windows?”Monica, Sandra, and Annie exchange mocking gazes: they all imagined it was Ricardo’s idea with the masons.WELLINGTON’S KITCHENETTECarlos strides in and goes to the window.“Hang in there, boys!”With another strong man, it was easier to pull Célio back safely. When they finally succeed, he can hear the palms and cheers of those present from below. Célio runs to Wellington’s bathroom to throw up, he’s still scared.Wellington and Luís laugh out loud. Carlos then notices the boxes and suitcases, “Hey, what’s going on here?”Wellington stops laughing and announces to Carlos, “Officer, I’m moving out of here. I don’t think is right to live in the place where I have to pay rent for my kidnapper’s girlfriend.”Carlos smiles in understanding,
WELLINGTON KITCHENETTE - DAYCarlos cornered Rosa asking her to explain to everyone how Penha is Ricardo’s sister. She gulps, nervous.Wellington looks at her more deeply than the others.Finally, she decided it was time to end the mysteries. She gets up to explain better, “Yes, people. It’s true. Ricardo is Penha’s younger brother. However, since they moved here and built the building, they have presented themselves as lovers.”“But, why is that disgusting lie?” Everybody notices Wellington’s afflicted and distressing tone.“Because Ricardo believes that by presenting himself as a boyfriend, he prevents other men from flirting and taking Penha to bed.”The girls are embarrassed.Annie blushes and asks, “Doesn’t Penha know how to simply say ‘no’ to the perverts?”“No. She deliberately accepts to sleep with anyone who invites her. She has a boyfriend who is in Europe doing a Master’s or Doctorate and doesn’t even dream that his darling is horning him.”Wellington is very ashamed of him
PENHA HOUSE - NIGHTAfter Penha and Wellington cancel the lease agreement, the two say goodbye and Wellington leaves. Carlos leaves behind, without saying a single word, just smiled mysteriously at Penha, as if he knew she had just slept with Rubens.Then she takes a forgotten flannel in a corner and begins to try to clean the spilled coffee on the sofa, as it has practically dried, staining the fabric. Rubens, sensing the empty house, leaves the room furious and in long strides.Rubens takes Penha violently by the arm and makes her turn to him. Penha is startled by being taken by surprise and widens her eyes.“Hey, what are you doing?”“What did that kid come to do here?”Penha tries to get rid of Rubens, but he won’t let her go.“Let go of me! He just came to end the lease! He won’t be living in the kitchenette anymore!”“Did you send him to the bar today?”“I was so shocked by his decision that I didn’t even remember!”Rubens squeezes Penha’s arm tighter and she screams more, “You
PENHA’S HOUSE - NIGHTPenha is disgusted by Ricardo’s unexpected visit just to ask if she is going to lunch tomorrow. Because she had no intention of going.Even with her clear body language: pouting, arms crossed and one foot hitting the ground, Ricardo does not undo the classic little silly smile.“Did you interrupt my movie... for this?”Ricardo sits in the armchair closest to the coffee table and puts his feet on top. Penha can see from the soles of one of his shoes that Ricardo stepped on ox feces.“Get those dirty feet off my coffee table!”“You haven’t confirmed me yet, sis. The dress that Carina chose is beautiful. Did you choose yours?”“Get outta my house now!”Ricardo threatens to rub his foot with his dirty shoe, showing that he knows the situation of his shoe.“Come on, sis, say yes! A family lunch, with dad and mom...”Penha is about to cry, she is very nervous. She just wants Ricardo to leave, “Please, Ricardo, stop this clowning! I’m not going to show up for lunch to h
MALTHUS SNACK BAR - DAYAurélio is teaching Luís how to properly serve customers. Wellington is sweeping. Nobody notices the window, where Ricardo is looking at the three with dismay.Ricardo goes back a few steps and enters the snack bar even with the “closed” sign on the door. The three men turn their attention to the door opening and closing and are surprised.“Ricardo?” the owner says, “We haven’t opened it yet, but we already have snacks in the showcase.”Ricardo looks with disgust at the snacks, “I don’t want to be a victim of the ‘Salmonella bar’ anymore. What are these two doing here?”Disgusted, Wellington drops the broom and approaches him, “You can ask us, directly. We are here!”Aurélio gestures for Wellington to calm down.Ricardo goes on talking, “And you, Wellington? Are you working here now? Aren’t you going back to the bar? Rubens is waiting for you until now!”Wellington looks at Aurélio in doubt, Aurélio responds affirmatively with a slight nod.“No, Ricardo, I won’