Rhodia River - In the stream of love

Chapter 4 Good and bad neighbours (2)

FRONT OF THE MONICA HOUSE

Around our characters, workers are returning to their homes, and mothers are calling their children from the street to come back inside. Monica and Carina take a deep breath, not in the mood to see what Fabia Peres, 20, the classic dumb-blonde, but with a hot body wants. She has her arms crossed, huffing.

"What is it, Fábia?"

"I wanna know what the hell this garbage is doing here in front of my house!"

Monica looks at the floor: garbage, paper, and magazines are scattered on the sidewalk of her house. Fábia is a neighbor of Monica's left.

Monica is calm, somewhat mocking, "I'll explain, Fábia. This is not mine. It's yours."

"But, how can you throw something like that in my face? Are you calling me a pig, are you?"

"Pig, no; maybe, inattentive? Our garbage truck goes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. If you put the garbage on Sunday or Saturday, the dogs come and tear everything up; even more so in your case, since you don't have a high basket to stop them."

"No, that can't be! I put that garbage on Saturday! This is his day. Fabinho told me!"

"Fabinho? Your boyfriend Fábio?"

Monica and Carina look at each other and think about how they are going to tell the news.

"You know, neighbor, I really got it right when I said you were inattentive. Your boyfriend's garbage truck runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays because only one truck just can't handle the whole neighborhood, which is huge, and every year more people move here. And he lives farther away from us. Our route is different from his."

Fábia Peres keeps frozen, wide-eyed, and incredulous by her stupidity. She wants to curse Monica, but she knows she's wrong. On the other hand, Monica doesn't want to take it easy.

"Not to mention that I don't read this kind of magazine."

Monica kicks and stretches the page of one of the magazines, which opens. Carina reacts ashamed and covers her eyes.

The magazine with the name of Fábia Peres written in pen turns out to be of muscular men in tiny speedos.

"Your boyfriend who ordered you to throw them away, right?"

Fábia tries to compose herself, "Of course, I ordered in return to throwing away his girlie 'mags'."

Monica laughs, "Ah, okay, very sure he threw his magazines away!"

"He said he did..."

Monica is impatient, "Oh, girl, wake up for life and don't bother me. Come on, Carina, I'll pour you some coffee after that indecent sight."

Monica and Carina turn their backs on Fábia Peres and enter. Fábia crouches down, picks up the torn magazines, and goes back inside her house, kicking the air like crazy.

AT MALTHUS SNACK BAR

There's less activity on the site, and less food on the counter and in the showcase. Aurélio is already preparing to close. Annie is once again sitting at the counter, now checking the money to pay for the cake. The cake now only two slices remained.

Aurélio says, "I'm going to have to spend the night making another cake. You know that I am alone in this world, Annie."

"Wow, Seu Aurélio! Did you never get married? I'm sorry if I ask like that out of the blue, but we always see each other here and at the same time we hardly know each other. I just know that you are cool, you have one nice nose, and cook well."

Aurélio laughs but scratches his nose, "What about my nose?"

"It looks like a French nose."

"Maybe I'm a descendant —", someone enters, "we are closing, young man."

Annie turns to see who it is and is surprised: it's Jonas, 20, the son of the owner of the Cascais bakery. Jonas doesn’t die of love at the Malthus snack bar, like his parents. They think they will suffer competition. It annoys him even more that Annie is in the snack bar.

"Annie, it looks like you're stuck with glue there!"

"It's not like that, Jonas. I went home, had lunch, watched a movie in the afternoon, and came back. Ah, early in the morning there was a robbery, and it was just Monica the victim. Jeez, she needed the purse to go Downt—"

Jonas interrupts her, rude and sulky, "If you know the details, it's because you were here in the morning too. I was right, you live more trapped here than anywhere else!"

Annie remains sweet, "Own, Jonas, don't be like that! Tomorrow I stop by your bakery. Although your father complains that I always eat for free!"

"Oh, daughter, I say it, but it's a joke, okay?" Aurélio interferes by being smart.

"How much was it?" Jonas speaks angrily to Aurélio and points to the plate.

"I cut twelve pieces, one was missing, and now two are left... R$ 9.00." Aurélio is embarrassed.

Jonas takes out his wallet and takes out one R$ 10 bill. He puts the money in any way and does not expect to receive change, such a compelling and embarrassing mood.

"Damn it, huh, Annie! Me killing myself in that bakery trying to please you and you almost spending ten bucks here."

Annie turns to Aurélio, "See you, Seu Aurélio"

"See you tomorrow, Annie."

Jonas freaks out with "tomorrow" and pulls Annie out.

SNACK BAR ENTRANCE - NIGHT

Célio is still pasting posters. He glues one on the wall of the snack bar. Annie and Jonas go out, walk past him and don't read the sign or notice it.

"For sure they fought. But the fool lady is visiting the competition..."

Célio moves away. More customers leave the snack bar and do not read the poster, it’s because Célio placed it in a non-strategic position.

In the poster, it reads, "Meeting of residents this next Saturday to discuss improvements to the Praça da Granja, at 15:00, in the residents' association. Mayor Tito Aguiar".

The snack bar is already dark; Aurélio is closing everything and leaving. He does see and read the poster. He giggles and walks away.

"It's ‘assembly’ and not ‘meeting’, Tito..."

POLICE STATION

Carlos, still on duty, enters the cell where the prisoner is being held, waiting for the next procedure. He's nervous, but he tries to be strong. Carlos is experienced; he knows when he is facing small fish.

"Listen here, you declassed: our neighborhood is starting to grow, to take shape and life as the other neighborhoods in this city. And I won’t allow people like you to ruin the peace and happiness of good citizens! What you thought about stealing a young girl's purse who looked like going to a job interview?"

"That purse was so bulky, I thought it was money!"

Carlos reacts with a mocking smile, "Well, she explained that she is a writer and was going to the publisher to deliver the writing for publication. That is, an honest and hard-working young woman. Why don't you try something like that?"

The thief thinks this is weird, "What are you talking about?"

Carlos replies firmly, "I'm just saying that I don't think you have any experience or you’re a gang leader. I'd even say that you're not even 20 years old."

"I'm eighteen."

"At least you're not a minor. And then, what will it be like, are you going to talk? Is someone behind you, are they forming a gang in our neighborhood?"

The thief widens, did not expect this. His frightened face becomes uglier...