Rhodia River - In the stream of love

Chapter 8 'Cats' (2)

CASCAIS BAKERY

Annie goes inside the Jonas family commerce. The man himself is at the counter, delivering bags of products to satisfied customers who leave. The place is tidier than the Malthus snack bar and has more varieties of pasta. Annie goes to the showcases, shelves, crates of sweets, cakes, cookies, and homemade pieces of bread.

Jonas arrives from behind and begins the dialogue, "I haven't seen you that happy in a while."

Annie suddenly turns to him, "Oh, Jonas, you scared me!"

"Sorry, it wasn't my intention." He is kinder than yesterday, "What will it be today?"

"Is your father there?"

"He went to pay bills at the Lottery. I'm glad you arrived on time."

Annie talks and goes to a table. "Yeah, start with one of those capuchins that only you know how to prepare the way I like it, and those sugar-filled donuts I saw there."

"Your wish is my command!"

Jonas smiles sweetly at Annie and leaves.

Annie, also smiling, starts to think about the conversation she had with Monica, "Poor little guy, Monica. He was just upset because of the Malthus diner. There’s nothing else to matter, everything is already settled. You don't need to talk to him, no."

Jonas arrives with the donuts and she gets excited and starts to eat.

MONICA’S LIVING ROOM

Monica is sitting in a chair in front of her computer. She checks sheets on the tape printer. She clicks and opens the text editor software. On the monitor, she has already written the title "Hope alive, by Monica Silva". Monica presses "enter" until the next page opens.

Monica takes a deep breath, types "chapter 01" and when her imagination starts to flow in her fingers...

...boom! The monitor goes off. Monica screams in fright and annoyance.

"Son of the—"

Monica covers her mouth and looks around as if she were in front of the reader. Monica gets up and goes to the switch. Turns on, but the lamp does not light. She picks up the remote and points at the television, but it doesn't light up. It's a lack of energy.

"My god! Is there a lack of power in the neighborhood? Are we like this, guys?"

Carina, in a hurry, comes into the background and wants to know what's going on.

"Hi, neighbor! Did the neighborhood lack power or was it just my house?"

"In mine too, Carina. I think it was in the whole neighborhood."

Fábia Peres calls again, "Hey, Monica..."

The two again react stressed. They turn around, and Fábia Peres is standing at the living room window.

"...I didn't know you were such a person who does a cat."

"Like Fabinho?"

"Have you ever seen a blender fly?!" Fábia reacts furiously. She extends the blender with some mixture and threatens to throw it at Monica.

Monica laughs, "Smash, you're the one who will pay!"

Carina appeases them, "There was no electricity in the neighborhood, Fábia. I don't know where Monica's fault is."

Fábia Peres answers petulantly, "And then I'm the stupid one. I took a look at the other side of our street and everything is normal between them."

Monica and Carina go to the window. From their sight, they observe the residents behaving normally; even the noise of a vacuum cleaner is heard.

"Indeed..." Monica has an idea, "Did just miss it on this block, or this side of the street? So..."

Monica leaves. Carina and Fábia go after her.

RICARDO’S ENTRANCE HOUSE

Monica is knocking hard on the door of another house. Carina and Fábia are behind. The door opens after a moment. Ricardo Oliveira, 27, looking like a bohemian Russian, appears behind her. Ricardo appears scratching his face and sleepwear. He's wearing boxer shorts, Carina turns around, blushing, innocent.

Ricardo says sleepily, "Did I win the lottery? Three beauties like that at my door so early —"

Monica replies furiously, "Cut it out the early stuff, it's ten in the morning! What did you do with our light, Ricardo?"

Ricardo scoffs, "I'm not anyone's father!"

Fábia replies, "That's what I thought!"

"So-and-so, it's not helping!" Monica scolds her and turns to Ricardo, "I'm referring to our electricity! It was missing right on our block."

"Is it my business?"

"Do you think I forgot those stairs, pole wires, and various tools I saw you taking in your car the other day?"

Flashback:

Monica passes by the sidewalk in front of Ricardo's house and sees him in the background talking to another neighbor, with the equipment mentioned by her being placed in a van.

End of flashback.

Ricardo is embarrassed and wipes imaginary sweat.

Monica remains vibrant, she knows she is right, "And then?..."

"You saw me that day, but I was doing a little job. After all, I need something to live on, right?"

"Yes, you got paid to make a clandestine power connection. How bad, Ricardo! I just wonder what Seu Tito is going to talk about. Just he, who was elected saying he was so correct and conservative."

Ricardo disguises it, "Look, you can't prove anything against me. I think it's better to forget this boring chat and go in for a cup of coffee."

Fábia dumbly asks, "Is there power in your house?"

It's a total shame. Ricardo reacts furiously.

"Go to wash a dish! You don't need any energy for that!"

Ricardo slams the door in the ladies' faces. They got scared.

Monica ironically scolds Fábia, "Thanks, Fábia!"

"Ah, come on! You think I'm stupid, but at least I got the cause of our problem, right?"

"Yeah, keep thinking to see if Fabio really threw the girlie mags away."

Fábia is swayed by the hint but insists on denying it. From another angle, Célio is walking on the sidewalk and is going to meet the girls. He smiles when he sees Monica.

"Girls! Hello, Monica..." He notices the location, "Ehr... What are you doing at this suspect's door?"

Carina replies, "Precisely, he is suspected of causing a power outage on our block."

Monica completes, "The neighbors across the street still have energy; that is, it’s not a general fault of the neighborhood."

"Yeah, I don't miss mine either. I just came from the Association, but there's nothing to do. I got some change." Suddenly, he just says to Monica, "Do you want to go with me to the Malthus Diner?"

Monica reacts with emotion and interest. "Oh, well, asking like this... I want to."

"So let's go." At the two girls, he says, "Call Escelsa."

Carina is supporting, "Bye, Monica!"

Monica winks at Carina and leaves with Célio. Fábia is eaten with rage.

"Is this thing between the two guys really serious?"

"Feeling smell of envy here?

"Oh, oh, God forbid. The definition of envy is not what fits. I would say 'contempt'."

"Why?"

"Because that one is going out with another guy while Fábio, who already has me, is distracted by her."

"But then, it’s no longer Monica's fault. And it’s good to check even the matter of the magazines."

Carina turns and walks away from Fábia. She holds herself in anger and goes to the other side.

RICARDO’S LIVING ROOM

Ricardo is standing on the phone. The power is already back. He waits to be answered, he is furious.

"Hello, Anestor? What the hell was that? Didn’t I tell you to be careful? The power fell on the block, and people came to accuse me!", pause, "yes, they already found out that it was the cat we did. Watch out to the voltage of your devices, damned, before you set the neighborhood on fire and they blame me!", pause, "ok, I'm going over there to check!"

Ricardo hangs off by hitting the mouthpiece.

"Idiot!"

Ricardo goes to his room to wear better clothes. Then he leaves.